1808 and 1809 United States Senate elections

The 1808 and 1809 United States Senate elections were elections that had the Federalist Party gain one seat in the United States Senate, and which coincided with the 1808 presidential election. The Federalists had gone into the elections with such a small share of Senate seats (6 out of 34, or 18%) that even if they had won every election, they would have still remained a minority caucus.

As these elections were prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by state legislatures.

Results summary
Senate Party Division, 11th Congress (1809–1811)


 * Majority Party: Democratic-Republican (26)
 * Minority Party: Federalist (7–8)
 * Other Parties: 0
 * Total Seats: 34

Race summaries
Except if/when noted, the number following candidates is the whole number vote(s), not a percentage.

Special elections during the preceding Congress
In these special elections, the winner was elected during 1808 or before March 4, 1809; ordered by election date.

Races leading to the next Congress
In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1809; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

Special elections during the next Congress
In this special election, the winner was elected in 1809 after March 4; ordered by election date.

Early race leading to the Congress-after-next
In this regular election, the winner was seated on March 4, 1811; ordered by state.

This election involved a Class 2 seat.

Class 1
Democratic-Republican Joseph Anderson had served in this and the other Senate seat on-and-off since 1797.

Tennessee (Regular, Class 1)


The Tennessee legislature failed to elect a new senator.

The seat would have become vacant at the March 4, 1809 beginning of the term, but the Governor of Tennessee appointed Anderson to begin the term, pending a special election.

Tennessee (Special, Class 1)
Anderson was elected April 11, 1809 to finish the term.

Class 2
Democratic-Republican Daniel Smith was first elected in 1803.

Tennessee (Special, Class 2)
Smith resigned March 31, 1809.

Democratic-Republican Jenkin Whiteside was elected April 11, 1809 to finish Smith's term, which would end 1809.

Tennessee (Regular, Class 2)
Whiteside was re-elected early October 28, 1809, unopposed.