1804 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania

Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held in Pennsylvania on October 9, 1804, for the 9th Congress.

United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 1804

← 1802October 9, 18041806 →

All 13 Pennsylvania seats to the United States House of Representatives
 Majority partyMinority party
 
PartyDemocratic-RepublicanFederalist
Last election180
Seats won171
Seat changeDecrease 1Increase 1

Background

In the previous election, a delegation of all Democratic-Republicans had been elected to Congress. At this time, a moderate wing of the Democratic-Republican party, known as the Constitutional Republicans or tertium quids ("quids" for short) had broken off from the majority and ran candidates in several districts. The Quids were generally allied with the Federalists.

Congressional districts

Pennsylvania was divided into 11 districts, of which four were plural districts with 11 Representatives between them. Several new counties were created between the 1802 elections and the 1804 elections. The districts were:

The borders between the 4th, 5th, and 8th districts were altered slightly in the erection of new counties from parts of several counties

Note: Many of these counties covered much larger areas than they do today, having since been divided into smaller counties

Election results

Fifteen incumbents ran for re-election, of whom 14 won. The incumbents Isaac Van Horne (DR) of the 2nd district, Joseph Hiester (DR) of the 3rd district and William Hoge (DR) of the 10th district did not run for re-election. One seat changed from Democratic-Republican to Federalist.

Returns are incomplete for the 8th, 9th, and 10th districts

1804 United States House election results
DistrictDemocratic-RepublicanQuidFederalist
1st
3 seats
Joseph Clay (I)7,42733.6%
Jacob Richards (I)7,02131.7%
Michael Leib (I)3,99218.0%
William Penrose3,68516.7%
2nd
3 seats
John Pugh6,70132.2%John Ross2,71013.0%
Frederick Conrad (I)6,59621.8%Samuel Preston2681.3%
Robert Brown (I)4,53221.8%
3rd
3 seats
Christian Lower9,07933.1%Thomas Boude2,92910.7%
John Whitehill (I)6,30923.0%Isaac Wayne2,81410.3%
Isaac Anderson (I)6,28722.9%
4th
2 seats
David Bard (I)3,24534.6%
John A. Hanna (I)2,93131.2%
Oliver Pollock1,70018.1%
Robert Mitchell1,51416.1%
5thAndrew Gregg (I)3,318100%
6thJohn Stewart (I)1,21141.5%James Kelly1,70558.5%
7thJohn Rea (I)1,494100%
8thWilliam Findley (I)1,33264.7%John Brandon72735.3%
9thJohn Smilie (I)100%
10thJohn Hamilton1,068John IsraelNo returns
11thJohn Lucas (I)2,52664.8%James O'Hara1,37335.2%

Special elections

Special election to the 8th Congress

William Hoge (DR) of the 10th district resigned October 15, 1804. A special election was held November 2, 1804 to fill his seat for the remainder of the 8th Congress

1804 Special election results
DistrictDemocratic-RepublicanFederalist
10thJohn Hoge47752.1%
Aaron Lyle43947.9%

John Hoge was William's brother.

Special elections to the 9th Congress

Two special elections were held on October 8, 1805. In the 4th district, John A. Hanna (DR) died on July 23, 1805, while in the 11th district, John Lucas (DR) resigned prior to the first meeting of the 9th Congress.

1805 Special election results
DistrictDemocratic-RepublicanConstitutional Republicans (Quid)Federalist
4thRobert Whitehill6,45770.7%
James Duncan2,67429.3%
11thSamuel Smith3,27552.7%Nathaniel Irish68111.0%James O'Hara2,26336.4%

Michael Leib (DR) of the 1st district resigned February 14, 1806. A special election was held November 27, 1806

1806 Special election results
DistrictDemocratic-RepublicanFederalist
1stJohn Porter2,39673.1%Richard Falwell82925.3%
Jonas Preston531.6%

References