United States Senate elections, 1790

The United States Senate elections of 1790 was the second election of Senators in the United States. In this election, terms were up for the nine Senators in Class 1. As of this election, formal organized political parties had yet to form in the United States, but two political factions were present: The coalition of Senators who supported George Washington's

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

administration were known as the Pro-Administration Party

Pro-Administration Party (United States)

Pro-Administration "Party" is a term by historians to describe the supporters of the policies of George Washington's administration — especially Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton's financial policies — prior to the formation of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican Parties.Almost the entire...

, and the Senators against him as the Anti-Administration Party

Anti-Administration Party (United States)

Anti-Administration "Party" was the informal faction comprising the opponents of the policies of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in the first term of President George Washington. This was not an organized political party but an unorganized faction...

.

As this election was prior to the seventeenth amendment

Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established direct election of United States Senators by popular vote. The amendment supersedes Article I, § 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures...

, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.

Senate composition before and after elections

Note: There were no political parties in this Congress. Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record.

Senate composition at the end of the 1st Congress
1st United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, five House seats were added for North Carolina and one House seat was added for Rhode Island when they ratified the Constitution.-Senate:* President: John Adams * President pro tempore: John Langdon...

							A₁	A₂	A₃
P₁₄	P₁₅	P₁₆	P₁₇	P₁₈	A₈	A₇	A₆	A₅	A₄

P₁₃	P₁₂	P₁₁	P₁₀	P₉	P₈	P₇	P₆	P₅	P₄
							P₁	P₂	P₃

P₁₂ through P₁₈ and A₇ through A₈: 9 of the 26 Senators were up for re-election.

Results of the election

							A₁	A₂	A₃
P₁₄ √	P₁₅ √	P₁₆ O	P₁₇ O	A₈ +	V	A₇ √	A₆	A₅	A₄

P₁₃ √	P₁₂ √	P₁₁	P₁₀	P₉	P₈	P₇	P₆	P₅	P₄
							P₁	P₂	P₃

Vacant: Anti-Administration incumbent William Maclay of Pennsylvania was not re-elected. The seat remained vacant for three years, until late in 1793.

Senate composition at the beginning of the 2nd Congress
2nd United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, two new House seats were added for each of the new states of Vermont and Kentucky. -Leadership:-Senate:President: John Adams President pro tempore:** Richard Henry Lee...

							A₁	A₂	A₃
P₁₄	P₁₅	P₁₆	V	A₉	A₈	A₇	A₆	A₅	A₄

P₁₃	P₁₂	P₁₁	P₁₀	P₉	P₈	P₇	P₆	P₅	P₄
							P₁	P₂	P₃

A₉: Three Senators (who were not up for election this year) changed parties, leading to a net gain of one seat from Pro-Administration to Anti-Administration:
- Richard Bassett
  Richard Bassett
  Richard Bassett was an American lawyer and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a veteran of the American Revolution, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and a member of the Federalist Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly, as Governor of Delaware,...
  
  (Delaware class 2) changed from Anti-Administration to Pro-Administration.
- Benjamin Hawkins
  Benjamin Hawkins
  Benjamin Hawkins was an American planter, statesman, and United States Indian agent . He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a United States Senator from North Carolina, having grown up among the planter elite...
  
  (North Carolina class 3) changed from Pro-Administration to Anti-Administration.
- Pierce Butler
  Pierce Butler
  Pierce Butler was a soldier, planter, and statesman, recognized as one of United States' Founding Fathers. He represented South Carolina in the Continental Congress, the 1787 Constitutional Convention, and the U.S. Senate...
  
  (South Carolina class 2) changed from Pro-Administration to Anti-Administration.

Key:	Parties	Results
	A = Anti-Administration Anti-Administration Party (United States) Anti-Administration "Party" was the informal faction comprising the opponents of the policies of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in the first term of President George Washington. This was not an organized political party but an unorganized faction...	√ = Party hold: Incumbent re-elected
	P = Pro-Administration Pro-Administration Party (United States) Pro-Administration "Party" is a term by historians to describe the supporters of the policies of George Washington's administration — especially Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton's financial policies — prior to the formation of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican Parties.Almost the entire...	O = Party hold: New Senator elected from same party
	V = Vacant	+ = Party gain: New Senator elected from different party
		No tag = Seat not up for election this year

Complete list of races

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats, except where noted.

State	Incumbent	Winner	Note
Connecticut	Oliver Ellsworth Oliver Ellsworth Oliver Ellsworth was an American lawyer and politician, a revolutionary against British rule, a drafter of the United States Constitution, and the third Chief Justice of the United States. While at the Federal Convention, Ellsworth moved to strike the word National from the motion made by Edmund... (P)	Oliver Ellsworth Oliver Ellsworth Oliver Ellsworth was an American lawyer and politician, a revolutionary against British rule, a drafter of the United States Constitution, and the third Chief Justice of the United States. While at the Federal Convention, Ellsworth moved to strike the word National from the motion made by Edmund... (P)	Incumbent re-elected.
Delaware	George Read George Read George Read is the name of:* George Read , lawyer, signer of Declaration of Independence and U.S. Senator from Delaware* George Read , politician and former leader of the Alberta Green Party... (P)	George Read George Read George Read is the name of:* George Read , lawyer, signer of Declaration of Independence and U.S. Senator from Delaware* George Read , politician and former leader of the Alberta Green Party... (P)	Incumbent re-elected.
Maryland	Charles Carroll Charles Carroll Charles Carroll may refer to:Charles Carroll , Continental Congressman from MarylandCharles H. Carroll , U.S... (P)	Charles Carroll Charles Carroll Charles Carroll may refer to:Charles Carroll , Continental Congressman from MarylandCharles H. Carroll , U.S... (P)	Incumbent re-elected.
Massachusetts	Tristram Dalton Tristram Dalton Tristram Dalton was an American politician who served as a Senator from Massachusetts.-Early life:Dalton was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He attended Dummer Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard College in 1755... (P)	George Cabot George Cabot George Cabot was an American merchant, seaman, and politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate and as the Presiding Officer of the Hartford Convention.-Early life:... (P)	Incumbent lost re-election.
New Jersey	Jonathan Elmer Jonathan Elmer Jonathan Elmer was an American politician, of the Pro-Administration Party.Elmer was born in Cedarville, New Jersey in 1745. He was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1769 after studying medicine. He practiced medicine in Bridgeton, New Jersey until he became sheriff of Cumberland... (P)	John Rutherfurd John Rutherfurd John Rutherfurd was an American politician and land surveyor.John Rutherfurd was born in New York City. His parents were Walter and Mary Rutherfurd. Walter was a veteran of the British Army, and was a hostage of Patriots during the Revolutionary War while John was a teenager. Walter died in 1804... (P)
New Jersey Special (Class 2)	William Paterson (P)	Philemon Dickinson Philemon Dickinson Philemon Dickinson was an American lawyer and politician from Trenton, New Jersey. As a brigadier general of the New Jersey militia, he was one of the most effective militia officers of the American Revolutionary War. He was also a Continental Congressman from Delaware and a United States Senator... (P)	Paterson resigned November 13, 1790 to become Governor of New Jersey Governor of New Jersey The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be... . Dickinson was elected November 13, 1790 to finish the term ending March 3, 1793.
New York	Philip Schuyler Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:... (P)	Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician... (A)	Incumbent lost re-election.
Pennsylvania	William Maclay William Maclay William Maclay was a politician from Pennsylvania during the eighteenth century.-Biography:Maclay pursued classical studies, and then served as a lieutenant in an expedition to Fort Duquesne in 1758. He went on to serve in other expeditions in the French and Indian Wars. He studied law and was... (A)	Vacant	The Pennsylvania General Assembly Pennsylvania General Assembly The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by... failed to elect a Senator until 1793, half-way through the term.
Rhode Island Special and General	Theodore Foster Theodore Foster Theodore Foster was an American politician. He was a member of the Federalist Party and later the National Republican Party. He served as one of the first two United States Senators from Rhode Island and, following John Langdon, served as dean of the Senate... (P)	Theodore Foster Theodore Foster Theodore Foster was an American politician. He was a member of the Federalist Party and later the National Republican Party. He served as one of the first two United States Senators from Rhode Island and, following John Langdon, served as dean of the Senate... (P)	After Rhode Island ratified the Constitution, Foster was elected June 7, 1790, to the term ending March 3, 1791. He was later elected to the next term.
Rhode Island Special (Class 2)	Joseph Stanton, Jr. Joseph Stanton, Jr. Joseph Stanton, Jr. was an American politician of the Anti-Federalist faction.Stanton was born in Charlestown, Rhode Island in 1739. He served in the state legislature from 1768 to 1774.... (P)	Joseph Stanton, Jr. Joseph Stanton, Jr. Joseph Stanton, Jr. was an American politician of the Anti-Federalist faction.Stanton was born in Charlestown, Rhode Island in 1739. He served in the state legislature from 1768 to 1774.... (P)	After Rhode Island ratified the Constitution, Stanton was elected June 7, 1790, to the term ending March 3, 1793.
Virginia	William Grayson William Grayson William Grayson was a soldier, lawyer, and statesman from Virginia. He was one of the first two U.S. Senators from Virginia, and belonged to the Anti-Federalist faction.-Biography:... (A)	James Monroe James Monroe James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation... (A) Special and General	Grayson died March 12, 1790. John Walker was an interim appointee. Monroe was elected November 9, 1790 to fill the seat. He was also elected to the next term.

External links

Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov

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