| Election Name: | 1838 Iowa Council election |
| Country: | Iowa |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Iowa (variant).svg |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Next Election: | 1839 Iowa Council election |
| Next Year: | 1839 |
| Seats For Election: | All 13 seats in the Iowa Territory Council |
| Majority Seats: | 7 |
| Election Date: | 1838 |
| Leader1: | Stephen Hempstead |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Leaders Seat1: | 8th-Dubuque County |
| Seats After1: | 7 |
| Leader2: | Jesse B. Browne |
| Party2: | Whig Party (US) |
| Leaders Seat2: | 2nd-Lee County |
| Seats After2: | 6 |
| President of the Iowa Territory Council | |
| After Election: | Jesse B. Browne |
| After Party: | Whig Party (US) |
In the 1838 Iowa Territory Council elections, electors selected councilors to serve in the first Iowa Territory Council. All 13 members of the Territory Council were elected. Councilors served one-year terms.
The Iowa Territory existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when Iowa was admitted to the Union as a state. At the time, the Iowa Territory had a Legislative Assembly consisting of an upper chamber (i.e., the Territory Council) and a lower chamber (i.e., the Territory House of Representatives).
Following the organization of the first Territory Council, Whig Councilor Jesse B. Browne of Lee County was chosen as the President of the Territory Council. Democrats held a majority of seats in the first Iowa Territory Council following the 1838 general election with seven seats to Whigs' six seats.
| Iowa Territory Council District | Elected Councilor | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | George Hepner | Dem | ||
| Arthur Inghram | Dem | |||
| Robert Ralston | Dem | |||
| 2nd | Jesse B. Browne | Whig | ||
| 3rd | Lawson B. Hughes | Whig | ||
| Jesse D. Payne | Whig | |||
| 4th | E. A. M. Swazy | Dem | ||
| Isham Keith | Whig | |||
| 5th | James M. Clark | Whig | ||
| 6th | Charles Whittlesey | Whig | ||
| 7th | Jonathan W. Parker | Dem | ||
| 8th | Stephen Hempstead | Dem | ||
| Warner Lewis | Dem | |||
Source:[1]
District boundaries for the Territory Council in 1838: