1826 United States elections explained

Year:1826
Type:Midterm elections
Incumbent President:John Quincy Adams
(Democratic-Republican)
Next Congress:20th
Senate Control:Jacksonian hold
Senate Seats Contested:16 of 48 seats[1]
Senate Net Change:Jacksonian +1[2]
House Control:Jacksonian gain
House Seats Contested:All 213 voting seats
House Net Change:Jacksonian +9

The 1826 United States elections occurred in the middle of Democratic-Republican President John Quincy Adams's term. Members of the 20th United States Congress were chosen in this election. The election took place during a transitional period between the First Party System and the Second Party System. With the Federalist Party no longer active as a major political party, the major split in Congress was between supporters of Adams and supporters of Andrew Jackson, who Adams had defeated in the 1824 Presidential election.

In the House, Jackson supporters picked up several seats, taking the majority from the faction supporting Adams.[3] Andrew Stevenson, a supporter of Jackson who later joined the Democratic Party, won election as Speaker of the House.

In the Senate, supporters of Jackson picked up one seat, retaining their majority.[4]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Not counting special elections.
  2. Congressional seat gain figures only reflect the results of the regularly-scheduled elections, and do not take special elections into account.
  3. Web site: Party Divisions of the House of Representatives. United States House of Representatives. June 25, 2014.
  4. Web site: Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present. United States Senate. June 25, 2014.