The 1798–99 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 1798 and 1799, 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.
They occurred in the middle of the presidency of John Adams, and had no net change in the political control of the Senate.
Results summary Senate party division, 6th Congress (1799–1801)
Majority party: Federalist (22) Minority party: Democratic-Republican (9) Other parties: 0 Total seats: 31
Change in composition
Before the elections After the January 19, 1798, election in Delaware.
DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR F F F F F F Majority → F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F
Results of the elections DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR F F F F F F Majority → F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F
Beginning of the next Congress DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR V F F F F F F Majority → F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F Key DR Democratic-Republican F Federalist V Vacant
Race summaries Except if/when noted, the number following candidates is the whole number vote(s), not a percentage.
Special elections during the 5th Congress In these special elections, the winner was seated before March 4, 1799; ordered by election date.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected New York(Class 1) Philip Schuyler Federalist 1789 Incumbent resigned January 3, 1798, due to ill health.New senator elected January 11, 1798.Federalist hold.Winner later resigned; see below. Delaware(Class 2) John Vining Federalist 1792 Incumbent resigned January 19, 1798.New senator elected January 19, 1798.Federalist hold.Winner died August 11, 1798; see below. New York(Class 1) William North Federalist 1798 Interim appointee served until winner qualified.New senator elected August 24, 1798.Federalist hold. South Carolina(Class 2) John Hunter Democratic-Republican 1796 Incumbent resigned November 26, 1798.New senator elected December 6, 1798.Democratic-Republican hold.New senator also elected to next term; see below. Tennessee(Class 1) Daniel Smith Democratic-Republican 1798 Interim appointee retired when successor qualified.New senator elected December 12, 1798.Winner qualified upon retirement from other Senate seat on March 3, 1799.Democratic-Republican hold. Delaware(Class 2) Joshua Clayton Federalist 1798 Died August 11, 1798.New senator elected January 17, 1799.Federalist hold.Winner also elected to next term; see below. New Jersey(Class 1) Franklin Davenport Federalist 1798 Interim appointee served until winner qualified.New senator elected February 21, 1799 on the third ballot.Federalist hold.
Races leading to the 6th Congress In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1799; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Delaware Joshua Clayton Federalist 1798 Incumbent died August 11, 1798.New senator elected January 17, 1799.Federalist hold.Winner was also elected to finish the current term, see above. Georgia Josiah Tattnall Democratic-Republican 1796 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected January 18, 1799.Democratic-Republican hold. Kentucky John Brown Democratic-Republican 1792 Incumbent re-elected November 30, 1798. Massachusetts Theodore Sedgwick Federalist 1796 Incumbent retired to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.New senator elected June 14, 1798.Federalist hold. New Hampshire Samuel Livermore Federalist 1792 Incumbent re-elected December 21, 1798. New Jersey Richard Stockton Federalist 1796 Incumbent retired.New senator elected November 1, 1798.Federalist hold. North Carolina Alexander Martin Democratic-Republican 1792 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected December 12, 1798, on the ninth ballot.Democratic-Republican hold. Rhode Island Ray Greene Federalist 1797 Incumbent re-elected November 1, 1798. South Carolina Charles Pinckney Democratic-Republican 1798 Incumbent re-elected December 6, 1798. Tennessee Joseph Anderson Democratic-Republican 1797 Incumbent retired when elected to the Class 1 seat (see above).New senator elected December 12, 1798.Democratic-Republican hold. Virginia Henry Tazewell Democratic-Republican 1794 Incumbent re-elected in 1798.Incumbent died January 24, 1799, before the term began.
Special elections during the 6th Congress In this special election, the winner was seated after March 4, 1799, the beginning of the next Congress.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Virginia(Class 2) Vacant Incumbent Henry Tazewell (DR) was re-elected in 1798 but died January 24, 1799, before the term began.New senator elected December 5, 1799 on the second ballot.Democratic-Republican gain.
See also 1798 United States elections 1798–99 United States House of Representatives elections 5th United States Congress 6th United States Congress
Notes
References Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov