Virginia's 19th congressional district is an obsolete congressional district in Virginia. It was created in 1793 after the 1790 U.S. census and was eliminated in 1843 after the 1840 U.S. census. Its last congressman was George W. Summers.
Boundaries The congressional district existed for fifty years. During that time it moved around the Commonwealth, from the east of Virginia to the west (since 1863 in the state of West Virginia). Although all the counties in the district after particular boundary changes have not been confirmed, it is possible to give a general indication of the part of the state involved. This is based on notes in Dubin's book about incomplete returns.
1793–1803: The district included Westmoreland and Northumberland counties in the Northern Neck peninsula of eastern Virginia.
1803–1813: The district number was re-allocated to the south-east of the state, bordering on North Carolina, including Isle of Wight, Southampton, Surry and Sussex counties.
1813–1823: The district moved north-west of its previous incarnation to include Dinwiddie and Nottoway counties.
1823–1833: The district moved west to overlap the post 1863-boundary between Virginia and West Virginia, in what at the time was the middle of the Commonwealth. The territory in the district included Bath County, Virginia and what subsequently became Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
1833–1843: The district extended to the western edge of the pre-1863 Virginia. It included the now West Virginia counties of Cabell, Fayette, Logan and Nicholas.
List of members representing the district Representative Party Term Congress Electoral history District established March 4, 1793 John Heath Anti-Administration March 4, 1793 –March 3, 1795 Elected in 1793.Re-elected in 1795.Retired. Democratic-Republican March 4, 1795 –March 3, 1797 Walter Jones Democratic-Republican March 4, 1797 –March 3, 1799 Elected in 1797.Lost re-election. Henry Lee Federalist March 4, 1799 –March 3, 1801 Elected in 1799.Retired. John Taliaferro Democratic-Republican March 4, 1801 –March 3, 1803 Elected in 1801.Retired. Edwin Gray Democratic-Republican March 4, 1803 –March 3, 1813 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1803.Re-elected in 1805.Re-elected in 1807.Re-elected in 1809.Re-elected in 1811.Redistricted to the and lost re-election. Peterson Goodwyn Democratic-Republican March 4, 1813 –February 21, 1818 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1813.Re-elected in 1815.Re-elected in 1817.Died. Vacant February 21, 1818 –April 21, 1818 John Pegram Democratic-Republican April 21, 1818 –March 3, 1819 Elected to finish Goodwyn's term.Retired. James Jones Democratic-Republican March 4, 1819 –March 3, 1823 Elected in 1819.Re-elected in 1821.Retired. William McCoy Democratic-Republican March 4, 1823 –March 3, 1825 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1823.Re-elected in 1825.Re-elected in 1827.Re-elected in 1829.Re-elected in 1831.Retired. Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –March 3, 1833 William McComas Jacksonian March 4, 1833 –March 3, 1835 Elected in 1833.Re-elected in 1835. Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1835 –March 3, 1837 Andrew Beirne Democratic March 4, 1837 –March 3, 1841 Elected in 1837.Re-elected in 1839. George W. Summers Whig March 4, 1841 –March 3, 1843 Elected in 1841.Redistricted to the . District dissolved March 4, 1843
Election results When complete vote totals are not available, incomplete vote totals are in brackets. All Virginia general congressional elections, for Virginia, in the period covered by this article, were held after the start of the legal term of the Congress. The congressional term started on March 4 in odd numbered years. The Virginia election was usually held in March or April. The House mostly convened for the first time during one of the last three months of the year.
Note (1793): Returns from Westmoreland County only. Party label for Heath taken from the Wikipedia article on the 3rd Congress, as Dubin gives no party labels for this election.
Note (1795): Incomplete data.
Note (1797): Returns from Westmoreland County only.
References United States Congressional Elections, 1788–1997: The Official Results, by Michael J. Dubin (McFarland and Company, 1998)
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present