United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 1798

United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 1798
Pennsylvania
October 9, 1798
All 13 Pennsylvania seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic-Republican Federalist
Last election 7 6
Seats won 8 5
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1

Elections to the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania for the 6th Congress were held October 9, 1798

Background

Thirteen Representatives (7 Democratic-Republicans and 6 Federalists) had been elected in 1796. One seat had changed from Federalist to Democratic-Republican in a special election in 1797. Two more seats, one held by a Democratic-Republican and one by a Federalist, had become vacant in August, 1798, and were still vacant at the time of the 1798 elections

Congressional districts

Pennsylvania was divided into 12 districts, one of which (the 4th) was a plural district, with 2 Representatives. These districts remained in use until redistricting after the Census of 1800.

The counties that made up the 5th district did not border each other. That district was therefore made up of two separate pieces rather than being a single contiguous entity

Note: Many of these counties covered much larger areas than they do today, having since been divided into numerous counties

Election results

There were two vacancies and 11 incumbents at the time of the 1798 elections. The two vacancies were filled by special elections held at the same time as the general election. Blair McClenachan (DR) of the 2nd district and William Findley (DR) of the 11th district did not run for re-election. The remaining 9 incumbents (5 Democratic-Republicans and 4 Federalists) ran for re-election. 8 Democratic-Republicans and 5 Federalists were elected, a net increase of 1 seat for the Democratic-Republicans over the 1796 elections.

1796 United States House election results
District Democratic-Republican Federalist
1st Samuel Miles 371 30.5% Robert Waln[1] 865 69.5%
2nd Michael Leib 1,129 56.5% Anthony Morris 870 43.5%
3rd John Pearson 1,514 28.7% Richard Thomas (I) 3,760 71.3%
4th
2 seats		 Robert Brown[1] 5,372 31.1% John Chapman (I) 3,605 20.9%
Peter Muhlenberg 4,935 28.6% Jacob Eyerly 3,288 19.0%
Anthony Morris 78 0.5%
5th Joseph Hiester (I) 3,361 69.3% Daniel Clymer 1,492 30.7%
6th John A. Hanna (I) 3,052 66.3% Daniel Smith 1,544 33.7%
7th William Barton 407 22.5% John W. Kittera (I) 1,403 77.5%
8th Thomas Hartley (I) 3,857 85.4%
Henry Slagle 659 14.6%
9th Andrew Gregg (I) 2,618 57.8% James Armstrong 1,912 42.2%
10th David Bard (I) 935 20.3% Henry Woods 2,546 55.4%
Thomas Johnson 1,117 24.3%
11th John Smilie 1,782 46.0% William Todd 1,265 21.3%
James Guthrie 826 21.3%
12th Albert Gallatin (I) 3,926 58.8% John Woods 2,750 41.2%
1st (special) Samuel Miles 380 30.5% Robert Waln 866 69.5%
4th (special) Robert Brown 5,109 62.1% Jacob Eyerly 3,120 37.9%

Special election

Thomas Hartley (F) of the 8th district died on December 21, 1800. A special election was held January 15, 1801 to fill the vacancy.

1801 United States House election results
District Democratic-Republican Other
8th John Stewart 476 87.8% Scattering 66 12.2%

Stewart had already been elected in the 1800 elections

References

  1. 1 2 Also won special election in 5th Congress
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