The 1802–03 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between April 26, 1802 (in New York) and December 14, 1803 (in New Jersey). Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives, either before or after the first session of the 8th United States Congress convened on October 17, 1803. They occurred during President Thomas Jefferson's first term in office.
With the addition of the new state of Ohio's representatives, and the congressional reapportionment based on the 1800 United States census, the size of the House increased from 106 to 142 seats. The greatest population growth revealed in the 1800 census was in territories that constituted the western regions of the country at the time, a tremendous boost for Democratic-Republican candidates. Nearly all of the new seats created in the reapportionment went to Democratic-Republicans, closely aligned as they were with the agrarian interests of Western farmers. As a result, the Democratic-Republicans won the largest proportion of seats that either they or the competing Federalists had ever been able to secure in any earlier Congress, a supermajority greater than two-thirds of the total number.
Election summaries These elections were the first following reapportionment after the 1800 census. Thirty-five new seats were added in reapportionment, with three states having no change in apportionment, and thirteen states gaining between 1 and 7 seats. One further seat was added for the new state of Ohio, which is included in this table below.
+ ↓ 102 40 Democratic-Republican Federalist
State Type Date Totalseats Democratic-Republican Federalist Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change New York Districts April 26–29, 1802 17 7 12 6 5 1 Connecticut At-large August 20, 1802 7 0 7 New Hampshire At-large August 30, 1802 5 1 0 5 1 Rhode Island At-large August 31, 1802 2 2 0 Georgia At-large October 4, 1802 4 2 4 2 0 Delaware At-large October 5, 1802 1 1 1 0 1 Pennsylvania Districts October 12, 1802 18 5 18 8 0 3 Massachusetts District November 1, 1802 17 3 7 10 3 Vermont Districts December 13, 1802 4 2 1 3 2 Maryland Districts January 1, 1803 9 1 6 1 3 South Carolina Districts February 3, 1803 8 2 6 3 2 1 Late elections (After the March 4, 1803, beginning of Congress) Virginia Districts April 1803 22 3 18 4 3 Kentucky Districts August 2, 1803 6 4 6 4 0 Tennessee At-large August 5, 1803 3 2 3 2 0 North Carolina Districts August 15, 1803 12 2 11 5 1 3 Very late elections (After the October 17, 1803, beginning of 1st session) New Jersey At-large December 14, 1803 6 1 6 1 0 Election of new state during 8th Congress Ohio At-large June 21, 1803 1 1 1 1 0 Total 142 36 102 34 40 2
Special elections
There were special elections in 1802 and 1803 during the 7th United States Congress and 8th United States Congress.
Elections are sorted here by date then district.
7th Congress
! | Richard Sprigg Jr. | | Democratic-Republican | 1801 | | Incumbent resigned February 11, 1802.New member elected March 2, 1802 and seated March 24, 1802.Democratic-Republican hold.Winner was later elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Thomas Sumter | | Democratic-Republican | 17881792 1796 | | Incumbent resigned December 15, 1801, when elected U.S. senator.New member elected April 13, 1802 and seated January 24, 1803.Democratic-Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | Benjamin Taliaferro | | Democratic-Republican | 1798 | | Incumbent resigned sometime in 1802.New member elected April 26, 1802 and seated December 6, 1802.Democratic-Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | Silas Lee | | Federalist | 1798 | | Incumbent resigned August 20, 1801.New member elected July 29, 1802 and seated December 6, 1802.Federalist hold. | nowrap |
Fifth ballot
! | Joseph Peirce | | Federalist | 1800 | | Incumbent resigned sometime in 1802.New member elected August 30, 1802 and seated December 6, 1802.Federalist hold.Winner also elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Narsworthy Hunter | | Democratic-Republican | 1801 | | Incumbent died March 11, 1802.New delegate elected August 1, 1802 and seated December 6, 1802.Democratic-Republican hold.Winner was not elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Charles Johnson | | Democratic-Republican | 1800 | | Incumbent died July 23, 1802.New member elected October 15, 1802 and seated December 7, 1802.Democratic-Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | John Milledge | | Democratic-Republican | 1794 | | Incumbent resigned May 1802 to become Governor of Georgia.New member elected December 15, 1802 and seated January 10, 1803.Democratic-Republican hold. | nowrap |
8th Congress
! | John Cantine | | Democratic-Republican | 1802 | | Incumbent resigned before the Congress began.New member elected April 28, 1803 and seated October 17, 1803.Democratic-Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | Elias Perkins | | Federalist | 1800 | | Incumbent chose not to serve.New member elected September 5, 1803 and seated October 17, 1803.Federalist hold. | nowrap |
! | Isaac Bloom | | Democratic-Republican | 1802 | | Incumbent died April 26, 1803.New member elected September 16, 1803 and seated October 17, 1803.Democratic-Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | John Milledge | | Democratic-Republican | 1794 | | Incumbent chose not to serve, having been elected Governor of Georgia.New member elected October 3, 1803 and seated October 17, 1803.Democratic-Republican hold. | nowrap |
Connecticut
! rowspan=7 | | John Cotton Smith | | Federalist | 1800 | Incumbent re-elected. | rowspan=7 nowrap |
| Benjamin Tallmadge | | Federalist | 1801 | Incumbent re-elected.
| Samuel W. Dana | | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected.
| Elias Perkins | | Federalist | 1800 | Incumbent re-elected but declined to serve, causing a special election.
| Calvin Goddard | | Federalist | 1801 | Incumbent re-elected.
| Roger Griswold | | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent re-elected.
| John Davenport | | Federalist | 1798 | Incumbent re-elected.
Delaware
! | James A. Bayard | | Federalist | 1796 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic-Republican gain. | nowrap |
Georgia
Georgia gained 2 seats in reapportionment after the 1800 census. It elected its representatives October 4, 1802, at-large on a general ticket.
! rowspan=4 | | John Milledge | | Democratic-Republican | 1801 | Incumbent resigned in May 1802, causing a December 15, 1802, special election.Incumbent re-elected, but declined the seat, causing an October 3, 1803, special election. | rowspan=4 nowrap |
| David Meriwether | | Democratic-Republican | 1802 | Incumbent re-elected.
| colspan=3 | None (new seat) | | New seat.Democratic-Republican gain.
| colspan=3 | None (new seat) | | New seat.Democratic-Republican gain.
Kentucky
Kentucky gained 4 seats to 6 in reapportionment after the 1800 census.
! | Thomas T. Davis | | Democratic-Republican | 1797 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic-Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | colspan=3 | None (new district) | | New seat.Democratic-Republican gain. | nowrap |
! | colspan=3 | None (new district) | | New seat.Democratic-Republican gain. | nowrap |
! | colspan=3 | None (new district) | | New seat.Democratic-Republican gain. | nowrap |
! | John Fowler | | Democratic-Republican | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | colspan=3 | None (new district) | | New seat.Democratic-Republican gain. | nowrap |
Maryland
Maryland gained 1 seat in reapportionment after the 1800 census. Rather than increasing the number of districts, however, Maryland made the a plural district with 2 seats.
! | John Campbell | | Federalist | 1801 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Walter Bowie | | Democratic-Republican | 1802 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Thomas Plater | | Federalist | 1801 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Daniel Hiester | | Democratic-Republican | 1788 (Pennsylvania)1801 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! rowspan=2 | | Samuel Smith | | Democratic-Republican | 1792 | | Incumbent retired to run for Senate.Democratic-Republican hold. | rowspan=2 nowrap |
| colspan=3 | None (new seat) | | New seat.Democratic-Republican gain.
! | John Archer | | Democratic-Republican | 1801 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Joseph H. Nicholson | | Democratic-Republican | 1798 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | John Dennis | | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Massachusetts
Massachusetts increased 3 seats to 17 in reapportionment after the 1800 census. Massachusetts law at the time required a majority for election to an office, which requirement was not met in the , requiring two additional ballots.
! | William Eustis | | Democratic-Republican | 1800 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Nathan Read | | Federalist | 1800 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic-Republican gain. | nowrap |
! | Manasseh Cutler | | Federalist | 1800 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Joseph Bradley Varnum | | Democratic-Republican | 1795 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William Shepard | | Federalist | 1797 | | Incumbent retired.Federalist hold. | nowrap |
! | Ebenezer Mattoon | | Federalist | 1800 | | Incumbent retired.Federalist hold. | nowrap |
Third ballot :
! | Josiah Smith | | Democratic-Republican | 1801 | | Incumbent retired.Federalist gain. | nowrap |
! | Lemuel Williams | | Federalist | 1799 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Phanuel Bishop | | Democratic-Republican | 1799 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Seth Hastings | | Federalist | 1801 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | colspan=3 | None (new district) | | New seat.Federalist gain. | nowrap |
! | John Bacon | | Democratic-Republican | 1801 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic-Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | colspan=3 | None (new district) | | New seat.Democratic-Republican gain. | nowrap |
! | Richard Cutts | | Democratic-Republican | 1801 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Peleg Wadsworth | | Federalist | 1793 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Samuel Thatcher | | Federalist | 1802 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | colspan=3 | None (new district) | | New seat.Federalist gain. | nowrap |
Mississippi Territory See Non-voting delegates, below.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire increased its apportionment from 4 seats to 5 after the 1800 census.
! rowspan=5 | | Samuel Tenney | | Federalist | 1800 | Incumbent re-elected. | rowspan=5 nowrap |
| colspan=3 | Vacant | | Rep. Joseph Peirce (F) resigned in 1802.Federalist hold.
| George B. Upham | | Federalist | 1800 | | Incumbent retired.Federalist hold.
| Abiel Foster | | Federalist | 1794 | | Incumbent retired.Federalist hold.
| colspan=3 | None (new seat) | | New seat.Federalist gain.
New Jersey
New Jersey increased its apportionment from 5 seats to 6 after the 1800 census.
The Federalists did not run any official candidates in 1802, but a few Federalists did receive scattered votes.
! rowspan=6 | | John Condit | | Democratic-Republican | 1798 | | Incumbent retired to run for Senate.Democratic-Republican hold. | rowspan=6 nowrap |
| Ebenezer Elmer | | Democratic-Republican | 1800 | Incumbent re-elected.
| William Helms | | Democratic-Republican | 1800 | Incumbent re-elected.
| James Mott | | Democratic-Republican | 1800 | Incumbent re-elected.
| Henry Southard | | Democratic-Republican | 1800 | Incumbent re-elected.
| colspan=3 | None (new seat) | | New seat.Democratic-Republican gain.
New York
New York's apportionment increased from 10 seats to 17 seats after the 1800 census. The state was subsequently redistricted. 11 open seats were available due to the increase in apportionment and retirement of incumbents.
! | John Smith | | Democratic-Republican | 1799 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | colspan=3 | None (new district) | | New seat.Federalist gain. | nowrap |
! | Samuel L. Mitchill