1792 United States House of Representatives election in Pennsylvania explained

Election Name:United States House of Representatives election in Pennsylvania, 1792
Country:Pennsylvania
Type:legislative
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 1791
Previous Year:1791
Next Election:United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 1794
Next Year:1794
Seats For Election:All 13[1] Pennsylvania seats to the United States House of Representatives
Election Date:October 9, 1792
Party1:Anti-Administration Party (United States)
Last Election1:4
Seats1:8
Seat Change1: 4
Popular Vote1:246,466
Percentage1:61.0%
Party2:Pro-Administration Party (United States)
Last Election2:4
Seats2:5
Seat Change2: 1
Popular Vote2:157,338
Percentage2:39.0%

An election to the United States House of Representatives was held in Pennsylvania on October 9, 1792, for the 3rd Congress.

Background

Eight representatives, 4 Pro-Administration and 4 Anti-Administration, had been elected in the previous election. In the previous election, Pennsylvania had been divided into 8 districts. Five additional seats had been apportioned to Pennsylvania after the 1790 census. All 13 seats were elected at-large, an attempt by the Pro-Administration-majority legislature of Pennsylvania to prevent the election of Anti-Administration Representatives. This backfired and an 8-5 Anti-Administration majority was elected.

Election results

All 8 incumbents ran for re-election. Seven were re-elected. There were a total of 20 candidates running for the 13 seats, 11 Anti-Administration and 9 Pro-Administration (two of the Anti-Administration candidates ran on a dual ticket but are listed here as Anti-Administration)

1792 United States House election results
colspan="3" Anti-Administration colspan="3" Pro-Administration
William Findley[2] (I)33,1588.21%John W. Kittera (I)29,8357.39%
Frederick Muhlenberg (I)32,3418.01%Thomas Hartley (I)28,4937.06%
Daniel Hiester (I)32,1477.96%Thomas Fitzsimons (I)17,9974.46%
William Irvine30,9687.67%James Armstrong17,3124.29%
Peter Muhlenberg21,7845.40%Thomas Scott16,6574.13%
Andrew Gregg (I)17,3724.30%Samuel Sitgreaves15,5883.86%
William Montgomery17,0194.22%William Bingham14,4823.59%
John Smilie16,7544.15%Henry Wynkoop14,3483.55%
Jonathan D. Sergeant15,0963.74%Israel Jacobs (I)2,6260.65%
John Barclay14,9533.70%
Charles Thomson14,8743.68%

This was the last year in which Pennsylvania would elect all of its representatives at-large. In the following election, Pennsylvania would be divided up into 12 districts (including one plural district). At various times between 1873 and 1945, between 1 and 4 of Pennsylvania's Representatives were elected at-large, with the rest being elected from single-member districts.

References

  1. 5 new seats gained in reapportionment
  2. Also on Pro-Administration ticket