50-some posts and no one has posted that Lincoln was never a Senator? Journalism these days.
That is correct. Lincoln was elected as a one term Representative and a member of the Whig Party.
He ran in 1858 against Steven Douglas as the Republican candidate and lost.
During the 1960 Presidential election he ran against Senator Steven Douglas (Democrat) as a Republican and won. Lincoln was a private citizen when elected.
The South also ran a candidate who split the democrat vote and allowed Lincoln the victory.