Politics
Cameron became a Whig member, and later, around 1845, a Democrat.
He was elected to replace James Buchanan in the United States Senate in 1844, serving until 1849. He switched to the Republican Party. In 1856, Cameron was again elected to the United States Senate.
Cameron was nominated for President, but gave his support to Abraham Lincoln at the 1860 Republican National Convention. Lincoln, as part of a political bargain, named Cameron Secretary of War. Because of allegations of corruption, however, he was forced to resign early in 1862. His corruption was so notorious that a Pennsylvania congressman, Thaddeus Stevens, when discussing Cameron's honesty with Lincoln, told Lincoln that "I don't think that he would steal a red hot stove." When Cameron demanded Stevens retract this statement, Stevens told Lincoln "I believe I told you he would not steal a red-hot stove. I will now take that back."
Cameron's brother, James Cameron, colonel of the 79th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, was killed in action at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861.
Simon Cameron was succeeded as Secretary of War by Edwin M. Stanton, who had been serving as a legal advisor to the War Secretary. Cameron then served as United States Minister to Russia.
In 1866, Cameron was again elected to the Senate and served there until 1877, when on assurances from the Pennsylvania General Assembly that his son, James Donald Cameron, would be the successor to his seat, he resigned. His son had already been named as Secretary of War in 1876.
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