1796 and 1797 United States Senate elections

The 1796 and 1797 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate which, coinciding with John Adams's election as President, had the ruling Federalist Party gain one seat.

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

Results summary
Senate Party Division, 5th Congress (1797–1799)


 * Majority Party: Federalist (22)
 * Minority Party: Democratic-Republican (9)
 * Vacant: 1 (later filled by Democratic-Republican)
 * Total Seats: 32

Before the elections
After the August 2, 1796 admission of Tennessee.

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

Special elections during the 4th Congress
In these special elections, the winners were seated before March 4, 1797; ordered by election date.

Races leading to the 5th Congress
In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1797; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

Special elections during the 5th Congress
In these special elections, the winners were elected after the March 4, 1797 beginning of the next Congress.

Tennessee (Initial)
Tennessee became a state June 1, 1796 and elected its new senators August 2, 1796.

Tennessee (Special, Class 1)
The term of the initially-elected senator, Democratic-Republican William Cocke, ended March 3, 1797 and the Tennessee legislature failed to elect a senator for the new term. The Governor of Tennessee, therefore, appointed Cocke to begin the term, pending a special election. Cocke, however, lost that October 6, 1798 special election to Democratic-Republican Daniel Smith.

Tennessee (Special, Class 2)
Democratic-Republican William Blount was expelled July 8, 1797 for conspiracy with the Kingdom of Great Britain. Democratic-Republican Joseph Anderson was elected September 26, 1797 to finish Blount's term.

Vermont


Incumbent Democratic-Republican Moses Robinson resigned October 15, 1796.

Federalist Isaac Tichenor was elected October 18, 1796 both to finish Robinson's term and to the new term that would begin March 4, 1797. However, Tichenor resigned just one year later, October 17, 1797, to become Governor of Vermont. Federalist Nathaniel Chipman was then elected October 17, 1797 to finish the term.