1840 and 1841 United States House of Representatives elections
Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 27th Congress were held at various dates in different states from July 1840 to November 1841.
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All 242 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives 122 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In a Whig wave, voters gave the Whig Party a House majority for the first time. Most Americans experienced the Panic of 1837 as a severe economic downturn. Its perceived mishandling by Democratic President Martin Van Buren fueled new support for alternative economic policies favored by Whigs of which voters had previously been skeptical. Collapse of the Anti-Masonic Party in the late 1830s also drove some third-party incumbents into the Whig Party. Newly elected members included Robert M. T. Hunter, Independent of Virginia,[1][2][3] and Zadok Casey, Independent Democrat of Illinois.[4][5]
Election summaries
98 | 2 | 142 |
Democratic | [lower-alpha 2] | Whig |
State | Type | Date | Total seats |
Democratic | Whig | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seats | Change | Seats | Change | ||||
Louisiana | Districts | July 6–8, 1840 | 3 | 1 | ![]() |
2 | ![]() |
Missouri | At-large | August 3, 1840 | 2 | 2 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
Illinois | Districts | August 7, 1840 | 3 | 2[lower-alpha 3] | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
Vermont | Districts | September 4, 1840 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
5 | ![]() |
Maine | Districts | September 14, 1840 | 8 | 4 | ![]() |
4 | ![]() |
Arkansas | At-large | October 5, 1840 | 1 | 1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
Georgia | At-large | October 6, 1840 | 9 | 0 | ![]() |
9 | ![]() |
South Carolina | Districts | October 12–13, 1840 | 9 | 8 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
Ohio | Districts | October 13, 1840 | 19 | 7 | ![]() |
12 | ![]() |
Pennsylvania | District (25[lower-alpha 4]) | October 13, 1840 | 28 | 15 | ![]() |
13 | ![]() |
New York | District (33[lower-alpha 5]) | November 2–4, 1840 | 40 | 21 | ![]() |
19 | ![]() |
Connecticut | Districts | November 3, 1840 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
6 | ![]() |
Michigan | At-large | November 3, 1840 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
New Jersey | At-large | November 3, 1840 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
6 | ![]() |
Massachusetts | Districts | November 9, 1840 | 12 | 1 | ![]() |
11 | ![]() |
Delaware | At-large | November 10, 1840 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
1841 elections | |||||||
New Hampshire | At-large | March 9, 1841 | 5 | 5 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
Rhode Island | At-large | April 21, 1841 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
2 | ![]() |
Virginia[lower-alpha 6] | Districts | April 23, 1841 | 21[lower-alpha 6] | 10 | ![]() |
10 | ![]() |
Kentucky | Districts | April 26, 1841 | 13 | 2 | ![]() |
11 | ![]() |
Indiana | Districts | May 3, 1841 | 7 | 1 | ![]() |
6 | ![]() |
Tennessee | Districts | May 6, 1841 | 13 | 5 | ![]() |
8 | ![]() |
North Carolina | Districts | May 13, 1841 | 13 | 5 | ![]() |
8 | ![]() |
Maryland | District (7[lower-alpha 7]) | May 17, 1841 | 8 | 2 | ![]() |
6 | ![]() |
Alabama | At-large[lower-alpha 8] | May 20, 1841 | 5 | 5 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
Mississippi | At-large | November 1–2, 1841 | 2 | 2 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
Total | 242 | 99[lower-alpha 3] 40.9% |
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142 59.5% |
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The previous election had two minor parties, the Anti-Masonic Party with 6 seats and the Conservative Party (of Virginia) with 2 seats, both of which disappeared in this election.
The 1st session of the 27th Congress began May 31, 1841, before Mississippi had elected Representatives, leaving that State unrepresented until the 2nd session.
Special elections
26th Congress
- Connecticut's 2nd congressional district: 1840
- Georgia's at-large congressional district: January 1841 (one of the at-large seat)
- Indiana's 7th congressional district: 1840
- Massachusetts's 6th congressional district: 1840
- Ohio's 4th congressional district: 1840
- Pennsylvania's 22nd congressional district: 1840
- Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district: 1840
27th Congress
- Maine's 4th congressional district: 1841
- Massachusetts's 5th congressional district: 1841
- Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district: 1841
- Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district: 1841
- Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district: 1841
- Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district (again): 1841
- Pennsylvania's 20th congressional district: 1841
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
New York 26 | Francis Granger | Whig | 1838 | Incumbent resigned March 5, 1841 to become U.S. Postmaster General. New member elected May 13, 1841. Whig hold. Successor seated May 21, 1841. |
|
New York 26 | John Greig | Whig | 1841 (Special) | Incumbent resigned September 25, 1841. New member elected November 3, 1841. Whig hold. Successor seated November 27, 1841. |
|
Georgia at-large (Three of the at-large seats) |
William C. Dawson | Whig | 1836 (Special) | Incumbent resigned November 13, 1841 to run for Governor of Georgia. New member elected December 21, 1841. Democratic gain. |
Elected on a general ticket:
|
Eugenius A. Nisbet | Whig | 1838 | Incumbent resigned October 12, 1841. New member elected December 21, 1841. Democratic gain. | ||
Julius Caesar Alford | Whig | 1838 | Incumbent resigned October 1, 1841. New member elected December 21, 1841. Democratic gain. |
Florida Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Iowa Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Maine
Maine elected its members September 14, 1840.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Maine 1 | |||||
Maine 2 | |||||
Maine 3 | |||||
Maine 4 | |||||
Maine 5 | |||||
Maine 6 | |||||
Maine 7 | |||||
Maine 8 | Thomas Davee | Democratic | 1836 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig gain. |
|
Massachusetts
Massachusetts held its elections November 9, 1840, but one district went to a second ballot on January 4, 1841.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Massachusetts 1 | |||||
Massachusetts 2 | |||||
Massachusetts 3 | |||||
Massachusetts 4 | William Parmenter | Democratic | 1836 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Massachusetts 5 | |||||
Massachusetts 6 | |||||
Massachusetts 7 | |||||
Massachusetts 8 | |||||
Massachusetts 9 | |||||
Massachusetts 10 | Henry Williams | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected on the second ballot. Whig gain. |
First ballot (November 9, 1840):
Second ballot (January 4, 1841):
|
Massachusetts 11 | |||||
Massachusetts 12 | John Quincy Adams | Whig | 1830 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Wisconsin Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Non-voting delegates
26th Congress
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Iowa Territory at-large | William W. Chapman | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent's term expired by law. New delegate elected in 1840. Democratic hold. |
|
27th Congress
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Florida Territory at-large | Charles Downing | Democratic | 1836 | Incumbent re-elected on an unknown date. |
|
Iowa Territory at-large | Augustus C. Dodge | Democratic | 1840 | Incumbent re-elected August 6, 1841. |
|
Wisconsin Territory at-large | James D. Doty | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent re-elected on an unknown date. |
|
See also
Notes
- Includes one Independent from Virginia, and one Independent Democrat from Illinois.
- There was 1 Independent and 1 Independent Democrat.
- Including one Independent Democrat elected to Illinois's 2nd congressional district.
- Includes 3 plural districts
- Includes 5 plural districts
- Robert M. T. Hunter was elected as an Independent in Virginia's 9th congressional district, and so is not included in the figures here. Hunter had previously run in earlier elections as a Whig.
- Includes 1 plural district
- Changed from district
References
- Dubin 1998, p. 129.
- Martis 1989, p. 98.
- CQGuide, p. 974.
- Dubin 1998, p. 128.
- Martis 1989, p. 96.
- "Our Campaigns - NY District 26 - Special Election Race - May 11, 1841". OurCampaigns.com.
- "Our Campaigns - NY District 26 - Special Election Race - Nov 01, 1841". OurCampaigns.com.
- "Our Campaigns - GA At-Large - Special Election Race - Dec 21, 1841". OurCampaigns.com. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=718376
- "Our Campaigns - MA District 4 Race - Nov 09, 1840". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- "Our Campaigns - MA District 10 - 1st Trial Race - Nov 09, 1840". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- "Our Campaigns - MA District 10 - 2nd Trial Race - Jan 04, 1841". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- "Our Campaigns - MA District 12 Race - Nov 09, 1840". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- Pelzer, Louis (1908). Shambaugh, Benjamin F. (ed.). "The Early Democratic Party of Iowa". Iowa Journal of History and Politics. Iowa City, Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa. p. 15. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- Pelzer, Louis (1908). Shambaugh, Benjamin F. (ed.). "The Early Democratic Party of Iowa". Iowa Journal of History and Politics. Iowa City, Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa. p. 16. Retrieved December 18, 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)