The 1792–93 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with President George Washington's unanimous re-election. 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 1792 and 1793, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the ten senators in Class 2.
Formal organized political parties had yet to form in the United States, but two political factions were present: The coalition of Senators who supported George Washington's administration were known as the Pro-Administration Party, and the Senators against him as the Anti-Administration Party.
Results summary Senate party division, 3rd Congress (1793–1795) Majority party: Pro-Administration Party (16) Minority party: Anti-Administration Party (13) Other parties: 0 Total seats: 30 Vacant: 1 (later filled by Pro-Administration)
Change in composition Note: There were no political parties in this Congress. Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record.
Virginia's elections are considered a single race here.
Before the elections After the June 1792 admission of Kentucky.
A A A A A A A A A A A A V P P Majority → P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P
Results of the election
A A A A A A A A A A A V P P P Majority → P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P
Beginning of the next Congress Two Pro-Administration senators (Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina and John Langdon of New Hampshire) changed to Anti-Administration.
The vacant seat in Pennsylvania was filled February 28, 1793 by an Anti-Administration senator.
A A A A A A A A A A A A A A P Majority → P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P Key: A Anti-Administration P Pro-Administration V Vacant
Race summaries Elections during the 2nd Congress In these elections, the winner was seated before March 4, 1793; ordered by election date.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Kentucky(Class 2) None (new state) Kentucky was admitted to the Union June 1, 1792.Winner elected June 18, 1792.Anti-Administration gain. Kentucky(Class 3) None (new state) Kentucky was admitted to the Union June 1, 1792.Winner elected June 18, 1792.Anti-Administration gain. Virginia(Class 2) Richard Henry Lee Anti-Administration 1788 Incumbent resigned October 8, 1792.Winner elected October 18, 1792.Anti-Administration hold. Maryland(Class 1) Charles Carroll Pro-Administration 1788 Incumbent resigned November 30, 1792.Winner elected January 10, 1793.Pro-Administration hold. Pennsylvania(Class 1) Vacant Legislature failed to elect in 1791–1792, leaving the seat vacant.Winner elected February 28, 1793.Anti-Administration gain.
Races leading to the 3rd Congress In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1793; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Delaware Richard Bassett Pro-Administration 1788 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.Winner elected in 1793.Pro-Administration hold. Georgia William Few Anti-Administration 1789 Incumbent lost re-election.Winner elected in 1793.Anti-Administration hold. Kentucky John Brown Anti-Administration 1792 Incumbent re-elected December 11, 1792. Massachusetts Caleb Strong Pro-Administration 1788 Incumbent re-elected in 1793. New Hampshire Paine Wingate Anti-Administration 1788 Incumbent lost re-election in 1792.Pro-Administration gain. New Jersey Philemon Dickinson Pro-Administration 1790 Incumbent retired.Winner's election date unknown.Pro-Administration hold. North Carolina Samuel Johnston Pro-Administration 1789 Incumbent lost re-election.Winner elected in 1792. (referencing Legislative Papers. State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh.; Legislative Papers 1792 Box 119. State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh.)Anti-Administration gain. Rhode Island Joseph Stanton Jr. Anti-Administration 1790 Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.Winner elected in 1793.Pro-Administration gain. South Carolina Pierce Butler Anti-Administration 1789 Incumbent re-elected December 5, 1792. Virginia John Taylor Anti-Administration 1792 Incumbent re-elected in 1793.
Election in 1793 during the 3rd Congress In this special election, the winner was seated after March 4, 1793, the beginning of the next Congress.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Connecticut(Class 3) Roger Sherman Pro-Administration 1791 Incumbent died July 23, 1793.Winner elected December 2, 1793.Pro-Administration hold.
Connecticut (special)
Delaware
Georgia
One-term Anti-Federalist William Few was defeated by fellow Anti-Federalist, James Jackson. Jackson won 24 votes in the Georgia House of Representatives and 11 in the State Senate for a combined total of 35. Few won 3 in the House and 2 in the Senate for a combined total of 5. Jackson took office as a member of the 3rd United States Congress on March 4, 1793. He would later resign in 1795 to run for his state's legislature. +United States Senate election in Georgia, 1792/93PartyCandidateVotes in the HouseVotes in the SenateTotal%Anti-FederalistJames Jackson24113585.4%Anti-FederalistWilliam Few (incumbent)32512.2%Anti-FederalistGeorge Mathews1 -12.4%
Kentucky
Incumbent John Brown, who had previously been elected in a special election was easily reelected with no opposition and 100% of votes from the legislators.
Maryland (special)
Richard Potts won election to fill the seat vacated by Charles Carroll over Josh Hoskins Stone by a margin of 21.84%, or 19 votes, for the Class 1 seat.
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Incumbent U.S. Senator Paine Wingate was not reelected. The New Hampshire General Court instead elected Federalist Samuel Livermore, a U.S. Representative, to the seat. Livermore, like his fellow senator, John Langdon, would go on to serve as President Pro-Tempore during this term.
New Jersey
North Carolina
Pro-Administration Samuel Johnston lost re-election to Anti-Administration Alexander Martin for the class 2 seat. The other senator, Benjamin Hawkins, switched his support from Pro- to Anti-Administration.
Pennsylvania (special)
There was a special election on February 28, 1793, for the Class 1 seat from Pennsylvania. Incumbent William Maclay's term had ended on March 3, 1791, but the legislature failed to elect a successor due to a disagreement on the procedure to be followed in the election.
The seat remained vacant until Albert Gallatin was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the seat during this election.
Upon agreement between the two houses of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Senate, regarding the procedure to elect a new Senator, an election was finally held on February 28, 1793. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:
On February 28, 1794, the Senate determined that Gallatin did not satisfy the citizenship requirement for service and he was removed from office. He later went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Gallatin was replaced in the Senate by a special election in 1794.
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Virginia
Anti-Administration senator Richard Henry Lee resigned October 8, 1792, just before the March 3, 1793 end of term. Anti-administration John Taylor of Caroline was elected October 18, 1792 to finish Lee's term and then re-elected in 1793 to the next term.
Special
Regular
See also 1792 United States elections 1792 United States presidential election 1792–93 United States House of Representatives elections 2nd United States Congress 3rd United States Congress
References
External links Party Division in the Senate, 1789–present via Senate.gov