United States Senate special elections in New York, February 1804

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The first 1804 United States Senate special election in New York was held on February 3, 1804, by the New York State Legislature to elect two U.S. Senators (Class 1 and 3) to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.

New York State Legislature state legislature of the U.S. state of New York

The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together. It says only that "legislative power is vested in the senate and assembly." The session laws are published in the official Laws of New York. The permanent laws of a general nature are codified in the Consolidated Laws of New York. The legislature is seated at the New York State Capitol in Albany.

New York (state) State of the United States of America

New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. New York was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that formed the United States. With an estimated 19.54 million residents in 2018, it is the fourth most populous state. To distinguish the state from the city in the state with the same name, it is sometimes called New York State.

United States Senate Upper house of the United States Congress

The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, which along with the United States House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the legislature of the United States. The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol, in Washington, D.C.

Contents

Background

DeWitt Clinton had been elected in 1802 to the Class 3 seat (term 1801-1807) to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Armstrong. Clinton resigned on November 4, 1803, after his appointment as Mayor of New York City, and Governor George Clinton appointed Armstrong to his old seat, to fill the vacancy temporarily.

DeWitt Clinton American politician

DeWitt Clinton was an American politician and naturalist who served as a United States Senator, Mayor of New York City and sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity, he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal. Clinton was a major candidate for the American presidency in the election of 1812, challenging incumbent James Madison.

Mayor of New York City head of the executive branch of New York Citys government

The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of the Government of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.

George Clinton (vice president) American soldier and statesman

George Clinton was an American soldier and statesman, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A prominent Democratic-Republican, Clinton served as the fourth vice president of the United States from 1805 until his death in 1812. He also served as governor of New York from 1777 to 1795 and from 1801 to 1804. Along with John C. Calhoun, he is one of two vice presidents to hold office under two presidents.

Theodorus Bailey had been elected to the Class 1 seat (term 1803-1809) but resigned on January 16, 1804, after his appointment as Postmaster of New York City.

New York City Largest city in the United States

The City of New York, usually called either New York City (NYC) or simply New York (NY), is the most populous city in the United States and in the U.S. state of New York. With an estimated 2017 population of 8,622,698 distributed over a land area of about 302.6 square miles (784 km2), New York is also the most densely populated major city in the United States. Located at the southern tip of the state of New York, the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass and one of the world's most populous megacities, with an estimated 20,320,876 people in its 2017 Metropolitan Statistical Area and 23,876,155 residents in its Combined Statistical Area. A global power city, New York City has been described as the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world, and exerts a significant impact upon commerce, entertainment, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, fashion, and sports. The city's fast pace has inspired the term New York minute. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy.

At the State election in April 1803, 83 Democratic-Republicans and 17 Federalists were elected to the Assembly, and 10 Democratic-Republicans were elected to the State Senate. The 27th New York State Legislature met from January 31 to April 11, 1804, at Albany, New York.

27th New York State Legislature

The 27th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 31 to April 11, 1804, during the third year of George Clinton's second tenure as Governor of New York, in Albany.

Albany, New York Capital of New York

Albany is the capital of the U.S. state of New York and the seat of Albany County. Albany is located on the west bank of the Hudson River approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of its confluence with the Mohawk River and approximately 135 miles (220 km) north of New York City.

Candidates

The incumbent U.S. Senator Armstrong for re-election, and Congressman John Smith, ran as the candidates of the Democratic-Republican Party.

Democratic-Republican Party Historical American political party

The Democratic-Republican Party was an American political party formed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison around 1792 to oppose the centralizing policies of the new Federalist Party run by Alexander Hamilton, who was Secretary of the Treasury and chief architect of George Washington's administration. From 1801 to 1825, the new party controlled the presidency and Congress as well as most states during the First Party System. It began in 1791 as one faction in Congress and included many politicians who had been opposed to the new constitution. They called themselves Republicans after their political philosophy, republicanism. They distrusted the Federalist tendency to centralize and loosely interpret the Constitution, believing these policies were signs of monarchism and anti-republican values. The party splintered in 1824, with the faction loyal to Andrew Jackson coalescing into the Jacksonian movement, the faction led by John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay forming the National Republican Party and some other groups going on to form the Anti-Masonic Party. The National Republicans, Anti-Masons, and other opponents of Andrew Jackson later formed themselves into the Whig Party.

The Federalist Party had by now only small minorities in both houses of the Legislature, and Ex-New York Supreme Court Justice Jacob Radcliff and Ex-2nd U.S. Circuit Court Chief Justice Egbert Benson received only a few scattering votes.

Federalist Party first American political party

The Federalist Party, referred to as the Pro-Administration party until the 3rd United States Congress as opposed to their opponents in the Anti-Administration party, was the first American political party. It existed from the early 1790s to the 1820s, with their last presidential candidate being fielded in 1816. They appealed to business and to conservatives who favored banks, national over state government, manufacturing, and preferred Britain and opposed the French Revolution.

The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil jurisdiction, with most criminal matters handled in County Court.

United States circuit court pre-1912 class of U.S. federal circuit court, that lost appellate jurisdiction in 1891

The United States circuit courts were the original intermediate level courts of the United States federal court system. They were established by the Judiciary Act of 1789. They had trial court jurisdiction over civil suits of diversity jurisdiction and major federal crimes. They also had appellate jurisdiction over the United States district courts. The Judiciary Act of 1891 transferred their appellate jurisdiction to the newly created United States circuit courts of appeals, which are now known as the United States courts of appeals. On January 1, 1912, the effective date of the Judicial Code of 1911, the circuit courts were abolished, with their remaining trial court jurisdiction transferred to the U.S. district courts.

Result

Armstrong and Smith were elected "without much opposition." (see Hammond)

February 1804 United States Senator special election result
Office House Democratic-Republican Federalist Federalist
U.S. Senator (Class 1) State Senate (32 members) John Armstrong
State Assembly (99 members) John Armstrong 83 Jacob Radcliff 4 Egbert Benson 3
U.S. Senator (Class 3) State Senate (32 members) John Smith
State Assembly (99 members) John Smith unan.

Obs.: Smith was nominated unanimously by the Assembly, but the exact number of votes given is unclear.

Aftermath

John Smith took his seat on February 23, 1804, and was re-elected in 1807 to a full term, serving until March 3, 1813.

John Armstrong took his seat on February 25, but resigned his seat already on June 30, 1804, after his appointment as U.S. Minister to France, a post on which he succeeded his brother-in-law Robert R. Livingston. To fill the vacancy, the State Legislature held a special election in November 1804, and elected Samuel L. Mitchill.

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