1852–53 United States House of Representatives elections

1852–53 United States House of Representatives elections
All 234 seats in the United States House of Representatives; 118 seats needed for a majority
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Speaker before election; Linn Boyd; Democratic	Elected Speaker; Linn Boyd; Democratic

The 1852–53 United States House of Representatives elections were held at various dates in different states from August 1852 to November 1853.

Democrats increased their House majority while electing national compromise candidate Franklin Pierce, a Northerner favorable to Southern interests, to the Presidency. Effects of the Compromise of 1850 temporarily had reduced sectional tensions, and both major parties, Democrats and Whigs, unified around the 1852 Presidential campaign, with Whig unity more tenuous. Two small parties, the Constitutional Unionists and States' Rights parties, collapsed before this election, while the Free Soil Party, opposing slavery in the Western territories, retained four seats. One Independent, Caleb Lyon, was elected from New York.

Election summaries

Following the 1850 Census, the House was reapportioned. In the initial apportionment bill, the number of seats was unchanged at 233,^[1] but later one seat was added to California's delegation, increasing the total apportionment to 234, due to returns from California being determined to be incomplete.^[2]

↓
158	4	1	71
Democratic	FS	I	Whig

State	Type	Date	Total seats		Democratic		Free Soil		Whig		Others
State	Type	Date	Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Iowa	Districts	August 2, 1852	2		1	1	0		1	1	0
Missouri	Districts	August 2, 1852	7	2	3	1	0		4	1	0
Vermont	Districts	September 7, 1852	3	1	0	1	0		3		0
Maine	Districts	September 13, 1852	6	1	3	2	0		3	1	0
Florida	At-large	October 5, 1852	1		1	1	0		0	1	0
Indiana	Districts	October 12, 1852	11	1	10	2	0		1	1	0
Ohio	Districts	October 12, 1852	21		12	1	2	1	7	2	0
Pennsylvania	Districts	October 12, 1852	25	1	16	1	0		9		0
California	At-large	November 2, 1852 (Election Day)^{[lower-alpha 5]}	2		2		0		0		0
Illinois	Districts		9	2	5^{[lower-alpha 6]}	1	0		4	3	0
Michigan	Districts		4	1	4	3	0		0	2	0
New Jersey	Districts		5		4		0		1		0
New York	Districts		33	1	21	4	1	1	10	7	1^{[lower-alpha 7]}	1
Wisconsin	Districts		3		3	1	0	1	0		0
Delaware	At-large	November 8, 1852	1		1		0		0		0
Massachusetts	Districts	November 8, 1852	11	1	1		1	1	9	2	0
South Carolina	Districts	February 28 – March 1, 1853	6	1	6	1	0		0		0
Late elections (after the March 4, 1853 beginning of the term)
New Hampshire	Districts	March 8, 1853	3	1	3	1	0		0	2	0
Connecticut	Districts	April 4, 1853	4		4	1	0		0	1	0
Rhode Island	Districts	April 6, 1853	2		2	1	0		0	1	0
Virginia	Districts	May 26, 1853	13	2	13		0		0	2	0
Arkansas	Districts	August 1, 1853	2	1	2	1	0		0		0
Kentucky	Districts	August 1, 1853	10		5		0		5		0
Texas	Districts	August 1, 1853	2		2		0		0		0
North Carolina	Districts	August 4, 1853	8	1	5	2	0		3	3	0
Tennessee	Districts	August 4, 1853	10	1	5	2	0		5	1	0
Alabama	Districts	August 8, 1853	7		6	2	0		1	1	0	1^{[lower-alpha 8]}
Georgia	Districts	October 3, 1853	8		6	6	0		2	2	0	8^{[lower-alpha 9]}
Louisiana	Districts	November 1, 1853	4		3	1	0		1	1	0
Maryland	Districts	November 2, 1853	6		4	2	0		2	2	0
Mississippi	District + 1 at-large	November 7–8, 1853	5	1	5	5	0		0		0	4^{[lower-alpha 10]}
Total			234	1	158^{[lower-alpha 6]} 67.5%	28	4 1.7%		71 30.3%	15	1 0.4%	12

Popular vote

Democratic			49.82%
Whig			41.61%
Free Soil			3.99%
Unionist			0.70%
States' Rights			0.65%
Independent			2.79%
Others			0.44%

House seats

Democratic			64.10%
Whig			30.34%
Unionist			2.14%
Free Soil			1.71%
Southern Rights			1.71%
Independent			1.28%

Alabama

Arkansas

California

Note: From statehood to 1864, California's representatives were elected at-large, with the top two vote-getters winning election from 1849 to 1858; in 1860 when California gained a seat in the House the top three vote-getters were elected.

District	Incumbent			This race
District	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
California at-large 2 seats on a general ticket	Edward C. Marshall	Democratic	1851	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y James A. McDougall (Democratic) 84.4% ▌Y Milton Latham (Democratic) 15.6% ▌Philip Leget Edwards (Whig) 23.28% ▌George B. Tingley (Whig) 23.13%^[3]
California at-large 2 seats on a general ticket	Joseph W. McCorkle	Democratic	1851	Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic hold.

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

District	Incumbent			This race
District	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
Florida at-large	Edward C. Cabell	Whig	1846	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Augustus Maxwell (Democratic) 50.1% ▌Edward C. Cabell (Whig) 49.9%

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

The elections were held November 8, 1852. However, many of the districts went to a December 13, 1852 second ballot.

District	Incumbent			This race
District	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
Massachusetts 1	Zeno Scudder Redistricted from the C	Whig	1851	Incumbent re-elected on the second ballot.	First ballot (November 8, 1852):<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Zeno Scudder (Whig) 49.67% ▌John Pierce (Democratic) 28.60% ▌Rodney French (Free Soil) 21.73%^[4] Second ballot (December 13, 1852):<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Zeno Scudder (Whig) 62.91% ▌Abraham H. Howland (Independent) 37.09%^[5]
Massachusetts 2
Massachusetts 3
Massachusetts 4
Massachusetts 5
Massachusetts 6
Massachusetts 7
Massachusetts 8
Massachusetts 9
Massachusetts 10
Massachusetts 11

Michigan

District	Incumbent			This race
District	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
Michigan 1	Ebenezer J. Penniman	Whig	1850	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y David Stuart (Democratic) 50.4% ▌William A. Howard (Whig) 46.6% ▌Samuel W. Dexter (Free Soil) 3.0%^[6]
Michigan 2	Charles E. Stuart	Democratic	1847 (special) 1848 (lost) 1850	Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator. New member elected. Democratic hold.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y David A. Noble (Democratic) 51.7% ▌Joseph R. Williams (Whig) 48.3%^[7]
Michigan 3	James L. Conger	Whig	1850	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Samuel Clark (Democratic) 49.4% ▌Henry R. Williams (Whig) 45.7% ▌Uriah Upjohn (Free Soil) 4.9%^[8]
Michigan 4	None (New seat)			New seat. New member elected. Democratic gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Hestor L. Stevens (Democratic) 51.8% ▌George Bradley (Whig) 43.1% ▌Ephraim Calkins (Free Soil) 5.1%^[9]

Mississippi

Elections held late, from November 7 to 8, 1853

District	Incumbent			This race
District	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
Mississippi at-large	None (new district)			New member elected. Democratic gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y William Barksdale (Democratic) 54.27% ▌Alexander B. Bradford (Whig) 45.73%^[10]
Mississippi 1	Benjamin D. Nabers	Unionist	1851	Incumbent lost re-election as a Whig. New member elected. Democratic gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Daniel B. Wright (Democratic) 51.64% ▌Benjamin D. Nabers (Whig) 48.36%^[11]
Mississippi 2	John A. Wilcox	Unionist	1851	Incumbent lost re-election as a Whig. New member elected. Democratic gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y William S. Barry (Democratic) 50.73% ▌John A. Wilcox (Whig) 49.27%^[12]
Mississippi 3	John D. Freeman	Unionist	1851	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Otho R. Singleton (Democratic) 55.65% ▌Alexander K. McLung (Whig) 44.35%^[13]
Mississippi 4	Albert G. Brown	Template:Party shading/States' Rights \| Southern Rights	1847	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.	▌Y Wiley P. Harris (Democratic) 100%^[14]

Missouri

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Elections held late, on August 4, 1853.

District	Incumbent			This race
District	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
Tennessee 1	Andrew Johnson	Democratic	1842	Incumbent retired to run for Governor. Democratic loss.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Brookins Campbell (Democratic) 37.11% ▌Nathaniel G. Taylor (Whig) 36.14% ▌Albert G. Watkins (Whig) 26.75%^[15]
Tennessee 1	Albert G. Watkins Redistricted from the C.	Whig	1849	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
Tennessee 2	William M. Churchwell Redistricted from the C.	Democratic	1851	Incumbent re-elected.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y William M. Churchwell (Democratic) 56.64% ▌Horace Maynard (Whig) 43.36%^[16]
Tennessee 3	New district			New member elected. Democratic gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Samuel A. Smith (Democratic) 55.49% ▌T. Nixon Vandyke (Whig) 44.52%^[17]
Tennessee 4	John H. Savage	Democratic	1849	Incumbent retired. Democratic loss.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y William Cullom (Whig) 50.14% ▌Erasmus L. Gardner (Democratic) 49.86%^[18]
Tennessee 4	William Cullom Redistricted from the C.	Whig	1851	Incumbent re-elected.
Tennessee 5	New district			New member elected. Whig gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Charles Ready (Whig) 57.86% ▌Thomas Barry (Democratic) 42.14%^[19]
Tennessee 6	William H. Polk	Independent Democratic	1851	Incumbent retired. Independent Democratic loss.	▌Y George W. Jones (Democratic) 100%^[20]
Tennessee 6	George W. Jones Redistricted from the C.	Democratic	1842	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y George W. Jones (Democratic) 100%^[20]
Tennessee 7	Meredith P. Gentry	Whig	1845	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig hold.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Robert M. Bugg (Whig) 52.52% ▌S. C. Pavott (Democratic) 47.48%^[21]
Tennessee 8	New district			New member elected. Whig gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Felix Zollicoffer (Whig) 52.96% ▌Samuel P. Allison (Democratic) 47.04%^[22]
Tennessee 9	Isham G. Harris	Democratic	1849	Incumbent retired. Democratic loss.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Emerson Etheridge (Whig) 96.90% ▌Christopher H. Williams (Whig) 3.10%^[23]
Tennessee 9	Christopher H. Williams Redistricted from the C.	Whig	1849	Incumbent re-elected.
Tennessee 10	Frederick P. Stanton	Democratic	1845	Incumbent re-elected.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Frederick P. Stanton (Democratic) 50.03% ▌Edwin M. Yerger (Whig) 49.97%^[24]

Texas

Vermont

Virginia

Wisconsin

District	Incumbent			This race
District	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates^[25]
Wisconsin 1	Charles Durkee	Free Soil	1848	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Daniel Wells Jr. (Democratic) 46.48% ▌Charles Durkee (Free Soil) 31.93% ▌Henry S. Durand (Whig) 21.56%
Wisconsin 2	Ben C. Eastman	Democratic	1850	Incumbent re-elected.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Ben C. Eastman (Democratic) 53.91% ▌Chauncey Abbott (Whig) 38.67% ▌James L. Enos (Free Soil) 7.41%
Wisconsin 3	James Duane Doty	Ind. Democratic	1848	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y John B. Macy (Democratic) 55.42% ▌James McMillan Shafter (Whig) 36.32% ▌Hiram McKee (Free Soil) 8.23%

Non-voting delegates

District	Incumbent			This race
District	Delegate	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
Minnesota Territory	Henry Hastings Sibley	Democratic	1848 (Wisconsin Territory: Special) 1849 (Wisconsin Territory: Eliminated) 1849 (Minnesota Territory)	Incumbent retired. New delegate elected. Democratic hold.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Henry Mower Rice (Democratic) 2360 votes ▌Wilkin^{[lower-alpha 11]} 728 votes^[26]
New Mexico Territory	Richard H. Weightman	Democratic	1851	Incumbent retired. New delegate elected in 1853. Democratic hold.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Jose Gallegos (Democratic) ▌William Carr Lane (Whig)^[27]
Oregon Territory	Joseph Lane	Democratic	1851	Incumbent re-elected.	<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> ▌Y Joseph Lane (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Notes

↑ Includes three Union Whigs and two Union Democrats.
↑ Included three Independent Democrats and one Independent Whig.
↑ Includes four Southern Rights Democrats.
↑ Includes one Independent, one Independent Democrat, and the Benton Independent.
↑ In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform date for choosing presidential electors (see: Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721). Congressional elections were unaffected by this law, but the date was gradually adopted by the states for congressional elections as well.
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 Includes 1 Independent Democrat, William Henry Bissell, elected to IL-08.
↑ Caleb Lyon was elected to NY-23 as an Independent.
↑ Previous election had 1 Constitutional Union member.
↑ Previous election had 6 Constitutional Union and 2 States' Rights.
↑ Previous election had 3 Constitutional Union and 1 States' Rights.
↑ Full name unpublished in source, presumably Alexander Wilkin (Whig)

References

↑ 9 Stat. 432
↑ 10 Stat. 25
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Bibliography

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External links

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

[Alabama_Unionists-1] Includes three Union Whigs and two Union Democrats.

[Independents_Before-2] Included three Independent Democrats and one Independent Whig.

[Alabama_Southern_Right-3] Includes four Southern Rights Democrats.

[Elected_Independents-4] Includes one Independent, one Independent Democrat, and the Benton Independent.

[7] In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform date for choosing presidential electors (see: Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721). Congressional elections were unaffected by this law, but the date was gradually adopted by the states for congressional elections as well.

[ID-8] 6.0 ^6.1 Includes 1 Independent Democrat, William Henry Bissell, elected to IL-08.

[9] Caleb Lyon was elected to NY-23 as an Independent.

[10] Previous election had 1 Constitutional Union member.

[11] Previous election had 6 Constitutional Union and 2 States' Rights.

[12] Previous election had 3 Constitutional Union and 1 States' Rights.

[36] Full name unpublished in source, presumably Alexander Wilkin (Whig)

[5] 9 Stat. 432

[6] 10 Stat. 25

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[lower-alpha 1]

[lower-alpha 2]

[lower-alpha 3]

[lower-alpha 4]

[1]

[2]

[lower-alpha 5]

[lower-alpha 6]

[lower-alpha 7]

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[lower-alpha 9]

[lower-alpha 10]

[3]

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[26]

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v t e (1851 ←) 1852 United States elections (→ 1853)
President	1852 United States presidential election
U.S. Senate	California (Special) Connecticut (Special) Georgia Iowa Georgia Louisiana Mississippi (February Special) Mississippi (March Special) South Carolina (Special) Virginia
U.S. House	Arkansas California Delaware Florida Illinois Indiana Iowa Maine Massachusetts 2nd (sp) 4th (sp) 9th (sp) Michigan Minnesota Territory Missouri New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania Vermont Wisconsin
State governors	Connecticut Florida Illinois Louisiana Massachusetts Michigan Missouri Vermont
State legislatures	Iowa Senate
Mayors	Chicago Manchester, NH Philadelphia
States	Alabama Arkansas California Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Missouri New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas Vermont Virginia Wisconsin

v t e (1852 ←) 1853 United States elections (→ 1854)
U.S. Senate	Alabama Arkansas Delaware Illinois Indiana (Special) Louisiana Louisiana (Special) Massachusetts Michigan New Jersey New Jersey (Special) Rhode Island Tennessee Texas
U.S. House	Alabama Arkansas Connecticut Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Mississippi New Hampshire New Mexico Territory New Oregon Territory Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia
State governors	Alabama California Connecticut Massachusetts New Jersey Ohio Texas Vermont Wisconsin
Mayors	Chicago Manchester, NH Philadelphia
States	Alabama Arkansas California Connecticut Delaware Georgia Illinois Indiana Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Virginia Wisconsin