# 1796–97 United States Senate elections

The 1796–97 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1796 and 1797, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.
They coincided with John Adams's election as President. The ruling Federalist Party gained one seat.

## Results summary

Senate party division, 5th Congress (1797–1799)
* Majority party: Federalist (22)
* Minority party: Democratic-Republican (9)
* Vacant: 1 (later filled by Democratic-Republican)
* Total seats: 32

## Change in composition
### Before the elections

After the August 2, 1796 admission of Tennessee.
| DR$_6$ | DR$_5$ | DR$_4$ | DR$_3$ | DR$_2$ | DR$_1$ |
| DR$_7$ | DR$_8$ | DR$_9$ N.Y. Ran | DR$_{10}$ Tenn. Ran | DR$_{11}$ Va. Unknown | V$_2$ | V$_1$ | F$_{19}$ Vt. Resigned | F$_{17}$ R.I. Ran | F$_{16}$ Pa. Ran |
| F$_{16}$ Pa. Ran ||||||
| F$_7$ | F$_8$ | F$_9$ | F$_{10}$ | F$_{11}$ | F$_{12}$ Conn. Ran | F$_{13}$ Del. Ran | F$_{14}$ Md. Ran | F$_{18}$ Mass. Resigned | F$_{15}$ N.J. Ran |
| F$_6$ | F$_5$ | F$_4$ | F$_3$ | F$_2$ | F$_1$ |

### Results of the regular elections

| DR$_6$ | DR$_5$ | DR$_4$ | DR$_3$ | DR$_2$ | DR$_1$ |
| DR$_7$ | DR$_8$ | DR$_9$ Va. Re-elected | V$_2$ Tenn. DR Loss | V$_2$ | V$_1$ | F$_{19}$ Vt. Hold | F$_{17}$ R.I. Re-elected | F$_{16}$ Pa. Re-elected | F$_{20}$ N.Y. Gain |
| F$_{20}$ N.Y. Gain ||||||
| F$_7$ | F$_8$ | F$_9$ | F$_{10}$ | F$_{11}$ | F$_{12}$ Conn. Re-elected | F$_{13}$ Del. Re-elected | F$_{14}$ Md. Re-elected | F$_{18}$ Mass. Hold | F$_{15}$ N.J. Re-elected |
| F$_6$ | F$_5$ | F$_4$ | F$_3$ | F$_2$ | F$_1$ |
| Key | DR$_#$ Democratic-Republican F$_#$ Federalist V$_#$ Vacant |

## Race summaries

Except if/when noted, the number following candidates is the whole number vote(s), not a percentage.

### Special elections during the 4th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated before March 4, 1797; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Georgia (class 2) | George Walton | Federalist | 1795 (Appointed) | Appointee retired when successor elected. New senator elected February 20, 1796. Democratic-Republican gain. | ▌Y Josiah Tattnall (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Connecticut (class 1) | Oliver Ellsworth | Federalist | 1788 | Incumbent resigned to become Chief Justice of the United States. New senator elected May 12, 1796. Federalist hold. | ▌Y James Hillhouse (Federalist) [data missing] |
| Massachusetts (class 1) | George Cabot | Federalist | 1790 | Incumbent resigned June 9, 1796. New senator elected June 11, 1796 on the second ballot. Federalist hold. Successor also elected the same day to the next term, see below. | ▌Y Benjamin Goodhue (Federalist) 75 ▌Edward Robbins 65 |
| Massachusetts (class 2) | Caleb Strong | Federalist | 1788 | Incumbent resigned June 1, 1796. New senator elected June 11, 1796 on the second ballot. Federalist hold. | ▌Y Theodore Sedgwick (Federalist) 107 ▌Edward Robbins (Democratic-Republican) 43 ▌Levi Lincoln (Democratic-Republican) 2 ▌Nathaniel Dane (Federalist) 1 ▌Thomson J. Skinner (Unknown) 1 |
| Connecticut (class 3) | Jonathan Trumbull Jr. | Federalist | 1794 or 1795 | Incumbent resigned June 10, 1796, to become Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut. New senator elected October 13, 1796. Federalist hold. | ▌Y Uriah Tracy (Federalist) [data missing] |
| Vermont (class 1) | Moses Robinson | Democratic- Republican | 1791 (New state) | Incumbent resigned October 15, 1796. New senator elected October 18, 1796. Federalist gain. Winner also elected the same day to the next term; see below. | ▌Y Isaac Tichenor (Federalist) [data missing] |
| New York (class 3) | Rufus King | Federalist | 1789 | Incumbent resigned May 23, 1796, to become U.S. Minister to Great Britain. New senator elected November 9, 1796. Federalist hold. | ▌Y John Laurance (Federalist) 99 ▌Zephaniah Platt (Unknown) 1 |
| New Jersey (class 2) | Frederick Frelinghuysen | Federalist | 1792 or 1793 | Incumbent resigned November 12, 1796. New senator elected November 12, 1796. Federalist hold. | ▌Y Richard Stockton (Federalist) Unanimous |
| Maryland (class 1) | Richard Potts | Federalist | 1793 (special) | Incumbent resigned October 24, 1796. New senator elected November 28, 1796. Federalist hold. Successor also later elected to the next term; see below. | ▌Y John Eager Howard (Federalist) ▌W. Spriggs (Federalist) 15 |
| South Carolina (class 2) | Pierce Butler | Democratic- Republican | 1789 | Incumbent resigned October 25, 1796. New senator elected December 8, 1796. Democratic-Republican hold. | ▌Y John Hunter (Democratic-Republican) 72 ▌John Chestnut (Unknown) 66 |

### Races leading to the 5th Congress

In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1797; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Connecticut | James Hillhouse | Federalist | 1796 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1797. | ▌Y James Hillhouse (Federalist) [data missing] |
| Delaware | Henry Latimer | Federalist | 1795 (special) | Incumbent re-elected January 6, 1797. | ▌Y Henry Latimer (Federalist) 16 ▌David Hall (Democratic-Republican) 6 |
| Maryland | John Eager Howard | Federalist | 1796 (special) | Incumbent re-elected December 9, 1796. | ▌Y John Eager Howard (Federalist) [data missing] |
| Massachusetts | George Cabot | Federalist | 1790 | Incumbent resigned June 9, 1796. New senator elected June 11, 1796 on the third ballot. Federalist hold. Winner also elected to finish the current term; see above. | ▌Y Benjamin Goodhue (Federalist) 73 ▌Edward H. Robbins (Unknown) |
| New Jersey | John Rutherfurd | Federalist | 1790 | Incumbent re-elected in 1796. | ▌Y John Rutherfurd (Federalist) [data missing] |
| New York | Aaron Burr | Democratic- Republican | 1791 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 24, 1797. Federalist gain. | ▌Y Philip Schuyler (Federalist) 85 ▌James Kent (Federalist) 1 |
| Pennsylvania | James Ross | Federalist | 1794 (special) | Incumbent re-elected February 16, 1797. | ▌Y James Ross (Federalist) 56 ▌William Irvine (Democratic-Republican) 38 |
| Rhode Island | Theodore Foster | Federalist | 1790 | Incumbent re-elected in 1797. | ▌Y Theodore Foster (Federalist) [data missing] |
| Tennessee | William Cocke | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Legislature failed to elect. Democratic-Republican loss. Incumbent later appointed to continue term. | None |
| Vermont | Moses Robinson | Democratic- Republican | 1791 (new state) | Incumbent resigned October 15, 1796. New senator elected October 18, 1796. Federalist gain. Winner also elected to finish the current term, see above. | ▌Y Isaac Tichenor (Federalist) [data missing] |
| Virginia | Stevens Mason | Democratic- Republican | 1794 (special) | Incumbent re-elected November 29, 1796. | ▌Y Stevens Mason (Democratic-Republican) 114 ▌James Breckinridge (Federalist) 60 |

### Special elections during the 5th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were elected after the March 4, 1797 beginning of the next Congress.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Tennessee (class 1) | William Cocke | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Interim appointee lost re-election. New senator elected September 26, 1797. Democratic-Republican hold. | ▌Y Andrew Jackson (Democratic-Republican) 20 ▌William Cocke (Democratic-Republican) 13 |
| Tennessee (class 2) | William Blount | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Incumbent expelled July 8, 1797. New senator elected September 26, 1797. Democratic-Republican hold. | ▌Y Joseph Anderson (Democratic-Republican) 33 Unopposed |
| Vermont (class 1) | Isaac Tichenor | Federalist | 1796 (special) | Incumbent resigned October 17, 1797, to become Governor of Vermont. New senator elected October 17, 1797. Federalist hold. | ▌Y Nathaniel Chipman (Federalist) [data missing] |
| Rhode Island (class 2) | William Bradford | Federalist | 1793 | Incumbent resigned in October 1797. New senator elected November 13, 1797. Federalist hold. | ▌Y Ray Greene (Federalist) [data missing] |
| Maryland (class 3) | John Henry | Federalist | 1788 | Incumbent resigned July 10, 1797, to become Governor of Maryland. New senator elected December 8, 1797. Federalist hold. | ▌Y James Lloyd (Federalist) Majority of one vote only |

## Maryland
### Maryland (special, 1796)

John Eager Howard won election to fill the seat vacated by Richard Potts by an unknown number of votes, for the Class 1 seat.

### Maryland (regular)

John Eager Howard won re-election over Richard Sprigg Jr. by an unknown number of votes, for the Class 1 seat.

### Maryland (special, 1797)

James Lloyd won election over William Winder by a margin of 1.12%, or 1 vote, for the Class 3 seat.

## Tennessee
### Tennessee (initial)

Tennessee became a state June 1, 1796 and elected its new senators August 2, 1796.

### Tennessee (special, class 1)

The term of the initially-elected senator, Democratic-Republican William Cocke, ended March 3, 1797 and the Tennessee legislature failed to elect a senator for the new term. The Governor of Tennessee, therefore, appointed Cocke to begin the term, pending a special election. Cocke, however, lost that October 6, 1798 special election to Democratic-Republican Andrew Jackson.

### Tennessee (special, class 2)

Democratic-Republican William Blount was expelled July 8, 1797 for conspiracy with the Kingdom of Great Britain. Democratic-Republican Joseph Anderson was elected September 26, 1797 to finish Blount's term.

## Vermont

Incumbent Democratic-Republican Moses Robinson resigned October 15, 1796.
Federalist Isaac Tichenor was elected October 18, 1796, both to finish Robinson's term and to the new term that would begin March 4, 1797. However, Tichenor resigned just one year later, October 17, 1797, to become Governor of Vermont. Federalist Nathaniel Chipman was then elected October 17, 1797, to finish the term.