United States Senate elections, 1816 and 1817

United States Senate elections, 1816 and 1817

Dates vary by state
12 of the 36 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections) 19 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic-Republican Federalist Last election 26 (70.3%) 11 (29.7%) Seats before 23 (65.7%) 12 (34.3%) Seats won 25 (65.8%) 13 (34.2%) Seat change 2 1 Seats up 9 3
Majority party before election Democratic-Republican Elected Majority party Democratic-Republican

The United States Senate elections of 1816 and 1817 were elections for the United States Senate that had the Democratic-Republican Party gain a net of two seats from the admission of a new state, and which coincided with the Presidential election .

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

Results

15th Congress (1817–1819)

• Majority Party: Democratic-Republican (25)
• Minority Party: Federalist (13)
• Total Seats: 38

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

Composition after June 12, 1816 election in Massachusetts.

DR8 DR7 DR6 DR5 DR4 DR3 DR2 DR1 DR9 DR10 DR11 DR12 DR13 DR14 DR15 DR16 DR17 DR18 Majority → DR19 F9 F10 F11 F12 V1* DR23 DR22 DR21 DR20 F8 F7 F6 F5 F4 F3 F2 F1

Note: V1 (Kentucky seat): A Democratic-Republican incumbent had resigned May 1, 1816. A federalist then filled the seat either by appointment or by special election. The seat was subsequently won by a Democratic-Republican.

Beginning of the next Congress

DR9 DR8 DR7 DR6 DR5 DR4 DR3 DR2 DR1 DR10 DR11 DR12 DR13 DR14 DR15* Gain DR16* Gain DR17* Re-elected DR18 Hold DR19 Hold Majority → DR20 Hold F10 F11 Hold F12 Gain F13 Gain DR25 Gain DR24 Gain DR23 Hold DR22 Hold DR21 Hold F9 F8 F7 F6 F5 F4 F3 F2 F1

Note: DR15 and DR16 (Indiana seats): The new state of Indiana elected two Democratic-Republicans to the new seats on December 11, 1816. DR17 (Tennessee seat): Legislature failed to elect, then the incumbent was appointed to start the term.

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

Race summaries

Bold states link to specific election articles.

Special elections during the preceding Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1816 or before March 4, 1817; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Virginia (Class 2)	Vacant			William B. Giles (DR) had resigned March 3, 1815. Winner elected January 3, 1816 despite being unqualified to serve due to young age. Democratic-Republican gain.	√ Armistead Mason (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Maryland (Class 1)	Vacant			The Maryland General Assembly failed to elect in time for the March 4, 1815 beginning of the term. Winner elected January 29, 1816. Federalist gain.	√ Robert Harper (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Massachusetts (Class 1)	Christopher Gore	Federalist	1813 (Appointed) 1815 (Special)	Incumbent resigned May 30, 1816, unhappy with the politics of Washington and suffering from poor health. Winner elected June 12, 1816. Federalist hold.	√ Eli P. Ashmun (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Georgia (Class 2)	William Wyatt Bibb	Democratic-Republican	1813 (Special)	Incumbent resigned November 9, 1816. Winner elected November 13, 1816. Winner was also elected to the next term, see below. Democratic-Republican hold.	√ George M. Troup (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
North Carolina (Class 2)	James Turner	Democratic-Republican	1804 (Elected) 1810 (Re-elected)	Incumbent resigned November 21, 1816 due to ill health. Winner elected December 4, 1816. Winner was also elected to the next term, see below. Democratic-Republican hold.	√ Montfort Stokes (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
South Carolina (Class 2)	John Taylor	Democratic-Republican	1810 (Special) 1810 (Re-elected)	Incumbent resigned November 1816. Winner elected December 4, 1816. Winner was also elected to the next term, see below. Democratic-Republican hold.	√ William Smith (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Indiana (Class 1)	New seat			Indiana was admitted to the Union December 11, 1816. Winner seated that day. Democratic-Republican gain.	√ James Noble (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Indiana (Class 3)	New seat			Indiana was admitted to the Union December 11, 1816. Winner seated that day. Democratic-Republican gain.	√ Waller Taylor (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Maryland (Class 1)	Robert Goodloe Harper	Federalist	1816 (Special)	Incumbent resigned December 6, 1816. Winner elected December 20, 1816. Federalist hold.	√ Alexander Hanson (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Races leading to the next Congress

In these general elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1817; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Delaware	William H. Wells	Federalist	1799 (Special) 1799 (Re-elected) 1804 (Resigned) 1813 (Special)	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1817. Federalist hold.	√ Nicholas Van Dyke [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Georgia	William Wyatt Bibb	Democratic-Republican	1813 (Special)	Resigned November 9, 1816. Winner elected November 13, 1816. Winner was also elected to finish the previous term, see above. Democratic-Republican hold.	√ George M. Troup (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Kentucky	Martin D. Hardin	Federalist	November 13, 1816 (either appointment or special election)	Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. Winner elected in 1817. Democratic-Republican gain.	√ John J. Crittenden (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Louisiana	James Brown	Democratic-Republican	1813 (Special)	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1816 or 1817. Democratic-Republican hold.	√ William C. C. Claiborne (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Massachusetts	Joseph Bradley Varnum	Democratic-Republican	1811 (Elected)	Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. Winner elected in 1817. Federalist gain.	√ Harrison Gray Otis (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
New Hampshire	Thomas W. Thompson	Federalist	1814 (Special)	Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. Winner elected in 1816 or 1817. Democratic-Republican gain.	√ David L. Morril (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
New Jersey	John Condit	Democratic-Republican	1809 (Special) 1810 (Re-elected)	Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. Winner elected in 1816 or 1817. Democratic-Republican hold.	√ Mahlon Dickerson (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
North Carolina (Class 2)	James Turner	Democratic-Republican	1804 (Elected) 1810 (Re-elected)	Resigned November 21, 1816 due to ill health. Winner elected December 4, 1816. Winner was also elected to finish the previous term, see above. Democratic-Republican hold.	√ Montfort Stokes (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Rhode Island	Jeremiah Howell	Democratic-Republican	1810 (Elected)	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1816 or 1817. Federalist gain.	√ James Burrill, Jr. (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
South Carolina (Class 2)	John Taylor	Democratic-Republican	1810 (Special) 1810 (Re-elected)	Incumbent resigned November 1816. Winner elected December 4, 1816. Winner was also elected to the previous term, see above. Democratic-Republican hold.	√ William Smith (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Tennessee	John Williams	Democratic-Republican	1815 (Special)	Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Incumbent was then appointed to start the term.	√ John Williams (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Virginia	Armistead T. Mason	Democratic-Republican	1816 (Special)	Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election, but he was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. Winner elected in 1816 or 1817. Democratic-Republican hold.	√ John W. Eppes (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Special elections during the next Congress

In these special elections, the winners were elected in 1817 after March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Tennessee (Class 2)	John Williams	Democratic-Republican	1815 (Special)	Legislature had failed to elect and the incumbent was then appointed to start the term. Incumbent was then re-elected sometime in 1817 to complete the term.	√ John Williams (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
New Hampshire (Class 3)	Jeremiah Mason	Federalist	1813 (Special)	Incumbent resigned June 16, 1817. Winner elected June 27, 1817. Democratic-Republican gain.	√ Clement Storer (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Vermont (Class 3)	Dudley Chase	Democratic-Republican	1813 (Elected)	Resgined November 3, 1817. Winner elected November 4, 1817. Democratic-Republican hold.	√ James Fisk (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Mississippi (Class 1)	New state			Mississippi was admitted as a new state December 10, 1817. Democratic-Republican gain.	√ Walter Leake (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Mississippi (Class 2)	New state			Mississippi was admitted as a new state December 10, 1817. Democratic-Republican gain.	√ Thomas Williams (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

See also

• United States presidential election, 1816
• United States House of Representatives elections, 1816
• 15th United States Congress

References

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