United States House of Representatives elections, 1850

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United States House of Representatives elections, 1850
← 1848 August 5, 1850 - November 4, 1851 1852 →
All 233 seats to the United States House of Representatives
117 seats were needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party Third party
  LinnBoyd.jpg Edward Stanly by Brady.jpg Alexander Stephens -1855.jpg
Leader Linn Boyd Edward Stanly Alexander H. Stephens
Party Democratic Whig Constitutional Union
Leader's seat Kentucky-1st North Carolina-8th Georgia-7th
Last election 113 seats 108 seats 0 seats
Seats won 130[Note 1] 86[Note 2] 10
Seat change Increase 17 Decrease 22 Increase 10
  Fourth party Fifth party
  Giddings brady 1955-65rr.jpg Albert G. Brown - Brady-Handy.jpg
Leader Joshua Reed Giddings Albert G. Brown
Party Free Soil States' Rights
Leader's seat Ohio-20th Mississippi-4th
Last election 9 seats 0 seats
Seats won 4 3
Seat change Decrease 5 Increase 3
Speaker before election

Howell Cobb
Democratic

 Elected Speaker

Linn Boyd
Democratic

Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 32nd Congress were held at various dates in each state from August 5, 1850 (Iowa and Missouri) to November 4, 1851 (Louisiana and Mississippi). The Democrats gained 17 seats, increasing their majority relative to the Whigs, who lost 22 seats.

Whig President Millard Fillmore, who had gained the presidency after the death of Zachary Taylor, grew increasingly unpopular. The election saw sectionalism and slavery continue to emerge as major issues.

The Constitutional Union Party, formed in support of the Compromise of 1850, gained 10 seats (its first ever) in Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama. The Free Soil Party, which was strongly abolitionist, lost five seats and was reduced to four Representatives, all in New England districts. The States' Rights Party, a pro-slavery state's rights party, gained ground in Georgia and Mississippi.

Election summaries

↓
130 10 3 4 86
Democratic CU SR FS Whig
State Type Date Total
seats		 Democratic Whig Constitutional Union Free Soil States' Rights
Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change
Illinois District November 5, 1850
(Election Day)[Note 3]		 7 6 Steady 1 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Michigan District 3 1 Decrease1 2 Increase1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
New Jersey District 5 4 Increase3 1 Decrease3 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
New York District 34 17 Increase16 17 Decrease5 0 Steady 0 Decrease1 0 Steady
Wisconsin District 3 2[Note 4] Increase1 0 Decrease1 0 Steady 1 Steady 0 Steady
Delaware At-large November 12, 1850 1 1 Increase1 0 Decrease1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Florida At-large October 7, 1850 1 0 Steady 1 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Iowa District August 5, 1850 2 2 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Maine District September 9, 1850 7 5 Steady 2 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Massachusetts District November 11, 1850 10[Note 5] 1 Increase1 7 Decrease1 0 Steady 2 Increase1 0 Steady
Missouri District August 5, 1850 5 2 Decrease3 3 Increase3 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Ohio District October 8, 1850 21 11[Note 4] Steady 9 Increase1 0 Steady 1 Decrease1 0 Steady
Pennsylvania District October 8, 1850 24[Note 6] 15 Increase6 9 Decrease4 0 Steady 0 Decrease1 0 Steady
South Carolina District October 14–15, 1850 7 7 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Vermont District September 3, 1850 4 1 Steady 3 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
1851 elections
Alabama District August 4, 1851 7 4 Decrease1 2 Steady 1 Increase1 0 Steady 0 Steady
Arkansas At-large August 4, 1851 1 1 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
California At-large September 3, 1851 2[Note 7] 2 Increase1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Connecticut District April 7, 1851 4 3 Increase1 1 Steady 0 Steady 0 Decrease1 0 Steady
Georgia District October 6, 1851 8 0 Decrease4 0 Decrease4 6 Increase6 0 Steady 2 Increase2
Indiana District August 4, 1851 10 8 Steady 2 Increase1 0 Steady 0 Decrease1 0 Steady
Kentucky District August 4, 1851 10 5 Increase1 5 Decrease1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Louisiana District November 4, 1851 4 2 Decrease1 2 Increase1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Maryland District October 1, 1851 6 2 Decrease1 4[Note 2] Increase1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Mississippi District November 3–4, 1851 4 0 Decrease4 0 Steady 3 Increase3 0 Steady 1 Increase1
New Hampshire District March 11, 1851 4 2 Steady 2 Increase1 0 Steady 0 Decrease1 0 Steady
North Carolina District August 7, 1851 9 3 Steady 6 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Rhode Island District April 2, 1851 2 1 Increase1 1 Decrease1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Tennessee District August 7, 1851 11 7[Note 4] Steady 4 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Texas District August 4, 1851 2 2 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Virginia District October 23, 1851 15 13 Steady 2 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Total 233 130[Note 1]
55.8%		 Increase17 86[Note 2]
36.9%		 Decrease22 10
4.3%		 Increase10 4
1.7%		 Decrease5 3
1.3%		 Increase3
House seats
Democratic
  
 55.79%
Whig
  
 36.91%
Constitutional Union
  
 4.29%
Free Soil
  
 1.72%
Others
  
 1.29%

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

Complete returns

California

District Incumbent Party First
elected		 Result Candidates
California at-large George W. Wright Independent 1849 Democratic gain Edward C. Marshall (D)
Joseph W. McCorkle (D)
Edward Gilbert Democratic 1849 Democratic hold

Florida

District Incumbent Party First
elected		 Result Candidates
Florida at-large Edward C. Cabell Whig 1846 Re-elected Edward C. Cabell (W) 52.8%
John Beard (D)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Includes three Independent Democrats from Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Includes 1 Independent Whig.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Includes one Independent Democrat.
  5. ↑ One seat (MA-04) had been vacant during the entire 31st Congress.
  6. ↑ There was 1 Know-Nothing in the 31st Congress.
  7. ↑ There was 1 Independent in the 31st Congress.

Bibliography

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External links

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