1819 United States House of Representatives election in Mississippi
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August 2, 1819
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 County results Rankin: 70–80% 80–90% >90% Mead: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1819 United States House of Representatives election in Mississippi took place on August 2, 1819, to choose who would represent Mississippi's at-large congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.
Incumbent George Poindexter did not seek reelection. Christopher Rankin, a Democratic-Republican, defeated fellow party member Cowles Mead to represent Mississippi in the 16th Congress of the United States.
Background
[edit]Mississippi's first U.S. House of Representatives elections, held in 1817, were won by George Poindexter uncontested.[1] As a representative, Poindexter served as the chairman of the Committee on Public Lands.[2] Poindexter did not contest this election in order to run for the gubernatorial election.[3]
Candidates
[edit]In an April 13, 1819, edition of the Mississippi Free Trader, three candidates for the office were announced: former territorial legislator and attorney Christopher Rankin, Secretary of State of Mississippi Daniel Williams, and former territorial legislator and attorney Cowles Mead,[4] although Williams was not listed in subsequent candidate listings.[5]
General election
[edit]Mississippi voters cast their ballots on August 2, 1819,[6] to elect a new representative in Congress. Rankin won 2,769 votes, or 68.88% of the vote share, while Mead won 1,250 votes, or 31.09% of the share. Although Poindexter did not run for reelection, one Adams County voter voted for him.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic-Republican | Christopher Rankin | 2,769 | 68.88 | |
| Democratic-Republican | Cowles Mead | 1,250 | 31.09 | |
| Democratic-Republican | George Poindexter | 1 | 0.03 | |
| Total votes | 4,020 | 100.00 | ||
Aftermath
[edit]Secretary of State Daniel Williams certified the election results on September 21, 1819.[8]
This election marked the beginning of Rankin's seven years as Mississippi's at-large representative, being re-elected four times until his death in 1826. During his service, Rankin served as the chairman of the Committee on Public Lands.[9]
See also
[edit]- 1818 and 1819 United States House of Representatives elections
- List of United States representatives from Mississippi
References
[edit]- ^ Lampi, Philip. "Mississippi 1817 U.S. House of Representatives". A New Nation Votes. Tufts University. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ United States Congress. "George Poindexter (id: P000402)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- ^ "Natchez". Mississippi Free Trader. March 16, 1819. p. 3. Retrieved December 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Natchez". Mississippi Free Trader. April 13, 1819. p. 3. Retrieved December 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Election". Mississippi Free Trader. May 4, 1819. p. 3. Retrieved December 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "County Returns". Mississippi Free Trader. August 3, 1819. p. 3. Retrieved December 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lampi, Philip. "Mississippi 1819 U.S. House of Representatives". A New Nation Votes. Tufts University. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ^ "Office of the Secretary of the State for the state of Mississippi". Mississippi Free Trader. October 5, 1819. p. 3. Retrieved December 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ United States Congress. "Christopher Rankin (id: R000054)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
