Richard Stockton (politician, 1764)

Richard Stockton

Richard Stockton (born April 17, 1764 in Princeton , Province of New Jersey , †  March 7, 1828 in Mercer County , New Jersey ) was an American politician ( Federal Party ) who represented the state of New Jersey in both chambers of Congress . He was later succeeded by his son Robert and grandson John in the office of Senator . His father, who also went by the name Richard Stockton , was one of the founding fathers of the United States as a signatory of the Declaration of Independence .

After receiving private tuition as a boy, Richard Stockton enrolled at the College of New Jersey , later Princeton University , and graduated in 1779. He then studied law , was inducted into the bar in 1784 and began practicing law in his hometown of Princeton. From 1789 to 1791 he was the first federal attorney for the district of New Jersey; he was succeeded by Abraham Ogden .

When US Senator Frederick Frelinghuysen resigned on November 12, 1796, Richard Stockton was named his successor in Congress. He remained there until March 3, 1799 and did not apply for re-election. His successor was also a federalist with Jonathan Dayton . In 1801, 1803 and 1804 he ran unsuccessfully for governor of New Jersey. He was defeated by Joseph Bloomfield of the Democratic Republican Party .

In 1812 Stockton ran for election to the United States House of Representatives and was victorious. He spent two more years in Congress and then left again at his own request. His last candidacy for political office came in the 1820 presidential election . Stockton ran as Vice President ; however, there was no federal presidential candidate against incumbent James Monroe . His candidacy was practically without a chance from the start, as Daniel D. Tompkins was confirmed as Monroe's running mate . In the Electoral College , which votes separately on President and Vice President, he still received eight votes from Massachusetts . Richard Stockton was the last politician to run for the Federalist Party in a presidential election.

Web links

• Richard Stockton in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Richard Stockton in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• Richard Stockton at The Political Graveyard