Contents

1844–45 United States House of Representatives elections

House elections for the 29th U.S. Congress

1844–45 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1842 & 1843 July 1, 1844 – November 4, 1845[a] 1846 & 1847 →
All 228[b][c] seats in the United States House of Representatives 115 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader John Davis Samuel Finley Vinton Party Democratic Whig Leader's seat Indiana 6th Ohio 12th Last election 147 seats 72 seats Seats won 142[b] 79 Seat change 5 7 Popular vote 1,276,980 1,143,305 Percentage 50.02% 44.79% Swing 1.25% 0.62%   Third party Fourth party   Party Know Nothing Law and Order Last election Pre-creation 2 seats Seats won 6 0 Seat change 6 2 Popular vote 53,413 3,030 Percentage 2.09% 0.12% Swing New Party 0.23%   Fifth party   Party Independent Last election 2 seats[d] Seats won 0 Seat change 2 Popular vote 31,961 Percentage 1.25% Swing 0.81%
Results:      Democratic hold      Democratic gain      Whig hold      Whig gain      Know Nothing gain
Speaker before election John Jones Democratic Elected Speaker John Davis Democratic

The 1844–45 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between July 1, 1844, and November 4, 1845. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives. 224 elected members representing 27 states took their seats when the first session of the 29th United States Congress convened on December 1, 1845. The new state of Florida elected its first representative during this election cycle, while one vacancy in New Hampshire's delegation remained unfilled for the duration of the 29th Congress.

The House elections spanned the 1844 presidential election, won by dark horse Democratic candidate James K. Polk, who advocated territorial expansion.

Democrats lost six seats but retained a large majority over the rival Whigs. The new American Party, based on the nativist "Know Nothing" movement characterized by opposition to immigration and anti-Catholicism, gained six seats.

Election summaries[edit]

One seat was added for the new State of Florida.^[3] Texas and Iowa were admitted during this next Congress, but their initial elections were held in 1846.

State	Type	Date	Total seats	Democratic		Know Nothing		Whig
				Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Louisiana	District	July 1–3, 1844	4	3	1	0		1	1
Illinois	District	August 5, 1844	7	6		0		1
Missouri	At-large	August 5, 1844	5	5		0		0
Georgia	District[f]	August 7, 1844	8	4	4	0		4	4
Vermont	District	September 3, 1844	4	1		0		3
Maine	District	September 9, 1844	7	6	1	0		1	1
Arkansas	At-large	October 8, 1844	1	1		0		0
Ohio	District	October 8, 1844	21	13	1	0		8	1
Pennsylvania	District	October 8, 1844	24	12		2	2	10	2
New Jersey	District	October 9, 1844	5	1	3	0		4	3
South Carolina	District	October 14–15, 1844	7	7		0		0
Michigan	District	November 5, 1844	3	3		0		0
Massachusetts	District	November 11, 1844	10	0	2	0		10	2
New York	District	November 11, 1844	34	21	3	4	4	9	1
Delaware	At-large	November 12, 1844	1	0		0		1
Late electionsfter the March 4, 1845 beginning of term
New Hampshire	At-large	March 11, 1845	4[c]	3	1	0		0
Rhode Island	District	April 2, 1845	2	0		0		2	2[g]
Connecticut	District	April 7, 1845	4	0	4	0		4	4
Virginia	District	April 24, 1845	15	14	2	0		1	2
Florida[h]	At-large	May 26, 1845	1	1	1	0		0
Alabama	District	August 4, 1845	7	6		0		1
Indiana	District	August 4, 1845	10	8		0		2
Kentucky	District	August 4, 1845	10	3	1	0		7	2
North Carolina	District	August 7, 1845	9	6	1	0		3	1
Tennessee	District	August 7, 1845	11	6		0		5
Maryland	District	October 1, 1845	6	4	4	0		2	4
Mississippi	At-large	November 3–4, 1845	4	4		0		0
Total			224[b][c]	142 62.6%	6	6 2.6%	6	79 34.8%	6

Special elections[edit]

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• Louisiana's 4th district

Alabama[edit]

Elections were held August 4, 1845, after the March 4, 1845 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1845.

Arkansas[edit]

The election was held October 8, 1844.

Connecticut[edit]

Elections were held April 7, 1845, after the March 4, 1845 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1845.

Delaware[edit]

The election was held November 12, 1844.

Florida[edit]

The election was held May 26, 1845.

Georgia[edit]

Elections were held August 7, 1844.

Illinois[edit]

Elections were held August 5, 1844.

Indiana[edit]

Elections were held August 4, 1845, after the March 4, 1845 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1845.

Iowa Territory[edit]

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Kentucky[edit]

Elections were held August 4, 1845, after the March 4, 1845 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1845.

Louisiana[edit]

Elections were held July 1–3, 1844.

Maine[edit]

Elections were held September 9, 1844.

Maryland[edit]

Late elections to the 28th Congress[edit]

Maryland elected its members to the 28th Congress on February 14, 1844, after that Congress had already convened in 1843 and long after the 1842–1843 election cycle.

Regular elections to the 29th Congress[edit]

Maryland's October 1, 1845 elections were after the March 4, 1845 beginning of the new term, but still before the Congress convened in December 1845.

Massachusetts[edit]

Elections were held November 11, 1844. At least one district, however, had multiple ballots stretching into 1846.

Michigan[edit]

Elections were held November 5, 1844.

Mississippi[edit]

Elections were held November 3–4, 1845, after the March 4, 1845 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1845.

District	Incumbent			This race
	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
Mississippi at-large (4 seats)	Jacob Thompson	Democratic	1839	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Jacob Thompson (Democratic) 16.81% ▌Y Jefferson Davis (Democratic) 16.63% ▌Y Stephen Adams (Democratic) 16.42% ▌Y Robert W. Roberts (Democratic) 16.17% ▌Patrick W. Tompkins (Whig) 11.05% ▌Peter B. Starke (Whig) 10.64% ▌Walker Brooke (Whig) 10.40% Scattering 1.89%[23]
	William H. Hammett	Democratic	1843	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	Robert W. Roberts	Democratic	1843	Incumbent re-elected.
	Tilghman Tucker	Democratic	1843	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.

Missouri[edit]

Elections were held at-large on a general ticket August 5, 1844.

District	Incumbent			This race
	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
Missouri at-large 5 seats					(Elected on a general ticket) ▌Y John S. Phelps (Democratic) 12.02% ▌Y James B. Bowlin (Democratic) 11.84% ▌Y James H. Relfe (Democratic) 11.84% ▌Y Sterling Price (Democratic) 11.72% ▌Y Leonard H. Sims (Democratic) 9.43% ▌Thomas B. Hudson (Whig) 9.43% ▌John Thornton (Whig) 9.24% ▌Ratliff Boon (Whig) 9.10% ▌Augustus Jones (Whig) 9.09% ▌D. C. Parsons (Democratic) 6.29%[24]

New Hampshire[edit]

Elections were held at-large on a general ticket March 11, 1845, after the March 4, 1845 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1845.

New Jersey[edit]

Elections were held October 9, 1844.

New York[edit]

Elections were held November 11, 1844.

North Carolina[edit]

Elections were held August 7, 1845, after the March 4, 1845 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1845.

Ohio[edit]

Elections were held October 8, 1844.

Pennsylvania[edit]

Elections were held October 8, 1844.

Rhode Island[edit]

Elections were held April 2, 1845, after the March 4, 1845 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1845.

South Carolina[edit]

Elections were held October 14–15, 1844.

Tennessee[edit]

Elections were held August 7, 1845.

Vermont[edit]

Elections were held September 3, 1844.

Virginia[edit]

Elections were held April 24, 1845, after the March 4, 1845 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1845.

Wisconsin Territory[edit]

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Non-voting delegates[edit]

See also[edit]

• 1844 United States elections
  • List of United States House of Representatives elections (1824–1854)
  • 1844 United States presidential election
  • 1844–45 United States Senate elections
• 28th United States Congress
• 29th United States Congress

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• 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[edit]

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