In April, 1821, prior to the first meeting of the 17th Congress,[1] Representative-electJames Duncan (DR) fromPennsylvania's 5th district resigned. A special election was held to fill the resulting vacancy on October 9, 1821.
| Candidate | Party | Votes[2] | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Findlay | Democratic-Republican | 4,981 | 53.6% |
| Thomas G. McCullough | Federalist | 4,310 | 46.4% |
Findlay took his seat December 12, 1821[3]
