On October 13, 1821, before the first meeting of the17th Congress,Wingfield Bullock (DR) ofKentucky's 8th district died. A special election was held to fill the resulting vacancy.
| Candidate | Party | Votes[1] | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| James D. Breckinridge | Democratic-Republican | 1,685 | 56.3% |
| George B. Knight | [2] | 1,173 | 39.2% |
| Norborne B. Beall | [2] | 133 | 4.4% |
Breckinridge took his seat on January 2, 1822,[3] a month into the 1st Session of the 17th Congress.