United States House of Representatives elections, 1820

Election summaries

One seat was added during this Congress for the new State of Missouri

Delaware

On January 24, 1822, Caesar A. Rodney resigned after being elected to the Senate, and was replaced in a special election by Daniel Rodney (F).

Indiana

Hendricks resigned July 25, 1822 to run for Governor of Indiana. A special election was held to fill the resulting vacancy which elected Jonathan Jennings (DR-J).

Kentucky

Vacancies occurred in the 7th and 8th districts during the 17th Congress. In the 7th district, George Robertson (DR) resigned sometime before the start of the 17th Congress, and was replaced by John S. Smith (DR). In the 8th district, Wingfield Bullock (DR) died October 13, 1821 and was replaced in a special election by James D. Breckinridge (DR)

Maine

This was the first election in Maine since its separation from Massachusetts. In the previous election, Massachusetts had had 20 representatives. Seven seats (representing the 14th-20th districts) were reassigned from Massachusetts to Maine. In addition, under the terms of the law which admitted Maine to the union, any vacancies in the 16th Congress by Representatives elected to represent Massachusetts but residing in the new states of Maine would be filled by a resident of Maine. John Holmes, who had been elected to the House for the former 14th district of Massachusetts was elected as one of the first two senators for Maine. The vacancy was filled in a special election by Joseph Dane (F). Dane was the only Representative officially considered as representing Maine in the 16th Congress. The Representatives from the 15th-20th districts were still classified as being from Massachusetts for the remainder of the 16th Congress.

Maine law required a majority to win election, necessitating additional ballots if a majority was not received.

In the 2nd district, Ezekiel Whitman (F) resigned June 1, 1822 and was replaced in a special election by Mark Harris (DR)

Maryland

In the 6th district, Cosden and Reed were tied. Under Maryland law at the time, a tie vote was settled by lot, which Cosden won. However, Reed contested this election, alleging that there were 7 votes for him which had not been counted. Reed was successful, and on March 22, 1822 was awarded the seat.

In the 5th district, Samuel Smith resigned his seat on December 17, 1822 after being elected to the Senate. A special election was held which elected Isaac McKim (DR) to fill the vacancy beginning January 8, 1823

Massachusetts

This was the first election in Massachusetts after the separation of the former District of Maine as the new State of Maine, taking the old 14th - 20th districts with it. Massachusetts had a majority requirement for election, which was not met in the 2nd district necessitating two additional elections.

Missouri

Missouri was admitted to the union on August 10, 1821, but elections had been held in 1820.

New Jersey

New Jersey had a large number of candidates in 1820, 119 candidates according to one contemporary newspaper. A number of candidates ran under an "Anti-Caucus" ticket, indicated by DR-AC or F-AC here.

John Linn (DR) died on January 5, 1821, after the election but prior to the start of the 17th Congress. He was replaced in a special election by Lewis Condict (DR).

New York

The 21st district, previously a plural district with two seats, was divided into two single-member districts for the 17th Congress, the 21st and 22nd.

The Democratic-Republican party in New York at this time was divided into two factions, the "Bucktails" and the Clintonians. The Clintonians ran on a joint ticket with the remaining Federalists. In a few cases, it is unclear whether a candidate on the joint ticket was Democratic-Republican or Federalist. Those candidates will be marked "C/F" for Clintonian/Federalist.

In the 1st district, the winners were initially declared to be Silas Wood (F) and Peter Sharpe (DR). Sharpe's election was challenged. Initial returns showed 3,339 votes for Cadwallader D. Colden (F), with 395 for "Cadwallader Colden" and 220 for "Cadwallader D. Colder". After those votes were declared to be for Cadwallader D. Colden, he finished in 2nd place with 3,954 votes (27.1%), and thus received one of the two seats for that district in place of Sharpe.

Two vacancies occurred in the 17th Congress. In the 6th district, Selah Tuthill died on September 7, 1821 and was replaced by Charles Borland, Jr. (DR). The second vacancy occurred in the 9th district after Solomon Van Rensselaer resigned on January 14, 1822, which was filled by Stephen Van Rensselaer

Ohio

In the 4th district, Representative-elect John C. Wright (DR) resigned his seat March 3, 1821, the day before the start of the 17th Congress. A special election was held to fill the resulting vacancy which was won by David Chambers (DR).

Pennsylvania

Six vacancies appeared in the 17th Congress, two of which appeared before Congress assembled.

The first vacancy occurred in the 5th district, when James Duncan resigned in April, 1821 and was replaced in a special election by John Findlay (DR)

The second vacancy occurred in the 10th district when William Cox Ellis (F) resigned on July 20, 1821 and was replaced in a special election by Thomas Murray, Jr. (DR)

Two vacancies occurred on May 8, 1822 (the last day of the First Session of the 17th Congress), one in the 1st district when William Milnor (F) resigned and the other in the 14th district when Henry Baldwin (DR) resigned. The vacancy in the 1st district was filled by Thomas Forrest (F) and the vacancy in the 14th district was filled by Walter Forward (DR)

The fifth vacancy occurred shortly afterwards, on May 22, 1822, in the 6th district when Samuel Moore (DR) resigned. This vacancy was filled by Samuel D. Ingham. The vacancies in the 1st, 6th, and 14th districts were filled a week before the elections for the 18th Congress, by which time redistricting had occurred, so that the districts used for the special elections were different from those used for the general election.

The last vacancy occurred in the 7th district after Ludwig Worman (F) died on October 17, 1822 and was replaced in a special election by Daniel Udree (DR).

South Carolina

Four vacancies leading to special elections arose in the 17th Congress. The first was in the 9th district caused by Representative-elect Richards declining to serve. The second was also in the 9th district when James Blair (DR) resigned May 8, 1822. The third was in the 2nd district, also on May 8, 1822, when William Lowndes (DR) resigned. The fourth was in the 4th district caused James Overstreet (DR)'s death on May 24, 1822.

Tennessee

In the 6th district, Bryan won re-election but never appeared to take his seat in the 17th Congress, leaving that seat vacant. The vacancy was never filled, and thus, Tennessee had only 5 Representatives for the duration of the 17th Congress.

Vermont

In 1820, Vermont went back to using districts. This would prove to be the only election in which the 6th district would be used. A majority was required for election, which was not met in the 2nd or 3rd district, requiring additional ballots to achieve a majority. The 2nd district required 7 ballots. The 3rd district required two additional ballots.

Virginia

Two vacancies occurred in the 17th Congress. The first was in the 2nd district when Thomas Van Swearingen (F) died on August 19, 1822, he was replaced in a special election by James Stephenson (F). The second was in the 22nd district when Hugh Nelson resigned on January 14, 1823. The 22nd district was left vacant for the rest of the 17th Congress.

Non-voting delegates

There were four territories that had the right to send a delegate to at least part of the 17th Congress, only three of which actually sent delegates. Missouri Territory's seat remained vacant, as the territory was admitted as the State of Missouri early in the 17th Congress. Florida Territory sent its first delegate in 1822