1873 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts

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In March 1873, Massachusetts held a special election for the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy left by Henry Wilson, who resigned to become Vice President. George S. Boutwell, a Republican, won the seat.

Massachusetts elected senators by a majority vote of each house of the General Court (the House and the Senate). The Senate, however, deadlocked, so it was proposed that both houses vote as one to decide the case.

In the House, Boutwell won on the second ballot with 152 votes to Henry L. Dawes’s 115 (about 55% to 42%). The Senate was almost completely Republican—only one seat not held by a Republican, and 211 of 240 House members were Republicans. Senate President George Loring, also a candidate, did not vote, and one member was absent; the third and fourth ballots were identical.

After Boutwell’s victory in the House, Dawes supporters met and decided to continue backing their candidate. The next day, both houses voted together to ratify the choice, and Boutwell was elected to serve the term ending in 1877.