1792 United States House of Representatives election in Pennsylvania

Summary

An election to the United States House of Representatives was held in Pennsylvania on October 9, 1792, for the 3rd Congress.

United States House of Representatives election in Pennsylvania, 1792

← 1791 October 9, 1792 1794 →

All 13[1] Pennsylvania seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Anti-Administration Pro-Administration
Last election 4 4
Seats won 8 5
Seat change Increase 4 Increase 1
Popular vote 246,466 157,338
Percentage 61.0% 39.0%

Background edit

Eight representatives, 4 Pro-Administration and 4 Anti-Administration, had been elected in the previous election. In the previous election, Pennsylvania had been divided into 8 districts. Five additional seats had been apportioned to Pennsylvania after the 1790 census. All 13 seats were elected at-large, an attempt by the Pro-Administration-majority legislature of Pennsylvania to prevent the election of Anti-Administration Representatives. This backfired and an 8-5 Anti-Administration majority was elected.

Election results edit

All 8 incumbents ran for re-election. Seven were re-elected. There were a total of 20 candidates running for the 13 seats, 11 Anti-Administration and 9 Pro-Administration (two of the Anti-Administration candidates ran on a dual ticket but are listed here as Anti-Administration)

1792 United States House election results
Anti-Administration Pro-Administration
William Findley[2] (I) 33,158 8.21% John W. Kittera (I) 29,835 7.39%
Frederick Muhlenberg[2] (I) 32,341 8.01% Thomas Hartley (I) 28,493 7.06%
Daniel Hiester (I) 32,147 7.96% Thomas Fitzsimons (I) 17,997 4.46%
William Irvine 30,968 7.67% James Armstrong 17,312 4.29%
Peter Muhlenberg 21,784 5.40% Thomas Scott 16,657 4.13%
Andrew Gregg (I) 17,372 4.30% Samuel Sitgreaves 15,588 3.86%
William Montgomery 17,019 4.22% William Bingham 14,482 3.59%
John Smilie 16,754 4.15% Henry Wynkoop 14,348 3.55%
Jonathan D. Sergeant 15,096 3.74% Israel Jacobs (I) 2,626 0.65%
John Barclay 14,953 3.70%
Charles Thomson 14,874 3.68%

This was the last year in which Pennsylvania would elect all of its representatives at-large. In the following election, Pennsylvania would be divided up into 12 districts (including one plural district). At various times between 1873 and 1945, between 1 and 4 of Pennsylvania's Representatives were elected at-large, with the rest being elected from single-member districts.

References edit

  • Electoral data and information on districts are from the Wilkes University Elections Statistics Project
  1. ^ 5 new seats gained in reapportionment
  2. ^ a b Also on Pro-Administration ticket