1848 and 1849 United States House of Representatives elections

Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 31st Congress were held at various dates in different states from August 1848 to November 1849.

1848 and 1849 U.S. House of Representatives elections

August 7, 1848 – November 6, 1849[lower-alpha 1]
All 233[lower-alpha 2] seats in the U.S. House of Representatives 117 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Howell Cobb Robert C. Winthrop Party Democratic Whig Leader's seat Georgia 6th Massachusetts 1st Last election 110 seats 116 seats Seats won 115[lower-alpha 2] 104 Seat change 5 12 Popular vote 1,212,632 1,231,320 Percentage 44.16% 44.84% Swing 4.27% 0.32%   Third party Fourth party   Party Free Soil Know Nothing Last election New Party 1 seats Seats won 8 1 Seat change 8 Popular vote 237,714 10,539 Percentage 8.66% 0.38% Swing 5.57%[lower-alpha 3] 0.83%   Fifth party   Party Independent Last election 2 seats[lower-alpha 4] Seats won 3[lower-alpha 5] Seat change 1 Popular vote 48,223 Percentage 1.76% Swing 0.98%
Speaker before election Robert C. Winthrop Whig Elected Speaker Howell Cobb Democratic

These elections spanned the presidential election of 1848 and took place amid the U.S. victory over Mexico in the (1846–48) Mexican–American War. The Whigs lost their House majority as Democrats, whose support had driven the war, gained a House plurality. Among minor parties, the Free Soil Party won nine Northern seats, while the American or "Know Nothing" Party retained one.

Following the discovery of gold in January 1848, California boomed, creating immediate pressure for statehood. The Compromise of 1850, though largely crafted in the Senate, was also passed by the House, brokering its admission to the Union. Anticipating statehood, California elected two Representatives at-large on November 11, 1849, to be seated September 11, 1850.

As neither major party held a majority when Congress convened on December 3, 1849, the election of a Speaker proved contentious. The Whigs split, with Northern Whigs nominating incumbent speaker Robert C. Winthrop of Massachusetts and Southern Whigs supporting Meredith P. Gentry of Tennessee. Although Democrats primarily supported Howell Cobb of Georgia, over a dozen other candidates also garnered support. Anti-slavery Free Soilers supported David Wilmot of Pennsylvania, author of the Wilmot Proviso, calling attention to Slave Power's hold over both major parties. After nearly three weeks of heated debate, the House suspended its majority rule for the Speaker election. Cobb was elected on the 63rd ballot by plurality.[1]

Election summaries

Wisconsin was apportioned an additional seat in 1848,[2] and two more seats were added for the new state of California.[3]

↓

113	11	108
Democratic	[lower-alpha 6]	Whig

State	Type	Date	Total seats	Democratic		Free Soil		Whig		Other
				Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Arkansas	At-large	August 7, 1848	1	1		0		0		0
Illinois	District	August 7, 1848	7	6		0		1		0
Iowa	District	August 7, 1848	2	2		0		0		0
Missouri	District	August 7, 1848	5	5		0		0		0
Vermont	District	September 5, 1848	4	1		0		3		0
Maine	District	September 11, 1848	7	5	1	0		2	1	0
Florida	At-large	October 2, 1848	1	0		0		1		0
Georgia	District	October 2, 1848	8	4		0		4		0
South Carolina	District	October 9–10, 1848	7	7		0		0		0
Ohio	District	October 10, 1848	21	11	1	2	2	8	3	0
Pennsylvania	District	October 10, 1848	24	9	2	1	1	13	3	1[lower-alpha 7]
Delaware	At-large	November 6, 1848	1	0		0		1		0
Michigan	District	November 7, 1848 (Election Day)[lower-alpha 8]	3	2	1	0		1	1	0
New Jersey	District		5	1		0		4		0
New York	District		34	1	10	1	1	32	9	0
Wisconsin	District		3[lower-alpha 9]	1	1	1	1	1	1	0
Massachusetts	District	November 13, 1848	10[lower-alpha 10]	0		1	1	8	2	0
1849 elections
New Hampshire	District	March 13, 1849	4	2		1	1	1		0	1[lower-alpha 11]
Connecticut	District	April 2, 1849	4	2	2	1	1	1	3	0
Rhode Island	District	April 4, 1849	2	0	1	0		2	1	0
Virginia	District	April 26, 1849	15	13	4	0		2	4	0
Tennessee	District	August 2, 1849	11	7	1	0		4	1	0
Alabama	District	August 6, 1849	7	5		0		2		0
Indiana	District	August 6, 1849	10	8	2	1	1	1	3	0
Kentucky	District	August 6, 1849	10	4		0		6		0
Texas	District	August 6, 1849	2	2		0		0		0
North Carolina	District	August 7, 1849	9	3		0		6		0
Maryland	District	October 3, 1849	6	3	1	0		3	1	0
Louisiana	District	November 5, 1849	4	3		0		1		0
Mississippi	District	November 5–6, 1849	4	4	1	0		0	1	0
California	At-large	November 11, 1849[lower-alpha 12]	2	1	1	0		0		1[lower-alpha 13]	1
Total[lower-alpha 2]			233	113 48.7%	1	9 3.9%	9	108 46.6%	8	2 0.9%

House seats Democratic   48.71% Free Soil   3.88% Know Nothing   0.43% Whig   46.55% Others   0.43%

Special elections

• New York 27
• Ohio 6: 1849
• South Carolina 1
• Wisconsin Territory at-large: October 30, 1848

Alabama

See also: List of United States Representatives from Alabama

Arkansas

See also: List of United States Representatives from Arkansas

California

See also: List of United States Representatives from California

California two at-large members were elected November 11, 1849 in anticipation of statehood and seated September 11, 1850.

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
California at-large 2 seats on a general ticket	None			New seat. New member elected. Independent gain.	Y George W. Wright (Independent) 22% Y Edward Gilbert (Democratic) 20.6% Rodman M. Price 16.3% P. A. Morse 8.3% Lewis Dent 8.2% E. J. C. Kewen 7.3% W. M. Sheppard 7.2% William E. Shannon 5.4% Peter Halsted 2.4% L. W. Hastings 0.9% Pierson B. Reading 0.7% W. H. Russell 0.4% J. S. Thompson 0.3% Kimball H. Dimmick 0.2%
	None			New seat. New member elected. Democratic gain.

Connecticut

See also: List of United States Representatives from Connecticut

Delaware

See also: List of United States Representatives from Delaware

Florida

Main article: 1848 United States House of Representatives election in Florida

See also: List of United States Representatives from Florida

Florida's single at-large member was elected October 2, 1848.

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Florida at-large	Edward C. Cabell	Whig	1846	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Edward C. Cabell (Whig) 53.5% William Pope Duval (Democratic) 46.5%

Georgia

See also: List of United States Representatives from Georgia

Illinois

See also: List of United States Representatives from Illinois

Indiana

See also: List of United States Representatives from Indiana

Iowa

See also: List of United States Representatives from Iowa

Kentucky

See also: List of United States Representatives from Kentucky

Louisiana

See also: List of United States Representatives from Louisiana

Maine

See also: List of United States Representatives from Maine

Maryland

See also: List of United States Representatives from Maryland

Massachusetts

See also: List of United States Representatives from Massachusetts

Mississippi

See also: List of United States Representatives from Mississippi

Missouri

See also: List of United States Representatives from Missouri

New Hampshire

See also: List of United States Representatives from New Hampshire

New Jersey

See also: List of United States Representatives from New Jersey

New York

See also: List of United States Representatives from New York

North Carolina

See also: List of United States Representatives from North Carolina

Ohio

See also: List of United States Representatives from Ohio

Pennsylvania

See also: List of United States Representatives from Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

See also: List of United States Representatives from Rhode Island

South Carolina

See also: List of United States Representatives from South Carolina

Tennessee

See also: List of United States Representatives from Tennessee

Texas

See also: List of United States Representatives from Texas

Vermont

See also: List of United States Representatives from Vermont

Virginia

See also: List of United States Representatives from Virginia

Wisconsin

See also: List of United States Representatives from Wisconsin

Wisconsin members were first elected in advance of its June 1848 statehood. It elected two members to finish the current term in the 30th Congress, and then it gained an elected an additional member for elections to the 31st Congress.

30th Congress

Wisconsin's two members were elected May 8, 1848.

District	Incumbent			This race
	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
Wisconsin 1	New seat			New seat. New member elected May 8, 1848. Democratic gain.	Y William Pitt Lynde (Democratic) 54.89% Edward V. Whiton (Whig) 41.23% Ichabod Cotting (Liberty) 3.89%[4]
Wisconsin 2	New seat			New seat. New member elected May 8, 1848. Democratic gain.	Y Mason C. Darling (Democratic) 58.38% Alexander L. Collins (Whig) 41.21%[5]

31st Congress

Wisconsin's three members were elected November 7, 1848.

District	Incumbent			This race
	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates[6]
Wisconsin 1	William Pitt Lynde	Democratic	1848	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Free Soil gain.	Y Charles Durkee (Free Soil) 38.49% William Pitt Lynde (Democratic) 33.89% Asahel Finch Jr. (Whig) 27.62%
Wisconsin 2	Mason C. Darling	Democratic	1848	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig gain.	Y Orsamus Cole (Whig) 45.23% A. Hyatt Smith (Democratic) 40.97% George W. Crabb (Free Soil) 13.80%[7]
Wisconsin 3	New seat			New seat. New member elected. Democratic gain.	Y James Duane Doty (Democratic) 50.34% Timothy O. Howe (Whig) 29.25% Stoddard Judd (Free Soil) 20.41%[8]

Non-voting delegates

District	Incumbent			This race
	Delegate	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
Minnesota Territory	None. New territory			New seat. New delegate elected July 7, 1849. Democratic gain.	Y Henry Hastings Sibley (Democratic) [data unknown/missing]

See also

• 1848 United States elections
  • List of United States House of Representatives elections, 1824–54
  • 1848 United States presidential election
  • 1848 and 1849 United States Senate elections
• 30th United States Congress
• 31st United States Congress

Notes

1. Excludes states admitted during the 31st Congress
2. Includes late elections
3. In comparison to its precursor, the Liberty Party, in the last election cycle.
4. Includes two Independent Democrats.
5. Includes one Independent, one Independent Whig, and one Anti-Rent Whig.
6. There were 9 Free Soilers, 1 Know Nothing, and 1 Independent.
7. 1 Know Nothing
8. In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform date for choosing presidential electors (see: Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721). Congressional elections were unaffected by this law, but the date was gradually adopted by the states for Congressional elections as well.
9. Increase of 1 seat.
10. One vacancy, in MA-04, for the duration of the 31st Congress (as no candidate received a majority of the vote after multiple elections).
11. Previous election had 1 Independent.
12. Seated September 11, 1850 after admission to the Union.
13. 1 Independent elected.

References

1. Brooks, Corey M. (2016). Liberty Power: Antislavery Third Parties and the Transformation of American Politics. University of Chicago Press. pp. 155–160. ISBN 978-0-226-30728-2. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
2. 9 Stat. 235
3. 9 Stat. 452
4. "Our Campaigns - WI District 01 Race - Mar 13, 1848". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
5. "Our Campaigns - WI District 2 Race - Mar 13, 1848". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
6. "Election 1848". Potosi Republican. December 7, 1848. p. 2. Retrieved May 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Our Campaigns - WI District 2 Race - Nov 07, 1848". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
8. "Our Campaigns - WI District 3 Race - Nov 07, 1848". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 23, 2020.

Bibliography

• Dubin, Michael J. (March 1, 1998). United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses. McFarland and Company. ISBN 978-0786402830.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (January 1, 1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0029201701.
• Moore, John L., ed. (1994). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (Third ed.). Congressional Quarterly Inc. ISBN 978-0871879967.
• "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015.

External links

• Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)