1790–1792 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts

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United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts, 1790–1792
Flag of Massachusetts.svg
  1788 October 4, 1790 - April 2, 1792 [1] 1792  

All 8 Massachusetts seats to the United States House of Representatives
 Majority partyMinority party
 
Party Pro-Administration Anti-Administration
Last election62
Seats won71
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 1

Elections for the United States House of Representatives for the 2nd Congress were held in Massachusetts beginning October 4, 1790, with subsequent elections held in four districts due to a majority not being achieved on the first ballot.

Contents

Background

In the previous election, 6 Pro-Administration and 2 Anti-Administration Representatives had been elected. One representative, George Partridge (P) of the 5th district resigned August 14, 1790. His seat was vacant at the time of the 1790 elections, so that there were 5 Pro-Administration and 2 Anti-Administration incumbents, all of whom ran for re-election.

Three candidates ran in districts with different numbers from the previous election. It is not clear from the source used whether there was redistricting or if the districts had simply been renumbered.

Massachusetts law at the time required a majority for election. This occurred on the first ballot in the 1st , 2nd , 3rd and 4th districts. In the remaining four districts additional elections were required. In the 5th and 7th districts, a majority was achieved on the 2nd ballot. In the 8th district , a majority was achieved on the 4th ballot, while in the 6th district, 9 ballots were required.

First Ballot

The first ballot was held on October 4, 1790. Four representatives, from the 1st , 2nd , 3rd , and 4th districts won on the first ballot.

1790 United States House election results
District Pro-Administration Anti-Administration Unknown Party Affiliation
1st Fisher Ames (I)1,85075.1%Benjamin Austin39716.1%
Thomas Dawes 2188.8%
2nd Benjamin Goodhue (I)1,02788.8% Samuel Holten 12911.2%
3rd Elbridge Gerry (I)1,06760.4% Nathaniel Gorham 69939.6%
4th Theodore Sedgwick (I)2,24175.0%Scattering2598.7%
Samuel Lyman 48716.3%
5th Shearjashub Bourne [2] 29841.8%Thomas Davis26637.3%
Joshua Thomas14920.9%
6th George Leonard [2] (I)32722.3% Phanuel Bishop 33122.6%Walter Spooner37425.5%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 24516.7%
David Cobb 18912.9%
7th Artemas Ward [2] 79839.0% Jonathan Grout (I)80039.1%John Sprague29714.5%
Nathan Tyler1517.4%
8th George Thatcher [2] (I)60937.2%Josiah Thatcher4509.2%
Peleg Wadsworth 251.5% William Lithgow 36422.3%
Nathaniel Wells26316.1%
William Martin804.9%
Arthur Noble593.6%
Daniel Davis291.8%
Scattering573.5%

Second ballot

The second ballot was held in the 5th , 6th , 7th , and 8th districts on November 26, 1790. A majority was achieved in the 5th and 7th districts on the second ballot

1790 United States House election results
(2nd ballot)
District Pro-Administration Anti-Administration Unknown Party Affiliation
5th Shearjashub Bourne 66765.3%Joshua Thomas27827.2%
Thomas Davis777.5%
6th Peleg Coffin, Jr. 40225.7%% Phanuel Bishop 44428.4%Walter Spooner38724.8%
George Leonard [2] (I)19612.5%
David Cobb 1348.6%
7th Artemas Ward 1,24856.6% Jonathan Grout (I)1,08143.4%
8th George Thatcher [2] (I)42149.8%Nathaniel Wells26231.0%
William Lithgow 12514.8%
Scattering374.4%

Third ballot

The third ballot was held in the 6th and 8th districts on January 25, 1791. Neither district achieved a majority on this ballot.

1791 United States House election results
(3rd ballot)
District Pro-Administration Anti-Administration Unknown Party Affiliation
6th Peleg Coffin, Jr. 60324.0% Phanuel Bishop 85233.9%Walter Spooner71128.3%
George Leonard [2] (I)2138.5%
David Cobb 1345.3%
8th George Thatcher [2] (I)1,13749.1% William Lithgow 91939.7%
Nathaniel Wells25911.2%

Fourth ballot

The fourth ballot was held in the 6th and 8th districts on April 4, 1791. A majority was achieved in the 8th district.

1791 United States House election results
(4th ballot)
District Pro-Administration Anti-Administration Unknown Party Affiliation
6th Peleg Coffin, Jr. 42015.7% Phanuel Bishop 1,03938.8%Walter Spooner1,03838.8%
George Leonard [2] (I)1435.3%
David Cobb 391.5%
8th George Thatcher (I)2,73852.3% William Lithgow 2,15541.1%
Nathaniel Wells3476.6%

Fifth ballot

The fifth ballot was held in the 6th district on September 8, 1791. A majority was not achieved. This was the last ballot before the first session of the 2nd Congress began on October 24, 1791. [3] The 6th district was still vacant at the start of the 1st session.

1791 United States House election results
(5th ballot)
District Pro-Administration Anti-Administration Unknown Party Affiliation
6th George Leonard [2] (I)55529.3% Phanuel Bishop 80142.3%Walter Spooner1246.6%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 41221.8%

Sixth ballot

The sixth ballot was held in the 6th district on November 11, 1791. A majority was not achieved.

1791 United States House election results
(6th ballot)
District Pro-Administration Anti-Administration
6th George Leonard [2] (I)79541.6% Phanuel Bishop 80642.2%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 31016.2%

Seventh ballot

The seventh ballot was held in the 6th district on December 26, 1791. A majority was not achieved.

1791 United States House election results
(7th ballot)
District Pro-Administration Anti-Administration
6th George Leonard [2] (I)98345.6% Phanuel Bishop 68932.0%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 48422.5%

Eighth ballot

The eighth ballot was held in the 6th district on December 26, 1791, during the 1st session of the 2nd Congress.

1791 United States House election results
(8th ballot)
District Pro-Administration Anti-Administration
6th George Leonard (I)98345.0% Phanuel Bishop 69031.6%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 48422.2%

Ninth ballot

The ninth and final ballot was held in the 6th district on April 2, 1792, near the end of the 1st session of the 2nd Congress. [3]

1792 United States House election results
(8th ballot)
District Pro-Administration Anti-Administration
6th George Leonard (I)1,16155.6% Phanuel Bishop 57827.7%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 34816.7%

See also

Notes

  1. In the 6th district
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Eventual winner
  3. 1 2 "2nd Congress membership roster" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2013.

References