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All 242 seats in the United States House of Representatives 122 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1840–41 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between July 6, 1840, and November 2, 1841. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives, before or after the first session of the 27th United States Congress convened on May 31, 1841. Elections were held for all 242 seats, representing 26 states.
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, IndependentofVirginia,[1][2][3] and Zadok Casey, Independent DemocratofIllinois.[4][5]
98 | 2 | 142 |
Democratic | [b] | Whig |
State | Type | Date | Total seats |
Democratic | Whig | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seats | Change | Seats | Change | ||||
Louisiana | Districts | July 6–8, 1840 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Missouri | At-large | August 3, 1840 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
Illinois | Districts | August 7, 1840 | 3 | 2[c] | 1 | ||
Vermont | Districts | September 4, 1840 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
Maine | Districts | September 14, 1840 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
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 | 4 | 12 | 4 |
Pennsylvania | District (25[d]) | October 13, 1840 | 28 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 8 |
New York | District (33[e]) | November 2–4, 1840 | 40 | 21 | 2 | 19 | 2 |
Connecticut | Districts | November 3, 1840 | 6 | 0 | 6 | ||
Michigan | At-large | November 3, 1840 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
New Jersey | At-large | November 3, 1840 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
Massachusetts | Districts | November 9, 1840 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
Delaware | At-large | November 10, 1840 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1841 elections | |||||||
New Hampshire | At-large | March 9, 1841 | 5 | 5 | 0 | ||
Rhode Island | At-large | April 21, 1841 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
Virginia[f] | Districts | April 23, 1841 | 21[f] | 10 | 2 | 10 | 3 |
Kentucky | Districts | April 26, 1841 | 13 | 2 | 11 | ||
Indiana | Districts | May 3, 1841 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
Tennessee | Districts | May 6, 1841 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
North Carolina | Districts | May 13, 1841 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
Maryland | District (7[g]) | May 17, 1841 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
Alabama | At-large[h] | May 20, 1841 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Mississippi | At-large | November 1–2, 1841 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
Total | 242 | 99[c] 40.9% |
26 | 142 59.5% |
33 |
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The previous election had two minor parties, the Anti-Masonic Party with 6 seats and the Conservative Party (ofVirginia) 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.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2020)
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This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2020)
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District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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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. |
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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. |
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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:
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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. |
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Arkansas at-large | Edward Cross | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent reelected. |
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See Non-voting delegates, below.
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Maine elected its members September 14, 1840.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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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. |
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Massachusetts held its elections November 9, 1840, but one district went to a second ballot on January 4, 1841.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Massachusetts 1 | |||||
Massachusetts 2 | |||||
Massachusetts 3 | |||||
Massachusetts 4 | William Parmenter | Democratic | 1836 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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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):
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Massachusetts 11 | |||||
Massachusetts 12 | John Quincy Adams | Whig | 1830 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Elections held late, from November 1 to 2, 1841.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Mississippi at-large (2 seats) |
Jacob Thompson | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Albert G. Brown | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Michigan at-large | Isaac E. Crary | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig gain. |
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Elections held late, on May 6, 1841.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Tennessee 1 | William B. Carter | Whig | 1835 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig hold. |
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Tennessee 2 | Abraham McClellan | Democratic | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 3 | Joseph L. Williams | Whig | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 4 | Julius W. Blackwell | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Whig gain. |
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Tennessee 5 | Hopkins L. Turney | Democratic | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 6 | William B. Campbell | Whig | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 7 | John Bell | Whig | 1827 | Incumbent retired to become Secretary of War. New member elected. Whig hold. |
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Tennessee 8 | Meredith P. Gentry | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 9 | Harvey M. Watterson | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 10 | Aaron V. Brown | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 11 | Cave Johnson | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 12 | John W. Crockett | Whig | 1837 | Incumbent retired to become Attorney General for the 9th district. New member elected. Whig hold. |
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Tennessee 13 | Kit Williams | Whig | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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See Non-voting delegates, below.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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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. |
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District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Florida Territory at-large | Charles Downing | Democratic | 1836 | Incumbent re-elected on an unknown date. |
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Iowa Territory at-large | Augustus C. Dodge | Democratic | 1840 | Incumbent re-elected August 6, 1841. |
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Wisconsin Territory at-large | James D. Doty | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent re-elected on an unknown date. |
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