The 1816–17 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1816 and 1817, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 2.

The Democratic-Republican Party gained a net of two seats from the admission of a new U.S. state, under the name of Indiana.

Results summary Senate party division, 15th Congress (1817–1819)

Majority party: Democratic-Republican (25–28) Minority party: Federalist (13–12) Total seats: 38–42

Change in composition

Results of the January 1816 special elections

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR F F F F F DR DR DR DR F F F F F F F F

Before the general elections

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR F F F F TBD TBD DR DR DR F F F F F F F F F

Results of the general elections

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR F F F F V DR DR DR DR F F F F F F F F F

Results of the 1817 special elections DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR F F DR DR DR DR DR DR DR F F F F F F F F F F Key DR Democratic-Republican F Federalist V Vacant

Race summaries Elections during the preceding Congress In these special and general elections, the winners were seated during 1816 or before March 4, 1817; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Virginia(Class 2) Vacant William B. Giles (DR) resigned March 3, 1815.John Wayles Eppes (DR) was elected December 7, 1815, but declined to serve.New senator elected January 3, 1816 on the fourth ballot despite being too young to serve.Democratic-Republican gain.Winner later lost re-election to the next term; see below. Maryland(Class 1) Vacant The Maryland General Assembly failed to elect in time for the March 4, 1815 beginning of the term.New senator elected January 29, 1816.Federalist gain. Massachusetts(Class 1) Christopher Gore Federalist 1813 1815 Incumbent resigned May 30, 1816, unhappy with the politics of Washington and suffering from poor health.New senator elected June 12, 1816.Federalist hold. Indiana(Class 1) None (new state) Indiana was admitted to the Union December 11, 1816.New senator elected November 8, 1816.Democratic-Republican gain. Indiana(Class 3) None (new state) Indiana was admitted to the Union December 11, 1816.New senator elected November 8, 1816.Democratic-Republican gain. Georgia(Class 2) William W. Bibb Democratic-Republican 1813 Incumbent resigned November 9, 1816.New senator elected November 13, 1816.Democratic-Republican hold.Winner was also elected to the next term; see below. North Carolina(Class 2) James Turner Democratic-Republican 18041810 Incumbent resigned November 21, 1816 due to ill health.New senator elected December 4, 1816 on the third ballot.Democratic-Republican hold. Winner was also elected to the next term; see below. South Carolina(Class 2) John Taylor Democratic-Republican 1810 1810 Incumbent resigned November 1816.New senator elected December 4, 1816.Democratic-Republican hold.Winner was also elected to the next term; see below. Kentucky(Class 2) Martin D. Hardin Federalist 1814 Incumbent appointee elected December 5, 1816.Byrd, page 110.Winner was not later a candidate for the next term; see below. Maryland(Class 1) Robert Goodloe Harper Federalist 1816 Incumbent resigned December 6, 1816.New senator elected December 20, 1816.Federalist hold.

Races leading to the next Congress In these general elections, the winners were seated March 4, 1817; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory Delaware William H. Wells Federalist 1799 17991804 1813 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 31, 1817 on the third ballot.Federalist hold. Georgia William W. Bibb Democratic-Republican 1813 Resigned November 9, 1816.New senator elected November 13, 1816 on the second ballot.Winner was also elected to finish the previous term; see above.Democratic-Republican hold. Kentucky Martin D. Hardin Federalist 1816 1816 Incumbent retired.New senator elected December 10, 1816 on the second ballot.Democratic-Republican gain. Louisiana James Brown Democratic-Republican 1813 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1817.Democratic-Republican hold. Massachusetts Joseph Bradley Varnum Democratic-Republican 1811 Incumbent ran for re-election.New senator elected June 12, 1816.Federalist gain. New Hampshire Thomas W. Thompson Federalist 1814 Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.New senator elected in 1816 on the third ballot.Democratic-Republican gain. New Jersey John Condit Democratic-Republican 1809 1810New senator elected January 23, 1817.Democratic-Republican hold. North Carolina James Turner Democratic-Republican 18041810 Resigned November 21, 1816 due to ill health.New senator elected December 4, 1816 on the second ballot.Winner was also elected to finish the previous term; see above.Democratic-Republican hold. Rhode Island Jeremiah Howell Democratic-Republican 1810 Incumbent retired.New senator elected June 21, 1816.Federalist gain. South Carolina John Taylor Democratic-Republican 1810 1810 Incumbent resigned November 1816.New senator elected December 4, 1816.Winner was also elected to the previous term, see above.Democratic-Republican hold. Tennessee John Williams Democratic-Republican 1815 Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.Legislature failed to elect.Incumbent was appointed to start the term.Democratic-Republican loss. None. Virginia Armistead T. Mason Democratic-Republican 1816 Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election, but he was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.New senator elected December 9, 1816.Democratic-Republican hold.

Elections during the next Congress In three special elections and two general elections, the winners were elected in 1817 after March 4; ordered by election date. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history New Hampshire(Class 3) Jeremiah Mason Federalist 1813 Incumbent resigned June 16, 1817.New senator elected June 27, 1817 on the thirteenth ballot.Democratic-Republican gain. Tennessee(Class 2) John Williams Democratic-Republican 1815 Legislature had failed to elect and the incumbent was then appointed to start the term.Interim appointee was re-elected October 2, 1817 to finish the term. Vermont(Class 3) Dudley Chase Democratic-Republican 1812 Resigned November 3, 1817.New senator elected November 4, 1817.Democratic-Republican hold. Mississippi(Class 1) None (new state) Mississippi was admitted as a new state.New senator elected December 10, 1817 on the fifth ballot.Democratic-Republican gain. Mississippi(Class 2) None (new state) Mississippi was admitted as a new state.New senator elected December 10, 1817 on the fourth ballot.Democratic-Republican gain.

Delaware

Georgia

Georgia (regular)

Georgia (special)

Indiana

The new state of Indiana elected its first two senators, both Democratic-Republicans, James Noble and Waller Taylor. The election was held November 8, 1816 in advance of Indiana's December 11, 1816 admission as a state. In the election legislators cast a single ballot and the first and second place candidates were deemed elected.

Kentucky

Kentucky (regular)

Kentucky (special)

Louisiana

Maryland (special) Maryland (special, January 1816)

Robert Goodloe Harper won election over John Thomson Mason by a margin of 1.12%, or 1 vote, for the Class 1 seat.

Maryland (special, December 1816)

Alexander Contee Hanson won election over William Winder by a margin of 8.24%, or 7 votes, for the Class 1 seat.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts (regular)

Massachusetts (special)

Mississippi

The new state of Mississippi elected its first two senators, both Democratic-Republicans, Walter Leake and Thomas H. Williams. Two separate elections were held in which each senator was elected.

First Senator (Class 1)(5th ballot, date and previous ballots unknown)

Second Senator (Class 2)(4th ballot, date and previous ballots unknown)

New Hampshire

New Hampshire (regular)

New Hampshire (special)

New Jersey

North Carolina

North Carolina (regular)

North Carolina (special)

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Carolina (regular)

South Carolina (special)

Tennessee

Tennessee (regular)

Tennessee (special)

Vermont (special)

Virginia

Virginia (regular)

Virginia (special)

See also 1816 United States elections 1816 United States presidential election 1816–17 United States House of Representatives elections 14th United States Congress 15th United States Congress

Notes

References

Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov