The 1797 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 24, 1797, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 1) to represent the State of New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 in the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

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Background

Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr had been elected in 1791, defeating the incumbent Federalist Philip Schuyler.

At the State election in April 1796, Federalist majorities were elected to both houses of the 20th New York State Legislature

20th New York State Legislature

The 20th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 1, 1796, to April 3, 1797, during the second year of John Jay's governorship, first in New York City, then in Albany.-Background:...

 which met from November 1 to 11, 1796, at New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, and from January 3 to April 3, 1797, at Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

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Candidates

Aaron Burr ran for re-election as the Democratic-Republican candidate.

Ex-U.S. Senator (in office 1789-1791) Philip Schuyler, now a State Senator, ran again as the candidate of the Federalist Party.

Result

Schuyler was the choice of both the State Senate and the State Assembly, and was declared elected.

1797 United States Senator election result

Office	House	Federalist Federalist The term federalist describes several political beliefs around the world. Also, it may refer to the concept of federalism or the type of government called a federation...  candidate		Democratic-Republican candidate
U.S. Senator	State Senate New York State Senate The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...  (42 members)	Philip Schuyler Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...		Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
	State Assembly New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...  (96 members)	Philip Schuyler Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...		Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...

Aftermath

Schuyler resigned on January 3, 1798 because of ill health, and a special election to fill the vacancy was held on January 11, 1798.

Sources

• The New York Civil List compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 62 for U.S. Senators; pg. 116 for State Senators 1796-97; page 170f for Members of Assembly 1796-97) [gives election date as "January 24"]
• Members of the Fifth United States Congress
• History of Political Parties in the State of New-York by Jabez Delano Hammond (pages 105f) [gives election date as "31st of March" which is not likely, Burrs term having expired on March 4 and there being no controversy about the election]
• Life of General Philip Schuyler, 1733-1804 by Bayard Tuckerman (page 258) [says: Schuyler was elected "almost unanimously."]