462 Members of the Massachusetts General Court 232 votes needed to win | |||||||||||||||||
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The1808 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on June 2, 1808.
This unusually early election was called after incumbent FederalistJohn Quincy Adams broke with his party over theEmbargo Act of 1807. The Federalist legislature elected State SenatorJames Lloyd, Jr. to the term beginning in March 1809.
John Quincy Adams, son of former Federalist presidentJohn Adams, was elected senator by the Massachusetts legislature as a Federalist in 1803. His six-year term was scheduled to expire in March 1809.
However, Adams supported PresidentThomas Jefferson's foreign policy during theNapoleonic Wars, including theLouisiana Purchase andEmbargo Act of 1807. Adams was the lone Federalist in Congress to vote for theNon-importation Act of 1806.[1] In response to Adams's continued distance from Federalist orthodoxy, the Federalist legislature in Massachusetts held this early election for the United States Senate term beginning in March 1809.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federalist | James Lloyd, Jr. | 248 | 53.68% | |
| Federalist | John Quincy Adams (incumbent) | 213 | 46.10% | |
| Federalist | Laban Wheaton | 1 | 0.22% | |
| Total votes | 462 | 100.00% | ||
Adams resigned immediately following his defeat, triggering a special election for the remainder of his term on June 9. Lloyd won the special election as well.
Adams soon formally joined the Democratic-Republicans and was appointedMinister to Russia by PresidentJames Madison. Adams was later Secretary of State in theCabinet of James Monroe and waselected President of the United States in 1824.