[1][2] Republican Matthew Quay was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, in the 1893 election.
Between January 18 and April 19, 1899, seventy-nine ballots were recorded in an attempt to elect a Senator.
Instead, the legislature adjourned sine die without electing a Senator due to a dispute between Sen. Quay's political machine and an anti-Quay faction within the Republican Party, along with Democratic Party opposition.
The Senate refused to recognize Quay's appointment, and the seat remained vacant until a Senator could be officially elected (which would ultimately be Quay himself, after a nearly two-year hiatus).
This incident, among others, would later be cited by supporters of the 17th Amendment, which mandated the direct election of U.S.