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1790–1792 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts

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.

United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts, 1790–1792
← 1788 October 4, 1790 - April 2, 1792[1] 1792 →
All 8 Massachusetts seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Pro-Administration Anti-Administration
Last election 6 2
Seats won 7 1
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1

Background

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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

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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) 1,850 75.1% Benjamin Austin 397 16.1%
Thomas Dawes 218 8.8%
2nd Benjamin Goodhue (I) 1,027 88.8% Samuel Holten 129 11.2%
3rd Elbridge Gerry (I) 1,067 60.4% Nathaniel Gorham 699 39.6%
4th Theodore Sedgwick (I) 2,241 75.0% Scattering 259 8.7%
Samuel Lyman 487 16.3%
5th Shearjashub Bourne[2] 298 41.8% Thomas Davis 266 37.3%
Joshua Thomas 149 20.9%
6th George Leonard[2] (I) 327 22.3% Phanuel Bishop 331 22.6% Walter Spooner 374 25.5%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 245 16.7%
David Cobb 189 12.9%
7th Artemas Ward[2] 798 39.0% Jonathan Grout (I) 800 39.1% John Sprague 297 14.5%
Nathan Tyler 151 7.4%
8th George Thatcher[2] (I) 609 37.2% Josiah Thatcher 450 9.2%
Peleg Wadsworth 25 1.5% William Lithgow 364 22.3%
Nathaniel Wells 263 16.1%
William Martin 80 4.9%
Arthur Noble 59 3.6%
Daniel Davis 29 1.8%
Scattering 57 3.5%

Second ballot

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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 667 65.3% Joshua Thomas 278 27.2%
Thomas Davis 77 7.5%
6th Peleg Coffin, Jr. 402 25.7%% Phanuel Bishop 444 28.4% Walter Spooner 387 24.8%
George Leonard[2] (I) 196 12.5%
David Cobb 134 8.6%
7th Artemas Ward 1,248 56.6% Jonathan Grout (I) 1,081 43.4%
8th George Thatcher[2] (I) 421 49.8% Nathaniel Wells 262 31.0%
William Lithgow 125 14.8%
Scattering 37 4.4%

Third ballot

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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. 603 24.0% Phanuel Bishop 852 33.9% Walter Spooner 711 28.3%
George Leonard[2] (I) 213 8.5%
David Cobb 134 5.3%
8th George Thatcher[2] (I) 1,137 49.1% William Lithgow 919 39.7%
Nathaniel Wells 259 11.2%

Fourth ballot

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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. 420 15.7% Phanuel Bishop 1,039 38.8% Walter Spooner 1,038 38.8%
George Leonard[2] (I) 143 5.3%
David Cobb 39 1.5%
8th George Thatcher (I) 2,738 52.3% William Lithgow 2,155 41.1%
Nathaniel Wells 347 6.6%

Fifth ballot

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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) 555 29.3% Phanuel Bishop 801 42.3% Walter Spooner 124 6.6%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 412 21.8%

Sixth ballot

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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) 795 41.6% Phanuel Bishop 806 42.2%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 310 16.2%

Seventh ballot

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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) 983 45.6% Phanuel Bishop 689 32.0%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 484 22.5%

Eighth ballot

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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) 983 45.0% Phanuel Bishop 690 31.6%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 484 22.2%

Ninth ballot

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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) 1,161 55.6% Phanuel Bishop 578 27.7%
Peleg Coffin, Jr. 348 16.7%

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ In the 6th district
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Eventual winner
  3. ^ a b "2nd Congress membership roster" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2013.

References

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