1806 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

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1806 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg
  1801 December 9–16, 1806 1812  
 Majority partyMinority partyThird party
  AndrewGregg.jpg No image.svg No image.svg
Candidate Andrew Gregg Nathaniel Boileau Isaac Weaver Jr.
Party Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican
Popular vote68346
Percentage60.7130.365.36

U.S. senator before election

George Logan (Pennsylvania politician)
Democratic-Republican

Contents

Elected U.S. Senator

Andrew Gregg
Democratic-Republican

The 1806 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held from December 9 to 16, 1806, to elect a U.S. Senator to represent Pennsylvania in the Class 3 seat. Andrew Gregg, a Democratic-Republican, was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, defeating fellow Democratic-Republicans Nathaniel Boileau and Isaac Weaver Jr. Incumbent Senator George Logan, also a Democratic-Republican, who was elected in a special election in 1801, did not seek re-election.

Background

Prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, U.S. Senators were elected by state legislatures rather than by popular vote. In Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania General Assembly, comprising the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened to elect senators. The 1806 election was for the Class 3 seat, with the term beginning on March 4, 1807, and ending on March 3, 1813.

Election process

The Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on December 9, 1806, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the state capital at the time, to elect a U.S. Senator for the term beginning March 4, 1807. The election required a majority of votes from the combined houses, as per federal law governing Senate elections. Four ballots were conducted over several days.

The candidates were:

After three inconclusive ballots, the fourth and final ballot on December 16, 1806, resulted in a clear majority for Gregg.

Results

The results of the fourth and final ballot, combining votes from both houses of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, are as follows:

CandidatePartyVotesPercentage
Andrew GreggDemocratic-Republican6860.71%
Nathaniel BoileauDemocratic-Republican3430.36%
Isaac Weaver Jr.Democratic-Republican65.36%
Others43.57%
Total112100%

Aftermath

Andrew Gregg was elected to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1807, to March 3, 1813. His tenure was marked by his support for Jeffersonian policies, including trade restrictions and preparations for the War of 1812. Notably, Gregg was elected President pro tempore of the United States Senate in 1809, serving briefly during the 11th United States Congress.

See also

References