20 6 24 1 5 1 | 6 0 4 5 Start date October 14, 1828 | |
Elections to the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania for the 21st Congress were held October 14, 1828. Members of three different parties were elected to the 21st Congress, the first time in US history that a third party won seats. The new Anti-Masonic Party won a total of 5 seats, 1 of which was in Pennsylvania.
Contents
Background
In the previous election, 20 Jacksonians and 5 Anti-Jacksonians had been elected with one vacancy, which was filled in a special election by an Anti-Jacksonian, for a total of 20 Jacksonians and 6 Anti-Jacksonians.
Congressional districts
Pennsylvania was divided into 18 districts, 6 of which were plural districts
Note: Several of these counties covered larger areas than today, having since been divided into smaller counties
Election results
20 incumbents (15 Jacksonians and 5 Anti-Jacksonians) ran for re-election, of whom 12 (all Jacksonians) were re-elected. The incumbents Charles Miner (AJ) of the 4th district, George Kremer (J), Espy Van Horne (J), and Samuel McKean (J) of the 9th district, John Mitchell (J) of the 12th district and Robert Orr, Jr. (J) of the 16th district did not run for re-election.
A total of 8 seats changed paries. One seat changed from Jacksonian control to Anti-Masonic control, one changed from Jacksonian to Anti-Jacksonian, and six changed from Anti-Jacksonian to Jacksonian, for a net change of five seats lost by the Anti-Jacksonians, four gained by the Jacksonians, and one gained by the Anti-Masonics.
Special elections
Two special elections were held in 1829 for the 21st Congress. The first was held on October 13, 1829 in the 8th district to fill two vacancies caused by the resignations of Samuel D. Ingham (J) and George Wolf (J) before the first meeting of the 21st Congress. Wolf's resignation was due to his having been elected Governor of Pennsylvania. The second was held on December 15, 1829 in the 16th district, to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of William Wilkins (AM) on November 9, 1829, before the first session of the 21st Congress began.
No seat changed parties after these special elections.