1800 and 1801 United States Senate elections

The United States Senate elections of 1800 and 1801 were elections for the United States Senate that, coinciding with their takeover of the White House, led to the Democratic-Republican Party taking control of the United States Senate. Although the Federalists began the next (7th) Congress with a slim majority, they lost their majority shortly thereafter due to mid-year special elections.

For related races, see 1800 United States elections.

1800 and 1801 United States Senate elections

Dates vary by state
10 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 21 (65.6%) 11 (34.4%) Seats after 17 (54.8%) 14 (45.2%) Seat change 4 3 Seats up 7 3 Races won 3 6
Majority Party before election Federalist Elected Majority Party Federalist

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.

As these elections were prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, senators were chosen by state legislatures.

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 Pa. Retired	F20 Ga. Retired	F19 Md. Unknown	F18 Vt. Ran	F17 S.C. Ran
Majority →
F7	F8	F9	F10	F11	F12	F13	F14	F15 Conn. Ran	F16 Ky. Ran
F6	F5	F4	F3	F2	F1

Result of the November elections

DR6	DR5	DR4	DR3	DR2	DR1
DR7	DR8	DR9 N.Y. Re-elected	DR10 N.C. Hold	DR11 Ga. Gain	DR12 Ky. Gain	DR13 Pa. Gain	DR14 S.C. Gain	V1 Md. F loss	F17 N.H. Gain
Majority →
F7	F8	F9	F10	F11	F12	F13	F14	F15 Conn. Re-elected	F16 Vt. Re-elected
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 Pa. Hold	DR14 S.C. Hold	DR15 Md. Gain	DR16 R.I. Gain
Majority →									DR17 Vt. Gain
F7	F8	F9	F10	F11	F12	F13	F14	F15 N.H. Hold
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 preceding Congress

In these special elections, the winner was seated before March 4, 1801; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	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.	Y Gouverneur Morris (Federalist) 79 (56.8%) Peter Gansevoort (Democratic-Republican) 59 (42.4%) Thomas Morris 1 (0.7%)[1]
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.	Y Dwight Foster (Federalist) 158[2]
New York (Class 3)	John Laurance	Federalist	1796 (Special)	Incumbent resigned August 1800. New senator elected November 6, 1800. Democratic-Republican gain.	Y John Armstrong (Democratic-Republican) 141 (98.7%) Peter Gansevoort (Democratic-Republican) 2 (1.3%)[3]
Massachusetts (Class 1)	Benjamin Goodhue	Federalist	1796 (Special) 1796	Incumbent resigned November 8, 1800. New senator elected November 14, 1800. Federalist hold.	Y Jonathan Mason (Federalist) [data unknown/missing]
Maryland (Class 3)	James Lloyd	Federalist	1797 (Special)	Incumbent resigned December 1, 1800. New senator elected December 12, 1800. Federalist hold.	Y William Hindman (Federalist) 49 (55.1%) Richard T. Earle (Democratic-Republican) 40 (44.9%)[4]
New Jersey (Class 1)	James Schureman	Federalist	1799 (Special)	Incumbent resigned February 16, 1801. New senator elected February 28, 1801. Federalist hold.	Y Aaron Ogden (Federalist) [data unknown/missing]

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
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Connecticut	Uriah Tracy	Federalist	1796 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected in May 1801.	Y Uriah Tracy (Federalist) 131 Asher Miller (Democratic-Republican) 30 Roger Griswold (Federalist) 10 Ephraim Kirby (Democratic-Republican) 6 Chauncey Goodrich 3 Stephen T. Hosmer 1[5]
Georgia	James Gunn	Federalist	1789 1794	Incumbent retired. New senator elected November 19, 1800. Democratic-Republican gain.	Y James Jackson (Democratic-Republican) 58 Thomas P. Carnes (Federalist) 9[6]
Kentucky	Humphrey Marshall	Federalist	1794	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected November 20, 1800. Democratic-Republican gain.	Y John Breckinridge (Democratic-Republican) 68 John Adair (Federalist) 13[7]
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.	Y James Sheafe (Federalist) 83 John Langdon (Democratic-Republican) 12 Other 38[8]
New York	John Armstrong	Democratic- Republican	1800 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected January 27, 1801.	Y John Armstrong (Democratic-Republican) 76 Unanimous[9]
North Carolina	Timothy Bloodworth	Democratic- Republican	1795	Incumbent retired. New senator elected November 27, 1800. Democratic-Republican hold.	Y David Stone (Democratic-Republican) 94 William R. Davie (Federalist) 72 Richard D. Spaight 8 Matthew Locke (Democratic-Republican) 1[10]
Pennsylvania	William Bingham	Federalist	1795	Incumbent retired. New senator elected February 18, 1801.[11] Democratic-Republican gain.	Y Peter Muhlenberg (Democratic-Republican) 50.0% George Logan (Democratic-Republican) 48.9% William Jones (Democratic-Republican) 1.0%
South Carolina	Jacob Read	Federalist	1794	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1800 on the second ballot. Democratic-Republican gain.	Y John E. Colhoun (Democratic-Republican) 75 John Ward (Federalist) 73[12]
Vermont	Elijah Paine	Federalist	1794	Incumbent re-elected October 21, 1800.	Y Elijah Paine (Federalist) 108 S. R. Bradley (Democratic-Republican) 68 N. Niles 3 Chamberlain 2 Hall 1[13]

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
	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.	Y Christopher Ellery (Democratic-Republican) [data unknown/missing]
New Hampshire (Class 2)	Samuel Livermore	Federalist	1798 (Special)	Incumbent resigned June 12, 1801. New senator elected June 17, 1801. Federalist hold.	Y Simeon Olcott (Federalist) 97 John Langdon 56 Others 4[14]
Vermont (Class 3)	Elijah Paine	Federalist	1794 1800	Incumbent resigned September 1, 1801. New senator elected October 14, 1801. Democratic-Republican gain.	Y Stephen R. Bradley (Democratic-Republican) 102 William Chamberlain (Federalist) 85 Nathaniel Niles (Democratic-Republican) 1[15]
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.	Y Robert Wright (Democratic-Republican) 60 William Winder (Federalist) 26[16]
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.	Y Thomas Sumter (Democratic-Republican) 90 John Rutledge (Federalist) 47 Thomas Evans 1[17]
Pennsylvania (Class 3)	Peter Muhlenberg	Democratic- Republican	1801	Incumbent resigned June 30, 1801. New senator elected December 17, 1801.[18] Democratic-Republican hold.	Y George Logan (Democratic-Republican) 63.6% Joseph Hiester (Democratic-Republican) 28.0% Other 8.4%

See also

• 1800 United States elections
  • 1800 United States presidential election
  • 1800 and 1801 United States House of Representatives elections
• 6th United States Congress
• 7th United States Congress

References

1. "New York 1800 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 25, 2018., citing Journal of the New York Assembly, 1800. 265. The Albany Centinel (Albany, NY). April 4, 1800. Aurora. General Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA). April 10, 1800. The Centinel of Liberty, or George-town and Washington Advertiser (Georgetown, DC). April 15, 1800.
2. "Massachusetts 1800 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 25, 2018., citing Hampshire Gazette (Northhampton). June 11, 1800. The Kentucky Gazette (Lexington, KY). July 3, 1800.
3. "New York 1800 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 25, 2018., citing Journal of the New York Assembly, 1800. 10, 11. Journal of the New York State Senate, 1800. 8. American Citizen and General Advertiser (New York, NY). November 10, 1800. The Centinel of Freedom (Newark, NJ). November 11, 1800. Columbian Museum and Savannah Advertiser (Savannah, GA). November 19, 1800. Universal Gazette (Washington, DC). November 20, 1800.
4. "Maryland 1800 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 25, 2018., citing Votes and Proceedings of the Maryland State Senate, 1800. 26. Connecticut Gazette, and the Commercial Intelligencer (New London, CT). December 24, 1800. Mattern, David B., J. C. A. Stagg, Jeanne K. Cross and Susan Holbrook Perdue, ed. The Papers of James Madison, Congressional Series. Vol. 17. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press, 1991. 435-436.
5. "Connecticut 1801 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, and the Commercial Intelligencer (New London, CT). May 17, 1801. Impartial Journal (Stonington, CT). June 2, 1801. The Bee (New London, CT). June 3, 1801. The Bee (Hudson, NY). November 16, 1802.
6. "Georgia 1800 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing Columbian Museum and Savannah Advertiser (Savannah, GA). November 25, 1800.
7. "Kentucky 1800 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). November 25, 1800.
8. "New Hampshire 1800 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 Ninth State: New Hampshire's Formative Years. 182.
9. "New York 1801 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 Albany Centinel (Albany, NY). January 30, 1801.
10. "North Carolina 1800 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing Legislative Papers for 1800. Box 176. State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh. Raleigh Register, and North-Carolina Weekly Advertiser (Raleigh, NC). December 2, 1800.
11. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=345434
12. "South Carolina 1800 U.S. Senate, Ballot 2". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 5, 2018., citing National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser (Washington, DC). December 15, 1800.
13. "Vermont 1800 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 4, 2018., citing Journal of the New York Assembly, 1800. 265. The Albany Centinel (Albany, NY). April 4, 1800. Aurora. General Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA). April 10, 1800. The Centinel of Liberty, or George-town and Washington Advertiser (Georgetown, DC). April 15, 1800.
14. "New Hampshire 1801 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 Courier of New Hampshire (Concord, NH). June 18, 1801.
15. "New Hampshire 1801 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 Spooner's Vermont Journal (Windsor, VT). October 20, 1801.
16. "Maryland 1801 U.S. Senate, Ballot 2". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 4, 2018., citing The Albany Gazette (Albany, NY). November 21, 1796.
17. "South Carolina 1801 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 The Augusta Chronicle and Gazette of the State (Augusta, GA). December 12, 1801.
18. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=345554

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