1798 and 1799 United States House of Representatives elections
Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 6th Congress took place in 1798 and 1799, the earliest in New York in April 1798, and the latest in Tennessee in August 1799, after the official start of the 6th Congress on March 4, 1799, but before the start of the first session of this Congress in Philadelphia on December 2, 1799. It was the last congressional session before the move to the new capital at Washington, D.C..
President John Adams, a Federalist elected two years prior in the election of 1796, remained popular during a time of national economic growth, and the Federalists made a modest gain of three seats at the expense of the opposition Democratic-Republicans, the party of Vice President and future President Thomas Jefferson. This resulted in an increased Federalist majority in the House, 60-46 seats.
The Federalist party squandered its popularity by passing a series of controversial new laws in the summer of 1798, including the Naturalization Act of 1798 and the Alien and Sedition Acts. Their passage seriously injured the chances of President Adams and Federalist congressional candidates in the elections of 1800.
The House that met during this Congress would ultimately elect Thomas Jefferson over Aaron Burr in the presidential election of 1800.
Election summaries
Special elections
There were special elections in 1798 and 1799 during the 5th United States Congress and 6th United States Congress.Elections are sorted here by date then district.
5th Congress
6th Congress
Connecticut
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| William Edmond | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Allen 13.4% √ Chauncey Goodrich 12.5% √ Samuel W. Dana 12.4% √ William Edmond 11.8% √ Roger Griswold 11.5% √ Jonathan Brace 8.4% √ John Davenport 7.0% Elizur Goodrich 4.1% Timothy Pitkin 3.7% Benjamin Tallmadge 3.5% John C. Smith 3.5% Elias Perkins 3.2% Calvin Goddard 2.2% Simeon Baldwin 1.6% | |
| Chauncey Goodrich | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Allen 13.4% √ Chauncey Goodrich 12.5% √ Samuel W. Dana 12.4% √ William Edmond 11.8% √ Roger Griswold 11.5% √ Jonathan Brace 8.4% √ John Davenport 7.0% Elizur Goodrich 4.1% Timothy Pitkin 3.7% Benjamin Tallmadge 3.5% John C. Smith 3.5% Elias Perkins 3.2% Calvin Goddard 2.2% Simeon Baldwin 1.6% | |
| Joshua Coit | Federalist | 1792 | Incumbent died September 5, 1798. New member elected. Federalist hold. | √ John Allen 13.4% √ Chauncey Goodrich 12.5% √ Samuel W. Dana 12.4% √ William Edmond 11.8% √ Roger Griswold 11.5% √ Jonathan Brace 8.4% √ John Davenport 7.0% Elizur Goodrich 4.1% Timothy Pitkin 3.7% Benjamin Tallmadge 3.5% John C. Smith 3.5% Elias Perkins 3.2% Calvin Goddard 2.2% Simeon Baldwin 1.6% | |
| Roger Griswold | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Allen 13.4% √ Chauncey Goodrich 12.5% √ Samuel W. Dana 12.4% √ William Edmond 11.8% √ Roger Griswold 11.5% √ Jonathan Brace 8.4% √ John Davenport 7.0% Elizur Goodrich 4.1% Timothy Pitkin 3.7% Benjamin Tallmadge 3.5% John C. Smith 3.5% Elias Perkins 3.2% Calvin Goddard 2.2% Simeon Baldwin 1.6% | |
| Nathaniel Smith | Federalist | 1795 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist hold. | √ John Allen 13.4% √ Chauncey Goodrich 12.5% √ Samuel W. Dana 12.4% √ William Edmond 11.8% √ Roger Griswold 11.5% √ Jonathan Brace 8.4% √ John Davenport 7.0% Elizur Goodrich 4.1% Timothy Pitkin 3.7% Benjamin Tallmadge 3.5% John C. Smith 3.5% Elias Perkins 3.2% Calvin Goddard 2.2% Simeon Baldwin 1.6% | |
| John Allen | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected, but declined to serve. | √ John Allen 13.4% √ Chauncey Goodrich 12.5% √ Samuel W. Dana 12.4% √ William Edmond 11.8% √ Roger Griswold 11.5% √ Jonathan Brace 8.4% √ John Davenport 7.0% Elizur Goodrich 4.1% Timothy Pitkin 3.7% Benjamin Tallmadge 3.5% John C. Smith 3.5% Elias Perkins 3.2% Calvin Goddard 2.2% Simeon Baldwin 1.6% | |
| Samuel W. Dana | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Allen 13.4% √ Chauncey Goodrich 12.5% √ Samuel W. Dana 12.4% √ William Edmond 11.8% √ Roger Griswold 11.5% √ Jonathan Brace 8.4% √ John Davenport 7.0% Elizur Goodrich 4.1% Timothy Pitkin 3.7% Benjamin Tallmadge 3.5% John C. Smith 3.5% Elias Perkins 3.2% Calvin Goddard 2.2% Simeon Baldwin 1.6% |
Delaware
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| James A. Bayard | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ James A. Bayard 61.2% Archibald Alexander 38.8% |
Georgia
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Abraham Baldwin | Democratic- Republican | 1789 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist gain. Winner died January 11, 1801 and seat remained vacant throughout the next Congress. | John Milledge had declined to run for re-election. As a result, many Democratic-Republican voters cast their votes for Baldwin and one of the Federalists, giving the Federalists enough votes to win both seats. Milledge nevertheless received 1.68% of the vote. | |
| John Milledge | Democratic- Republican | 1794 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Federalist gain. | John Milledge had declined to run for re-election. As a result, many Democratic-Republican voters cast their votes for Baldwin and one of the Federalists, giving the Federalists enough votes to win both seats. Milledge nevertheless received 1.68% of the vote. |
Kentucky
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Thomas T. Davis | Democratic- Republican | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Thomas T. Davis | |
| John Fowler | Democratic- Republican | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Fowler 55.3% Robert Johnston 25.5% Philemon Thomas 19.2% |
Maryland
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| George Dent | Federalist | 1792 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ George Dent 54.5% John Campbell 45.5% | |
| Richard Sprigg, Jr. | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ John C. Thomas 61.6% Richard Sprigg, Jr. 38.4% | |
| William Craik | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ William Craik 100% | |
| George Baer, Jr. | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ George Baer, Jr. 54.9% Daniel Hiester 45.1% | |
| Samuel Smith | Democratic- Republican | 1792 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Samuel Smith 57.7% James Winchester 42.3% | |
| William Matthews | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic-Republican gain. | √ Gabriel Christie 56.2% Philip Thomas 43.8% | |
| William Hindman | Federalist | 1792 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic-Republican gain. New member died October 20, 1798 before the new Congress, causing a special election, [|see above]. | √ Joshua Seney 55.6% William Hindman 44.4% | |
| John Dennis | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Dennis Unopposed |
Massachusetts
Massachusetts required a majority for election. This was not met in the and necessitating additional ballots in those districts.| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Thomson J. Skinner | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ Theodore Sedgwick 80.2% Thomas Ives 19.8% | |
| William Shepard | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ William Shepard 89.9% John Williams 10.1% | |
| Samuel Lyman | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Samuel Lyman 88.4% Daniel Bigelow 6.4% Scattering 5.2% | |
| Dwight Foster | Federalist | 1793 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Dwight Foster 80.8% Levi Lincoln Sr. 19.2% | |
| Nathaniel Freeman Jr. | Democratic- Republican | 1794 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Federalist gain. | First ballot : Lemuel Williams 32.5% Macajah Coffin 30.4% Beriah Norton 17.4% Jonathan Moore 13.4% Scattering 6.3% Second ballot : Macajah Coffin 33.5% Lemuel Williams 30.1% Sam Savage 27.1% Beriah Norton 9.3% Third ballot : Lemuel Williams 36.5% Sam Savage 33.9% Macajah Coffin 29.5% Fourth ballot : Lemuel Williams 46.6% Sam Savage 27.2% Macajah Coffin 26.2% Fifth ballot : √ Lemuel Williams 74.8% Macajah Coffin 25.2% | |
| John Reed Sr. | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Reed Sr. 58.0% John Dwight 26.9% Daniel Snow 15.1% | |
| Stephen Bullock | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic-Republican gain. | First ballot : Stephen Bullock 26.9% Laban Wheaton 25.7% Josiah Dean 23.6% Phanuel Bishop 11.8% Scattering 12.1% Second ballot : Stephen Bullock 33.3% Josiah Dean 25.5% Laban Wheaton 22.4% Phanuel Bishop 18.9% Third ballot : Stephen Bullock 48.1% Phanuel Bishop 41.3% Josiah Dean10.6% Fourth ballot : √ Phanuel Bishop 52.1% Stephen Bullock 47.9% | |
| Harrison Gray Otis | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Harrison Gray Otis 55.9% William Heath 43.6% William Eustis 0.6% | |
| Joseph Bradley Varnum | Democratic- Republican | 1795 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Joseph Bradley Varnum 66.2% Timothy Bigelow 33.8% | |
| Samuel Sewall | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Samuel Sewall 70.3% Loammi Baldwin 20.5% Scattering 9.2% | |
| Bailey Bartlett | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Bailey Bartlett 100% | |
District of Maine | Isaac Parker | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Federalist hold. | √ Silas Lee 64.4% Henry Dearborn 35.6% |
District of Maine | Peleg Wadsworth | Federalist | 1793 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Peleg Wadsworth 73.5% Charles Tainer 26.5% |
District of Maine | George Thatcher | Federalist | 1788 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ George Thatcher 65.5% John Fairchild 34.5% |
New Hampshire
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Abiel Foster | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Abiel Foster 24.2% √ William Gordon 21.6% √ Jonathan Freeman 21.0% √ Peleg Sprague 19.5% Thomas Bellows 1.9% John Prentice 1.8% Timothy Walker 1.0% William Plummer 0.8% Joseph Dennie 0.7% Woodbury Langdon 0.7% John Goddard 0.6% Oliver Peabody 0.6% William Gardner 0.5% Others 5.1% | |
| William Gordon | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Abiel Foster 24.2% √ William Gordon 21.6% √ Jonathan Freeman 21.0% √ Peleg Sprague 19.5% Thomas Bellows 1.9% John Prentice 1.8% Timothy Walker 1.0% William Plummer 0.8% Joseph Dennie 0.7% Woodbury Langdon 0.7% John Goddard 0.6% Oliver Peabody 0.6% William Gardner 0.5% Others 5.1% | |
| Jonathan Freeman | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Abiel Foster 24.2% √ William Gordon 21.6% √ Jonathan Freeman 21.0% √ Peleg Sprague 19.5% Thomas Bellows 1.9% John Prentice 1.8% Timothy Walker 1.0% William Plummer 0.8% Joseph Dennie 0.7% Woodbury Langdon 0.7% John Goddard 0.6% Oliver Peabody 0.6% William Gardner 0.5% Others 5.1% | |
| Peleg Sprague | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected, but declined to serve. A special election was then held. | √ Abiel Foster 24.2% √ William Gordon 21.6% √ Jonathan Freeman 21.0% √ Peleg Sprague 19.5% Thomas Bellows 1.9% John Prentice 1.8% Timothy Walker 1.0% William Plummer 0.8% Joseph Dennie 0.7% Woodbury Langdon 0.7% John Goddard 0.6% Oliver Peabody 0.6% William Gardner 0.5% Others 5.1% |
New Jersey
New Jersey switched to district representation for this election. The districts were not numbered at the time, but are retroactively numbered here as 1–5. New Jersey would go back to an the following election.| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| James Schureman | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic-Republican gain. | √ John Condit 52.5% James Schureman 47.5% | |
| Mark Thomson | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic-Republican gain. | √ Aaron Kitchell 72.5% Mark Thomson 27.5% | |
| Jonathan Dayton | Federalist | 1791 | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator. New member elected.Democratic-Republican gain. | √ James Linn 51.3% Samuel R. Stewart 31.1% Archibald Mercer 17.6% | |
| James H. Imlay | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ James H. Imlay 81.0% Thomas Henderson 19.0% | |
| Thomas Sinnickson | Federalist | 1797 | Unknown if incumbent lost re-election or retired. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ Franklin Davenport 56.5% Jonathan Elmer 43.5% |
New York
Between the 1796 and 1798 elections, New York re-districted. This marked the first time that its districts were numbered.North Carolina
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Joseph McDowell | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ Joseph Dickson 55.1% James Holland 44.8% | |
| Matthew Locke | Democratic- Republican | 1793 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ Archibald Henderson 84.4% Basil Gaither 9.5% Matthew Locke 6.1% | |
| Robert Williams | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Robert Williams 69.8% James Martin 30.2% | |
| Richard Stanford | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Richard Stanford 54.5% Samuel Benton 45.5% | |
| Nathaniel Macon | Democratic- Republican | 1791 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Nathaniel Macon | |
| James Gillespie | Democratic- Republican | 1793 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ William H. Hill 50.1% James Gillespie 39.8% Alexander D. Moore 10.1% | |
| William B. Grove | Federalist | 1791 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ William B. Grove 100% | |
| Dempsey Burges | Democratic- Republican | 1795 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic-Republican hold. | √ David Stone 40.0% Charles Johnson 30.9% Dempsey Burges 29.1% | |
| Thomas Blount | Democratic- Republican | 1793 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic-Republican hold. | √ Willis Alston 37.4% Thomas Blount 29.1% William Kennedy 24.6% John Binford 8.9% | |
| Nathan Bryan | Democratic- Republican | 1794 | Incumbent died June 4, 1798. New member elected. Democratic-Republican hold. Winner was also elected to finish the current term, see above. | √ Richard D. Spaight 66.7% George E. Badger 32.3% |
Pennsylvania
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| John Swanwick | Democratic- Republican | 1794 | Incumbent John Swanwick died August 1, 1798. New member elected. Federalist gain. Winner was also elected to finish the current term, see above. | √ Robert Waln 69.5% Samuel Miles 30.5% | |
| Blair McClenachan | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic-Republican hold. | √ Michael Leib 56.5% Anthony Morris 43.5% | |
| Richard Thomas | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Richard Thomas 71.3% John Pearson 28.7% | |
| Samuel Sitgreaves | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent Samuel Sitgreaves resigned August 29, 1798. New member elected. Democratic-Republican gain. | √ Robert Brown 31.1% √ Peter Muhlenberg 28.6% John Chapman 20.9% Jacob Eyerly 19.0% Anthony Morris 0.5% | |
| John Chapman | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic-Republican gain. | √ Robert Brown 31.1% √ Peter Muhlenberg 28.6% John Chapman 20.9% Jacob Eyerly 19.0% Anthony Morris 0.5% | |
| Joseph Hiester | Democratic- Republican | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Joseph Hiester 69.3% Daniel Clymer 30.7% | |
| John A. Hanna | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John A. Hanna 66.3% Daniel Smith 33.7% | |
| John W. Kittera | Federalist | 1791 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John W. Kittera 77.5% William Barton 22.5% | |
| Thomas Hartley | Federalist | 1788 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Thomas Hartley 85.4% Henry Slagle 14.6% | |
| Andrew Gregg | Democratic- Republican | 1791 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Andrew Gregg 57.8% James Armstrong 42.2% | |
| David Bard | Democratic- Republican | 1794 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ Henry Woods 55.4% Thomas Johnson 24.3% David Bard 20.3% | |
| William Findley | Democratic- Republican | 1791 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic-Republican hold. | √ John Smilie 46.0% William Todd 32.7% James Guthrie 21.3% | |
| Albert Gallatin | Democratic- Republican | 1794 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Albert Gallatin 58.8% John Woods 41.2% |
Rhode Island
Rhode Island used at-large districts, but elected the candidates on separate tickets instead of using a general ticket.| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Thomas Tillinghast | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist hold. | √ John Brown 65.4% Thomas Tillinghast 34.6% | |
| Christopher G. Champlin | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Christopher G. Champlin 97.5% Others 2.5% |
South Carolina
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Thomas Pinckney | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Thomas Pinckney 100% | |
| John Rutledge, Jr. | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Rutledge, Jr. 65.6% Pierce Butler 34.4% | |
| Lemuel Benton | Democratic- Republican | 1793 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ Benjamin Huger 41.9% Lemuel Benton 32.4% Tristam Thomas 22.2% William Thomas 2.0% Joseph Blyth 1.6% | |
| Thomas Sumter | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Thomas Sumter 64.6% Richard Winn 35.4% | |
| Robert Goodloe Harper | Federalist | 1794 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Robert Goodloe Harper 65.3% William Butler 34.7% | |
| William Smith | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ Abraham Nott 43.8% William Smith 43.2% William Hill 13.0% |
Tennessee
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| William C. C. Claiborne | Democratic- Republican | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ William C. C. Claiborne Unopposed |
Vermont
Majority vote required to win, necessitating a run-off election in the 1st district.| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Matthew Lyon | Democratic- Republican | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | : : | |
| Lewis R. Morris | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. |
Virginia
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Daniel Morgan | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Federalist hold. | √ Robert Page 54.3% John Smith 45.7% | |
| David Holmes | Democratic- Republican | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ David Holmes Robert Porterfield | |
| James Machir | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic-Republican gain. | √ George Jackson 53.9% John Haymond 46.0% | |
| Abram Trigg | Democratic- Republican | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Abram Trigg 88.5% William Preston 11.5% | |
| John J. Trigg | Democratic- Republican | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John J. Trigg George Hancock | |
| Matthew Clay | Democratic- Republican | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Matthew Clay Isaac Coles | |
| Abraham B. Venable | Democratic- Republican | 1790 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic-Republican hold. | √ John Randolph 40.5% Powhatan Bolling 40.3% Clement Carrington 19.2% | |
| Thomas Claiborne | Democratic- Republican | 1793 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic-Republican hold. | √ Samuel Goode 52.5% Thomas Claiborne 47.5% | |
| Joseph Eggleston | Democratic- Republican | 1798 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Joseph Eggleston 63.4% Alexander McRae 36.6% | |
| Carter B. Harrison | Democratic- Republican | 1793 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic-Republican hold. | √ Edwin Gray John Mason Jr. Robert Booth Benjamin Harrison Wood Heath | |
| Josiah Parker | Federalist | 1789 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Josiah Parker 56.2% Thomas Newton Jr. 43.8% | |
| Thomas Evans | Federalist | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Thomas Evans 62.3% John Page 37.7% | |
| John Clopton | Democratic- Republican | 1795 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ John Marshall John Clopton | |
| Samuel J. Cabell | Democratic- Republican | 1795 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Samuel J. Cabell 83.6% John Nicholas 16.4% | |
| John Dawson | Democratic- Republican | 1797 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Dawson | |
| Anthony New | Democratic- Republican | 1793 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Anthony New Benjamin Temple | |
| Richard Brent | Democratic- Republican | 1795 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ Leven Powell 63.8% Roger West 36.4% | |
| John Nicholas | Democratic- Republican | 1793 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Nicholas John Blackwell | |
| Walter Jones | Democratic- Republican | 1797 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Federalist gain. | √ Henry Lee 51.4% Walter Jones 48.6% |