1800–01 United States Senate elections
The 1800–01 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with Thomas Jefferson being elected to the White House. 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 1800 and 1801, 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 3.
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10 of the 32 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections) 17 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Results: Federalist hold Federalist gain Dem-Republican hold Dem-Republican gain | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Although the Federalists began the 7th Congress with a slim majority, Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party took over the majority shortly thereafter due to mid-year special elections. By the time the first proper session of the 7th Congress met in December 1801, three seats had been gained by the Democratic-Republicans, leaving them with an overall majority of 17 seats and a government trifecta.
Change in composition
Before the November elections
After the November 6, 1800 special election in New York.
DR6 | DR5 | DR4 | DR3 | DR2 | DR1 | ||||
DR7 | DR8 | DR9 N.H. Ran | DR10 N.Y. Ran | DR11 N.C. Retired | F21 Vt. Ran | F20 S.C. Ran | F19 Pa. Retired | F18 Md. Unknown | F17 Ky. Ran |
Majority → | |||||||||
F7 | F8 | F9 | F10 | F11 | F12 | F13 | F14 | F15 Conn. Ran | F16 Ga. Retired |
F6 | F5 | F4 | F3 | F2 | F1 |
Result of the November elections
DR6 | DR5 | DR4 | DR3 | DR2 | DR1 | ||||
DR7 | DR8 | DR9 Ga. Gain | DR10 Ky. Gain | DR11 N.Y. Re-elected | DR12 N.C. Hold | DR13 Pa. Gain | DR14 S.C. Gain | V1 Md. F loss | F17 Vt. Re-elected |
Majority → | |||||||||
F7 | F8 | F9 | F10 | F11 | F12 | F13 | F14 | F15 Conn. Re-elected | F16 N.H. Gain |
F6 | F5 | F4 | F3 | F2 | F1 |
Beginning of the 7th Congress, March 4, 1801
DR6 | DR5 | DR4 | DR3 | DR2 | DR1 | ||||
DR7 | DR8 | DR9 | DR10 | DR11 | DR12 | DR13 | DR14 | F18 Md. Appointed | F17 |
Majority → | |||||||||
F7 | F8 | F9 | F10 | F11 | F12 | F13 | F14 | F15 | F16 |
F6 | F5 | F4 | F3 | F2 | F1 |
End of 1801
DR6 | DR5 | DR4 | DR3 | DR2 | DR1 | ||||
DR7 | DR8 | DR9 | DR10 | DR11 | DR12 | DR13 Md. Gain | DR14 Pa. Hold | DR15 R.I. Gain | DR16 S.C. Hold |
Majority → | DR17 Vt. Gain | ||||||||
F7 | F8 | F9 | F10 | F11 | F12 | F13 | F14 | F15 N.H. Hold | |
F6 | F5 | F4 | F3 | F2 | F1 |
Key |
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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 seated before March 4, 1801; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
New York (Class 1) | James Watson | Federalist | 1798 (special) | Incumbent resigned March 19, 1800, to become Naval Officer of the Port of New York. New senator elected April 3, 1800. Federalist hold. |
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Massachusetts (Class 2) | Samuel Dexter | Federalist | 1798 | Incumbent resigned May 30, 1800 to become U.S. Secretary of War. New senator elected June 6, 1800. Federalist hold. |
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New York (Class 3) | John Laurance | Federalist | 1796 (special) | Incumbent resigned August 1800. New senator elected November 6, 1800. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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Massachusetts (Class 1) | Benjamin Goodhue | Federalist | 1796 (special) 1796 | Incumbent resigned November 8, 1800. New senator elected November 14, 1800. Federalist hold. |
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Maryland (Class 3) | James Lloyd | Federalist | 1797 (special) | Incumbent resigned December 1, 1800. New senator elected December 12, 1800. Federalist hold. |
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New Jersey (Class 1) | James Schureman | Federalist | 1799 (special) | Incumbent resigned February 16, 1801. New senator elected February 28, 1801. Federalist hold. |
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Races leading to the next Congress
In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1801; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Connecticut | Uriah Tracy | Federalist | 1796 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in May 1801. |
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Georgia | James Gunn | Federalist | 1789 1794 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected November 19, 1800. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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Kentucky | Humphrey Marshall | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected November 20, 1800. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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Maryland | William Hindman | Federalist | 1797 (special) | Legislature failed to elect. Incumbent was later appointed to begin the next term. | None. |
New Hampshire | John Langdon | Democratic- Republican | 1788 1794 or 1795 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected June 21, 1800. Federalist gain. |
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New York | John Armstrong | Democratic- Republican | 1800 (special) | Incumbent re-elected January 27, 1801. |
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North Carolina | Timothy Bloodworth | Democratic- Republican | 1795 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected November 27, 1800. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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Pennsylvania | William Bingham | Federalist | 1795 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected February 18, 1801.[12] Democratic-Republican gain. |
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South Carolina | Jacob Read | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1800 on the second ballot. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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Vermont | Elijah Paine | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent re-elected October 21, 1800. |
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Special elections during the next Congress
In these special elections, the winner was seated after March 4, 1801; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Rhode Island (Class 2) | Ray Greene | Federalist | 1797 (special) 1798 | Incumbent resigned March 5, 1801. New senator elected May 6, 1801. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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New Hampshire (Class 2) | Samuel Livermore | Federalist | 1798 (special) | Incumbent resigned June 12, 1801. New senator elected June 17, 1801. Federalist hold. |
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Vermont (Class 3) | Elijah Paine | Federalist | 1794 1800 | Incumbent resigned September 1, 1801. New senator elected October 14, 1801. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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Maryland (Class 3) | William Hindman | Federalist | 1800 (Appointed) | Incumbent appointee did not run to finish the term New senator elected November 12, 1801 on the second ballot. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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South Carolina (Class 2) | Charles Pinckney | Democratic- Republican | 1798 (special) 1798 | Incumbent resigned June 6, 1801. New senator elected December 3, 1801. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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Pennsylvania (Class 3) | Peter Muhlenberg | Democratic- Republican | 1801 | Incumbent resigned June 30, 1801. New senator elected December 17, 1801.[19] Democratic-Republican hold. |
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Connecticut
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Uriah_Tracy_-_Ralph_Earl.jpg/94px-Uriah_Tracy_-_Ralph_Earl.jpg)
Federalist Uriah Tracy was easily re-elected.
Georgia
Kentucky
Maryland
Maryland (special, 1800)
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80 members of the Maryland General Assembly | ||||||||||||||||
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William Hindman won election over Richard Tilghman Earle by a margin of 10.11%, or 9 votes, for the Class 3 seat.[20]
Maryland (regular)
The Maryland legislature failed to elect a senator before the March 4, 1801 beginning of the term. As such, William Hindman was appointed to fill the vacancy, and retired when a successor was elected.
Maryland (special, 1801)
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80 members of the Maryland General Assembly | ||||||||||||||||
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Robert Wright won election over William Winder by a margin of 39.53%, or 34 votes, for the Class 3 seat.[21]
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (special, class 2)
Massachusetts (special, class 1)
New Hampshire
New Hampshire (regular)
New Hampshire (special)
New Jersey (special)
New York
New York (regular)
New York (special, class 1)
New York (special, class 3)
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (regular)
Pennsylvania (special)
Rhode Island (special)
South Carolina
South Carolina (regular)
South Carolina (special)
Vermont
Vermont (regular)
Vermont (special)
See also
References
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov