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House elections for the 31st U.S. Congress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1848–49 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between August 1848 and November 1849. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 31st United States Congress convened on December 3, 1849. The new state of Wisconsin elected its first representatives, and California also held its first congressional elections before officially achieving statehood in 1850, increasing the size of the House to 233 seats.
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All 233[b] seats in the United States House of Representatives 117 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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These elections spanned the 1848 United States presidential election and took place amid the U.S. victory over Mexico in the (1846–48) Mexican–American War. The Whigs lost their House majority as Democrats, whose support had driven the war, gained a House plurality. Among minor parties, the Free Soil Party won nine Northern seats, while the American or "Know Nothing" Party retained one.
Following the discovery of gold in January 1848, California boomed, creating immediate pressure for statehood. The Compromise of 1850, though largely crafted in the Senate, was also passed by the House, brokering its admission to the Union. Anticipating statehood, California elected two members at-large on November 13, 1849, to be seated September 11, 1850.
As neither major party held a majority when Congress convened on December 3, 1849 — the Democrats finished three seats short, while the Whigs had lost 12 seats and the majority — the election of a Speaker proved contentious.
The Whigs were sectionally split, with Northern Whigs nominating incumbent speaker Robert C. Winthrop of Massachusetts and Southern Whigs supporting Meredith P. Gentry of Tennessee. Democrats primarily supported Howell Cobb of Georgia; 13 other Democratic hopefuls also garnered support. The small Free Soil Party, opposing expansion of slavery into the Western territories, supported David Wilmot of Pennsylvania, author of the Wilmot Proviso, calling attention to slave power's hold over both major parties.
After nearly three weeks of heated debate, the House suspended its majority rule for the Speaker election: Cobb was elected on the 63rd ballot by plurality.[1]
Wisconsin was apportioned an additional seat in 1848,[2] and two more seats were added for the new state of California.[3]
113 | 11 | 108 |
Democratic | [f] | Whig |
State | Type | Date | Total seats |
Democratic | Free Soil | Whig | Other | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seats | Change | Seats | Change | Seats | Change | Seats | Change | ||||
Arkansas | At-large | August 7, 1848 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Illinois | District | August 7, 1848 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Iowa | District | August 7, 1848 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Missouri | District | August 7, 1848 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Vermont | District | September 5, 1848 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||
Maine | District | September 11, 1848 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
Florida | At-large | October 2, 1848 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Georgia | District | October 2, 1848 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||||
South Carolina | District | October 9–10, 1848 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Ohio | District | October 10, 1848 | 21 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 0 | |
Pennsylvania | District | October 10, 1848 | 24 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 1[g] | |
Delaware | At-large | November 6, 1848 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Michigan | District | November 7, 1848 (Election Day)[h] |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
New Jersey | District | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||||
New York | District | 34 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 9 | 0 | ||
Wisconsin | District | 3[i] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
Massachusetts | District | November 13, 1848 | 10[j] | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | ||
Late elections, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term | |||||||||||
New Hampshire | District | March 13, 1849 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1[k] | ||
Connecticut | District | April 2, 1849 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
Rhode Island | District | April 4, 1849 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
Virginia | District | April 26, 1849 | 15 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | ||
Tennessee | District | August 2, 1849 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | ||
Alabama | District | August 6, 1849 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
Indiana | District | August 6, 1849 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
Kentucky | District | August 6, 1849 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||||
Texas | District | August 6, 1849 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
North Carolina | District | August 7, 1849 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||||
Maryland | District | October 3, 1849 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||
Louisiana | District | November 5, 1849 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Mississippi | District | November 5–6, 1849 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
California | At-large | November 11, 1849[l] | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1[m] | 1 | ||
Total[b] | 233 | 113 48.7% |
1 | 9 3.9% |
9 | 108 46.6% |
8 | 2 0.9% |
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2019) |
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member / Delegate | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Pennsylvania 6 | John W. Hornbeck | Whig | 1846 | Incumbent died January 16, 1848. New member elected March 6, 1848. Democratic gain. Winner was not a candidate for the next term; see below. |
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Massachusetts 8 | John Quincy Adams | Whig | 1830 | Incumbent died February 23, 1848. New member elected April 3, 1848. Whig hold. Winner later re-elected to the next term; see below. |
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South Carolina 1 | James A. Black | Democratic | 1843 | Incumbent died April 3, 1848. New member elected October 10, 1848. Democratic hold. Winner later re-elected to the next term; see below. |
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New York 27 | John M. Holley | Whig | 1846 | Incumbent died March 8, 1848. New member elected November 7, 1848. Whig hold. Winner later re-elected to the next term; see below. |
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South Carolina 4 | Alexander D. Sims | Democratic | 1844 | Incumbent died November 22, 1848. New member elected January 9, 1849. Democratic hold. Winner later elected to the next term; see below. |
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Wisconsin Territory at-large | New delegate elected October 30, 1848. |
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
South Carolina 4 | Alexander D. Sims | Democratic | 1844 | Incumbent had been re-elected, see below, but died November 22, 1848. New member elected January 16, 1849. Democratic hold. Winner had already been elected to finish the current term; see above. |
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Ohio 6 | Rodolphus Dickinson | Democratic | Incumbent died March 20, 1849. New member elected in 1849. | ||
Vermont 3 | George P. Marsh | Whig | 1843 | Incumbent resigned when appointed U.S. Minister to the Ottoman Empire. Whig hold. |
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Virginia 15 | Alexander Newman | Democratic | 1849 | Incumbent died September 8, 1949. Whig gain. |
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Elections were held August 6, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849.
The election was held August 7, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Arkansas at-large | Thomas W. Newton | Whig | 1847 (special) | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. |
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In California two at-large members were elected November 13, 1849 in anticipation of statehood and seated September 11, 1850.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
California at-large 2 seats elected on a general ticket |
None (new state) | New seat. Independent gain. |
Others
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None (new state) | New seat. Democratic gain. |
Elections were held April 2, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates[12] | |
Connecticut 1 | James Dixon | Whig | 1845 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. |
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Connecticut 2 | Samuel D. Hubbard | Whig | 1845 | Incumbent lost re-election. Free Soil gain. |
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Connecticut 3 | John A. Rockwell | Whig | 1845 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. |
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Connecticut 4 | Truman Smith | Whig | 1845 | Incumbent retired. Whig hold. |
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The election was held November 6, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Delaware at-large |
Florida's single at-large member was elected October 2, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Florida at-large | Edward C. Cabell | Whig | 1846 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Elections were held October 2, 1848.
Elections were held August 7, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Illinois 1 | |||||
Illinois 2 | |||||
Illinois 3 | |||||
Illinois 4 | |||||
Illinois 5 | |||||
Illinois 6 | |||||
Illinois 7 |
Elections were held August 10, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849.
Elections were held August 7, 1848.
Elections were held August 6, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Kentucky 1 | |||||
Kentucky 2 | |||||
Kentucky 3 | |||||
Kentucky 4 | |||||
Kentucky 5 | |||||
Kentucky 6 | |||||
Kentucky 7 | |||||
Kentucky 8 | |||||
Kentucky 9 | |||||
Kentucky 10 |
Elections were held November 5, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Louisiana 1 | |||||
Louisiana 2 | |||||
Louisiana 3 | |||||
Louisiana 4 |
Elections were held September 11, 1848.
Elections were held October 3, 1849 elections were after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the new term, but still before the Congress convened in December 1849.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Maryland 1 | |||||
Maryland 2 | |||||
Maryland 3 | |||||
Maryland 4 | |||||
Maryland 5 | |||||
Maryland 6 |
Elections were held November 13, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Massachusetts 1 | |||||
Massachusetts 2 | |||||
Massachusetts 3 | |||||
Massachusetts 4 | John G. Palfrey | Whig | 1846 | Incumbent lost re-election as Free Soil candidate. No member elected due to failure to achieve majority vote. Whig loss. |
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Massachusetts 5 | |||||
Massachusetts 6 | |||||
Massachusetts 7 | Julius Rockwell | Whig | 1844 (late) | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Massachusetts 8 | |||||
Massachusetts 9 | |||||
Massachusetts 10 |
Elections were held November 7, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Michigan 1 | Robert McClelland | Democratic | 1843 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. |
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Michigan 2 | Charles E. Stuart | Democratic | 1847 (special) | Incumbent lost re-election. Whig gain. |
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Michigan 3 | Kinsley S. Bingham | Democratic | 1846 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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See Non-voting delegates, below.
Elections were held November 5–6, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Mississippi 1 | Jacob Thompson | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Mississippi 2 | Winfield S. Featherston | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Mississippi 3 | Patrick W. Tompkins | Whig | 1847 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. |
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Mississippi 4 | Albert G. Brown | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Elections were held August 7, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Missouri 1 | |||||
Missouri 2 | |||||
Missouri 3 | |||||
Missouri 4 | |||||
Missouri 5 |
Elections were held March 13, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
New Hampshire 1 | |||||
New Hampshire 2 | |||||
New Hampshire 3 | |||||
New Hampshire 4 |
Elections were held November 7, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
New Jersey 1 | |||||
New Jersey 2 | |||||
New Jersey 3 | |||||
New Jersey 4 | |||||
New Jersey 5 |
Elections were held November 7, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
New York 1 | |||||
New York 2 | |||||
New York 3 | |||||
New York 4 | |||||
New York 5 | |||||
New York 6 | |||||
New York 7 | |||||
New York 8 | |||||
New York 9 | |||||
New York 10 | |||||
New York 11 | |||||
New York 12 | |||||
New York 13 | |||||
New York 14 | |||||
New York 15 | |||||
New York 16 | |||||
New York 17 | |||||
New York 18 | |||||
New York 19 | |||||
New York 20 | |||||
New York 21 | |||||
New York 22 | |||||
New York 23 | |||||
New York 24 | |||||
New York 25 | |||||
New York 26 | |||||
New York 27 | |||||
New York 28 | |||||
New York 29 | |||||
New York 30 | |||||
New York 31 | |||||
New York 32 | |||||
New York 33 | |||||
New York 34 |
Elections were held August 7, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
North Carolina 1 | |||||
North Carolina 2 | |||||
North Carolina 3 | |||||
North Carolina 4 | |||||
North Carolina 5 | |||||
North Carolina 6 | |||||
North Carolina 7 | |||||
North Carolina 8 | |||||
North Carolina 9 |
Elections were held October 10, 1848.
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Elections were held October 10, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Pennsylvania 1 | |||||
Pennsylvania 2 | |||||
Pennsylvania 3 | |||||
Pennsylvania 4 | |||||
Pennsylvania 5 | |||||
Pennsylvania 6 | |||||
Pennsylvania 7 | |||||
Pennsylvania 8 | |||||
Pennsylvania 9 | |||||
Pennsylvania 10 | |||||
Pennsylvania 11 | |||||
Pennsylvania 12 | |||||
Pennsylvania 13 | |||||
Pennsylvania 14 | |||||
Pennsylvania 15 | |||||
Pennsylvania 16 | |||||
Pennsylvania 17 | |||||
Pennsylvania 18 | |||||
Pennsylvania 19 | |||||
Pennsylvania 20 | |||||
Pennsylvania 21 | |||||
Pennsylvania 22 | |||||
Pennsylvania 23 | |||||
Pennsylvania 24 |
Elections were held April 4, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Rhode Island 1 | |||||
Rhode Island 2 |
Elections were held October 9–10, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
South Carolina 1 | |||||
South Carolina 2 | |||||
South Carolina 3 | |||||
South Carolina 4 | Alexander D. Sims | Democratic | 1844 | Incumbent re-elected. Incumbent then died November 22, 1848, leading to two special elections. |
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South Carolina 5 | |||||
South Carolina 6 | |||||
South Carolina 7 |
Elections were held August 2, 1849.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Tennessee 1 | Andrew Johnson | Democratic | 1842 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 2 | William M. Cocke | Whig | 1845 | Incumbent lost re-election as a Democrat. Whig hold. |
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Tennessee 3 | John H. Crozier | Whig | 1845 | Incumbent retired. Whig hold. |
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Tennessee 4 | Hugh L.W. Hill | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. |
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Tennessee 5 | George W. Jones | Democratic | 1842 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 6 | James H. Thomas | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 7 | Meredith P. Gentry | Whig | 1845 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 8 | Washington Barrow | Whig | 1847 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. |
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Tennessee 9 | Lucien B. Chase | Democratic | 1845 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. |
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Tennessee 10 | Frederick P. Stanton | Democratic | 1845 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Tennessee 11 | William T. Haskell | Whig | 1847 | Incumbent retired. Whig hold. |
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Elections were held August 6, 1849.
Elections were held September 5, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates[9] | |
Vermont 1 | William Henry | Whig | 1846 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Vermont 2 | Jacob Collamer | Whig | 1843 | Incumbent retired. Whig hold. |
First ballot
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Vermont 3 | George P. Marsh | Whig | 1843 | Incumbent re-elected. | First ballot
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Vermont 4 | Lucius B. Peck | Democratic | 1846 | Incumbent re-elected. |
First ballot
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Elections were held April 26, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates[34] | |
Virginia 1 | Archibald Atkinson | Democratic | 1843 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. |
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Virginia 2 | Richard Kidder Meade | Democratic | 1847 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Virginia 3 | Thomas Flournoy | Whig | 1847 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. |
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Virginia 4 | Thomas S. Bocock | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Virginia 5 | William L. Goggin | Whig | 1839 1843 (lost contest) 1844 (special) 1845 (retired) 1847 |
Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. |
|
Virginia 6 | John Botts | Whig | 1839 1843 (lost) 1847 |
Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. |
|
Virginia 7 | Thomas H. Bayly | Democratic | 1844 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Virginia 8 | Richard L. T. Beale | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. |
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Virginia 9 | John Pendleton | Whig | 1845 | Incumbent lost re-election. Independent Whig gain. |
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Virginia 10 | Henry Bedinger | Democratic | 1845 | Incumbent lost renomination. Democratic hold. |
|
Virginia 11 | James McDowell | Democratic | 1846 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Virginia 12 | William B. Preston | Whig | 1847 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. |
|
Virginia 13 | Andrew S. Fulton | Whig | 1847 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. |
|
Virginia 14 | Robert A. Thompson | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. |
|
Virginia 15 | William G. Brown Sr. | Democratic | 1845 | Incumbent lost renomination. Democratic hold. |
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Wisconsin members were first elected in advance of its June 1848 statehood. It elected two members to finish the current term in the 30th Congress, and then it gained an elected an additional member for elections to the 31st Congress.
Wisconsin's two members were elected May 8, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates[35] | |
Wisconsin 1 | None (new state) | New seat. Democratic gain. |
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Wisconsin 2 | None (new state) | New seat. Democratic gain. |
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Wisconsin's three members were elected November 7, 1848.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates[35] | |
Wisconsin 1 | William Pitt Lynde | Democratic | 1848 | Incumbent lost re-election. Free Soil gain. |
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Wisconsin 2 | Mason C. Darling | Democratic | 1848 | Incumbent retired. Whig gain. |
|
Wisconsin 3 | None (new district) | New seat. Democratic gain. |
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Going into these elections, there were no incumbent delegates, because the only territory — Wisconsin Territory — became a state in 1848. Two new territories — Minnesota Territory and Oregon Territory — were granted delegates in 1849.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Delegate | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Minnesota Territory | New district | New seat. New delegate elected July 7, 1849. Democratic gain. |
| ||
Oregon Territory | New district | New seat. New delegate elected in 1849. Democratic gain. |
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