# 1798–99 United States Senate elections

The 1798–99 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 1798 and 1799, 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 2.
They occurred in the middle of President John Adams's administration, and had no net change in political control of the Senate.

## Results summary

Senate party division, 6th Congress (1799–1801)
* Majority party: Federalist (22)
* Minority party: Democratic-Republican (9)
* Other parties: 0
* Total seats: 31

## Change in composition
### Before the elections

After the January 19, 1798, election in Delaware.
| DR$_6$ Ky. Ran | DR$_5$ Ga. Unknown | DR$_4$ | DR$_3$ | DR$_2$ | DR$_1$ |
| DR$_7$ N.C. Ran | DR$_8$ S.C. Ran | DR$_9$ Tenn. Retired | DR$_{10}$ Va. Ran | F$_{22}$ R.I. Ran | F$_{21}$ N.J. Retired | F$_{20}$ N.H. Ran | F$_{19}$ Mass. Retired | F$_{18}$ Del. Died | F$_{17}$ |
| F$_{17}$ ||||||
| F$_7$ | F$_8$ | F$_9$ | F$_{10}$ | F$_{11}$ | F$_{12}$ | F$_{13}$ | F$_{14}$ | F$_{15}$ | F$_{16}$ |
| F$_6$ | F$_5$ | F$_4$ | F$_3$ | F$_2$ | F$_1$ |

### Results of the elections

| DR$_6$ Ky. Re-elected | DR$_5$ Ga. Hold | DR$_4$ | DR$_3$ | DR$_2$ | DR$_1$ |
| DR$_7$ N.C. Hold | DR$_8$ S.C. Re-elected | DR$_9$ Tenn. Hold | DR$_{10}$ Va. Re-elected | F$_{22}$ N.J. Hold | F$_{21}$ Mass. Hold | F$_{20}$ Del. Hold | F$_{19}$ R.I. Re-elected | F$_{18}$ N.H. Re-elected | F$_{17}$ |
| F$_{17}$ ||||||
| F$_7$ | F$_8$ | F$_9$ | F$_{10}$ | F$_{11}$ | F$_{12}$ | F$_{13}$ | F$_{14}$ | F$_{15}$ | F$_{16}$ |
| F$_6$ | F$_5$ | F$_4$ | F$_3$ | F$_2$ | F$_1$ |

### Beginning of the next Congress

| DR$_6$ | DR$_5$ | DR$_4$ | DR$_3$ | DR$_2$ | DR$_1$ |
| DR$_7$ Re-elected | DR$_8$ | DR$_9$ | V$_1$ Va. Died | F$_{22}$ | F$_{21}$ | F$_{20}$ | F$_{19}$ | F$_{18}$ | F$_{17}$ |
| F$_{17}$ ||||||
| F$_7$ | F$_8$ | F$_9$ | F$_{10}$ | F$_{11}$ | F$_{12}$ | F$_{13}$ | F$_{14}$ | F$_{15}$ | F$_{16}$ |
| 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 5th Congress

In these special elections, the winner was seated before March 4, 1799; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| New York (Class 1) | Philip Schuyler | Federalist | 1789 | Incumbent resigned January 3, 1798, due to ill health. New senator elected January 11, 1798. Federalist hold. Winner later resigned; see below. | ▌Y John Sloss Hobart (Federalist) 100 ▌John Addison (Unknown) 25 ▌John Armstrong (Democratic-Republican) 4 ▌John Taylor (Democratic-Republican) 2 ▌James Watson (Federalist) 2 ▌James Cocliram (Unknown) 1 |
| Delaware (Class 2) | John Vining | Federalist | 1792 | Incumbent resigned January 19, 1798. New senator elected January 19, 1798. Federalist hold. Winner died August 11, 1798; see below. | ▌Y Joshua Clayton (Federalist) 14 ▌James Sykes (Democratic-Republican) 10 |
| New York (Class 1) | William North | Federalist | 1798 (appointed) | Interim appointee served until winner qualified. New senator elected August 24, 1798. Federalist hold. | ▌Y James Watson (Federalist) 87 ▌John Taylor (Democratic-Republican) 57 |
| South Carolina (Class 2) | John Hunter | Democratic- Republican | 1796 (special) | Incumbent resigned November 26, 1798. New senator elected December 6, 1798. Democratic-Republican hold. New senator also elected to next term; see below. | ▌Y Charles Pinckney (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Tennessee (Class 1) | Daniel Smith | Democratic- Republican | 1798 (appointed) | Interim appointee retired when successor qualified. New senator elected December 12, 1798. Winner qualified upon retirement from other Senate seat on March 3, 1799. Democratic-Republican hold. | ▌Y Joseph Anderson (Democratic-Republican) 17 ▌William Cocke (Democratic-Republican) 28 ▌Daniel Smith (Democratic-Republican) 15 ▌Andrew Jackson (Democratic-Republican) 1 ▌John Overton (Unknown) 1 |
| Delaware (Class 2) | Joshua Clayton | Federalist | 1798 | Died August 11, 1798. New senator elected January 17, 1799. Federalist hold. Winner also elected to next term; see below. | ▌Y William H. Wells (Federalist) 14 ▌James Sykes (Democratic-Republican) 12 |
| New Jersey (Class 1) | Franklin Davenport | Federalist | 1798 (appointed) | Interim appointee served until winner qualified. New senator elected February 21, 1799 on the third ballot. Federalist hold. | ▌Y James Schureman (Federalist) 26 ▌Thomas Henderson (Federalist) 24 ▌Philemon Dickinson (Unknown) Eliminated in earlier ballot ▌Jonathan Elmer (Federalist) Eliminated in earlier ballot |

### Races leading to the 6th Congress

In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1799; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Delaware | Joshua Clayton | Federalist | 1798 | Incumbent died August 11, 1798. New senator elected January 17, 1799. Federalist hold. Winner was also elected to finish the current term, see above. | ▌Y William H. Wells (Federalist) 14 ▌James Sykes (Democratic-Republican) |
| Georgia | Josiah Tattnall | Democratic- Republican | 1796 | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected January 18, 1799. Democratic-Republican hold. | ▌Y Abraham Baldwin (Democratic-Republican) 42 ▌Thomas P. Carnes (Federalist) 37 |
| Kentucky | John Brown | Democratic- Republican | 1792 | Incumbent re-elected November 30, 1798. | ▌Y John Brown (Democratic-Republican) 36 ▌Benjamin Logan (Unknown) 22 ▌Stephen Ormsby (Democratic-Republican) 7 |
| Massachusetts | Theodore Sedgwick | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent retired to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. New senator elected June 14, 1798. Federalist hold. | ▌Y Samuel Dexter (Federalist) 102 Others 54 |
| New Hampshire | Samuel Livermore | Federalist | 1792 | Incumbent re-elected December 21, 1798. | ▌Y Samuel Livermore (Federalist) 8 ▌Nay 4 |
| New Jersey | Richard Stockton | Federalist | 1796 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected November 1, 1798. Federalist hold. | ▌Y Jonathan Dayton (Federalist) 26 ▌Jonathan Elmer (Federalist) 22 |
| North Carolina | Alexander Martin | Democratic- Republican | 1792 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected December 12, 1798, on the ninth ballot. Democratic-Republican hold. | ▌Y Jesse Franklin (Democratic-Republican) 89 ▌Benjamin Smith (Federalist) 78 ▌Alexander Martin (Democratic-Republican) Eliminated in earlier ballot ▌Blake Baker Jr. (Unknown) Eliminated in earlier ballot |
| Rhode Island | Ray Greene | Federalist | 1797 (special) | Incumbent re-elected November 1, 1798. | ▌Y Ray Greene (Federalist) Unanimous |
| South Carolina | Charles Pinckney | Democratic- Republican | 1798 | Incumbent re-elected December 6, 1798. | ▌Y Charles Pinckney (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Tennessee | Joseph Anderson | Democratic- Republican | 1797 (special) | Incumbent retired when elected to the Class 1 seat (see above). New senator elected December 12, 1798. Democratic-Republican hold. | ▌Y William Cocke (Democratic-Republican) 28 ▌Joseph Anderson (Democratic-Republican) 17 ▌Daniel Smith (Democratic-Republican) 15 ▌Andrew Jackson (Democratic-Republican) 1 ▌John Overton (Unknown) 1 |
| Virginia | Henry Tazewell | Democratic- Republican | 1794 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1798. Incumbent died January 24, 1799, before the term began. | ▌Y Henry Tazewell (Democratic-Republican) 117 ▌James Madison (Democratic-Republican) 28 ▌John Marshall (Federalist) 13 ▌James Breckenridge (Federalist) 10 Others 9 |

### Special elections during the 6th Congress

In this special election, the winner was seated after March 4, 1799, the beginning of the next Congress.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Virginia (Class 2) | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Incumbent Henry Tazewell (DR) was re-elected in 1798 but died January 24, 1799, before the term began. New senator elected December 5, 1799 on the second ballot. Democratic-Republican gain. | ▌Y Wilson C. Nicholas (Democratic-Republican) 111 ▌John Page (Democratic-Republican) 49 ▌Ludwell Lee (Unknown) 1 ▌George K. Taylor (Unknown) 1 ▌James Wood (Federalist) 1 |