Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, the State Senators were elected on general tickets in the senatorial districts, and were then divided into four classes.

Under the determination by the Constitutional Convention, Senator Sir James Jay, whose seat was up for election, continued in office, as well as the assemblymen from Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond and Suffolk counties.

John Haring (Middle D.), and ex-assemblymen Henry Oothoudt and William B. Whiting (Western D.) were also elected to the Senate.

Ex-Assemblyman Thomas Palmer was elected in the Middle District to fill the vacancy caused by the expulsion of Ephraim Paine.

The seat of Sir James Jay was declared vacant when he joined the Loyalists, and at the end of the American Revolutionary War he went into exile in London.