1808 United States elections

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1808 United States elections
1806          1807          1808          1809          1810
Presidential election year
Incumbent presidentThomas Jefferson
(Democratic-Republican)
Next Congress11th
Presidential election
Partisan controlDemocratic-Republican hold
Electoral vote
James Madison (DR)122
Charles C. Pinckney (F)47
1808 presidential election results. Green denotes states won by Madison, burnt orange denotes states won by Pinckney. Numbers indicate the number of electoral votes allotted to each state.
Senate elections
Overall controlDemocratic-Republican hold
Seats contested12 of 34 seats[1]
Net seat changeFederalist +1[2]
House elections
Overall controlDemocratic-Republican hold
Seats contestedAll 142 voting members
Net seat changeFederalist +22[2]

The 1808 United States elections elected the members of the 11th United States Congress. The election took place during the First Party System. In the aftermath of the Embargo of 1807, the Federalists picked up congressional seats for the first time since their defeat in the 1800 election. However, the Democratic-Republican Party maintained control of the presidency and both houses of Congress.

In the presidential election, Democratic-Republican Secretary of State James Madison easily defeated Federalist Governor Charles Pinckney of South Carolina.[3] Incumbent Vice President George Clinton was re-elected, making him the first vice president to serve under two different presidents.

In the House, Federalists won moderate gains, but Democratic-Republicans continued to dominate the chamber.[4]

In the Senate, Federalists picked up one seat, but Democratic-Republicans retained a dominant majority.[5]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Not counting special elections.
  2. ^ a b Congressional seat gain figures only reflect the results of the regularly-scheduled elections, and do not take special elections into account.
  3. ^ "1808 Presidential Election". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  5. ^ "Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present". United States Senate. Retrieved 25 June 2014.