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Platt was elected to the United States Senate in 1881 to serve alongside Conkling, although this tenure would prove to be brief. Garfield, at the advice of [[James G. Blaine]], alienated "Stalwarts" by nominating Blaine faction leader-turned-"Half-Breed" [[William H. Robertson]] to the position of [[Collector of the Port of New York]].<ref name=tcplattpapers/> Platt proposed to Conkling that both submit their immediate resignations from the U.S. Senate, presuming that their subsequent immediate elections to their Senate seats by the state legislature in the following special elections would demonstrate a rebuke towards Garfield.<ref name=tcplattpapers/> However, the "Half-Breed" Republicans in the New York legislature thwarted the pair, electing [[Warner Miller]] and [[Elbridge G. Lapham]] to the seats instead.
Following the failed effort suggested by Platt that resulted in the self-removal of him and Conkling, their friendship shattered. The lack of Conkling's leadership resulted in a disorientation of the New York GOP for a brief period of time, marked by frequent defeats at elections.<ref name=tcplattpapers/> Platt, in an effort to improve party performance, would in the subsequent several years wrench for leadership. During the process, he threw support in the [[1884 United States presidential election]] to party nominee [[James G. Blaine]], a longtime personal nemesis of Conkling.<ref name=tcplattpapers/>
==Timeline==
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