1808–09 United States Senate elections

The 1808–09 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with the 1808 presidential election. 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 1808 and 1809, 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 1.

1808–09 United States Senate elections

← 1806 & 1807 Dates vary by state 1810 & 1811 →
12 of the 34 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections) 18 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic-Republican Federalist Last election 27 seats 7 seats Seats before 28 6 Seats won 8 4 Seats after 27 7 Seat change 1 1 Seats up 9 3
Results:      Federalist hold      Federalist gain      Dem-Republican hold
Majority Party before election Democratic-Republican Elected Majority Party Democratic-Republican

The Federalist Party gained one seat in these elections. The Federalists had gone into the elections with such a small share of Senate seats (6 out of 34, or 18%) that even if they had won every election, they would have still remained a minority caucus.

Results summary

Senate party division, 11th Congress (1809–1811)

• Majority party: Democratic-Republican (26)
• Minority party: Federalist (7–8)
• Other parties: 0
• Total seats: 34

Change in composition

Before the regular elections

DR7	DR6	DR5	DR4	DR3	DR2	DR1
DR8	DR9	DR10	DR11	DR12	DR13	DR14	DR15	DR16	DR17
Majority →									DR18
DR27 Pa. Retired	DR26 R.I. Unknown	DR25 Vt. Ran	DR24 Tenn. Ran	DR23 Ohio Ran	DR22 N.Y. Ran	DR21 N.J. Ran	DR20 Md. Ran	DR19
DR28 Va. Retired	F6 Md. Ran	F5 Del. Ran	F4 Conn. Ran	F3	F2	F1

Result of the regular elections

DR7	DR6	DR5	DR4	DR3	DR2	DR1
DR8	DR9	DR10	DR11	DR12	DR13	DR14	DR15	DR16	DR17
Majority →									DR18
V1 Tenn. D Loss	DR26 Va. Hold	DR25 Pa. Hold	DR24 N.Y. Hold	DR23 N.J. Re-elected	DR22 Vt. Re-elected	DR21 Ohio Re-elected	DR20 Md. Re-elected	DR19
F7 R.I. Gain	F6 Md. Hold	F5 Del. Re-elected	F4 Conn. Re-elected	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 preceding Congress

In these special elections, the winner was elected during 1808 or before March 4, 1809; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Massachusetts (Class 1)	John Quincy Adams	Federalist	1803	Incumbent resigned June 8, 1808, having broken with his party and lost re-election to the next term. New senator elected June 9, 1808 having already won election to the next term; see below. Federalist hold.	▌Y James Lloyd (Federalist) 179 ▌William Gray (Democratic-Republican) 127[2]
Ohio (Class 1)	John Smith	Democratic- Republican	1803	Incumbent resigned April 25, 1808, despite surviving an expulsion trial in the Senate. New senator elected December 10, 1808. Democratic-Republican hold. Successor was also elected to the next term; see below.	▌Y Return Meigs (Democratic-Republican) 43 ▌Nathaniel Massie (Democratic-Republican) 22 ▌Alexander Campbell (Democratic-Republican) 3 ▌James Pritchard (Democratic-Republican) 2[3]
Pennsylvania (Class 1)	Samuel Maclay	Democratic- Republican	1802	Incumbent resigned before the December 1808 general election (effective January 4, 1809), believing he would lose re-election. New senator elected January 9, 1809. Democratic-Republican hold. Winner was also elected to the next term; see below.	▌Y Michael Leib (Democratic-Republican) 89 ▌George Latimer (Federalist) 12 ▌Joseph Hemphill (Federalist) 11 ▌William Jones (Democratic-Republican) 4 ▌John D. Coxe (Unknown) 4[4]

Races leading to the next Congress

In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1809; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Connecticut	James Hillhouse	Federalist	1796 1797 1803	Incumbent re-elected in 1809.	▌Y James Hillhouse (Federalist) [data missing]
Delaware	Samuel White	Federalist	1801 (appointed) 1803	Incumbent re-elected January 11, 1809.	▌Y Samuel White (Federalist) 17 ▌Andrew Gray (Democratic-Republican) 10[5]
Maryland	Samuel Smith	Democratic- Republican	1802	Incumbent re-elected November 14, 1809.	▌Y Samuel Smith (Democratic-Republican) 53 ▌John Eager Howard (Federalist) 29 ▌John Thomson Mason (Federalist) 1 ▌John H. Nicholson (Federalist) 1 ▌Benjamin Stoddert (Federalist) 1 ▌Blank (Federalist) 2[6]
Massachusetts	John Quincy Adams	Federalist	1803	Incumbent lost re-election as a Democratic-Republican. New senator elected June 2, 1808. Federalist hold. Incumbent resigned and winner was elected to finish the current term.	▌Y James Lloyd (Federalist) 248 ▌John Quincy Adams (Democratic-Republican) 213 ▌Laban Wheaton (Federalist) 1[7]
New Jersey	John Condit	Democratic- Republican	1803 (appointed) 1803 (special)	Incumbent lost renomination.[8] New senator elected November 3, 1808 on the second ballot.[8] Democratic-Republican hold.	▌Y John Lambert (Democratic-Republican) 27 ▌John Doughty (Unknown) 23 ▌Ebenezer Elmer (Democratic-Republican) 3 ▌John Condit (Democratic-Republican) Eliminated ▌George C. Maxwell (Democratic-Republican) Eliminated ▌Henry Southard (Democratic-Republican) Eliminated ▌William McCullough (Unknown) Eliminated[8]
New York	Samuel L. Mitchill	Democratic- Republican	1804 (special)	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected February 7, 1809. Democratic-Republican hold.	▌Y Obadiah German (Democratic-Republican) 52.4% ▌David Brooks (Federalist) 34.7% ▌Samuel L. Mitchill (Democratic-Republican) 12.9%[9]
Ohio	Return Meigs	Democratic- Republican	1808 (special)	Incumbent elected December 10, 1808.	▌Y Return Meigs (Democratic-Republican) 49 ▌Alexander Campbell (Democratic-Republican) 17 ▌James Pritchard (Democratic-Republican) 4[3]
Pennsylvania	Samuel Maclay	Democratic- Republican	1808 (special)	Incumbent retired. New senator elected December 13, 1808 and subsequently elected to finish the remaining term. Democratic-Republican hold.	▌Y Michael Leib (Democratic-Republican) 90 ▌Joseph Hemphill (Federalist) 24 ▌John D. Coxe (Constitutional) 11 ▌Not voting 1[10]
Rhode Island	Benjamin Howland	Democratic- Republican	1804 (special)	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected November 5, 1808. Federalist gain.	▌Y Francis Malbone (Federalist) ▌Nathaniel Hazard (Democratic-Republican) "by a majority of six"[11]
Tennessee	Joseph Anderson	Democratic- Republican	1797 (special) 1799 (resigned) 1799 (special) 1803	Legislature failed to elect. Democratic-Republican loss. Incumbent was appointed to begin the term and was later elected to finish the term.	Election was late; see above
Vermont	Jonathan Robinson	Democratic- Republican	1807 (special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1808.	▌Y Jonathan Robinson (Democratic-Republican) 109 ▌Daniel Chipman (Federalist) 97 Scattering 3[12]
Virginia	Andrew Moore	Democratic- Republican	1804 (appointed) 1804 (resigned) 1804 (special)	Incumbent retired.[13] New senator elected in 1809. Democratic-Republican hold.	▌Y Richard Brent (Democratic-Republican) Unopposed[13]

Special elections during the next Congress

In this special election, the winner was elected in 1809 after March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Tennessee (Class 1)	Joseph Anderson	Democratic- Republican	1797 (special) 1799 (resigned) 1799 (special) 1803 1809 (appointed)	Interim appointee elected April 11, 1809.	▌Y Joseph Anderson (Democratic-Republican) 23 ▌John Sevier (Democratic-Republican) 16[14]
Tennessee (Class 2)	Daniel Smith	Democratic- Republican	1798 (special) 1799 (resigned) 1803	Incumbent resigned March 31, 1809. New senator elected April 11, 1809. Democratic-Republican hold. Winner was later re-elected early to the following Congress; see below.	▌Y Jenkin Whiteside (Democratic-Republican) 22 ▌James Winchester 16 ▌John Sevier (Democratic-Republican) 1[15]
Rhode Island (Class 1)	Francis Malbone	Federalist	1808	Incumbent died June 4, 1809. New senator elected June 26, 1809. Federalist hold.	▌Y Christopher G. Champlin (Federalist) Unanimous[16]
Ohio (Class 3)	Stanley Griswold	Democratic- Republican	1809 (appointed)	Incumbent appointee retired. New senator elected December 12, 1809. Democratic-Republican hold.	▌Y Alexander Campbell (Democratic-Republican) ▌Richard S. Thompson (Unknown) 29 ▌James Pritchard (Democratic-Republican) ▌Thomas Worthington (Democratic-Republican) 1 ▌David Findlay (Unknown) 1[17]
Georgia (Class 3)	John Milledge	Democratic- Republican	1806 (special) 1806	Incumbent resigned November 14, 1809. New senator elected November 27, 1809 on the third ballot. Democratic-Republican hold.	▌Y Charles Tait (Democratic-Republican) 40 ▌Elijah Clarke (Unknown) 32 ▌Thomas Flournoy (Unknown) 31[18]
New Jersey (Class 2)	John Condit	Democratic- Republican	1803 (appointed) 1803 (special) 1809 (lost) 1809 (appointed)	Interim appointee elected November 2, 1809.	▌Y John Condit (Democratic-Republican) Unanimous[19]

Early race leading to the Congress-after-next

In this regular election, the winner was seated on March 4, 1811; ordered by state.

This election involved a Class 2 seat.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Tennessee	Jenkin Whiteside	Democratic- Republican	1809 (special)	Incumbent re-elected early October 28, 1809.	▌Y Jenkin Whiteside (Democratic-Republican) 39 Unopposed[20]

Connecticut

See also: List of United States senators from Connecticut

Delaware

See also: List of United States senators from Delaware

Georgia (special)

See also: List of United States senators from Georgia

Maryland

See also: List of United States senators from Maryland

1808 United States Senate special election in Maryland

← 1802 November 1808 1816 →
80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
Candidate Samuel Smith John Eager Howard Party Democratic-Republican Federalist Legislative vote 53 29 Percentage 60.92% 33.33%

Samuel Smith was appointed to the seat as opposed to a re-election, due to the State House and State Senate unable to come to an agreement on how to elect a Senator.

Samuel Smith then won re-election over John Eager Howard by a margin of 27.59%, or 24 votes, for the Class 1 seat.^[21]

Massachusetts

See also: List of United States senators from Massachusetts

Massachusetts (regular)

Main article: 1808 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

June 1808 Senate election^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Federalist	James Lloyd Jr.	248	53.68%
	Federalist	John Quincy Adams	213	46.10%
	Federalist	Laban Wheaton	1	0.22%
Total votes			462	100.00%

Massachusetts (special)

New Jersey

See also: List of United States senators from New Jersey

New Jersey (regular)

New Jersey (special)

New York

Main article: 1809 United States Senate election in New York

See also: List of United States senators from New York

Ohio

See also: List of United States senators from Ohio

Ohio (specials)

See also: List of United States senators from Ohio

Pennsylvania

See also: List of United States senators from Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania (regular)

Main article: 1808 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania (special)

Rhode Island

See also: List of United States senators from Rhode Island

Rhode Island (regular)

Rhode Island (special)

Tennessee

See also: List of United States senators from Tennessee

Class 1

Joseph Anderson, a Democratic-Republican, held a prominent position in Class 1 of the United States Senate, serving intermittently in both the mentioned Senate seat and the other throughout a substantial period, commencing in 1797. His presence in the Senate reflected his notable political influence and the confidence reposed in him by the electorate. Anderson's periodic service underscored the dynamic nature of early American politics, where individuals frequently transitioned between public service and other pursuits. His extended tenure afforded him the opportunity to contribute to various legislative discussions and debates, leaving a lasting impact on the political landscape during a pivotal era in the nation's history.

Tennessee (regular, class 1)

Senator Joseph Anderson

The Tennessee state legislature encountered a challenge in electing a new senator, resulting in a temporary vacancy in the representation. The seat faced the prospect of becoming officially vacant at the commencement of the term on March 4, 1809. However, in response to the legislative deadlock, the Governor of Tennessee, Willie Blount, took a proactive step and appointed Joseph Anderson to initiate the term on an interim basis. This appointment served as a temporary measure, bridging the gap until a special election could be conducted to fill the senatorial position in accordance with the democratic process.

Tennessee (special, class 1)

Joseph Anderson secured election on April 11, 1809, thereby formalizing his position to complete the senatorial term. This electoral outcome marked the resolution of the previous legislative challenges, as Anderson garnered the necessary support to officially fill the Senate seat.

Class 2

Democratic-Republican Daniel Smith entered the political arena with his initial election in 1803, marking the commencement of his service in public office. His affiliation with the Democratic-Republican party underlines the prevailing political dynamics of the time, as the United States navigated through the early years of the 19th century.

Tennessee (special, class 2)

Smith resigned March 31, 1809.

Democratic-Republican Jenkin Whiteside was elected April 11, 1809 to finish Smith's term, which would end 1809.

Tennessee (regular, class 2)

Whiteside was re-elected early October 28, 1809, unopposed.^[20]

Vermont

See also: List of United States senators from Vermont

Virginia

See also: List of United States senators from Virginia

See also

• 1808 United States elections
  • 1808 United States presidential election
  • 1808–09 United States House of Representatives elections
• 10th United States Congress
• 11th United States Congress

Notes

1. "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
2. "Massachusetts 1808 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing The Freeman's Journal and Philadelphia Mercantile Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA). June 13, 1808.
3. Taylor, William A. (1900). Ohio in Congress from 1803 to 1901. Columbus, Ohio: Century Publishing Co. p. 97 – via Internet Archive.
4. "Pennsylvania 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 3, 2018., citing Journal of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1808. 174-176.
5. "Delaware 1809 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing United States' Gazette (Philadelphia, PA). January 14, 1809.
6. "Maryland 1809 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing The Hornet (Fredericktown, Md.). November 29, 1809.
7. "Massachusetts 1808 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2018., citing The Pittsfield Sun (Pittsfield, MA). June 11, 1808.
8. "New Jersey 1808 U.S. Senate, Ballot 2". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 6, 2018., citing The True American and Commercial Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA). November 9, 1808.
9. "NY US Senate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
10. "U.S. Senate Election - 13 December 1808" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
11. "Rhode Island 1808 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing United States' Gazette (Philadelphia, PA). January 14, 1809.
12. "Vermont 1808 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing Weekly Wanderer (Randolph, VT). November 7, 1808.
13. "Virginia 1809 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing United States' Gazette (Philadelphia, PA). January 16, 1809.
14. "Tennessee 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
15. "Tennessee 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 30, 2018., citing The Minerva (Raleigh, NC). May 4, 1809. The Star (Raleigh, NC). May 4, 1809. National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser (Washington, DC). May 5, 1809. The True American and Commercial Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA). May 10, 1809. Norwich Courier (Norwich, CT). May 17, 1809. White, Robert Hiram. Messages of the Governors of Tennessee, 1796-1821. Vol. 1. Nashville: The Tennessee Historical Commission, 1952.
16. "Rhode Island 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 19, 2018., citing Newport Mercury (Newport, RI). July 1, 1809.
17. Taylor, William A. (1900). Ohio in Congress from 1803 to 1901. Columbus, Ohio: Century Publishing Co. pp. 97–98 – via Internet Archive.
18. "Georgia 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing The Republican and Savannah Evening Ledger (Savannah, GA). December 5, 1809.
19. "New Jersey 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing New Jersey Privy Council Records, 1809. 176.
20. "Tennessee 1809 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 29, 2018., citing Journal of the Tennessee House of Representatives, 1809. 115.
21. "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Nov 14, 1809". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
22. "Massachusetts 1808 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2018., citing The Pittsfield Sun (Pittsfield, MA). June 11, 1808.

External links

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