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.
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All 242 seats in the United States House of Representatives 122 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results: Democratic hold Democratic gain Whig hold Whig gain Independent gain Independent Democrat gain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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, Independent of Virginia,[1][2][3] and Zadok Casey, Independent Democrat of Illinois.[4][5]
Election summaries
98 | 2 | 142 |
Democratic | [lower-alpha 2] | 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[lower-alpha 3] | 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[lower-alpha 4]) | October 13, 1840 | 28 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 8 |
New York | District (33[lower-alpha 5]) | 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[lower-alpha 6] | Districts | April 23, 1841 | 21[lower-alpha 6] | 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[lower-alpha 7]) | May 17, 1841 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
Alabama | At-large[lower-alpha 8] | May 20, 1841 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Mississippi | At-large | November 1–2, 1841 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
Total | 242 | 99[lower-alpha 3] 40.9% |
26 | 142 59.5% |
33 |
The previous election had two minor parties, the Anti-Masonic Party with 6 seats and the Conservative Party (of Virginia) 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.
Special elections
26th Congress
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- Connecticut's 2nd congressional district: 1840
- Georgia's at-large congressional district: January 1841 (one of the at-large seat)
- Indiana's 7th congressional district: 1840
- Massachusetts's 6th congressional district: 1840
- Ohio's 4th congressional district: 1840
- Pennsylvania's 22nd congressional district: 1840
- Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district: 1840
27th Congress
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- Maine's 4th congressional district: 1841
- Massachusetts's 5th congressional district: 1841
- Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district: 1841
- Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district: 1841
- Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district: 1841
- Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district (again): 1841
- Pennsylvania's 20th congressional district: 1841
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 and seated May 21, 1841. Whig hold. |
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New York 26 | John Greig | Whig | 1841 (special) | Incumbent resigned September 25, 1841. New member elected November 3, 1841 and seated November 27, 1841. Whig hold. |
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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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E. A. Nisbet | Whig | 1838 | Incumbent resigned October 12, 1841. New member elected December 21, 1841. Democratic gain. | ||
Julius C. Alford | Whig | 1838 | Incumbent resigned October 1, 1841. New member elected December 21, 1841. Democratic gain. |
Alabama
Arkansas
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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Connecticut
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates[10] | |
Connecticut 1 | Joseph Trumbull | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Connecticut 2 | William W. Boardman | Whig | 1840 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Connecticut 3 | Thomas W. Williams | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Connecticut 4 | Thomas B. Osborne | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Connecticut 5 | Truman Smith | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Connecticut 6 | Orrin Holt | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Delaware
Florida Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
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. Whig gain. |
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Maryland
Massachusetts
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)
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Massachusetts 11 | |||||
Massachusetts 12 | John Quincy Adams | Whig | 1830 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Mississippi
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. Democratic hold. |
Michigan
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Michigan at-large | Isaac E. Crary | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent retired. Whig gain. |
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Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
North Carolina
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
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. 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. 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. 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. Whig hold. |
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Tennessee 13 | Kit Williams | Whig | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Vermont
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates[31] | |
Vermont 1 | Hiland Hall | Whig | 1833 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Vermont 2 | William Slade | Whig | 1831 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Vermont 3 | Horace Everett | Whig | 1828 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Vermont 4 | John Smith | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent lost re-election. Whig gain. |
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Vermont 5 | Isaac Fletcher | Democratic | 1836 | Incumbent lost re-election. Whig gain. |
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Virginia
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates[32] | |
Virginia 1 | Francis Mallory | Whig | 1840 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Virginia 2 | Francis E. Rives | Democratic | 1837 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. |
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Virginia 3 | John Winston Jones | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Virginia 4 | George Dromgoole | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. |
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Virginia 5 | John Hill | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. |
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Virginia 6 | Walter Coles | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Virginia 7 | William L. Goggin | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Virginia 8 | Henry A. Wise | Whig | 1833 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Virginia 9 | Robert M. T. Hunter | Whig | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected as an Independent. Independent gain. |
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Virginia 10 | John Taliaferro | Whig | 1835 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Virginia 11 | John Botts | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Virginia 12 | James Garland | Conservative | 1835 | Incumbent lost re-election. Whig gain. |
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Virginia 13 | Linn Banks | Democratic | 1838 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Virginia 14 | Charles F. Mercer | Whig | 1817 | Incumbent retired. Whig hold. |
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Virginia 15 | William Lucas | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent lost re-election. Whig gain. |
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Virginia 16 | Green Berry Samuels | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. |
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Virginia 17 | Robert Craig | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent retired. Whig gain. |
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Virginia 18 | George W. Hopkins | Conservative | 1835 | Incumbent re-elected as a Democrat. Democratic gain. |
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Virginia 19 | Andrew Beirne | Democratic | 1837 | Incumbent retired. Whig gain. |
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Virginia 20 | Joseph Johnson | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. |
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Virginia 21 | Lewis Steenrod | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Wisconsin Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Non-voting delegates
26th Congress
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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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27th Congress
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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See also
Notes
- Including one Independent Democrat elected to Illinois's 2nd congressional district.
- Robert M. T. Hunter was elected as an Independent in Virginia's 9th congressional district, and so is not included in the figures here. Hunter had previously run in earlier elections as a Whig.
References
Bibliography
External links
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