Contents

1850–51 United States House of Representatives elections

House elections for the 32nd U.S. Congress

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Clean up and add the results to the Tables for each state. Please help improve this article if you can. (December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

1850–51 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1848 & 1849 August 5, 1850 – November 4, 1851 1852 & 1853 →
All 233 seats in the United States House of Representatives 117 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Linn Boyd Edward Stanly Party Democratic Whig Leader's seat Kentucky 1st North Carolina 8th Last election 113 seats 106 seats Seats won 120 82 Seat change 7 24 Popular vote 1,142,783 1,105,286 Percentage 43.31% 41.89% Swing 0.85% 2.95%   Third party Fourth party   Party Unionist Southern Rights Last election Pre-creation Pre-creation Seats won 15[a] 8[b] Seat change 15 8 Popular vote 123,727 109,060 Percentage 4.69% 4.13% Swing New Party New Party   Fifth party Sixth party   Party Free Soil Independent Last election 8 seats 3 seats Seats won 4 4[c] Seat change 4 1 Popular vote 82,221 70,262 Percentage 3.12% 2.79% Swing 5.54% 1.03%
Speaker before election Howell Cobb Democratic Elected Speaker Linn Boyd Democratic

The 1850–51 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between August 5, 1850, and November 4, 1851. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 32nd United States Congress convened on December 1, 1851. Elections were held for all 233 seats, representing 31 states.

The Democrats gained 17 seats, increasing their majority relative to the rival Whigs, who lost 22 seats. Incumbent Whig President Millard Fillmore, who succeeded to the Presidency in July 1850 after the death of more charismatic General Zachary Taylor, lacked a strong political base. The Compromise of 1850, which admitted California alone as a free state in exchange for concessions to slave state interests, began integration of the Mexican Cession. It appeared in the short term that Congress had politically feasible options to contain sectionalism and to reduce tensions over expanding slavery in the West. This optimism soon would prove unfounded.

The Unionist Party, formed in support of the Compromise of 1850, gained 10 seats in the South, as did the States' Rights Party. The Free Soil Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery into the Western territories, lost five seats and was reduced to four Representatives, all in New England.

Election summaries[edit]

State	Type	Date	Total seats	Democratic		Free Soil		Southern Rights		Unionist		Whig
				Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Iowa	District	August 5, 1850	2	2		0		0		0		0
Missouri	District	August 5, 1850	5	2	3	0		0		0		3	3
Vermont	District	September 3, 1850	4	1		0		0		0		3
Maine	District	September 9, 1850	7	5		0		0		0		2
Florida	At-large	October 7, 1850	1	0		0		0		0		1
Ohio	District	October 8, 1850	21	11[f]		1	1	0		0		9	1
Pennsylvania	District	October 8, 1850	24[g]	15	6	0	1	0		0		9	4
South Carolina	District	October 14–15, 1850	7	7		0		0		0		0
Illinois	District	November 5, 1850 (Election Day)[h]	7	6		0		0		0		1
Michigan	District		3	1	1	0		0		0		2	1
New Jersey	District		5	4	3	0		0		0		1	3
New York	District		34	17	16	0	1	0		0		17	15
Wisconsin	District		3	2[f]	1	1		0		0		0	1
Massachusetts	District	November 11, 1850	10[i]	1	1	2	1	0		0		7	1
Delaware	At-large	November 12, 1850	1	1	1	0		0		0		0	1
Late elections (after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term)
New Hampshire	District	March 11, 1851	4	2		0	1	0		0		2	1
Rhode Island	District	April 2, 1851	2	1	1	0		0		0		1	1
Connecticut	District	April 7, 1851	4	3	1	0	1	0		0		1
Alabama	District	August 4, 1851	7	4	1	0		0		1	1	2
Arkansas	At-large	August 4, 1851	1	1		0		0		0		0
Indiana	District	August 4, 1851	10	8		0	1	0		0		2	1
Kentucky	District	August 4, 1851	10	5	1	0		0		0		5	1
Texas	District	August 4, 1851	2	2		0		0		0		0
North Carolina	District	August 7, 1851	9	3		0		0		0		6
Tennessee	District	August 7, 1851	11	7[f]		0		0		0		4
California	At-large	September 3, 1851	2[j]	2	1	0		0		0		0
Maryland	District	October 1, 1851	6	2	1	0		0		0		4[k]	1
Georgia	District	October 6, 1851	8	0	4	0		2	2	6	6	0	4
Virginia	District	October 23, 1851	15	13		0		0		0		2
Mississippi	District	November 3–4, 1851	4	0	4	0		1	1	3	3	0
Louisiana	District	November 4, 1851	4	2	1	0		0		0		2	1
Total			233	130[l] 55.8%	17	4 1.7%	5	3 1.3%	3	10 4.3%	10	86[k] 36.9%	22

One district in Massachusetts had been vacant in the 31st Congress. No new seats were added.

The previous election had 1 Know-Nothing and 1 Independent.

Special elections[edit]

31st Congress[edit]

• Iowa's 1st congressional district: 1850
• New Hampshire's 3rd congressional district: 1850
• Ohio's 6th congressional district: 1851
• Louisiana's 3rd congressional district: 1850
• Massachusetts's 1st congressional district: 1850

32nd Congress[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2020)

Alabama[edit]

Elections were held August 4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

Arkansas[edit]

The election was held August 4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

California[edit]

California's members were elected late, at-large statewide, September 3, 1851. There were nevertheless seated with the rest of the House at the beginning of the first session.

District	Incumbent			This race
	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
California at-large 2 seats	George W. Wright	Independent	1849	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.	(Elected on a general ticket) ▌Y Edward C. Marshall (Democratic) 27.16% ▌Y Joseph W. McCorkle (Democratic) 26.77% ▌Edward J. Kewen (Whig) 23.70% ▌Benjamin J. Moore (Whig) 22.37%[3]
	Edward Gilbert	Democratic	1849	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.

Connecticut[edit]

Elections were held April 7, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

Delaware[edit]

The election was held November 12, 1850.

Florida[edit]

The election was held October 7, 1850.

Georgia[edit]

Elections were held October 6, 1851.

Illinois[edit]

Elections were held November 5, 1850.

Indiana[edit]

Elections were held August 4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

Iowa[edit]

Elections were held August 5, 1850.

Kentucky[edit]

Elections were held August 4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

Louisiana[edit]

Elections were held November 4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

Maine[edit]

Elections were held September 9, 1850.

Maryland[edit]

Elections were held October 1, 1851 elections were after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the new term, but still before the Congress convened in December 1851.

Massachusetts[edit]

Elections were held November 11, 1850, but at least one district's elections went to multiple ballots into 1851.

Michigan[edit]

Elections were held November 5, 1850.

Minnesota Territory[edit]

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Mississippi[edit]

Elections were held November 3–4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

Missouri[edit]

Elections were held August 5, 1850.

New Hampshire[edit]

Elections were held March 11, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

New Jersey[edit]

Elections were held November 5, 1850.

New Mexico Territory[edit]

See Non-voting delegates, below.

New York[edit]

Elections were held November 5, 1850.

North Carolina[edit]

Elections were held August 7, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

Ohio[edit]

Elections were held October 8, 1850.

Oregon Territory[edit]

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Pennsylvania[edit]

Elections were held October 8, 1850.

Rhode Island[edit]

Elections were held April 2, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

South Carolina[edit]

Elections were held October 14–15, 1850.

Tennessee[edit]

Elections were held August 7, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

District	Incumbent			This race
	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
Tennessee 1	Andrew Johnson	Democratic	1842	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Andrew Johnson (Democratic) 57.52% ▌Landon Carter Haynes (Democratic) 42.48%[28]
Tennessee 2	Albert G. Watkins	Whig	1849	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Albert G. Watkins (Whig) 78.65% ▌[FNU] Hurley (Democratic) 17.57% ▌J. D. Dickinson (Whig) 3.78%[29]
Tennessee 3	Josiah M. Anderson	Whig	1849	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.	▌Y William M. Churchwell (Democratic) 50.06% ▌Josiah M. Anderson (Whig) 49.94%[30]
Tennessee 4	John H. Savage	Democratic	1849	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y John H. Savage (Democratic) 57.20% ▌Jefferson D. Goodpasture (Whig) 42.80%[31]
Tennessee 5	George W. Jones	Democratic	1842	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y George W. Jones (Democratic) 100%[32]
Tennessee 6	James H. Thomas	Democratic	1847	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Independent Democratic gain.	▌Y William H. Polk (Independent Democratic) 56.13% ▌James H. Thomas (Democratic) 43.87%[33]
Tennessee 7	Meredith P. Gentry	Whig	1845	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Meredith P. Gentry (Whig) 100%[34]
Tennessee 8	Andrew Ewing	Democratic	1849	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig gain.	▌Y William Cullom (Whig) 55.63% ▌J. J. Southall (Democratic) 44.37%[35]
Tennessee 9	Isham G. Harris	Democratic	1849	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Isham G. Harris (Democratic) 59.47% ▌I. G. Hornberger (Whig) 40.53%[36]
Tennessee 10	Frederick P. Stanton	Democratic	1845	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Frederick P. Stanton (Democratic) 51.81% ▌Walter S. Coleman (Whig) 48.19%[37]
Tennessee 11	Christopher H. Williams	Whig	1849	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Christopher H. Williams (Whig) 100%[38]

Texas[edit]

Elections were held August 4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

Utah Territory[edit]

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Vermont[edit]

Elections were held September 3, 1850.

Virginia[edit]

Elections were held October 23, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.

Wisconsin[edit]

Elections were held November 5, 1850.

Non-voting delegates[edit]

See also[edit]

• 1850 United States elections
  • List of United States House of Representatives elections (1824–1854)
  • 1850–51 United States Senate elections
• 31st United States Congress
• 32nd 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)