1816–17 United States Senate elections
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12 of the 36 seats in theUnited States Senate(plus special elections) 19 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results: Federalist holdFederalist gain Dem-Republican holdDem-Republican gain Legislature Failed To Elect | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The1816–17 United States Senate electionswere held on various dates in various states. As theseU.S. Senateelections were prior to the ratification of theSeventeenth Amendmentin 1913, senators were chosen bystate legislatures.Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1816 and 1817, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due tolegislative deadlock.[1]In these elections, terms were up for the senators inClass 2.
TheDemocratic-Republican Partygained a net of two seats from the admission of a new state.
Results summary
[edit]Senate party division,15th Congress(1817–1819)
- Majority party: Democratic-Republican (25–28)
- Minority party:Federalist(13–12)
- Total seats: 38–42
Change in composition
[edit]Results of the January 1816 special elections
[edit]DR8 | DR7 | DR6 | DR5 | DR4 | DR3 | DR2 | DR1 | ||
DR9 | DR10 | DR11 | DR12 | DR13 | DR14 | DR15 | DR16 | DR17 | DR18 |
Majority → | DR19 | ||||||||
F9 Md. Gain |
F10 | F11 | F12 | F13 | DR23 | DR22 | DR21 Va. Gain |
DR20 | |
F8 | F7 | F6 | F5 | F4 | F3 | F2 | F1 |
Before the general elections
[edit]DR9 | DR8 | DR7 | DR6 | DR5 | DR4 | DR3 | DR2 | DR1 | |
DR10 | DR11 | DR12 | DR13 | DR14 | DR15 Ga. Resigned |
DR16 La. Ran |
DR17 Mass. Unknown |
DR18 N.J. Unknown |
DR19 N.C. Resigned |
Majority → | DR20 R.I. Retired | ||||||||
F10 | F11 Del. Ran |
F12 Ky. Retired |
F13 N.H. Unknown |
TBD1 Ind. New seat |
TBD2 Ind. New seat |
DR23 Va. Unknown |
DR22 Tenn. Unknown |
DR21 S.C. Resigned | |
F9 | F8 | F7 | F6 | F5 | F4 | F3 | F2 | F1 |
Results of the general elections
[edit]DR9 | DR8 | DR7 | DR6 | DR5 | DR4 | DR3 | DR2 | DR1 | |
DR10 | DR11 | DR12 | DR13 | DR14 | DR15 Ga. Hold |
DR16 Ind. Gain |
DR17 Ind. Gain |
DR18 Ky. Gain |
DR19 La. Hold |
Majority → | DR20 N.H. Gain | ||||||||
F10 | F11 Del. Hold |
F12 Mass. Gain |
F13 R.I. Gain |
V1 Tenn. DR Loss |
DR24 Va. Hold |
DR23 S.C. Hold |
DR22 N.C. Hold |
DR21 N.J. Hold | |
F9 | |||||||||
F8 | F7 | F6 | F5 | F4 | F3 | F2 | F1 |
Results of the 1817 special elections
[edit]DR10 | DR9 | DR8 | DR7 | DR6 | DR5 | DR4 | DR3 | DR2 | DR1 |
DR11 | DR12 | DR13 | DR14 | DR15 | DR16 | DR17 | DR18 | DR19 | DR20 |
Majority → | DR21 | ||||||||
F11 | F12 | DR28 Tenn. Elected[a] |
DR27 N.H. Gain |
DR26 Miss. New seat |
DR25 Miss. New seat |
DR24 Vt. Hold |
DR23 | DR22 | |
F10 | F9 | F8 | F7 | F6 | F5 | F4 | F3 | F2 | F1 |
Key |
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Race summaries
[edit]Elections during the preceding Congress
[edit]In these special and general elections, the winners were seated during 1816 or before March 4, 1817; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Virginia (Class 2) |
Vacant | William B. Giles(DR) had resigned March 3, 1815. John Wayles Eppes(DR) waselected December 7, 1815,but declined to serve. New senator electedJanuary 3, 1816on the fourth ballot despite beinglegally too young to serve. Democratic-Republican gain. Winner later lost re-election to the next term,see below. |
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Maryland (Class 1) |
Vacant | TheMaryland General Assemblyfailed to elect in time for the March 4, 1815 beginning of the term. New senator electedJanuary 29, 1816. Federalist gain. |
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Massachusetts (Class 1) |
Christopher Gore | Federalist | 1813(Appointed) 1815(special) |
Incumbent resigned May 30, 1816, unhappy with the politics of Washington and suffering from poor health. New senator electedJune 12, 1816. Federalist hold. |
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Indiana (Class 1) |
New seat | Indiana was admitted to the Union December 11, 1816. New senator electedNovember 8, 1816. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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Indiana (Class 3) |
New seat | Indiana was admitted to the Union December 11, 1816. New senator electedNovember 8, 1816. Democratic-Republican gain. | |||
Georgia (Class 2) |
William Wyatt Bibb | Democratic-Republican | 1813(special) | Incumbent resigned November 9, 1816. New senator electedNovember 13, 1816. Democratic-Republican hold. Winner was also elected the same day to the next term,see below. |
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North Carolina (Class 2) |
James Turner | Democratic-Republican | 1804 1810 |
Incumbent resigned November 21, 1816 due to ill health. New senator electedDecember 4, 1816on the third ballot. Democratic-Republican hold. Winner was also elected the same day to the next term,see below. |
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South Carolina (Class 2) |
John Taylor | Democratic-Republican | 1810(special) 1810 |
Incumbent resigned November 1816. New senator electedDecember 4, 1816. Democratic-Republican hold. Winner was also elected the same day to the next term,see below. |
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Kentucky (Class 2) |
Martin D. Hardin | Federalist | 1814(Appointed) | Incumbent appointee electedDecember 5, 1816.[9] Winner was not later a candidate for the next term,see below. |
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Maryland (Class 1) |
Robert Goodloe Harper | Federalist | 1816(special) | Incumbent resigned December 6, 1816. New senator electedDecember 20, 1816. Federalist hold. |
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Races leading to the next Congress
[edit]In these general elections, the winners were seated March 4, 1817; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Delaware | William H. Wells | Federalist | 1799(special) 1799 1804(Resigned) 1813(special) |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 31, 1817 on the third ballot. Federalist hold. |
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Georgia | William Wyatt Bibb | Democratic-Republican | 1813(special) | Resigned November 9, 1816. New senator elected November 13, 1816 on the second ballot. Winner was also elected to finish the previous term, see above. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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Kentucky | Martin D. Hardin | Federalist | 1816(Appointed) 1816(special) |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected December 10, 1816 on the second ballot. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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Louisiana | James Brown | Democratic-Republican | 1813(special) | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1817. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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Massachusetts | Joseph Bradley Varnum | Democratic-Republican | 1811 | Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected June 12, 1816. Federalist gain. |
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New Hampshire | Thomas W. Thompson | Federalist | 1814(special) | Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected in 1816 on the third ballot. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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New Jersey | John Condit | Democratic-Republican | 1809(special) 1810 |
Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected January 23, 1817. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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North Carolina | James Turner | Democratic-Republican | 1804 1810 |
Resigned November 21, 1816 due to ill health. New senator elected December 4, 1816 on the second ballot. Winner was also elected to finish the previous term, see above. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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Rhode Island | Jeremiah Howell | Democratic-Republican | 1810 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected June 21, 1816.[19] Federalist gain. |
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South Carolina | John Taylor | Democratic-Republican | 1810(special) 1810 |
Incumbent resigned November 1816. New senator elected December 4, 1816. Winner was also elected to the previous term, see above. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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Tennessee | John Williams | Democratic-Republican | 1815(special) | Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Incumbent was then appointed to start the term. Democratic-Republican loss. |
None. |
Virginia | Armistead T. Mason | Democratic-Republican | 1816(special) | Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election, but he was anunsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. New senator elected December 9, 1816. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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Elections during the next Congress
[edit]In three special elections and two general elections, the winners were elected in 1817 after March 4; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
New Hampshire (Class 3) |
Jeremiah Mason | Federalist | 1813(special) | Incumbent resigned June 16, 1817. New senator electedJune 27, 1817on the thirteenth ballot. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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Tennessee (Class 2) |
John Williams | Democratic-Republican | 1815(special) | Legislature had failed to elect and the incumbent was then appointed to start the term. Interim appointee was re-electedOctober 2, 1817to finish the term. |
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Vermont (Class 3) |
Dudley Chase | Democratic-Republican | 1812 | Resgined November 3, 1817. New senator electedNovember 4, 1817. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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Mississippi (Class 1) |
New state | Mississippi was admitted as a new state. New senator electedDecember 10, 1817on the fifth ballot. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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Mississippi (Class 2) |
New state | Mississippi was admitted as a new state. New senator electedDecember 10, 1817on the fourth ballot. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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Delaware
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Georgia
[edit]Georgia (regular)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Georgia (special)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Indiana
[edit]The new state ofIndianaelected its first two senators, both Democratic-Republicans,James NobleandWaller Taylor.The election was held November 8, 1816 in advance of Indiana's December 11, 1816 admission as a state. In the election legislators cast a single ballot and the first and second place candidates were deemed elected.
- James Noble(Democratic-Republican) 265 votes
- Waller Taylor(Democratic-Republican) 20 votes
- James Scott16 votes
- Jesse L. Holman3 votes
- Ezra Ferris2 votes
- Davis Floyd2 votes
- Walter Wilson2 votes
- Elias MacNamee1 vote[5]
Kentucky
[edit]Kentucky (regular)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Kentucky (special)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Louisiana
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Maryland (special)
[edit]Maryland (special, January 1816)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(November 2022) |
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80 members of theMaryland General Assembly | ||||||||||||||||
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Robert Goodloe Harperwon election overJohn Thomson Masonby a margin of 1.12%, or 1 vote, for the Class 1 seat.[26]
Maryland (special, December 1816)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(November 2022) |
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80 members of theMaryland General Assembly | ||||||||||||||||
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Alexander Contee Hansonwon election over William Winder by a margin of 8.24%, or 7 votes, for the Class 1 seat.[27]
Massachusetts
[edit]Massachusetts (regular)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Massachusetts (special)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Mississippi
[edit]The new state ofMississippielected its first two senators, both Democratic-Republicans,Walter LeakeandThomas H. Williams.Two separate elections were held in which each senator was elected.
First Senator (Class 1)
(5th ballot, date and previous ballots unknown)
- Walter Leake(Democratic-Republican) 15 votes
- Christopher Rankin8 votes
- Cowles Mead5 votes
- Thomas H. Williams1 vote[24]
Second Senator (Class 2)
(4th ballot, date and previous ballots unknown)
- Thomas H. Williams(Democratic-Republican) 16 votes
- Cowles Mead12 votes
- Christopher Rankin1 vote[25]
New Hampshire
[edit]New Hampshire (regular)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
New Hampshire (special)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
New Jersey
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
North Carolina
[edit]North Carolina (regular)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
North Carolina (special)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Rhode Island
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
South Carolina
[edit]South Carolina (regular)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
South Carolina (special)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Tennessee
[edit]Tennessee (regular)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Tennessee (special)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Vermont (special)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Virginia
[edit]Virginia (regular)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
Virginia (special)
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(October 2019) |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^Appointee elected
- ^"An unfortunate disagreement among some of the members of the House, with regard to a candidate for Senator to Congress, was the occasion of several ballotings before a choice could be made. The Hon. CLEMENT STORER, was however, elected by the unanimous voice of the Republican members of the Senate, which vote was concurred by the House, on Thursday, by a plurality of eleven votes."[22]
- ^"The ballotings for a Senator to Congress, (after 13 trials, in which 33 persons were voted for) resulted in the choice of the Hon. CLEMENT STORER, by a majority of 8 or 10." Farmer's Cabinet (Amherst, NH). July 5, 1817.[22]
References
[edit]- ^"17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)".National Archives and Records Administration.February 8, 2022.
- ^"Virginia 1816 U.S. Senate, Special, Ballot 4".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 17,2018.
- ^"Maryland 1816 U.S. Senate".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 18,2018.
- ^"Massachusetts 1816 U.S. Senate, Special".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 19,2018.
- ^ab"Indiana 1816 U.S. Senate".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.Archived fromthe originalon October 29, 2019.RetrievedMay 24,2018.
- ^ab"Georgia 1816 U.S. Senate, Ballot 2".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 23,2018.
- ^"North Carolina 1816 U.S. Senate, Special, Ballot 3".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 23,2018.
- ^ab"South Carolina 1816 U.S. Senate, Special".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 23,2018.
- ^Byrd, page 110.
- ^"Kentucky 1816 U.S. Senate, Special".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 23,2018.
- ^"Maryland 1816 U.S. Senate, Special".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.Archived fromthe originalon March 6, 2020.RetrievedMay 18,2018.
- ^"Delaware 1817 U.S. Senate, Ballot 3".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 17,2018.
- ^"Kentucky 1816 U.S. Senate, Ballot 2".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 23,2018.
- ^"Louisiana 1817 U.S. Senate".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 14,2018.
- ^"Massachusetts 1816 U.S. Senate".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 19,2018.
- ^"New Hampshire 1816 U.S. Senate, Ballot 3".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 17,2018.
- ^"New Jersey 1817 U.S. Senate".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 25,2018.
- ^"North Carolina 1816 U.S. Senate, Ballot 2".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 23,2018.
- ^ab"A New Nation Votes".
- ^"VA US Senate".Our Campaigns.January 11, 2008.RetrievedMarch 16,2015.
- ^"Virginia 1816 U.S. Senate".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 17,2018.
- ^abc"New Hampshire 1817 U.S. Senate, Ballot 13".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 17,2018.
- ^"Tennessee 1817 U.S. Senate".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedMay 24,2018.
- ^ab"Mississippi 1817 U.S. Senate, First Senator, Ballot 5".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedOctober 29,2019.
- ^ab"Mississippi 1817 U.S. Senate, Second Senator, Ballot 4".Tufts Digital Collations and Archives.A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825.Tufts University.RetrievedOctober 29,2019.
- ^"Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 27, 1816".www.ourcampaigns.com.Retrieved2022-11-05.
- ^"Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 27, 1816".www.ourcampaigns.com.Retrieved2022-11-05.
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present,via Senate.gov
- Byrd, Robert C.(October 1, 1993). Wolff, Wendy (ed.).The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992.United States Senate Historical Office(volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). Washington, DC:U.S. Government Printing Office.ISBN9780160632563.