The 1798 United States House of Representatives elections in New York were held from April 24 to 26, 1798, to elect ten U.S. Representatives to represent the State of New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 in the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 of the 6th United States Congress

6th United States Congress

The Sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1799...

.

Background

Ten U.S. Representatives had been elected in December 1796 to a term in the 5th United States Congress

5th United States Congress

The Fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives...

 beginning on March 4, 1795. Their term would end on March 3, 1799. After three winter elections (January 1793, December 1794 and December 1796), the New York State Legislature moved the congressional elections back to be held together with the State elections in late April (like in 1790), about ten months before the term would start on March 4, 1799, and about a year and a half before Congress actually met on December 2, 1799.

Congressional districts

On January 27, 1789, the New York State Legislature had divided the State of New York into six congressional districts which were not numbered. On December 18, 1792, the Legislature divided the State into ten districts, which were still not numbered. On March 27, 1797, the Legislature re-apportioned the districts, taking into account the new counties which had been created in the meanwhile, and for the first time the districts were numbered.

• The 1st District
  New York's 1st congressional district
  The 1st Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in eastern Long Island. It includes most of Central and Eastern Suffolk County, including most of Smithtown, as well as the entirety of the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold,...
  
   comprising Kings, Queens
  Queens
  Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
  
  , Suffolk
  Suffolk County, New York
  Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
  
   and Richmond counties.
• The 2nd District
  New York's 2nd congressional district
  The 2nd Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in central Long Island. It includes all of the town of Huntington and parts of the towns of Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County as well as part of the town of Oyster Bay...
  
   comprising the first six wards of New York County.
• The 3rd District
  New York's 3rd congressional district
  The 3rd District of New York is generally the eastern half of Nassau County, with some parts as far west as Island Park and Long Beach. The Nassau portion contains suburban communities such as Bellmore, Bethpage, Farmingdale, Hicksville, Levittown, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, Merrick, North...
  
   comprising the 7th Ward of New York County, and Westchester
  Westchester County, New York
  Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
  
   and Rockland
  Rockland County, New York
  Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
  
   counties.
• The 4th District
  New York's 4th congressional district
  The 4th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in west-central Nassau County...
  
   comprising Orange
  Orange County, New York
  Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
  
  , Ulster
  Ulster County, New York
  Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
  
   and Delaware
  Delaware County, New York
  Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of 2010 the population was 47,980. The county seat is Delhi. It is named after the Delaware River, which was named in honor of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, appointed governor of Virginia in 1609.-History:When counties...
  
   counties.
• The 5th District
  New York's 5th congressional district
  The 5th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives that lies along the North Shore of Long Island. It consists of northeastern Queens County and northwestern Nassau County. The Queens portion of the district includes the...
  
   comprising Dutchess County
  Dutchess County, New York
  Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
  
  .
• The 6th District
  New York's 6th congressional district
  New York's Sixth Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes most of Southeastern Queens including the neighborhoods of Cambria Heights, Edgemere, Far Rockaway, Hollis, Jamaica, Laurelton, Queens Village, Rosedale,...
  
   comprising Columbia
  Columbia County, New York
  Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...
  
   and Rensselaer
  Rensselaer County, New York
  Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
  
   counties.
• The 7th District
  New York's 7th congressional district
  New York's Seventh Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It consists of parts of Northern Queens and Eastern portions of the Bronx. The Queens portion includes the neighborhoods of College Point, East Elmhurst, Jackson...
  
   comprising Clinton
  Clinton County, New York
  Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 82,128. Its name is in honor of the first Governor of New York as a state, George Clinton. Its county seat is Plattsburgh.-History:...
  
  , Saratoga
  Saratoga County, New York
  Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
  
   and Washington
  Washington County, New York
  Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,216. It was named for the Revolutionary War general George Washington...
  
   counties.
• The 8th District
  New York's 8th congressional district
  New York's Eighth Congressional District for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It is split into two sections. The northern portion of it includes most of Manhattan's Upper West Side, and continues south to include most parts of Hell's Kitchen, East Village, Chelsea, SoHo,...
  
   comprising Albany
  Albany County, New York
  Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
  
   and Schoharie
  Schoharie County, New York
  As of the census of 2000, there were 31,582 people, 11,991 households and 8,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 15,915 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
  
   counties.
• The 9th District
  New York's 9th congressional district
  New York's 9th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes parts of southern Brooklyn and south central Queens...
  
   comprising Herkimer
  Herkimer County, New York
  Herkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...
  
  , Montgomery
  Montgomery County, New York
  As of the census of 2000, there were 49,708 people, 20,038 households, and 13,104 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 22,522 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...
  
  , Chenango
  Chenango County, New York
  Chenango County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 50,477. The county's name originates from an Oneida word meaning "large bull-thistle." Its county seat is Norwich.-History:...
  
   and Oneida
  Oneida County, New York
  Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 234,878. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, an Iroquoian tribe that formerly occupied the region....
  
   counties.
• The 10th District
  New York's 10th congressional district
  New York's 10th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in Brooklyn, New York City. It includes the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Heights, Brownsville, Canarsie, East New York and Ocean Hill, as well as parts of Fort...
  
   comprising Ontario
  Ontario County, New York
  As of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...
  
  , Otsego
  Otsego County, New York
  Otsego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. The 2010 population was 62,259. The county seat is Cooperstown. The name Otsego is from a Mohawk word meaning "place of the rock."-History:...
  
  , Tioga
  Tioga County, New York
  As of the census of 2010, there were 51,125 people residing in the county, with 22,203 housing units, of these 20,350 occupied, 1,853 vacant. The population density was 98 people per square mile...
  
  , Onondaga
  Onondaga County, New York
  Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
  
   and Steuben
  Steuben County, New York
  Steuben County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,990. Its name is in honor of Baron von Steuben, a German general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War, though it is not pronounced the same...
  
   counties.

Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. The counties which are not mentioned in this list had not yet been established, or sufficiently organized, the area being included in one or more of the abovementioned counties.

Result

6 Democratic-Republicans and 4 Federalists were elected. Of the incumbents, Havens, Livingston, Van Cortlandt, Elmendorf and Glen were re-elected; Brooks and Williams were defeated; and Hezekiah L. Hosmer

Hezekiah L. Hosmer

Hezekiah Lord Hosmer was a United States Representative from New York. He studied law and was admitted to practice in the mayor's court of Hudson, New York. He was recorder of Hudson in 1793 and 1794, and was elected as a Federalist to the Fifth Congress, serving from March 4, 1797 to March 3, 1799...

, John E. Van Alen

John E. Van Alen

John Evert Van Alen was an American surveyor, merchant, and politician from Rensselaer County, New York.He was born in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York. He served in the state Assembly and represented New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1793 until 1799...

 and James Cochran

James Cochran (New York)

James Cochran was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He was born in Albany, New York on February 11, 1769. He graduated from Columbia College in New York City in 1778. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and was commissioned as a...

 did not run for re-election.

1798 United States House election result

District	Democratic-Republican		Federalist		Also ran
1 New York's 1st congressional district The 1st Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in eastern Long Island. It includes most of Central and Eastern Suffolk County, including most of Smithtown, as well as the entirety of the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold,...	Jonathan N. Havens Jonathan Nicoll Havens Jonathan Nicoll Havens was a politician from New York.He was born on Shelter Island, New York. He graduated from Yale College in 1777. He was Shelter Island town clerk from 1783–1787 and was on the New York delegation that approved the Federal Constitution in 1788...	1,758	Richard Thorn	1,502
2 New York's 2nd congressional district The 2nd Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in central Long Island. It includes all of the town of Huntington and parts of the towns of Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County as well as part of the town of Oyster Bay...	Edward Livingston Edward Livingston Edward Livingston was an American jurist and statesman. He was an influential figure in the drafting of the Louisiana Civil Code of 1825, a civil code based largely on the Napoleonic Code. He represented both New York, and later Louisiana in Congress and he served as the U.S...	1,734	Philip Livingston	1,559
3 New York's 3rd congressional district The 3rd District of New York is generally the eastern half of Nassau County, with some parts as far west as Island Park and Long Beach. The Nassau portion contains suburban communities such as Bellmore, Bethpage, Farmingdale, Hicksville, Levittown, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, Merrick, North...	Philip Van Cortlandt Philip Van Cortlandt Philip Van Cortlandt was an American surveyor, landowner, and politician from Westchester County, New York.During the Revolutionary War, Colonel Cortlandt commanded the 2nd New York Regiment in the Continental Army...	1,673	Mordecai Hale	496
4 New York's 4th congressional district The 4th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in west-central Nassau County...	Lucas Elmendorf Lucas Conrad Elmendorf Lucas Conrad Elmendorf was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Kingston, New York, he graduated from Princeton College in 1782, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1785 and practiced....	2,812	Jonathan Hasbrouck	1,482	John Hathorn John Hathorn John Hathorn was an American politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.-Life:...  (D-R)	47
5 New York's 5th congressional district The 5th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives that lies along the North Shore of Long Island. It consists of northeastern Queens County and northwestern Nassau County. The Queens portion of the district includes the...	Theodorus Bailey Theodorus Bailey (senator) Theodorus Bailey was an American lawyer and politician from Poughkeepsie, New York. He represented New York in both the U.S. House and Senate...	1,502	David Brooks David Brooks (politician) David Brooks was an officer in the Continental Army in the American Revolution and a United States representative from New York....	1,192
6 New York's 6th congressional district New York's Sixth Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes most of Southeastern Queens including the neighborhoods of Cambria Heights, Edgemere, Far Rockaway, Hollis, Jamaica, Laurelton, Queens Village, Rosedale,...	Elisha Jenkins Elisha Jenkins Elisha Jenkins was an American politician who served as New York Secretary of State and Mayor of Albany.-Life:...	1,945	John Bird John Bird (New York) John Bird was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Litchfield, Connecticut, he pursued classical studies, graduated from Yale College in 1786, studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Litchfield...	2,809
7 New York's 7th congressional district New York's Seventh Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It consists of parts of Northern Queens and Eastern portions of the Bronx. The Queens portion includes the neighborhoods of College Point, East Elmhurst, Jackson...	John Thompson	2,197	John Williams	1,569	Jellis A. Fonda (Fed.)	419
8 New York's 8th congressional district New York's Eighth Congressional District for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It is split into two sections. The northern portion of it includes most of Manhattan's Upper West Side, and continues south to include most parts of Hell's Kitchen, East Village, Chelsea, SoHo,...			Henry Glen Henry Glen Henry Glen was an American merchant, county clerk, and politician from Schenectady, New York. He served in the state Assembly and represented New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1793 until 1801....	2,643
9 New York's 9th congressional district New York's 9th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes parts of southern Brooklyn and south central Queens...	Peter Smith	2,748	Jonas Platt Jonas Platt Jonas Platt was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives.-Life:...	2,880
10 New York's 10th congressional district New York's 10th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in Brooklyn, New York City. It includes the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Heights, Brownsville, Canarsie, East New York and Ocean Hill, as well as parts of Fort...	Moss Kent Moss Kent Moss Kent was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Rensselaer County, he completed preparatory studies, studied law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced. He removed to Cooperstown, New York. He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1799 to 1803 and served in the New...	1,865	William Cooper William Cooper (judge) William Cooper was the founder of Cooperstown, New York and father of writer James Fenimore Cooper, who apparently used his father as the pattern for the Judge Marmaduke Temple character in his book The Pioneers....	2,038

Note: The Anti-Federalists called themselves "Republicans." However, at the same time, the Federalists called them "Democrats" which was meant to be pejorative. After some time both terms got more and more confused, and sometimes used together as "Democratic Republicans" which later historians have adopted (with a hyphen) to describe the party from the beginning, to avoid confusion with both the later established and still existing Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 and Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 parties.

Aftermath

The House of Representatives of the 6th United States Congress

6th United States Congress

The Sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1799...

 met for the first time at Congress Hall in Philadelphia on December 2, 1799, and nine representatives took their seats on this day.

Special election

Jonathan N. Havens, who had been re-elected to a third term, died on October 25, 1799, shortly before Congress met. A special election to fill the vacancy was held in the 1st District in December 1799, and was won by John Smith, of the same party as Havens. Smith took his seat on February 27, 1800.

1799 United States House special election result

District	Democratic-Republican		Federalist Federalist The term federalist describes several political beliefs around the world. Also, it may refer to the concept of federalism or the type of government called a federation...		Federalist Federalist The term federalist describes several political beliefs around the world. Also, it may refer to the concept of federalism or the type of government called a federation...
1 New York's 1st congressional district The 1st Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in eastern Long Island. It includes most of Central and Eastern Suffolk County, including most of Smithtown, as well as the entirety of the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold,...	John Smith John Smith (New York) John Smith was an American politician from New York.-Life:He was the son of Rev. Caleb Smith, a minister at Orange, New Jersey...	1,599	Silas Wood Silas Wood Silas Wood was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in West Hills, near Huntington, New York, Wood pursued classical studies....	1,098	Gozen Ryerss	148

Sources

• The New York Civil List compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 65 for district apportionment; pg. 68 for Congressmen)
• Members of the Sixth United States Congress
• Election result 1st D. at Tufts University
  Tufts University
  Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
  
   Library project "A New Nation Votes"
• Election result 2nd D. at Tufts University
  Tufts University
  Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
  
   Library project "A New Nation Votes"
• Election result 3rd D. at Tufts University
  Tufts University
  Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
  
   Library project "A New Nation Votes"
• Election result 4th D. at Tufts University
  Tufts University
  Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
  
   Library project "A New Nation Votes"
• Election result 5th D. at Tufts University
  Tufts University
  Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
  
   Library project "A New Nation Votes"
• Election result 6th D. at Tufts University
  Tufts University
  Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
  
   Library project "A New Nation Votes"
• Election result 7th D. at Tufts University
  Tufts University
  Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
  
   Library project "A New Nation Votes"
• Election result 8th D. at Tufts University
  Tufts University
  Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
  
   Library project "A New Nation Votes"
• Election result 9th D. at Tufts University
  Tufts University
  Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
  
   Library project "A New Nation Votes"
• Election result 10th D. at Tufts University
  Tufts University
  Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
  
   Library project "A New Nation Votes"
• Special election result 1st D. at Tufts University
  Tufts University
  Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
  
  Library project "A New Nation Votes"