1804 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania

Summary

Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held in Pennsylvania on October 9, 1804, for the 9th Congress.

United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 1804

← 1802 October 9, 1804 1806 →

All 13 Pennsylvania seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic-Republican Federalist
Last election 18 0
Seats won 17 1
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 1

Background edit

In the previous election, a delegation of all Democratic-Republicans had been elected to Congress. At this time, a moderate wing of the Democratic-Republican party, known as the Constitutional Republicans or tertium quids ("quids" for short) had broken off from the majority and ran candidates in several districts. The Quids were generally allied with the Federalists.

Congressional districts edit

Pennsylvania was divided into 11 districts, of which four were plural districts with 11 Representatives between them. Several new counties were created between the 1802 elections and the 1804 elections. The districts were:

The borders between the 4th, 5th, and 8th districts were altered slightly in the erection of new counties from parts of several counties

Note: Many of these counties covered much larger areas than they do today, having since been divided into smaller counties

Election results edit

Fifteen incumbents ran for re-election, of whom 14 won. The incumbents Isaac Van Horne (DR) of the 2nd district, Joseph Hiester (DR) of the 3rd district and William Hoge (DR) of the 10th district did not run for re-election. One seat changed from Democratic-Republican to Federalist.

Returns are incomplete for the 8th, 9th, and 10th districts

1804 United States House election results
District Democratic-Republican Quid Federalist
1st
3 seats
Joseph Clay (I) 7,427 33.6%
Jacob Richards (I) 7,021 31.7%
Michael Leib (I) 3,992 18.0%
William Penrose 3,685 16.7%
2nd
3 seats
John Pugh 6,701 32.2% John Ross 2,710 13.0%
Frederick Conrad (I) 6,596 21.8% Samuel Preston 268 1.3%
Robert Brown (I) 4,532 21.8%
3rd
3 seats
Christian Lower 9,079 33.1% Thomas Boude 2,929 10.7%
John Whitehill (I) 6,309 23.0% Isaac Wayne 2,814 10.3%
Isaac Anderson (I) 6,287 22.9%
4th
2 seats
David Bard (I) 3,245 34.6%
John A. Hanna (I) 2,931 31.2%
Oliver Pollock 1,700 18.1%
Robert Mitchell 1,514 16.1%
5th Andrew Gregg (I) 3,318 100%
6th John Stewart (I) 1,211 41.5% James Kelly 1,705 58.5%
7th John Rea (I) 1,494 100%
8th William Findley (I) 1,332 64.7% John Brandon 727 35.3%
9th John Smilie (I) 100%
10th John Hamilton 1,068 John Israel No returns
11th John Lucas (I) 2,526 64.8% James O'Hara 1,373 35.2%

Special elections edit

Special election to the 8th Congress edit

William Hoge (DR) of the 10th district resigned October 15, 1804. A special election was held November 2, 1804 to fill his seat for the remainder of the 8th Congress

1804 Special election results
District Democratic-Republican Federalist
10th John Hoge 477 52.1%
Aaron Lyle 439 47.9%

John Hoge was William's brother.

Special elections to the 9th Congress edit

Two special elections were held on October 8, 1805. In the 4th district, John A. Hanna (DR) died on July 23, 1805, while in the 11th district, John Lucas (DR) resigned prior to the first meeting of the 9th Congress.

1805 Special election results
District Democratic-Republican Constitutional Republicans (Quid) Federalist
4th Robert Whitehill 6,457 70.7%
James Duncan 2,674 29.3%
11th Samuel Smith 3,275 52.7% Nathaniel Irish 681 11.0% James O'Hara 2,263 36.4%

Michael Leib (DR) of the 1st district resigned February 14, 1806. A special election was held November 27, 1806

1806 Special election results
District Democratic-Republican Federalist
1st John Porter 2,396 73.1% Richard Falwell 829 25.3%
Jonas Preston 53 1.6%

References edit

  • Electoral data are from The Wilkes University Election Statistics Project