United States House of Representatives elections, 1818

Election summaries

Alabama and Maine were admitted during the 16th Congress. One new seat was added for Alabama, while Maine had split off from Massachusetts and so representatives from the former District of Maine continued in Congress representing Maine, and no general election was held for Representatives from Maine during this Congress. In the next election, 7 seats were transferred from Massachusetts to Maine.

Illinois

The state of Illinois was admitted on December 3, 1818 during the Second Session of the 15th Congress.

McLean took office on December 4.

Alabama

Alabama was admitted as a state on December 14, 1819

Delaware

Willard Hall (DR) resigned January 22, 1821, having been appointed Secretary of State of Delaware. His seat was left vacant for the remainder of the 16th Congress.

Georgia

John Forsyth (DR) resigned after being elected to the Senate before the start of the 16th Congress. A special election was held to fill the vacancies left in both the 15th and 16th Congresses, which was won by Robert R. Reid (DR).

Kentucky

David Walker (DR) of the 6th district died on March 1, 1820 and was replaced in a special election by Francis Johnson (DR)

Tunstall Quarles (DR) of the 9th district resigned and was replaced in a special election by Thomas Montgomery (DR).

Louisiana

Louisiana held an election for the 16th Congress at the same time as it held a special election. Data were only available for the special election, but the general election would presumably have had very similar results, and so the results for the special election are duplicated here

Massachusetts

Massachusetts' electoral law required a majority for election, necessitating additional elections in five districts.

This was the last election in which the District of Maine was part of Massachusetts. The District became the State of Maine during the 16th Congress.

Jonathan Mason of the 1st district resigned May 15, 1820 and was replaced in a special election by Benjamin Gorham (DR)

Zabdiel Sampson (DR) of the 8th district resigned July 26, 1820 after being appointed collector of customs in Plymouth and was replaced in a special election by Aaron Hobart (DR).

Edward Dowse (DR) of the 13th district resigned May 26, 1820 and was replaced in a special election by William Eustis (DR)

John Holmes (DR) of the 14th district resigned March 15, 1820, after having been elected as one of the first two Senators for Maine, which vacancy was filled in a special election in Maine.

New Jersey

John Condit (DR) resigned November 4, 1819 after having been appointed assistant collector of customs and was replaced in a special election by Charles Kinsey.

John Linn died in office January 5, 1821. His seat remained vacant for the remainder of the 16th Congress

New York

At this time, the Democratic-Republicans in New York were divided into two factions, the "Bucktails" who were opposed to Governor Dewitt Clinton's Erie Canal project, led by Martin Van Buren, and on the other side, Clinton's supporters, known as Clintonians. In many districts, the remaining Federalists allied with the Clintonians, with candidates running on a joint ticket. Several candidates who ran under that joint ticket cannot be clearly categorized, and are marked C/F. Others who ran under the joint ticket are marked by their party with a footnote indicating that they ran under the joint ticket.

In the 1st district, an election dispute arose. Initial returns showed the winners to be Silas Wood and Ebenezer Sage. This election was contested, however, on the grounds that there were 396 votes for "James Guyon" which, when added to the total number of votes reported for James Guyon, Jr., would place Guyon in second place, above Sage. Sage never appeared to take his seat, and Guyon was awarded the seat on January 14, 1820

North Carolina

In the 4th district, Jesse Slocumb (F) died on December 20, 1820. A special election was held to fill the resulting vacancy, which elected William S. Blackledge (DR), seated February 7, 1821.

Pennsylvania

Two vacancies occurred during the 16th Congress. In the 5th district, David Fullerton (DR) resigned on May 15, 1820. A special election was held which filled the resulting vacancy by Thomas G. McCullough (F). In the 7th district, Joseph Hiester (DR) resigned in December, 1820, having been elected Governor of Pennsylvania and was replaced by Daniel Udree (DR)

Vermont

Initial returns showed Mallary in 8th place with 6,879 votes and Merrill in 6th place with 6,955 votes, but after challenging the results, the House Committee on Elections declared Mallary the winner of the last seat with 6,961 votes, a 6-vote lead over Merrill. Mallary was seated on January 13, 1820.

Virginia

There were five vacancies (four resignations and one death) during the 16th Congress, four of which were filled in special elections.

James Pindall (F) of the 1st district resigned on July 26, 1820 and was replaced in a special election by Edward B. Jackson (DR), who took office November 13, 1820

George F. Strother (DR) of the 10th district resigned on February 10, 1820 and was replaced in a special election by Thomas L. Moore (DR), who also took office November 13, 1820

William A. Burwell (DR) of the 14th district died February 16, 1821, less than a month before the end of the 16th Congress. His seat remained vacant for the remainder of the Congress.

James Pleasants (DR) of the 17th district resigned December 14, 1819, after having been elected Senator and was replaced in a special election by William S. Archer (DR), who took office January 18, 1820

James Johnson (DR) of the 20th district resigned February 1, 1820, and was replaced in a special election by John C. Gray (DR), who took his office November 13, 1820.

Non-voting delegates

There were four territories with the right to send non-voting delegates to at least part of the 16th Congress, two of which, Michigan Territory and Arkansas Territory were new to this Congress.

William Woodbridge of Michigan Territory resigned on August 9, 1820 due to family illness. A special election was held for the remainder of the 16th Congress which was won by Solomon Sibley.