1864 and 1865 United States House of Representatives elections

Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held in 1864 to elect Representatives to the 39th United States Congress. The election coincided with the presidential election of 1864, in which President Abraham Lincoln was re-elected.

1864 and 1865 United States House of Representatives elections
June 5, 1864 – November 7, 1865[lower-alpha 1]
All 193[lower-alpha 2] seats in the U.S. House of Representatives
97 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Schuyler Colfax James Brooks
Party National Union Democratic
Leader's seat Indiana-9th New York-8th
Last election 110 seats [lower-alpha 3] 72 seats
Seats won 150 33
Seat change 40 39
Popular vote 2,078,677 [lower-alpha 3] 1,631,393
Percentage 53.47% 41.97%
Swing 0.78% [lower-alpha 4] 3.14%
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Conservative Radical
Last election New Party New Party
Seats won 5 4
Seat change 5 4
Popular vote 84,998 54,008
Percentage 2.19% 1.39%
Swing New Party New Party
  Fifth party
 
Party Independent
Last election 2 seats
Seats won 1 [lower-alpha 5]
Seat change 1
Popular vote 41,360
Percentage 1.06%
Swing 0.50%
Speaker before election

Schuyler Colfax
Republican

 Elected Speaker

Schuyler Colfax
Republican

In the midst of the American Civil War, the opposition Democrats were divided between the Copperheads, a group that demanded an immediate negotiated settlement with the Confederate States of America, and the War Democrats, who supported the war. The Democrats lacked a coherent message, and Lincoln's Republican Party gained 50 seats, increasing their majority over the Democrats. The National Union Party (formerly known as the Unionists) lost seven seats, retaining control of 18 seats (some classify the Representatives as including 13 Unconditional Unionists and five Unionists), all from the border states of Maryland, Tennessee, and Kentucky, as well as West Virginia.

Election summaries

One new seat was added for the new State of Nevada[1] and 8 vacancies were filled by the readmission of Tennessee, the first secessionist state to be readmitted. Three former Confederate States held elections in 1865 that were rejected by Congress.

↓
38 137 18
Democratic Republican Unionist
State Type Date Total
seats		 Democratic Republican Unionist[lower-alpha 6]
Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change
Oregon At-large June 5, 1864 1 0 1 0
Vermont District September 6, 1864 3 0 3 0
Maine District September 11, 1864 5 0 1 5 1 0
Indiana District October 10, 1864 11 2 5 9 5 0
Nevada[lower-alpha 7] At-large 1 0 1 1 0
Ohio District 19 2 12 17 12 0
Pennsylvania District 24 8 4 16 4 0
West Virginia District October 22, 1864 3 0 0 3
California District[lower-alpha 8] November 8, 1864
(Election Day)[lower-alpha 9]		 3 0 3 0
Delaware At-large 1 1 0 0
Illinois District +
1 at-large		 14 3 6 11 6 0
Iowa District 6 0 6 0
Kansas At-large 1 0 1 0
Maryland District 5 2 1 0 3 1
Massachusetts District 10 0 10 0
Michigan District 6 0 1 6 1 0
Minnesota District 2 0 2 0
Missouri District 9 1 1 8[lower-alpha 5] 7 0 8
New Jersey District 5 3 1 2 1 0
New York District 31 10 7 21 7 0
Wisconsin District 6 1 2 5 2 0
Late elections (after the March 4, 1865 beginning of the term)
New Hampshire District March 14, 1865 3 0 1 3 1 0
Connecticut District April 3, 1865 4 0 1 4 1 0
Tennessee[lower-alpha 10] District August 3, 1865[lower-alpha 11] 8 0 0 8 8
Rhode Island District April 5, 1865 2 0 2 0
Kentucky District August 7, 1865 9 5 5 0 4 5
Nevada At-large November 7, 1865 1 0 1 0
Secessionist states not yet readmitted
Alabama District 6
Arkansas District 3
Florida At-large November 29, 1865[lower-alpha 12] 1
Georgia District 7
Louisiana District 5
Mississippi District October 2, 1865[lower-alpha 12] 5
North Carolina District November 9, 1865[lower-alpha 12] 7
South Carolina District 4
Texas District 4
Virginia District 8
Total[lower-alpha 2] 193
50 vacancies[lower-alpha 13]		 38
19.7%		 31 137[lower-alpha 5]
71.0%		 46 18
9.3%		 6
House seats
Democratic
 
 19.69%
Republican
 
 70.98%
Unionist
 
 9.33%

Of the rejected elections, Florida's and Mississippi's claimants' parties are unknown, while North Carolina elected 4 Union and 3 Conservative Representatives.

California
California elections
November 8, 1864
3 seats
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 3 0
Seats won 3 0
Seat change
Popular vote 62,039 43,045
Percentage 59.0% 41.0%
     Republican hold
Main article: 1864 United States House of Representatives elections in California
See also: List of United States Representatives from California

Note: This was the first election in which California elected representatives from congressional districts.

District Incumbent Party First
elected		 Result Candidates
California 1
New seat		 Cornelius Cole
Redistricted from the at-large district.		 Republican 1863 Unknown if incumbent retired or lost renomination.
New member elected.
California 2
New seat		 William Higby
Redistricted from the at-large district.		 Republican 1863 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y William Higby (Republican) 61.3%
  • James W. Coffroth (Democratic) 38.7%
California 3
New seat		 Thomas B. Shannon
Redistricted from the at-large district.		 Republican 1863 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
  • Y John Bidwell (Republican) 55.8%
  • Jackson Temple (Democratic) 44.2%

Nevada
See also: List of United States Representatives from Nevada

On October 31, 1864, the new state of Nevada elected Republican Henry G. Worthington to finish the term ending March 3, 1865.

District Incumbent Party First
elected		 Result Candidates
Nevada at-large New state New member elected October 31, 1864.
Republican gain.

Worthington was not renominated for the next term, however, and on November 7, 1865, Republican Delos R. Ashley was elected for the term that had already begun but would not formally meet until December 4, 1865.

District Incumbent Party First
elected		 Result Candidates
Nevada at-large Henry G. Worthington Republican 1864 (New state) Incumbent lost renomination.[2]
New member elected November 7, 1865.
Republican hold.

Ohio
See also: List of United States Representatives from Ohio

Ohio's delegation swung wildly from 14–5 Democratic to 17-2 Republican as 10 Democratic incumbents lost renomination or re-election.

District Incumbent Party First
elected		 Result Candidates[4]
Ohio 1 George H. Pendleton Democratic 1856 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Vice President.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 2 Alexander Long Democratic 1862 Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 3 Robert C. Schenck Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 4 John F. McKinney Democratic 1862 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 5 Francis C. Le Blond Democratic 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y Francis C. Le Blond (Democratic) 55.2%
  • Moses B. Walker (Republican) 44.8%
Ohio 6 Chilton A. White Democratic 1860 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 7 Samuel S. Cox Democratic 1862 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 8 William Johnston Democratic 1862 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 9 Warren P. Noble Democratic 1860 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 10 James M. Ashley Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 11 Wells A. Hutchins Democratic 1862 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 12 William E. Finck Democratic 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 13 John O'Neill Democratic 1862 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 14 George Bliss Democratic 1862 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
  • Y Martin Welker (Republican) 55.5%
  • George Bliss (Democratic) 44.5%
Ohio 15 James R. Morris Democratic 1862 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 16 Joseph W. White Democratic 1882 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 17 Ephraim R. Eckley Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 18 Rufus P. Spalding Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 19 James A. Garfield Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.

Wisconsin
See also: List of United States Representatives from Wisconsin

Wisconsin elected six members of congress on Election Day, November 8, 1864.[5]

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Wisconsin 1 James S. Brown Democratic 1862 Incumbent withdrew from election.
New member elected.
National Union gain.
Wisconsin 2 Ithamar Sloan Republican 1862 Incumbent won re-election on National Union ticket.
Republican hold.
Wisconsin 3 Amasa Cobb Republican 1862 Incumbent won re-election on National Union ticket.
Republican hold.
Wisconsin 4 Charles A. Eldredge Democratic 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Wisconsin 5 Ezra Wheeler Democratic 1862 Incumbent was not a candidate for re-election.
New member elected.
National Union gain.
Wisconsin 6 Walter D. McIndoe Republican 1862 Special Incumbent won re-election on National Union ticket.
Republican hold.

Non-voting members

Colorado Territory

Election date unknown.

District Incumbent This race
Representative Party First elected Results Candidates
Colorado Territory at-large Hiram Pitt Bennet 1861 Conservative Republican Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.

Montana Territory

The dates of the elections are speculative, but are presumed to be in 1864[6] and then 1865.[7]

District Incumbent This race
Representative Party First elected Results Candidates
Montana Territory at-large New seat New seat.
New delegate elected to the term ending March 3, 1865.
Democratic gain.
District Incumbent This race
Representative Party First elected Results Candidates
Montana Territory at-large Samuel McLean Democratic 1864 Incumbent re-elected to the term starting March 4, 1865.

See also

Notes
  1. Excludes states admitted after the start of Congress.
  2. Including late elections.
  3. Represents the combined results of the Republican and Unionist candidates in the last election cycle.
  4. In comparison to the combined results of the Republican and Unionist candidates in the last election cycle.
  5. Includes 1 Independent Republican, John R. Kelso, elected in MO-04.
  6. Including Unconditional Unionists.
  7. New state.
  8. Changed from at-large.
  9. Although "An Act to establish a uniform time for holding elections for electors of President and Vice President in all the States of the Union (28th Congress, 2nd Session, Chapter 1, 5 Stat. 721, enacted January 23, 1845) was only for presidential elections, the date was gradually adopted by the states for Congressional elections.
  10. Readmitted state.
  11. Not admitted until July 24, 1866.
  12. Rejected election.
  13. There were a total of 50 vacancies remaining, after the readmission of Tennessee.

References
  1. 14 Stat. 391
  2. History of Nevada, p. 87.
  3. History of Nevada, p. 88–89.
  4. Smith, Joseph P, ed. (1898). History of the Republican Party in Ohio. I. Chicago: the Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 195, 196.
  5. "Wisconsin U.S. House Election Results" (PDF). Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  6. "Our Campaigns - MT Territorial Delegate - Initial Election Race - Nov 08, 1864". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  7. "Our Campaigns - MT Territorial Delegate Race - Nov 07, 1865". www.ourcampaigns.com.

Bibliography
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