List of members-elect of the United States House of Representatives who never took their seats

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Some people who were elected to the United States House of Representatives died before taking their seats. In other cases, they failed to qualify; were rejected by the House; their credentials were successfully challenged; or they were somehow otherwise unable to become members.

This list only includes people who never served in the House. Re-elected incumbents are not included.

List[]

Member-elect Party District Election date Congress Reason for non-seating
Benjamin West Pro-Administration NH-AL December 15, 1788 and February 2, 1789 1st Declined to serve.
Pierpont Edwards Pro-Administration CT-AL September 20, 1790 1st Declined to serve.
James Townsend Federalist NY-1 April 27, 1790 to April 29, 1790 2nd Died on May 24, 1790.
Stephen M. Mitchell Pro-Administration CT-AL September 17, 1792 3rd Elected, but resigned as he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1793.
Jonathan Ingersoll Pro-Administration CT-AL September 16, 1793 3rd Declined to serve.
Thomas Tillotson Democratic-Republican NY-5 April 29, 1800 to May 1, 1800 7th Resigned on August 10, 1801, to become Secretary of State of New York.
John Cantine Democratic-Republican NY-7 April 27, 1802 to April 29, 1802 8th Elected, but declined to take office.
John Simpson Democratic-Republican KY-8 August 3, 1812 13th Died on January 22, 1813.
John S. Edwards Federalist OH-6 October 13, 1812 13th Died on February 22, 1813.
William Dowse Federalist NY-15 December 15, 1812 to December 17, 1812 13th Died on February 18, 1813.
Daniel Appleton White Federalist MA-3 November 7, 1814 14th Declined to serve, to become Judge of Probate for Essex County.
Henry B. Lee Democratic-Republican NY-4 April 23, 1816 to April 25, 1816 15th Died on February 18, 1817.
Francis Gehon Democratic Iowa Territory 1839 26th William W. Chapman's term was extended to October 1840, invalidating Gehon's election.[1]
Washington Poe Whig GA-3 November 5, 1844 29th Resigned before taking office.[2]
Lyman Trumbull Democratic IL-8 November 7, 1854 34th He was elected to the U.S. Senate prior to the first session.
Thomas Child Jr. Whig NY-7 November 7, 1854 34th Elected, but never took his seat due to illness.
John Willis Menard Republican LA-02 November 3, 1868 40th Elected, but denied his seat due to election contest.[3]
Ambrose R. Wright Democratic GA-8 November 5, 1872 43rd Died on December 21, 1872.
Samuel Peters Republican LA-4 November 5, 1872 43rd Died before taking office.
P. B. S. Pinchback Republican LA-AL November 5, 1872 43rd Elected, but denied his seat due to election contest.[4]
John W. Head Democratic TN-4 November 3, 1874 44th Died on November 9, 1874.
Garnett McMillan Democratic GA-9 November 3, 1874 44th Died on January 14, 1875.
Augustus F. Allen Democratic NY-33 November 3, 1874 44th Died on January 22, 1875.
Alexander Smith Republican NY-12 November 5, 1878 46th Died on November 5, 1878.
James Reed Hallowell Republican KS-AL November 5, 1878 46th Congress refused to seat him because Kansas was not entitled to a fourth representative.
Andrew S. Herron Democratic LA-4 November 7, 1882 48th Died on November 27, 1882.
Andrew J. Campbell Republican NY-10 November 5, 1894 54th Died on December 6, 1894.[5]
Richard P. Giles Democratic MO-1 November 3, 1896 55th Died on November 17, 1896.
James J. Davidson Republican PA-25 November 3, 1896 55th Died on January 2, 1897.
B. H. Roberts Democratic UT-AL November 8, 1898 56th Congress refused to seat him because he was a bigamist.
William M. Brown Republican PA-24 November 3, 1914 64th Died on January 31, 1915.
Charles F. Van de Water Republican CA-9 November 2, 1920 67th Died in a car crash on November 20, 1920.
Samuel Marx Democratic NY-19 November 7, 1922 68th Died on November 30, 1922.[6]
Matthew Vincent O'Malley Democratic NY-7 February 17, 1931 72nd Died on May 26, 1931, having never taken the oath of office.
Jack Swigert Republican CO-6 November 2, 1982 98th Died on December 27, 1982.[7]
Luke Letlow Republican LA-5 December 5, 2020 117th Died on December 29, 2020 of a heart attack after complications from COVID-19.[8]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ On the last day of the 25th Congress, Chapman's term, which began in September 1838, was extended past its expected expiration on March 4, 1839. The next term was to commence after Chapman's and expire at the end of the 26th Congress, with terms lasting for the regular term of a Congress thereafter.
  2. ^ The Macon Telegraph and Register
  3. ^ Rowell, Chester Harvey (1901). A Historical and Legal Digest of all the Contested Election Cases in the House of Representatives of the United States from the First to the Fifty-sixth Congress, 1789-1901. United States. Congress. House. Committee on House Administration. Subcommittee on Elections. pp. 226–228. ISBN 9785880686292.
  4. ^ Rowell, Chester Harvey (1901). A Historical and Legal Digest of all the Contested Election Cases in the House of Representatives of the United States from the First to the Fifty-sixth Congress, 1789-1901. United States. Congress. House. Committee on House Administration. Subcommittee on Elections. pp. 293–297. ISBN 9785880686292.
  5. ^ "DEATH OF ANDREW J. CAMPBELL; The Congressman-elect Dies of Bright's Disease After a Short Illness - His Career in Politics". The New York Times. December 7, 1894.
  6. ^ "SAMUEL MARX DIES, CONGRESSMAN-ELECT; Tammany Leader and Prominent Auctioneer a Victim of Heart Disease After a Brief Illness". The New York Times. December 1, 1922.
  7. ^ "Ex-Astronaut, Newly Elected to House, Dies". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. Associated Press. December 29, 1982. p. 12D – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Hilburn, Greg (December 29, 2020). "Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies with COVID". The News Star. Monroe, Louisiana.
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