1850 and 1851 United States House of Representatives elections

Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 32nd Congress were held at various dates in different states from August 1850 to November 1851. The Democrats gained 17 seats, increasing their majority relative to the rival Whigs, who lost 22 seats.

1850 and 1851 United States House of Representatives elections
August 5, 1850 – November 4, 1851
All 233 seats in the U.S. 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 115 seats 104 seats
Seats won 117 81
Seat change 2 23
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 14[lower-alpha 1] 8[lower-alpha 2]
Seat change 14 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 0 seats
Seats won 7 4[lower-alpha 3]
Seat change 1 4
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

Whig President Millard Fillmore, who succeeded to the Presidency in July 1850 after the death of Zachary Taylor, lacked a strong political base. Sectionalism and slavery were increasingly prominent, but not yet politically critical, issues. The Compromise of 1850 was a short-term success in beginning the constructive disposal of the Mexican Cession, but the admission of California as the 31st state augured a future free-soil West. Lingering Southern unhappiness with the results of the Compromise and a sense of foreboding helped motivate later sectional and political conflict over Kansas.

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

Election summaries
↓
130 7 10 86
Democratic [lower-alpha 4] [lower-alpha 5] Whig
State Type Date Total
seats		 Democratic Free Soil States' 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[lower-alpha 6] 1 1 0 0 9 1
Pennsylvania District October 8, 1850 24[lower-alpha 7] 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)[lower-alpha 8]		 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[lower-alpha 6] 1 1 0 0 0 1
Massachusetts District November 11, 1850 10[lower-alpha 9] 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[lower-alpha 6] 0 0 0 4
California At-large September 3, 1851 2[lower-alpha 10] 2 1 0 0 0 0
Maryland District October 1, 1851 6 2 1 0 0 0 4[lower-alpha 11] 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[lower-alpha 12]
55.8%		 17 4
1.7%		 5 3
1.3%		 3 10
4.3%		 10 86[lower-alpha 11]
36.9%		 22
House seats
Democratic
 
 55.79%
Free Soil
 
 1.72%
Unionist
 
 4.29%
Whig
 
 36.91%
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

Special elections

31st Congress

32nd Congress

Alabama
See also: List of United States Representatives from Alabama

Arkansas
See also: List of United States Representatives from Arkansas

California
See also: List of United States Representatives from California

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
Representative Party First elected Results Candidates
California at-large
2 seats on a general ticket		 George W. Wright Independent 1849 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Edward Gilbert Democratic 1849 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.

Connecticut
See also: List of United States Representatives from Connecticut

Delaware
See also: List of United States Representatives from Delaware

Florida
Main article: 1850 United States House of Representatives election in Florida
See also: List of United States Representatives from Florida

Florida's single at-large member was elected October 7, 1850.

District Incumbent This race
Representative Party First elected Results Candidates
Florida at-large Edward C. Cabell Whig 1846 Incumbent re-elected.

Georgia
See also: List of United States Representatives from Georgia

Illinois
See also: List of United States Representatives from Illinois

Indiana
See also: List of United States Representatives from Indiana

Iowa
See also: List of United States Representatives from Iowa

Kentucky
See also: List of United States Representatives from Kentucky

Louisiana
See also: List of United States Representatives from Louisiana

Maine
See also: List of United States Representatives from Maine

Maryland
See also: List of United States Representatives from Maryland

Massachusetts
See also: List of United States Representatives from Massachusetts

Michigan
See also: List of United States Representatives from Michigan

Mississippi
See also: List of United States Representatives from Mississippi

Missouri
See also: List of United States Representatives from Missouri

New Hampshire
See also: List of United States Representatives from New Hampshire

New Jersey
See also: List of United States Representatives from New Jersey

New York
See also: List of United States Representatives from New York

North Carolina
See also: List of United States Representatives from North Carolina

Ohio
See also: List of United States Representatives from Ohio

Pennsylvania
See also: List of United States Representatives from Pennsylvania

Rhode Island
See also: List of United States Representatives from Rhode Island

South Carolina
See also: List of United States Representatives from South Carolina

Tennessee
See also: List of United States Representatives from Tennessee

Texas
See also: List of United States Representatives from Texas

Vermont
See also: List of United States Representatives from Vermont

Virginia
See also: List of United States Representatives from Virginia

Wisconsin
See also: List of United States Representatives from Wisconsin
District Incumbent Party First
elected		 Result Candidates[3]
Wisconsin 1 Charles Durkee Free Soil 1848 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y Charles Durkee (Free Soil) 57.23%
  • Andrew E. Elmore (Democratic) 42.47%
Wisconsin 2 Orsamus Cole Whig 1848 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Wisconsin 3 James Duane Doty Democratic 1848 Incumbent won re-election as an independent.
Independent Democratic gain.

Non-voting delegates
District Incumbent This race
Delegate Party First elected Results Candidates
Minnesota Territory Henry Hastings Sibley Democratic 1848 (Wisconsin Territory: Special)
1849 (Wisconsin Territory: Eliminated)
1849 (Minnesota Territory)		 Incumbent re-elected.
New Mexico Territory New seat New seat created.
New delegate elected.
Democratic gain.
  • Y Richard H. Weightman (Democratic)
  • [data unknown/missing]
Oregon Territory Samuel Thurston Democratic 1849 (New seat) Incumbent died April 9, 1851.
New delegate elected June 2, 1851.[4]
Democratic hold.
Utah Territory New seat New seat created.
New delegate elected.
Independent gain.
  • Y John M. Bernhisel (Independent)
  • [data unknown/missing]

See also

Notes
  1. Includes two Unionist Whigs, three Unionist Democrats, and nine Unionists.
  2. Includes one Secessionist Democrat, one Secessionist Whig, three Southern Rights Democrats, and three Southern Rightists.
  3. Includes two Independent Democrats, one Benton Democrat and one Independent Whig.
  4. Free Soil had 4 seats and States' Rights had 3.
  5. Unionist had 10 seats.
  6. Includes one Independent Democrat.
  7. There was 1 Know-Nothing in the 31st Congress.
  8. In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform date for choosing presidential electors.[1] Congressional elections were unaffected by this law, but the date was gradually adopted by the states for Congressional elections as well.
  9. One seat, Massachusetts's 4th congressional district, had been vacant during the entire 31st Congress.
  10. There was 1 Independent in the 31st Congress.
  11. Includes 1 Independent Whig.
  12. Includes three Independent Democrats from Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

References
  1. Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721
  2. https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=115023
  3. "Wisconsin Congressional election 1850 / Official". Wisconsin Argus. December 17, 1850. p. 2. Retrieved May 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Documents/elections/history-officials.pdf

Bibliography
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