The Green Papers: Political Party Breakdown of the 36th Congress of the United States, 1859-1861

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Boldface (with superscript C) numbers indicate the majority Party in each house. Red (with superscript P) numbers (boldface or not) indicate the Party of the President in any event.

President	Party	Congress	United States Senate	House of Representatives
	Democrat	Republican	other	vacancies	Democrat	Republican	other
Buchanan	Democrat	36th 1859-1861	38^CP	25	2	1
36TH CONGRESS- IN GENERAL KANSAS was admitted as the 34th State of the Union on 29 January 1861: as this was well after the convening of the "long" session of the 36th Congress on 5 December 1859, Kansas' 2 Senators are NOT counted among those elected to the Senate of the 36th Congress; neither is Kansas' 1 Congressman counted among those elected to the House of Representatives in that Congress. 36TH CONGRESS- SENATE The SENATE of the 36th Congress included 2 Senators from other than the two Major Parties as elected by their respective State legislatures, as follows: 1 so-called "old" Whig- Senator John J. Crittenden of KENTUCKY (Class 3) 1 Unionist- Senator Anthony Kennedy of MARYLAND (Class 1) The SENATE of the 36th Congress also included 1 vacancy from the State of OREGON, the Legislative Assembly of the State having failed to elect someone to the Class 2 seat (term: 4 March 1859 to 3 March 1865) from that State before the convening of the "long" session of the 36th Congress on 5 December 1859. The Class 1 Senate seat from TEXAS (term ending 3 March 1863) was vacated by the death of Senator J. Pinckney Henderson on 4 June 1858, during the preceding Congress; the Governor of the State appointed Matthias Ward, a Democrat, on 27 September 1858 to fill the vacancy until a successor could be elected by the Legislature of the State. Senator Ward continued to serve into the 36th Congress by virtue of this appointment; however, Louis T. Wigfall- also a Democrat- was elected to fill this seat by the Legislature of the State on 5 December 1859, the very day of the convening of the "long" session of that Congress. Senator Wigfall- and not his immediate predecessor, Senator Ward- is, therefore, the one counted among the 38 Democrats elected to the Senate of the 36th Congress.

President

Party

Congress

United States Senate

House of Representatives

Democrat

Republican

other

vacancies

Democrat

Republican

other

Buchanan

Democrat

36th 1859-1861

38^CP

36TH CONGRESS- IN GENERAL

KANSAS was admitted as the 34th State of the Union on 29 January 1861: as this was well after the convening of the "long" session of the 36th Congress on 5 December 1859, Kansas' 2 Senators are NOT counted among those elected to the Senate of the 36th Congress; neither is Kansas' 1 Congressman counted among those elected to the House of Representatives in that Congress.

36TH CONGRESS- SENATE

The SENATE of the 36th Congress included 2 Senators from other than the two Major Parties as elected by their respective State legislatures, as follows:

1 so-called "old" Whig-
- Senator John J. Crittenden of KENTUCKY (Class 3)
1 Unionist-
- Senator Anthony Kennedy of MARYLAND (Class 1)

The SENATE of the 36th Congress also included 1 vacancy from the State of OREGON, the Legislative Assembly of the State having failed to elect someone to the Class 2 seat (term: 4 March 1859 to 3 March 1865) from that State before the convening of the "long" session of the 36th Congress on 5 December 1859.

The Class 1 Senate seat from TEXAS (term ending 3 March 1863) was vacated by the death of Senator J. Pinckney Henderson on 4 June 1858, during the preceding Congress; the Governor of the State appointed Matthias Ward, a Democrat, on 27 September 1858 to fill the vacancy until a successor could be elected by the Legislature of the State. Senator Ward continued to serve into the 36th Congress by virtue of this appointment; however, Louis T. Wigfall- also a Democrat- was elected to fill this seat by the Legislature of the State on 5 December 1859, the very day of the convening of the "long" session of that Congress. Senator Wigfall- and not his immediate predecessor, Senator Ward- is, therefore, the one counted among the 38 Democrats elected to the Senate of the 36th Congress.

Modified .