Passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and its effective repeal of the Missouri Compromise reawakened Lincoln’s passion for politics, and he threw himself into the congressional election campaign in the fall of 1854, crisscrossing Illinois to deliver speeches against the Kansas-Nebraska Act and in support of anti-Nebraska candidates. He even allowed himself to become a candidate for the Illinois General Assembly (albeit unwillingly at first). As the election campaign reached its climax, Lincoln’s name began to circulate as a possible nominee for one of the state’s U.S. Senate seats. In November and December 1854, he wrote confidential letters to political allies, seeking support for his candidacy and information about his prospects. His December 5 letter to Whitney was likely on this topic.

Lincoln won election to the Illinois General Assembly, but, on November 25, 1854, officially declined to serve in order to run for the U.S. Senate. Per article three, section seven of the 1848 Illinois Constitution, state legislators were ineligible for election to the U.S. Senate.

The Nineteenth Illinois General Assembly commenced on January 1, 1855. On January 2, representatives elected Thomas J. Turner speaker. On January 3, Turner appointed Lawrence to the Illinois House’s Committee on Education as well as its Committee on Elections. On January 9, Turner also appointed Lawrence to the Illinois House’s Select Committee on Census.

Despite Whitney’s assurances in this letter, as Lincoln later noted in a letter to Elihu B. Washburne, Lawrence never spoke out in support of him for U.S. Senator. Ultimately, Lincoln did not win election to the U.S. Senate. When it met in joint session on February 8, 1855, the Illinois General Assembly selected anti-Nebraska Democrat Lyman Trumbull instead. Lawrence voted for Lincoln in the first three rounds of balloting, then voted for Martin P. Sweet once and William B. Ogden four times before supporting Trumbull in the final two rounds. See the 1854 Federal Election. Stung and disappointed by his loss, Lincoln made no political speeches or public statements for an entire year after his defeat and reinvested his energies in his law practice.