January 12 – 28, 1897 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Majority vote of legislature to win | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1897 United States Senate election in Idaho was held over the course of 23 ballots from January 12 to January 28, 1897, by the Idaho Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 3) to represent the State of Idaho in the United States Senate.
Silver Republican Fred Dubois had been elected to this seat in 1890 and his term was set to expire on March 3, 1897.
Following the state election in November 1896, a coalition of 23 Populists and 22 Democrats won control of the legislature over 25 Republicans. The 4th Idaho Legislature met from January 4 to March 8, 1897, at Boise, Idaho. [1]
Over the course of 23 ballots held from January 12 to January 28, 1897, 36 individuals received votes to be senator. The election required extensive balloting due to the failure of the Populist and Democratic caucuses to unite behind a candidate, despite Democrats generally voting for candidates who were members of the Populist Party. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]
The Populist caucus united behind six different candidates over the course of balloting, with their chosen candidate receiving between 24 and 33 of the required 36 votes on the first 22 ballots:
The Republican caucus remained largely united behind their incumbent senator:
From the 6th through the 22nd ballots, between 12 and 17 Democrats united behind one of three Populist candidates. On the 23rd ballot, a large enough faction of Democrats united with the Populists to elect Heitfeld as senator. The caucus's three candidates were:
An additional 24 candidate received votes:
Candidates are listed in descending order of the maximum number of votes that they received. The necessary threshold for victory was 36 votes, except on the 6th ballot, when one legislator did not vote, lowering the threshold to 35 votes.
| # | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Jan. 12, 1897 [2] | Jan. 13, 1897 [3] | Jan. 14, 1897 [4] | Jan. 15, 1897 [5] | Jan. 16, 1897 [6] | Jan. 18, 1897 [7] | Jan. 19, 1897 [8] | Jan. 20, 1897 [9] | Jan. 21, 1897 [10] | Jan. 22, 1897 [11] | Jan. 23, 1897 [12] | Jan. 25, 1897 [13] | Jan. 26, 1897 [14] | Jan. 27, 1897 [15] | Jan. 28, 1897 [16] | ||||||||
| Henry Heitfeld (Pop) | 25 | 39 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| William H. Clagett (Pop) | 30 | 33 | 31 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 31 | ||||
| Fred Dubois (SR) | 26 | 3 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 30 |
| Abraham J. Crook (Pop) | 1 | 1 | 29 | 28 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Frank Walton (Pop) | 2 | 2 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 1 | 29 | 29 | |||||||||||||||
| James W. Ballantine (Pop) | 1 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Texas Angel (Pop) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| George J. Lewis (Pop) | 1 | 17 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 14 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Thomas F. Nelson (Pop) | 3 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 1 | |||||
| John W. Jones (D) | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| John C. Rogers (Pop) | 13 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Richard Z. Johnson (D) | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| C. W. Cooper (Pop) | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Thomas L. Glenn (Pop) | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| John R. Wester (Pop) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| James F. Ailshie (R) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| John A. Bagley (R) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vic Bierbower (R) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| J. H. Blair (R) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| David H. Budlong (R) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charles A. Foresman (R) | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| James L. Fuller (R) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Isaac W. Garrett (R) | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Weldon B. Heyburn (R) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Orville E. Jackson (Pop) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| John T. Morrison (R) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| George C. Parkinson (R) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| William Y. Perkins (Pop) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| W. G. Piper (R) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Frank C. Ramsey (R) | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| James J. Rogers (Pop) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mrs. Norman M. Ruick (Pop) | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| J. Ed Smith (Pop) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Drew W. Standrod (R) | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| C. A. Warner (R) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| William W. Watkins (R) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| not voting | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Heitfeld retired in 1903, remaining in the U.S. Senate until March 3, 1903.
