1803 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

The 1803 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held in February 1803.

1803 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
February 5, 1803
40 members of the Massachusetts Senate
396 members of the Massachusetts House
Majority vote of each house needed to win
 
Nominee John Quincy Adams Thompson Skinner
Party Federalist Democratic–Republican
Senate 86 70
Percentage 60.53% 36.84%
Senator before election

Jonathan Mason
Federalist

 Elected Senator

John Quincy Adams
Federalist

Incumbent Senator Jonathan Mason, who had been elected to fill the unexpired term of Benjamin Goodhue, did not run for a full term in office. The Massachusetts General Court deliberated and elected State Senator and former diplomat John Quincy Adams, son of former President John Adams, on the fourth ballot.

Background

Benjamin Goodhue was elected Senator from Massachusetts in 1796. However, he resigned and retired from politics in 1800. In his place, the legislature elected State Senator Jonathan Mason. When Mason's term expired in 1803, he declined to stand for re-election.

Election

First ballot
First ballot[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic–Republican Thompson J. Skinner 71 42.01%
Federalist Timothy Pickering 67 39.64%
Federalist Nicholas Tillinghast 12 7.10%
Federalist John Quincy Adams 12 7.10%
Federalist Henry Knox 7 4.14%
Federalist Samuel Dexter 1 0.59%
Federalist William Ely 1 0.59%
Total votes 169 100.00%

Second
First ballot[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Federalist Timothy Pickering 79 46.47%
Democratic–Republican Thompson J. Skinner 71 41.76%
Federalist Nicholas Tillinghast 9 5.29%
Federalist John Quincy Adams 6 3.53%
Federalist Henry Knox 5 2.94%
Total votes 170 100.00%

Third
First ballot[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic–Republican Thompson J. Skinner 71 41.52%
Federalist John Quincy Adams 56 32.75%
Federalist Timothy Pickering 33 19.30%
Federalist Nicholas Tillinghast 10 5.85%
Federalist Henry Knox 1 0.58%
Total votes 171 100.00%

Fourth
First ballot[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Federalist John Quincy Adams 86 50.29%
Democratic–Republican Thompson J. Skinner 70 40.94%
Federalist Nicholas Tillinghast 9 5.26%
Federalist Timothy Pickering 6 3.51%
Total votes 171 100.00%

Senate ballot

The Senate ratified the choice of Adams on a single unanimous ballot.

Senate ballot[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Federalist John Quincy Adams 19 100.00%
Total votes 19 100.00%

Aftermath

Adams served one term in the Senate, though he would resign months early after the Federalist legislature prematurely voted not to award him a second term. Adams quickly drifted away from the Federalist Party, partly over his differences with Pickering.

After joining the Democratic-Republicans, he would go on to serve as Secretary of State and later as President of the United States from 1825 to 1829.

References
  1. "Massachusetts 1803 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  2. "Massachusetts 1803 U.S. Senate, Ballot 2". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. "Massachusetts 1803 U.S. Senate, Ballot 3". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  4. "Massachusetts 1803 U.S. Senate, Ballot 4". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
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