1842–43 United States House of Representatives elections explained

Election Name:	1842–43 United States House of Representatives elections
Country:	United States
Flag Year:	1837
Type:	legislative
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1840–41 United States House of Representatives elections
Next Election:	1844–45 United States House of Representatives elections
Seats For Election:	All 223 seats in the United States House of Representatives
Majority Seats:	112
Election Date:	August 1, 1842 – November 8, 1843
Party1:	Democratic Party (US)
Leader1:	John Jones
Image1:	JohnWinstonJones.jpg
Last Election1:	98 seats
Seats1:	147
Seat Change1:	49
Popular Vote1:	1,051,561
Percentage1:	51.27%
Swing1:	3.44%
Party2:	Whig Party (US)
Leader2:	John White
Last Election2:	142 seats
Seats2:	72
Seat Change2:	70
Popular Vote2:	905,910
Percentage2:	44.17%
Swing2:	6.89%
Party4:	Law and Order Party (US)
Last Election4:	Pre-creation
Seats4:	2
Seat Change4:	2
Popular Vote4:	7,145
Percentage4:	0.35%
Swing4:	New Party
Party5:	Independent (US)
Last Election5:	2 seats
Seats5:	2
Popular Vote5:	42,236
Percentage5:	2.06%
Map Size:	320px
Swing5:	1.21%
Speaker
Before Election:	John White
After Election:	John Jones
Before Party:	Whig Party (US)
After Party:	Democratic Party (US)

The 1842–43 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between August 1, 1842, and November 8, 1843. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 28th United States Congress convened on December 4, 1843. The exception was Maryland, who held theirs so late that they ran into February 1844. These elections occurred during President John Tyler's term. The congressional reapportionment based on the 1840 United States census unusually decreased the number of House seats, from 242 down to 223.

After Whig President William Henry Harrison died within a month of taking office, his successor as president, John Tyler was only nominally a Whig who had not been properly validated for alignment to Whig policy. Effectively an independent, Tyler was disliked by politicians and was unpopular with voters of both parties, leaving the Whigs unexpectedly leaderless and in visible disarray.

Despite the improving economy, rural voters favored Democrats, again rejecting Whig economic nationalism. The Whig Party lost 69 seats and their sizeable majority from the 1840 election, almost half their House delegation (one of the Whigs who won re-election was William Wright of New Jersey, elected as an "Independent Whig").

The Democrats won a majority, flipping 48 Whig seats (this includes Henry Nes of Pennsylvania, elected as an Independent Democrat). In Rhode Island, the Law and Order Party, formed in response to the Dorr Rebellion, won both of Rhode Island's two seats.

Apportionment Act of 1842

See main article: Apportionment Act of 1842.

Apportionment was based on the census of 1840 and was unusual in that the number of House seats was decreased, from 242 to 223:^[1] this came after the Apportionment Act of 1842 mandated that all members be elected from single-member contiguous districts, thus abolishing plural districts and at-large districts. Four states that did not comply with this new law delayed redistricting under a grandfather clause.

Election summaries

↓
148	2	73
Democratic		Whig

State	Type	Date	Total seats		Democratic	Whig	Law and Order
State	Type	Date	Seats	Change		Seats		Change		Seats		Change	Seats	Change
Missouri	At-large	August 1, 1842	5	data-sort-value=3	3		5	data-sort-value=3	3		0	data-sort-value=0		0	data-sort-value=0
Tennessee	District	August 3, 1842	11	data-sort-value=-2	2		6	data-sort-value=1	1		5	data-sort-value=-3	3	0	data-sort-value=0
Illinois	District	August 7, 1842	7	data-sort-value=4	4		6	data-sort-value=4	4		1	data-sort-value=0		0	data-sort-value=0
Arkansas	At-large	October 3, 1842	1	data-sort-value=0			1	data-sort-value=0			0	data-sort-value=0		0	data-sort-value=0
Georgia	At-large	October 3, 1842	8	data-sort-value=-1	1		8	data-sort-value=8	8		0	data-sort-value=-9	9	0	data-sort-value=0
New Jersey	District	October 8, 1842	5	data-sort-value=-1	1		4	data-sort-value=4	4		1	data-sort-value=-5	5	0	data-sort-value=0
Delaware	At-large	November 8, 1842	1	data-sort-value=0			0	data-sort-value=0			1	data-sort-value=0		0	data-sort-value=0
New York	District	November 8, 1842	34	data-sort-value=-6	6		24	data-sort-value=4	4		10	data-sort-value=-10	10	0	data-sort-value=0
Massachusetts	District	November 14, 1842	10	data-sort-value=-2	2		2	data-sort-value=1	1		8	data-sort-value=-3	3	0	data-sort-value=0
South Carolina	District	data-sort-value="February 21, 1843"	February 20–21, 1843	7	data-sort-value=-2	2		7	data-sort-value=-1	1		0	data-sort-value=-1	1	0	data-sort-value=0
New Hampshire	At-large	March 3, 1843	4	data-sort-value=-1	1		4	data-sort-value=-1	1		0	data-sort-value=0		0	data-sort-value=0
Late elections after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term
Connecticut	District	April 5, 1843	4	data-sort-value=-2	2		4	data-sort-value=4	4		0	data-sort-value=-6	6	0	data-sort-value=0
Virginia	District	April 27, 1843	15	data-sort-value=-6	6		12	data-sort-value=2	2		3	data-sort-value=-8	8	0	data-sort-value=0
Louisiana	District	data-sort-value="July 5, 1843"	July 3–5, 1843	4	data-sort-value=1	1		4	data-sort-value=3	3		0	data-sort-value=-2	2	0	data-sort-value=0
North Carolina	District	August 3, 1843	9	data-sort-value=-4	4		5	data-sort-value=0			4	data-sort-value=-4	4	0	data-sort-value=0
Alabama	District	August 7, 1843	7	data-sort-value=2	2		6	data-sort-value=1	1		1	data-sort-value=1	1	0	data-sort-value=0
Indiana	District	August 7, 1843	10	data-sort-value=3	3		8	data-sort-value=7	7		2	data-sort-value=-4	4	0	data-sort-value=0
Kentucky	District	August 7, 1843	10	data-sort-value=-3	3		5	data-sort-value=3	3		5	data-sort-value=-6	6	0	data-sort-value=0
Rhode Island	District	August 29, 1843	2	data-sort-value=0			0	data-sort-value=0			0	data-sort-value=-2	2		2	data-sort-value=2	2
Vermont	District	September 5, 1843	4	data-sort-value=-1	1		1	data-sort-value=1	1		3	data-sort-value=-2	2	0	data-sort-value=0
Maine	District	September 11, 1843	7	data-sort-value=-1	1		5	data-sort-value=1	1		2	data-sort-value=-2	2	0	data-sort-value=0
Ohio	District	October 10, 1843	21	data-sort-value=2	2		12	data-sort-value=5	5		9	data-sort-value=-3	3	0	data-sort-value=0
Pennsylvania	District	October 10, 1843	24	data-sort-value=-4	4		12	data-sort-value=-3	3		12	data-sort-value=-1	1	0	data-sort-value=0
Mississippi	At-large	data-sort-value="November 7, 1843"	November 6–7, 1843	4	data-sort-value=2	2		4	data-sort-value=2	2		0	data-sort-value=0		0	data-sort-value=0
Michigan	District	November 8, 1843	3	data-sort-value=2	2		3	data-sort-value=3	3		0	data-sort-value=-1	1	0	data-sort-value=0
Maryland	District	February 14, 1844	6	data-sort-value=-2	2		0	data-sort-value=-2	2		6	data-sort-value=0		0	data-sort-value=0
Total			223	data-sort-value=-19	19		148	data-sort-value=50	50		73	data-sort-value=-71	71		2	data-sort-value=2	2

Special elections

27th Congress

28th Congress

Alabama

See also: List of United States representatives from Alabama. Alabama gained 2 seats, going from 5 to 7 members. Elections were held August 7, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term. In the 1841 elections, Alabama briefly used at-large general-ticket elections, but in these elections it returned to districts.

Arkansas

Election Name:	1842 Arkansas at-large election
Country:	Arkansas
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1840–41 United States House of Representatives elections#Arkansas
Previous Year:	1840
Next Election:	1844–45 United States House of Representatives elections#Arkansas
Next Year:	1844
Election Date:	October 3, 1842
Image1:	3x4.svg
Nominee1:	Edward Cross
Party1:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	9,413^[2]
Percentage1:	57.4%
Nominee2:	William Cummins
Party2:	Whig Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	5,315
Percentage2:	32.4%
Image3:	Lemuel D. Evans (Texas judge and Congressman).jpg
Nominee3:	Lemuel D. Evans
Party3:	Independent (United States)
Popular Vote3:	1,686
Percentage3:	10.3%
U.S. Representative
Before Election:	Edward Cross
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:	Edward Cross
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

See also: List of United States representatives from Arkansas. Arkansas stayed at 1 seat, electing its one member at-large October 3, 1842.

Connecticut

See also: List of United States representatives from Connecticut. Connecticut lost 2 seats, reduced from 6 to 4 members. Elections were held April 5, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1843.

Delaware

Election Name:	1842 United States House of Representatives election in Delaware
Country:	Delaware
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1840 United States House of Representatives election in Delaware
Previous Year:	1840
Next Election:	1844 United States House of Representatives election in Delaware
Next Year:	1844
Election Date:	November 8, 1842
Nominee1:	George B. Rodney
Party1:	Whig Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	5,465
Percentage1:	50.04%
Nominee2:	William H. Jones
Party2:	Democratic Party (US)
Popular Vote2:	5,456
Percentage2:	49.96%
Map Size:	210px
U.S. Representative
Before Election:	George B. Rodney
Before Party:	Whig Party (United States)
After Election:	George B. Rodney
After Party:	Whig Party (United States)

Delaware stayed at 1 seat, electing its one member at-large November 8, 1842.

The election was decided by a nine-vote margin.

Florida Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Georgia

See also: List of United States representatives from Georgia. Georgia lost 1 seat, going from 9 to 8 members. Elections were held at-large on a general ticket October 3, 1842.

Illinois

See also: List of United States representatives from Illinois. Illinois gained 4 seats, going from 3 to 7 members. Elections were held August 7, 1842.

|-!

Indiana

See also: List of United States representatives from Indiana. Indiana gained 3 seats, going from 7 to 10 members. Elections were held August 7, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term.

|-!

Kentucky

See also: List of United States representatives from Kentucky and 1842 United States Senate special election in Kentucky. Kentucky lost 3 seats, going from 13 to 10 members. Elections were held August 7, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term.

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Louisiana

See also: List of United States representatives from Louisiana. Louisiana gained 1 seats, going from 3 to 4 members. Elections were held July 3–5, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term.

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Maine

See also: List of United States representatives from Maine. Maine lost 1 seat, going from 8 to 7 members. Elections were held September 11, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term.

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Maryland

Maryland lost 2 seats, going from 8 to 6 members. Elections were held February 14, 1844, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term.

Maryland's elections to the next Congress were held February 14, 1844, after the 1842–1843 election cycle was passed and almost after the next Congress completed.

Massachusetts

See also: List of United States representatives from Massachusetts. Massachusetts lost 2 seats, going from 12 to 10 members. Elections were held November 14, 1842, but some districts' elections stretched to multiple ballots into 1843 and very early 1844.

Michigan

See also: List of United States representatives from Michigan. Michigan gained 2 seats, going from 1 to 3 members. Elections were held from districts November 8, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term, having previously elected a single member at-large.

Robert McClelland (Democratic) 55.4%
Jacob M. Howard (Whig) 38.7%
Arthur S. Porter (Liberty) 5.8%^[3]

Lucius Lyon (Democratic) 52.6%
Joseph R. Williams (Whig) 38.2%
Rufus B. Bement (Liberty) 9.2%^[4]

James B. Hunt (Democratic) 56.6%
Thomas J. Drake (Whig) 36.5%
William Caulfield (Liberty) 6.9%^[5]

Mississippi

See also: List of United States representatives from Mississippi. Mississippi gained 2 seats, going from 2 to 4 members. Elections were held at-large on a general ticket November 6–7, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term. Due to a banking crisis in Mississippi, the state Democratic party was split into two factions; the Redemptions, which favored the repudiation of bank bonds, and Anti-Redemptions, which opposed it.

|-! rowspan=4 |
(4 seats)| Jacob Thompson| | Democratic| 1839| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap rowspan=4 | |-| William M. Gwin| | Democratic| 1841| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.|-| colspan=3 | None (new district)| | New district.
Democratic gain.|-| colspan=3 | None (new district)| | New district.
Democratic gain.|}

Missouri

See also: List of United States representatives from Missouri. Missouri gained 3 seats, going from 2 to 5 members. Elections were held at-large on a general ticket August 1, 1842.

|-| | | ||-| | | ||-| | | ||-| | | ||}

New Hampshire

New Hampshire lost 1 seat, going from 5 to 4 members. Elections were held at-large on a general ticket March 3, 1843.

|-! rowspan=4 |
||-||-||-||}

New Jersey

See also: List of United States representatives from New Jersey. New Jersey lost 1 seats, going from 6 to 5 members. Elections were held from districts October 8, 1842, having previously elected them at-large.

New York

See also: List of United States representatives from New York and 1843 United States Senate election in New York. New York lost 6 seats, going from 40 to 34 members, but remaining the largest delegation. Its thirty-four members were elected November 8, 1842.

|-!

North Carolina

See also: List of United States representatives from North Carolina. North Carolina lost 4 seats, going from 13 to 9 members. Elections were held August 3, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term.

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Ohio

See also: List of United States representatives from Ohio. Ohio gained 2 seats, going from 19 to 21 members. Its twenty-one members were elected October 10, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term.

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Pennsylvania

See also: List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania and 1843 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania lost 4 seats, going from 28 to 24 members. Its twenty-four members were elected October 10, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term.

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Rhode Island

See also: List of United States representatives from Rhode Island. Rhode Island stayed at 2 seats, but elected its members from districts, having previously elected them at-large. Elections were held August 29, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term.

South Carolina

See also: List of United States representatives from South Carolina. South Carolina lost 2 seats, going from 9 to 7 members. Elections were held February 20–21, 1843.

|-!

Tennessee

See also: List of United States representatives from Tennessee and 1843 United States Senate special elections in Tennessee. Tennessee lost 2 seats, going from 13 to 11 members. Elections were held August 3, 1842.

|-! | Milton Brown
| | Whig| 1841 | Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |}

Vermont

See also: List of United States representatives from Vermont. Vermont lost 1 seat, going from 5 to 4 members. Elections were held September 5, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term.

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Virginia

See also: List of United States representatives from Virginia. Virginia lost 6 seats, going from 21 to 15 members. Elections were held April 27, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term.

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Wisconsin Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Non-voting delegates

|-!

Bibliography

Book: Dubin, Michael J. . United States Congressional Elections, 1788–1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses . March 1, 1998 . McFarland and Company . 978-0786402830 . .
Book: Martis, Kenneth C. . The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789–1989 . January 1, 1989 . Macmillan Publishing Company . 978-0029201701 . .
Book: Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections . 1994 . Congressional Quarterly Inc. . 978-0871879967 . Moore . John L. . Third . .
Web site: Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present . January 21, 2015 . Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives.

External links

Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)

Notes and References

Web site: The Apportionment Act of 1842: Legal, When Convenient . US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives . October 13, 2020 . history.house.gov . en . October 16, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201016172118/https://history.house.gov/Blog/2020/October/10-13-Apportionment-2/ . dead .
Book: The Whig Almanac and Politician's Register 1842 . . . 1844 . 72 . Elections in States . .
Web site: MI - District 01 Race - Nov 08, 1843 . Our Campaigns . January 11, 2010 . June 27, 2022 .
Web site: MI - District 02 Race - Nov 08, 1843 . Our Campaigns . January 11, 2010 . June 27, 2022 .
Web site: MI - District 03 Race - Nov 08, 1843 . Our Campaigns . January 11, 2010 . June 27, 2022 .