1852–53 United States House of Representatives elections
August 2, 1852 – November 8, 1853
All 234 seats in the United States House of Representatives
118 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Linn Boyd Joseph R. Chandler
Party Democratic Whig
Leader's seat Kentucky 1st Pennsylvania 2nd
Last election 120 seats 82 seats
Seats won 150 68
Seat change Increase 30 Decrease 14
Popular vote 1,566,004 1,308,031
Percentage 49.82% 41.61%
Swing Increase 6.51% Decrease 0.28%
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Free Soil Unionist
Last election 4 seats 15 seats
Seats won 4 5[lower-alpha 1]
Seat change Steady Decrease 10
Popular vote 125,271 22,139
Percentage 3.99% 0.70%
Swing Increase 0.87% Decrease 3.99%
  Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party Southern Rights Independent
Last election 8 seats 4 seats[lower-alpha 2]
Seats won 4[lower-alpha 3] 3[lower-alpha 4]
Seat change Decrease 4 Decrease 1
Popular vote 20,326 87,826
Percentage 0.65% 2.79%
Swing Decrease 3.48% Steady
Speaker before election

Linn Boyd
Democratic

 Elected Speaker

Linn Boyd
Democratic

The 1852–53 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between August 2, 1852, and November 8, 1853. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 33rd United States Congress convened on December 5, 1853. The size of the House increased to 234 seats following the congressional reapportionment based on the 1850 United States census.

Democrats increased their House majority while electing national compromise candidate Franklin Pierce, a Northerner favorable to Southern interests, to the Presidency. Effects of the Compromise of 1850 temporarily had reduced sectional tensions, and both major parties, Democrats and Whigs, unified around the 1852 presidential campaign, with Whig unity more tenuous. Two small parties, the Constitutional Unionists and States' Rights parties, collapsed before this election, while the Free Soil Party, opposing slavery in the Western territories, retained four seats. One Independent, Caleb Lyon, was elected from New York.

Election summaries

Following the 1850 census, the House was reapportioned. In the initial apportionment bill, the number of seats was unchanged at 233,[1] but later one seat was added to California's delegation, increasing the total apportionment to 234, due to returns from California being determined to be incomplete.[2]

↓
158 4 1 71
Democratic FS I Whig
State Type Date Total seats Democratic Free Soil Whig Others
Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change
Iowa Districts August 2, 1852 2 Steady 1 Decrease1 0 Steady 1 Increase1 0 Steady
Missouri Districts August 2, 1852 7 Increase2 3 Increase1 0 Steady 4 Increase1 0 Steady
Vermont Districts September 7, 1852 3 Decrease1 0 Decrease1 0 Steady 3 Steady 0 Steady
Maine Districts September 13, 1852 6 Decrease1 3 Decrease2 0 Steady 3 Increase1 0 Steady
Florida At-large October 5, 1852 1 Steady 1 Increase1 0 Steady 0 Decrease1 0 Steady
Indiana Districts October 12, 1852 11 Increase1 10 Increase2 0 Steady 1 Decrease1 0 Steady
Ohio Districts October 12, 1852 21 Steady 12 Increase1 2 Increase1 7 Decrease2 0 Steady
Pennsylvania Districts October 12, 1852 25 Increase1 16 Increase1 0 Steady 9 Steady 0 Steady
California At-large November 2, 1852
(Election Day)[lower-alpha 5]		 2 Steady 2 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Illinois Districts 9 Increase2 5[lower-alpha 6] Decrease1 0 Steady 4 Increase3 0 Steady
Michigan Districts 4 Increase1 4 Increase3 0 Steady 0 Decrease2 0 Steady
New Jersey Districts 5 Steady 4 Steady 0 Steady 1 Steady 0 Steady
New York Districts 33 Decrease1 21 Increase4 1 Increase1 10 Decrease7 1[lower-alpha 7] Increase1
Wisconsin Districts 3 Steady 3 Increase1 0 Decrease1 0 Steady 0 Steady
Delaware At-large November 8, 1852 1 Steady 1 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Massachusetts Districts November 8, 1852 11 Increase1 1 Steady 1 Decrease1 9 Increase2 0 Steady
South Carolina Districts February 28 – March 1, 1853 6 Decrease1 6 Decrease1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Late elections (after the March 4, 1853 beginning of the term)
New Hampshire Districts March 8, 1853 3 Decrease1 3 Increase1 0 Steady 0 Decrease2 0 Steady
Connecticut Districts April 4, 1853 4 Steady 4 Increase1 0 Steady 0 Decrease1 0 Steady
Rhode Island Districts April 6, 1853 2 Steady 2 Increase1 0 Steady 0 Decrease1 0 Steady
Virginia Districts May 26, 1853 13 Decrease2 13 Steady 0 Steady 0 Decrease2 0 Steady
Arkansas Districts August 1, 1853 2 Increase1 2 Increase1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Kentucky Districts August 1, 1853 10 Steady 5 Steady 0 Steady 5 Steady 0 Steady
Texas Districts August 1, 1853 2 Steady 2 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
North Carolina Districts August 4, 1853 8 Decrease1 5 Increase2 0 Steady 3 Decrease3 0 Steady
Tennessee Districts August 4, 1853 10 Decrease1 5 Decrease2 0 Steady 5 Increase1 0 Steady
Alabama Districts August 8, 1853 7 Steady 6 Increase2 0 Steady 1 Decrease1 0 Decrease1[lower-alpha 8]
Georgia Districts October 3, 1853 8 Steady 6 Increase6 0 Steady 2 Increase2 0 Decrease8[lower-alpha 9]
Louisiana Districts November 1, 1853 4 Steady 3 Increase1 0 Steady 1 Decrease1 0 Steady
Maryland Districts November 2, 1853 6 Steady 4 Increase2 0 Steady 2 Decrease2 0 Steady
Mississippi District + 1 at-large November 7–8, 1853 5 Increase1 5 Increase5 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Decrease4[lower-alpha 10]
Total 234 Increase1 158[lower-alpha 6]
67.5%		 Increase28 4
1.7%		 Steady 71
30.3%		 Decrease15 1
0.4%		 Decrease12
Popular vote
Democratic
 
 49.82%
Whig
 
 41.61%
Free Soil
 
 3.99%
Unionist
 
 0.70%
States' Rights
 
 0.65%
Independent
 
 2.79%
Others
 
 0.44%
House seats
Democratic
 
 64.10%
Whig
 
 30.34%
Unionist
 
 2.14%
Free Soil
 
 1.71%
Southern Rights
 
 1.71%
Independent
 
 1.28%

Alabama

Arkansas

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Arkansas 1 Robert W. Johnson
Redistricted from the at-large district		 Democratic 1846 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.[3]
Arkansas 2 New seat.
Democratic gain.

California

Note: From statehood to 1864, California's representatives were elected at-large, with the top two vote-getters winning election from 1849 to 1858; in 1860 when California gained a seat in the House the top three vote-getters were elected.

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
California at-large
2 seats on a general ticket		 Edward C. Marshall Democratic 1851 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.
Joseph W. McCorkle Democratic 1851 Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Florida at-large Edward C. Cabell Whig 1846 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

The elections were held November 8, 1852. However, many of the districts went to a December 13, 1852 second ballot.

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Massachusetts 1 Zeno Scudder
Redistricted from the 10th district		 Whig 1851 Incumbent re-elected on the second ballot. First ballot (November 8, 1852):

Second ballot (December 13, 1852):
  • ▌Green tickY Zeno Scudder (Whig) 62.91%
  • ▌Abraham H. Howland (Independent) 37.09%[6]
Massachusetts 2
Massachusetts 3
Massachusetts 4
Massachusetts 5
Massachusetts 6
Massachusetts 7
Massachusetts 8
Massachusetts 9
Massachusetts 10
Massachusetts 11

Michigan

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Michigan 1 Ebenezer J. Penniman Whig 1850 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Michigan 2 Charles E. Stuart Democratic 1847 (special)
1848 (lost)
1850		 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.
Michigan 3 James L. Conger Whig 1850 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Michigan 4 None (New seat) New seat.
Democratic gain.
  • ▌Green tickY Hestor L. Stevens (Democratic) 51.8%
  • ▌George Bradley (Whig) 43.1%
  • ▌Ephraim Calkins (Free Soil) 5.1%[10]

Mississippi

Elections held late, from November 7 to 8, 1853

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Mississippi at-large None (new district) New seat.
Democratic gain.
Mississippi 1 Benjamin D. Nabers Unionist 1851 Incumbent lost re-election as a Whig.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Mississippi 2 John A. Wilcox Unionist 1851 Incumbent lost re-election as a Whig.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Mississippi 3 John D. Freeman Unionist 1851 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Mississippi 4 Albert G. Brown Southern Rights 1847 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.		 ▌Green tickY Wiley P. Harris (Democratic) 100%[15]

Missouri

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Elections held late, on August 4, 1853.

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Tennessee 1 Andrew Johnson Democratic 1842 Incumbent retired to run for Governor.
Democratic loss.
Albert G. Watkins
Redistricted from the 2nd district.		 Whig 1849 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Tennessee 2 William M. Churchwell
Redistricted from the 3rd district.		 Democratic 1851 Incumbent re-elected.
Tennessee 3 New district New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Tennessee 4 John H. Savage Democratic 1849 Incumbent retired.
Democratic loss.
William Cullom
Redistricted from the 8th district.		 Whig 1851 Incumbent re-elected.
Tennessee 5 New district New member elected.
Whig gain.
Tennessee 6 William H. Polk Independent
Democratic		 1851 Incumbent retired.
Independent Democratic loss.		 ▌Green tickY George W. Jones (Democratic) 100%[21]
George W. Jones
Redistricted from the 5th district.		 Democratic 1842 Incumbent re-elected.
Tennessee 7 Meredith P. Gentry Whig 1845 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Whig hold.
Tennessee 8 New district New member elected.
Whig gain.
Tennessee 9 Isham G. Harris Democratic 1849 Incumbent retired.
Democratic loss.
Christopher H. Williams
Redistricted from the 11th district.		 Whig 1849 Incumbent re-elected.
Tennessee 10 Frederick P. Stanton Democratic 1845 Incumbent re-elected.

Texas

Vermont

Virginia

Wisconsin

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates[26]
Wisconsin 1 Charles Durkee Free Soil 1848 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Wisconsin 2 Ben C. Eastman Democratic 1850 Incumbent re-elected.
Wisconsin 3 James Duane Doty Ind. Democratic 1848 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.

Non-voting delegates

District Incumbent This race
Delegate Party First elected Results Candidates
Minnesota Territory Henry Hastings Sibley Democratic 1848 (Wis. Territory: special)
1849 (Wis. Territory: eliminated)
1849 (Minn. Territory)		 Incumbent retired.
New delegate elected.
Democratic hold.
New Mexico Territory Richard H. Weightman Democratic 1851 Incumbent retired.
New delegate elected in 1853.
Democratic hold.
Oregon Territory Joseph Lane Democratic 1851 Incumbent re-elected.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Includes three Union Whigs and two Union Democrats.
  2. ↑ Included three Independent Democrats and one Independent Whig.
  3. ↑ Includes four Southern Rights Democrats.
  4. ↑ Includes one Independent, one Independent Democrat, and the Benton Independent.
  5. ↑ In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform date for choosing presidential electors (see: Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721). Congressional elections were unaffected by this law, but the date was gradually adopted by the states for congressional elections as well.
  6. 1 2 Includes 1 Independent Democrat, William Henry Bissell, elected to IL-08.
  7. ↑ Caleb Lyon was elected to NY-23 as an Independent.
  8. ↑ Previous election had 1 Constitutional Union member.
  9. ↑ Previous election had 6 Constitutional Union and 2 States' Rights.
  10. ↑ Previous election had 3 Constitutional Union and 1 States' Rights.
  11. ↑ Full name unpublished in source, presumably Alexander Wilkin (Whig)

References

  1. ↑ 9 Stat. 432
  2. ↑ 10 Stat. 25
  3. 1 2 3 Guide to U.S. Elections. Vol. II (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. 2010. p. 1016. ISBN 9781604265361. LCCN 2009033938. OCLC 430736650.
  4. ↑ "Our Campaigns - CA - at Large Race - Nov 02, 1852".
  5. ↑ "Our Campaigns - MA District 1 - 1st Trial Race - Nov 08, 1852".
  6. ↑ "Our Campaigns - MA District 1 - 2nd Trial Race - Dec 13, 1852".
  7. ↑ "MI - District 01 Race - Nov 02, 1852". Our Campaigns. January 11, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  8. ↑ "MI - District 02 Race - Nov 02, 1852". Our Campaigns. January 11, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  9. ↑ "MI - District 03 Race - Nov 02, 1852". Our Campaigns. January 11, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  10. ↑ "MI - District 04 Race - Nov 02, 1852". Our Campaigns. January 11, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  11. ↑ "MS - At Large". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  12. ↑ "MS - District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  13. ↑ "MS - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  14. ↑ "MS - District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  15. ↑ "MS - District 04". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  16. ↑ "TN - District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  17. ↑ "TN - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  18. ↑ "TN - District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  19. ↑ "TN - District 04". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  20. ↑ "TN - District 05". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  21. ↑ "TN - District 06". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  22. ↑ "TN - District 07". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  23. ↑ "TN - District 08". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  24. ↑ "TN - District 09". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  25. ↑ "TN - District 10". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Official Vote on Members of Congress". The Weekly Wisconsin. December 8, 1852. p. 3. Retrieved May 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ Greeley, Horace (February 22, 1868). "The Tribune Almanac for the Years L838 to L868, Inclusive: Comprehending the Politician's Register and the Whig Almanac, Containing Annual Election Returns by States and Counties ... Political Essays ... &c., Making a Connected Political History for Thirty Years". New York tribune – via Google Books.
  28. ↑ "Our Campaigns - NM Territorial Delegate Race - Oct 01, 1853".

Bibliography

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