1797 United States Senate election in New York
The 1797 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 24, 1797, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 1) to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.
Background
Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr had been elected in 1791, defeating the incumbent Federalist Philip Schuyler.
At the State election in April 1796, Federalist majorities were elected to both houses of the 20th New York State Legislature which met from November 1 to 11, 1796, at New York City, and from January 3 to April 3, 1797, at Albany, New York.
Candidates
Aaron Burr ran for re-election as the Democratic-Republican candidate.
Ex-U.S. Senator (in office 1789-1791) Philip Schuyler, now a State Senator, ran again as the candidate of the Federalist Party.
Result
Schuyler was the choice of both the State Senate and the State Assembly, and was declared elected.
| Office | House | Federalist candidate | Democratic-Republican candidate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senator | State Senate (42 members) | Philip Schuyler | Aaron Burr | ||
| State Assembly (96 members) | Philip Schuyler | Aaron Burr | |||
Aftermath
Schuyler resigned on January 3, 1798 because of ill health, and a special election to fill the vacancy was held on January 11, 1798.
Sources
- The New York Civil List compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 62 for U.S. Senators; pg. 116 for State Senators 1796-97; page 170f for Members of Assembly 1796-97) [gives election date as "January 24"]
- Members of the Fifth United States Congress
- History of Political Parties in the State of New-York by Jabez Delano Hammond (pages 105f) [gives election date as "31st of March" which is not likely, Burrs term having expired on March 4 and there being no controversy about the election]
- Life of General Philip Schuyler, 1733-1804 by Bayard Tuckerman (page 258) [says: Schuyler was elected "almost unanimously."]