April 26, 1802 - December 14, 1803 1804 → 103 39 Start date 1802 | 68 seats 38 seats 35 1 | |
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Winner Nathaniel Macon | ||
Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 8th Congress were held at various dates in each state, from April 26, 1802 (in New York) to December 14, 1803 (in New Jersey) during Thomas Jefferson's first term in office. It was common in the early years of the United Congress for some states to elect representatives to a Congress after it had already convened. In the case of the 8th Congress, the representatives from New Jersey were only elected after its first meeting on October 17, 1803.
Contents
- Election summaries
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- References
The membership of the House increased significantly as a result of population gains revealed in the United States Census of 1800. The greatest growth was in territories that constituted the western regions of the country at the time, a tremendous boost for Democratic-Republican candidates. Nearly all of the new seats created as a result of the Census of 1800 went to Democratic-Republicans, closely aligned as they were with the agrarian interests of Western farmers. As a result, the Democratic-Republicans won the largest proportion of seats that either they or the competing Federalists had ever been able to secure in any earlier Congress, a supermajority greater than two-thirds of the total number.
Election summaries
The 1802 elections were the first elections following reapportionment after the 1800 Census. Thirty-five new seats were added in reapportionment, with three States having no change in apportionment, and thirteen States gaining between 1 and 7 seats. One further seat was added for the new state of Ohio.
The first session of the 8th Congress began October 17, 1803, before New Jersey had elected its Representatives. New Jersey was therefore unrepresented for part of the 1st session of the 8th Congress.
Connecticut
Elias Perkins (F) declined to serve a second term and was replaced by Simeon Baldwin (F)
Georgia
Georgia gained 2 seats from the Census of 1800.
John Milledge (DR) did not serve as he was elected Governor of Georgia in November, 1802, he was replaced in a special election by Joseph Bryan. Samuel Hammond (DR) resigned February 2, 1805 after being appointed Governor of Upper Louisiana Territory, his seat remained vacant for the remainder of the 8th Congress.
Kentucky
Kentucky's representation in Congress increased from 2 seats to 6 after the Census of 1800.
Maryland
Maryland gained 1 seat as a result of the Census of 1800. Rather than increasing the number of districts, however, Maryland made the 5th district a plural district with 2 seats.
Daniel Hiester (DR) of the 4th district died March 7, 1804. A special election was held concurrent with the general election to the 9th Congress electing Roger Nelson (DR) in his place.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts increased its representation in Congress from 14 seats to 17 after the Census of 1800. Two of the new seats were in Massachusetts proper and one was in the District of Maine. Massachusetts electoral law at the time required a majority for election to an office, which requirement was not met in the 6th district, requiring two additional ballots to elect a Representative.
There was one vacancy during the 8th Congress, in the 12th district, caused by the resignation of Thomson J. Skinner, which vacancy was filled in a special election by Simon Larned while in the 17th district, Phineas Bruce (F) did not qualify due to illness, but was never replaced
New Hampshire
New Hampshire increased its representation in Congress from 4 seats to 5 as a result of the Census of 1800.
New Jersey
New Jersey increased its representation in Congress from 5 seats to 6 as a result of the Census of 1800.
The Federalists did not run any official candidates in 1802, but a few Federalists did receive scattered votes.
New York
New York's Congressional apportionment increased from 10 seats to 17 seats as a result of the Census of 1800. The state was subsequently redistricted. 11 open seats were available due to the increase in apportionment and retirement of incumbents.
John Smith (DR) of the 1st district resigned February 23, 1804 upon being elected to the Senate and was replaced in a special election by Samuel Riker (DR).
Samuel L. Mitchill (DR) of the 3rd district resigned November 22, 1804 upon being elected to the Senate and was replaced in a special election by George Clinton, Jr. (DR).
Isaac Bloom (DR) of the 6th district died April 26, 1803 and was replaced in a special election by Daniel C. Verplanck (DR).
John Cantine (DR) of the 7th district resigned before the start of the 8th Congress and was replaced in a special election by Josiah Hasbrouck (DR).
North Carolina
North Carolina increased its representation in Congress from 10 to 12 seats as a result of the Census of 1800.
Ohio
Ohio is considered to have been admitted to the Union near the end of the 7th Congress, but did not elect representatives until the 8th Congress. For this reason, Ohio is considered to have had a vacant seat in the House and two vacant seats in the Senate in the 7th Congress.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania increased its representation in Congress from 13 to 18 seats as a result of the Census of 1800. The state was re-districted from 12 into 11 districts, four of which were plural districts.
A vacancy occurred in the 10th district when William Hoge (DR) resigned October 15, 1804, which was filled in a special election by John Hoge (DR)
South Carolina
South Carolina increased its representation in Congress from 6 seats to 8 as a result of the Census of 1800.
Tennessee
Tennessee increased its representation in Congress from 1 seat to 3 seats as a result of the Census of 1800.
Vermont
Vermont increased its representation in Congress from 2 seats to 4 as a result of the Census of 1800. Vermont law at the time required a majority of votes to win an office, which frequently necessitated additional ballots.
Virginia
Virginia increased its representation in Congress from 19 to 22 seats as a result of the Census of 1800. Virginia's congressional delegation remained the largest of any state, but would lose this distinction permanently after the Census of 1810. Elections were held over three days in April 1803.
In the 5th district, Thomas Lewis, Jr. (F) was initially declared the winner with 1,004 votes for Lewis, 832 for Andrew Moore (DR), and 423 for John Woodward (F). However, upon investigation by the House Committee on Elections, it was determined that 355 votes for Lewis and 124 votes for Moore were cast by individuals who did not meet Virginia's voter qualifications, making the adjusted totals 708 legal votes for Moore and 649 legal votes for Lewis, thus, the Committee awarded this seat to Moore on March 5, 1804.
Two vacancies occurred during the 8th Congress. The first was in the 5th district when Andrew Moore (DR) resigned upon being elected to the Senate, which vacancy was filled by Alexander Wilson. The second occurred in the 13th district, when John J. Trigg (DR) died in office May 17, 1804, and was replaced in a special election by Christopher H. Clark (DR).