3, 1815. Though a Federalist, opposing War with Great Britain, he voted with the Republican party in declaring War. He was a Presidential Elector in 1816, casting his vote for James Monroe (1758–1831). He later broke with the Federalist party and by the time of the next election he was a Democratic-Republican, in which he was elected to another term in the House of Representatives from March 4, 1819, until he resigned on January 6, 1826. In his second tenure in Congress, Kent continued as chairman of the Committee on the District of Columbia. Governor of Maryland Joseph was elected Governor of Maryland in 1826. The primary goal of Kent's administration as governor was to work toward internal improvements. He was in support of improving internal transportation, including expanding the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The immense cost of these projects, however, were never fully repudiated until several decades after Kent's administration, and placed the state under immense financial burden for many years aftwards. Other areas of interest for Kent included prison reform, separating presidential voting into districts, and for increased funding for schools and colleges. He also sought to improve the maintenance of the state's records, "so indispensably necessary to its correct history" as he said. Second marriage Joseph married Alice Lee Contee (1803–1868) on July 8, 1828, at "Bromont", near Newburg, Charles Co., Maryland. Alice was born at "Bromont", near Newburg, Charles Co., Maryland. She died August 24, 1868. Alice was the a first cousin of Joseph's first wife, Eleanor Lee Contee Wallace (1782–1826). Alice was the daughter of Capt. Benjamin Contee, Rev., Hon. (1755–1815) and Sarah Russell Lee (1766–1810). United States Senate and later life Kent was elected as a Republican (later Whig) to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1833, until his death at his home, "Rosemount," near Bladensburg. He served as chairman of the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia (Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Congresses). As senator, Kent was opposed to the Bank of the United States, and offered a resolution asking for negotiations with France regarding lower tobacco prices and restricting the importing of tobacco. However, although this resolution passed, it was not widely popular. Due to ill health, Kent attended only four sessions of the Senate, and died in 1837 as a result of a fall from his horse. He is buried in an unmarked