1840–41 United States House of Representatives elections
House elections for the 27th U.S. Congress
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.
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 , and Zadok Casey , Independent Democrat of Illinois .
Election summaries
↓
98
2
142
Democratic
[b]
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[c]
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[d] )
October 13, 1840
28
15
2
13
8
New York
District (33[e] )
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 [f]
Districts
April 23, 1841
21[f]
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[g] )
May 17, 1841
8
2
3
6
3
Alabama
At-large[h]
May 20, 1841
5
5
2
0
2
Mississippi
At-large
November 1–2, 1841
2
2
0
Total
242
99 [c] 40.9%
26
142 59.5%
33
Popular vote
Whig
51.04%
Democratic
47.83%
Others
1.13%
House seats
Whig
58.68%
Democratic
40.50%
Independent
0.83%
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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District
Incumbent
This race
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 . Whig hold. Successor seated May 21, 1841.
New York 26
John Greig
Whig
1841 (Special)
Incumbent resigned September 25, 1841. New member elected November 3, 1841 . Whig hold. Successor seated November 27, 1841.
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:
Eugenius A. Nisbet
Whig
1838
Incumbent resigned October 12, 1841. New member elected December 21, 1841 .Democratic gain .
Julius Caesar Alford
Whig
1838
Incumbent resigned October 1, 1841. New member elected December 21, 1841 .Democratic gain .
Alabama
Arkansas
Connecticut
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.
Maryland
Massachusetts
Massachusetts held its elections November 9, 1840, but one district went to a second ballot on January 4, 1841.
Mississippi
Elections held late, from November 1 to 2, 1841.
Michigan
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
North Carolina
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Elections held late, on May 6, 1841.
Vermont
Virginia
Wisconsin Territory
See Non-voting delegates , below.
Non-voting delegates
26th Congress
27th Congress
See also
Notes
References
^ "Our Campaigns - NY District 26 - Special Election Race - May 11, 1841" . OurCampaigns.com .
^ "Our Campaigns - NY District 26 - Special Election Race - Nov 01, 1841" . OurCampaigns.com .
^ "Our Campaigns - GA At-Large - Special Election Race - Dec 21, 1841" . OurCampaigns.com . Retrieved December 18, 2020 .
^ Guide to U.S. Elections . Vol. II (6th ed.). Washington, D.C. : CQ Press . 2010. p. 996. ISBN 9781604265361 . LCCN 2009033938 . OCLC 430736650 .
^ "Our Campaigns - ME District 8 Race - Sep 14, 1840" .
^ "Our Campaigns - MA District 4 Race - Nov 09, 1840" . www.ourcampaigns.com .
^ "Our Campaigns - MA District 10 - 1st Trial Race - Nov 09, 1840" . www.ourcampaigns.com . Retrieved October 9, 2020 .
^ "Our Campaigns - MA District 10 - 2nd Trial Race - Jan 04, 1841" . www.ourcampaigns.com . Retrieved October 9, 2020 .
^ "Our Campaigns - MA District 12 Race - Nov 09, 1840" . www.ourcampaigns.com .
^ "MS - At Large" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved March 7, 2021 .
^ "MI - District 01 Race - Nov 03, 1840" . Our Campaigns . January 11, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2022 .
^ "TN - District 01" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 02" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 03" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 04" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 05" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 06" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 07" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 08" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 09" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 10" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 11" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 12" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "TN - District 13" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ Pelzer, Louis (1908). Shambaugh, Benjamin F. (ed.). "The Early Democratic Party of Iowa" . Iowa Journal of History and Politics . 6 (1). Iowa City, Iowa : State Historical Society of Iowa : 15. hdl :2027/uc1.31210017304112 . Retrieved December 18, 2020 .
^ Pelzer, Louis (1908). Shambaugh, Benjamin F. (ed.). "The Early Democratic Party of Iowa" . Iowa Journal of History and Politics . 6 (1). Iowa City, Iowa : State Historical Society of Iowa : 16. hdl :2027/uc1.31210017304112 . Retrieved December 18, 2020 .
Bibliography
Dubin, Michael J. (March 1, 1998). United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses . McFarland and Company. ISBN 978-0786402830 .
Martis, Kenneth C. (January 1, 1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989 . Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0029201701 .
Moore, John L., ed. (1994). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (Third ed.). Congressional Quarterly Inc. ISBN 978-0871879967 .
"Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present" . Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015 .
External links
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