1798–99 United States Senate elections

The 1798–99 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1798 and 1799, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.^[1] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 2.

1798–99 United States Senate elections

← 1796 & 1797 Dates vary by state 1800 & 1801 →
11 of the 32 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections) 17 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Federalist Democratic-Republican Seats before 22 10 Seats after 23 9 Seat change Seats up 5 6 Races won 5 6
Federalist hold      Democratic-Republican hold
Majority Party before election Federalist Elected Majority Party Federalist

They occurred in the middle of President John Adams's administration, and had no net change in political control of the Senate.

Results summary

Senate party division, 6th Congress (1799–1801)

• Majority party: Federalist (22)
• Minority party: Democratic-Republican (9)
• Other parties: 0
• Total seats: 31

Change in composition

Before the elections

After the January 19, 1798, election in Delaware.

DR6 Ky. Ran	DR5 Ga. Unknown	DR4	DR3	DR2	DR1
DR7 N.C. Ran	DR8 S.C. Ran	DR9 Tenn. Retired	DR10 Va. Ran	F22 R.I. Ran	F21 N.J. Retired	F20 N.H. Ran	F19 Mass. Retired	F18 Del. Died	F17
Majority →
F7	F8	F9	F10	F11	F12	F13	F14	F15	F16
F6	F5	F4	F3	F2	F1

Results of the elections

DR6 Ky. Re-elected	DR5 Ga. Hold	DR4	DR3	DR2	DR1
DR7 N.C. Hold	DR8 S.C. Re-elected	DR9 Tenn. Hold	DR10 Va. Re-elected	F22 N.J. Hold	F21 Mass. Hold	F20 Del. Hold	F19 R.I. Re-elected	F18 N.H. Re-elected	F17
Majority →
F7	F8	F9	F10	F11	F12	F13	F14	F15	F16
F6	F5	F4	F3	F2	F1

Beginning of the next Congress

DR6	DR5	DR4	DR3	DR2	DR1
DR7 Re-elected	DR8	DR9	V1 Va. Died	F22	F21	F20	F19	F18	F17
Majority →
F7	F8	F9	F10	F11	F12	F13	F14	F15	F16
F6	F5	F4	F3	F2	F1

Key	DR# Democratic-Republican F# Federalist V# Vacant

Race summaries

Except if/when noted, the number following candidates is the whole number vote(s), not a percentage.

Special elections during the 5th Congress

In these special elections, the winner was seated before March 4, 1799; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	First elected
New York (Class 1)	Philip Schuyler	Federalist	1789[a]	Incumbent resigned January 3, 1798, due to ill health. New senator elected January 11, 1798. Federalist hold. Winner later resigned; see below.	▌Y John Sloss Hobart (Federalist) 100 ▌John Addison (Unknown) 25 ▌John Armstrong (Democratic-Republican) 4 ▌John Taylor (Democratic-Republican) 2 ▌James Watson (Federalist) 2 ▌James Cocliram[2] (Unknown) 1[3]
Delaware (Class 2)	John Vining	Federalist	1792	Incumbent resigned January 19, 1798. New senator elected January 19, 1798. Federalist hold. Winner died August 11, 1798; see below.	▌Y Joshua Clayton (Federalist) 14 ▌James Sykes (Democratic-Republican) 10[4]
New York (Class 1)	William North	Federalist	1798 (appointed)	Interim appointee served until winner qualified. New senator elected August 24, 1798. Federalist hold.	▌Y James Watson (Federalist) 87 ▌John Taylor (Democratic-Republican) 57[5]
South Carolina (Class 2)	John Hunter	Democratic- Republican	1796 (special)	Incumbent resigned November 26, 1798. New senator elected December 6, 1798. Democratic-Republican hold. New senator also elected to next term; see below.	▌Y Charles Pinckney (Democratic-Republican) [data missing]
Tennessee (Class 1)	Daniel Smith	Democratic- Republican	1798 (appointed)	Interim appointee retired when successor qualified. New senator elected December 12, 1798. Winner qualified upon retirement from other Senate seat on March 3, 1799. Democratic-Republican hold.	▌Y Joseph Anderson (Democratic-Republican) 17 ▌William Cocke (Democratic-Republican) 28[6] ▌Daniel Smith (Democratic-Republican) 15 ▌Andrew Jackson (Democratic-Republican) 1 ▌John Overton (Unknown) 1[7]
Delaware (Class 2)	Joshua Clayton	Federalist	1798	Died August 11, 1798. New senator elected January 17, 1799. Federalist hold. Winner also elected to next term; see below.	▌Y William H. Wells (Federalist) 14 ▌James Sykes (Democratic-Republican) 12[8]
New Jersey (Class 1)	Franklin Davenport	Federalist	1798 (appointed)	Interim appointee served until winner qualified. New senator elected February 21, 1799 on the third ballot. Federalist hold.	▌Y James Schureman (Federalist) 26 ▌Thomas Henderson (Federalist) 24 ▌Philemon Dickinson (Unknown) Eliminated in earlier ballot ▌Jonathan Elmer (Federalist) Eliminated in earlier ballot[9]

Races leading to the 6th Congress

In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1799; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	First elected
Delaware	Joshua Clayton	Federalist	1798	Incumbent died August 11, 1798. New senator elected January 17, 1799. Federalist hold. Winner was also elected to finish the current term, see above.	▌Y William H. Wells (Federalist) 14 ▌James Sykes (Democratic-Republican)[10]
Georgia	Josiah Tattnall	Democratic- Republican	1796	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected January 18, 1799. Democratic-Republican hold.	▌Y Abraham Baldwin (Democratic-Republican) 42 ▌Thomas P. Carnes (Federalist) 37[11]
Kentucky	John Brown	Democratic- Republican	1792	Incumbent re-elected November 30, 1798.	▌Y John Brown (Democratic-Republican) 36 ▌Benjamin Logan (Unknown) 22 ▌Stephen Ormsby (Democratic-Republican) 7[12]
Massachusetts	Theodore Sedgwick	Federalist	1796	Incumbent retired to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. New senator elected June 14, 1798. Federalist hold.	▌Y Samuel Dexter (Federalist) 102 Others 54[13]
New Hampshire	Samuel Livermore	Federalist	1792	Incumbent re-elected December 21, 1798.	▌Y Samuel Livermore (Federalist) 8 ▌Nay 4[14]
New Jersey	Richard Stockton	Federalist	1796	Incumbent retired. New senator elected November 1, 1798. Federalist hold.	▌Y Jonathan Dayton (Federalist) 26 ▌Jonathan Elmer (Federalist) 22[15]
North Carolina	Alexander Martin	Democratic- Republican	1792	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected December 12, 1798, on the ninth ballot.[16] Democratic-Republican hold.	▌Y Jesse Franklin (Democratic-Republican) 89 ▌Benjamin Smith (Federalist) 78 ▌Alexander Martin (Democratic-Republican) Eliminated in earlier ballot ▌Blake Baker Jr. (Unknown) Eliminated in earlier ballot[17]
Rhode Island	Ray Greene	Federalist	1797 (special)	Incumbent re-elected November 1, 1798.	▌Y Ray Greene (Federalist) Unanimous[18]
South Carolina	Charles Pinckney	Democratic- Republican	1798	Incumbent re-elected December 6, 1798.	▌Y Charles Pinckney (Democratic-Republican) [data missing]
Tennessee	Joseph Anderson	Democratic- Republican	1797 (special)	Incumbent retired when elected to the Class 1 seat (see above). New senator elected December 12, 1798. Democratic-Republican hold.	▌Y William Cocke (Democratic-Republican) 28 ▌Joseph Anderson (Democratic-Republican) 17 ▌Daniel Smith (Democratic-Republican) 15 ▌Andrew Jackson (Democratic-Republican) 1 ▌John Overton (Unknown) 1[7]
Virginia	Henry Tazewell	Democratic- Republican	1794 (special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1798. Incumbent died January 24, 1799, before the term began.	▌Y Henry Tazewell (Democratic-Republican) 117 ▌James Madison (Democratic-Republican) 28 ▌John Marshall (Federalist) 13 ▌James Breckenridge (Federalist) 10 Others 9[19]

Special elections during the 6th Congress

In this special election, the winner was seated after March 4, 1799, the beginning of the next Congress.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	First elected
Virginia (Class 2)	Vacant			Incumbent Henry Tazewell (DR) was re-elected in 1798 but died January 24, 1799, before the term began. New senator elected December 5, 1799 on the second ballot. Democratic-Republican gain.	▌Y Wilson C. Nicholas (Democratic-Republican) 111 ▌John Page (Democratic-Republican) 49 ▌Ludwell Lee (Unknown) 1 ▌George K. Taylor (Unknown) 1 ▌James Wood (Federalist) 1[20]

See also

• 1798 United States elections
  • 1798–99 United States House of Representatives elections
• 5th United States Congress
• 6th United States Congress

Notes

1. Incumbent lost in 1791 Senate election, but he was able to run again in 1797 and won.

References

• Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov

1. "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
2. May be "James Cocliran"
3. "New York 1798 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing Connecticut Gazette (New London, CT). January 24, 1798.
4. "Delaware 1798 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing Journal of the Delaware House of Representatives, 1798. 36.
5. "New York 1798 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018.^{[permanent dead link]}, citing Connecticut Gazette (New London, CT). August 29, 1798.
6. Elected instead to other seat.
7. "Tennessee 1798 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 31, 2018., citing White, Robert Hiram. Messages of the Governors of Tennessee, 1796–1821. Vol. 1. Nashville: The Tennessee Historical Commission, 1952.
8. "Delaware 1799 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing Journal of the Delaware House of Representatives, 1799.
9. "New Jersey 1799 U.S. Senate, Ballot 3". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing The Genius of Liberty (Morristown, NJ). February 21, 1799.
10. "Delaware 1799 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing Journal of the Delaware House of Representatives, 1799.
11. "Georgia 1799 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing The True American and Commercial Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA). February 5, 1799.
12. "Kentucky 1798 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing The Palladium: A Literary and Political Weekly Repository (Frankfort, KY). December 4, 1798.
13. "Massachusetts 1798 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing Connecticut Gazette (New London, CT). June 20, 1798.
14. "New Hampshire 1798 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing Journal of the New Hampshire Senate, 1799. 38–45, 50–51. Journal of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, 1799. 42–45.
15. "New Jersey 1798 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing The Centinel of Freedom (Newark, NJ). November 6, 1798. The Genius of Liberty (Morristown, NJ). November 8, 1798.
16. "Our Campaigns - NC US Senate Race - Dec 12, 1798". www.ourcampaigns.com.
17. "North Carolina 1798 U.S. Senate, Ballot 9". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing Legislative Papers for 1798. Box 157. State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh.
18. "Rhode Island 1798 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing The Newport Mercury (Newport, RI). November 6, 1798.
19. "Virginia 1798 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing Samuel Shield to Henry Tazewell. December 13, 1798.
20. "Virginia 1799 U.S. Senate, Special, Ballot 2". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing The Aurora. General Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA). December 13, 1799. Raleigh Register, and North-Carolina Weekly Advertiser (Raleigh, NC). December 17, 1799.