Major John Patten (April 26, 1746 – December 26, 1800) was a United States farmer and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware.

Patten was commissioned a first lieutenant in Captain John Caldwell's 2nd Company of the 1st Delaware Regiment at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.

However, Henry Latimer, the Federal candidate contested the election, claiming that many ballots were invalid because they were filled out incorrectly.

After a lengthy study the Federalist majority in the U.S. House voted on February 14, 1794, to invalidate enough ballots to award the seat to Latimer.

Brought out of political retirement in 1800, Patten was defeated for the U.S. House seat by the incumbent Federalist James A. Bayard.