1788 Massachusetts Senate election

Elections to the Massachusetts Senate were held during 1788 to elect 40 State Senators. Candidates were elected at the county level, with some counties electing multiple Senators.

For election, a candidate needed the support of a majority of those voting. If a seat remained vacant because no candidate received such majority, the Massachusetts General Court was empowered to fill it by a majority vote of its members.

Apportionment
The apportionment of seats by population was as follows:


 * Barnstable County: 1
 * Berkshire County: 2
 * Bristol County: 3
 * Cumberland County: 1
 * Dukes and Nantucket Counties: 1
 * Essex County: 6
 * Hampshire County: 4
 * Lincoln County: 1
 * Middlesex County: 5
 * Plymouth County: 3
 * Suffolk County: 6
 * Worcester County: 5
 * York County: 2

Barnstable
Exact totals for Smith, the incumbent Senator, are unknown.

Berkshire
William Williams, Ebenezer Pierce, John Bacon, and William Walker also received votes, though exact totals are unknown.

Dwight was subsequently elected by the General Court.

Bristol
Thomas Durfee, Walter Spooner, and Elisha May also received votes, but their exact totals are unknown.

Essex
Exact totals for the Anti-Federalist ticket were not listed.

Unaffiliated candidates Peter Coffin and John Choate also received votes, but their exact totals are unknown.

Jonathan Greenleaf was subsequently elected by the General Court.

Hampshire
Incumbent Senator David Smead was not re-elected, and his exact vote total is unknown.

Many other candidates received votes throughout the county, but their exact totals are unknown: • Samuel Fowler

• Phinease Stebbins

• Daniel Cooley

• William Lyman

• William Shepard

• Samuel Lyman (Federalist)

• Simeon Strong

• Solomon Stoddard

• Samuel Phelps

• Samuel Field

• Robinson, unnamed

• Benjamin Eli

• Wareham Parks

• Samuel Mather

• Job Wright

• Hugh MacClellan

• Noah Goodman

• Ebenezer Mattoon (Federalist)

• William Pynchon

Bliss and Sexton were subsequently elected by the General Court.

Lincoln
Waterman Thomas, Daniel Cony, and Henry Dearborn also received votes, but their exact totals are unknown.

Since no candidate received a majority of votes cast, the General Court elected Dummer Sewall to the seat.

Middlesex
Exact totals for Anti-Federalist ticket are not listed.

Nathaniel Gorham, William Hunt, John Brooks (Federalist), William Hull, Joseph Curtis, James Winthrop and Elbridge Gerry also received votes, though their exact totals are unknown.

Plymouth
Isaac Winslow, Hugh Orr, Joseph Bryant, James Briggs, and Ebenezer White also received votes.

Suffolk
Many other candidates received votes throughout the county, but their exact totals are unknown: • Benjamin Lincoln (Federalist)

• Richard Cranch

• William Heath

• Samuel Breck

• John Metcalf

• Caleb Davis

• Stephen Higginson (Federalist)

• Jonathan Mason

• Jabez Fisher

• James Warren

• Samuel Niles

• James Sullivan

Worcester
Many other candidates received votes throughout the county, but their exact totals are unknown: • Moses Gill

• Timothy Paine

• John Sprague

• Joseph Stone

• Seth Washburn

• Samuel Willard

• Josiah Whitney

• Jonathan Warner

• Timothy Fuller

• Artemas Ward (Federalist)

• Jeremiah Learned

• Samuel Denny

• Martin Kinsley

• Stephen Maynard

• John Tysington

• Timothy Newhall

• Caleb Ammidown

• Bezaleel Taft Sr.

• Samuel Curtis

• Ezra Houghton

• Joseph Allen

• Joseph Behor

• Levi Lincoln Sr.

• Josiah Stearns

York
Nathaniel Low also received votes, but his exact total is unknown.

No candidate received a majority. Edward Cutts and Nathaniel Wells were subsequently elected by the General Court.