1840–41 United States House of Representatives elections

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
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.

26th Congress

 * CT's 2nd congressional district: 1840
 * GA's at-large congressional district: January 1841 (one of the at-large seat)
 * IN's 7th congressional district: 1840
 * MA's 6th congressional district: 1840
 * OH's 4th congressional district: 1840
 * PA's 22nd congressional district: 1840
 * PA's 13th congressional district: 1840

27th Congress

 * ME's 4th congressional district: 1841
 * MA's 5th congressional district: 1841
 * PA's 2nd congressional district: 1841
 * PA's 13th congressional district: 1841
 * PA's 18th congressional district: 1841
 * PA's 18th congressional district (again): 1841
 * PA's 20th congressional district: 1841

! NY's 26th congressional district
 * 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.
 * nowrap | ✅ John Greig (Whig) 53.36%

Bowen Whiting (Democratic) 43.30%

Hiram Pitts (Liberty) 3.34%

! NY's 26th congressional district
 * John Greig
 * | Whig
 * 1841 (Special)
 * | Incumbent resigned September 25, 1841. New member elected November 3, 1841. Whig hold. Successor seated November 27, 1841.
 * nowrap | ✅ Francis Granger (Whig) 53.36%

Bowen Whiting (Democratic) 45.14%

Hiram Pitts (Liberty) 3.96%

! rowspan=3 | GA 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.
 * rowspan=3 nowrap | Elected on a general ticket:✅ Mark A. Cooper (Democratic) 17.26%

✅ Walter T. Colquitt (Democratic) 17.14%

✅ Edward J. Black (Democratic) 16.96%

Charles Dougherty (Whig) 16.32%

George R. Gilmer (Whig) 16.18%

Augustus R. Wright (Whig) 16.14%


 * Eugenius A. Nisbet
 * | Whig
 * 1838
 * | Incumbent resigned October 12, 1841. New member elected December 21, 1841. Democratic gain.
 * | 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.
 * | Incumbent resigned October 1, 1841. New member elected December 21, 1841. Democratic gain.


 * }

Arkansas
! AR At-large
 * Edward Cross
 * | Democratic
 * 1838
 * Incumbent reelected.
 * nowrap | ✅ Edward Cross (Democratic) 57.6%

Absalom Fowler (Whig) 42.4%


 * }

Florida Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

Iowa Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

Maine
Maine elected its members September 14, 1840.

! ME's 1st congressional district

! ME's 2nd congressional district

! ME's 3rd congressional district

! ME's 4th congressional district

! ME's 5th congressional district

! ME's 6th congressional district

! ME's 7th congressional district

! ME's 8th congressional district
 * Thomas Davee
 * | Democratic
 * 1836
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Elisha Hunt Allen (Whig) 51.90%

Hannibal Hamlin (Democratic) 46.62%


 * }

Massachusetts
Massachusetts held its elections November 9, 1840, but one district went to a second ballot on January 4, 1841.

! MA's 1st congressional district

! MA's 2nd congressional district

! MA's 3rd congressional district

! MA's 4th congressional district
 * William Parmenter
 * | Democratic
 * 1836
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ William Parmenter (Democratic) 50.34%

Nathan Brooks (Whig) 48.35%

David Goodale (Unknown) 1.31%

! MA's 5th congressional district

! MA's 6th congressional district

! MA's 7th congressional district

! MA's 8th congressional district

! MA's 9th congressional district

! MA's 10th congressional district
 * Henry Williams
 * | Democratic
 * 1838
 * | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected on the second ballot. Whig gain.
 * nowrap | First ballot (November 9, 1840): Henry Williams (Democratic) 49.75%

Nathaniel B. Borden (Whig) 49.60%

Otis Thompson (Unknown) 0.65% Second ballot (January 4, 1841): ✅ Nathaniel B. Borden (Whig) 52.41%

Henry Williams (Democratic) 45.26%

George W. Johnson (Unknown) 2.33%

! MA's 11th congressional district

! MA's 12th congressional district
 * John Quincy Adams
 * | Whig
 * 1830
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ John Quincy Adams (Whig) 54.60%

William M. Jackson (Democratic) 45.40%


 * }

Mississippi
Elections held late, from November 1 to 2, 1841.

! rowspan=2 | MS At-large (2 seats)
 * Jacob Thompson
 * | Democratic
 * 1839
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap rowspan=2 |

✅ Jacob Thompson (Democratic) 26.86%

✅ William M. Gwin (Democratic) 26.74%

Adam L. Benjamin (Whig) 23.38%

William Harley (Whig) 23.03%


 * Albert G. Brown
 * | Democratic
 * 1839
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.


 * }

Michigan
! MI At-large
 * Isaac E. Crary
 * 1835
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Jacob M. Howard (Whig) 51.5%
 * nowrap | ✅ Jacob M. Howard (Whig) 51.5%

Alpheus French (Democratic) 48.5%


 * }

Tennessee
Elections held late, on May 6, 1841.

! TN's 1st congressional district
 * William B. Carter
 * | Whig
 * 1835
 * |Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig hold.
 * nowrap |

✅ Thomas D. Arnold (Whig) 90.21%

Robert J. McKinney (Unknown) 5.65%

Jeremiah Jack (Unknown) 4.14%

! TN's 2nd congressional district
 * Abraham McClellan
 * | Democratic
 * 1837
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Abraham McClellan (Democratic) 53.00%

William T. Senter (Whig) 47.00%

! TN's 3rd congressional district
 * Joseph L. Williams
 * | Whig
 * 1837
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Joseph L. Williams (Whig) 97.41%

Scattering 2.59%

! TN's 4th congressional district
 * Julius W. Blackwell
 * | Democratic
 * 1839
 * |Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Whig gain.
 * nowrap |

✅ Thomas J. Campbell (Whig) 49.26%

Julius W. Blackwell (Democratic) 48.50%

William Stone (Unknown) 2.24%

! TN's 5th congressional district
 * Hopkins L. Turney
 * | Democratic
 * 1837
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Hopkins L. Turney (Democratic) 67.98%

John L. Goodall (Whig) 32.02%

! TN's 6th congressional district
 * William B. Campbell
 * | Whig
 * 1837
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ William B. Campbell (Whig) 87.44%

Jesse Skein (Unknown) 10.74%

Scattering 1.82%

! TN's 7th congressional district
 * John Bell
 * | Whig
 * 1827
 * |Incumbent retired to become Secretary of War. New member elected. Whig hold.
 * nowrap |

✅ Robert L. Caruthers (Whig) 72.29%

John Hall (Democratic) 27.71%

! TN's 8th congressional district
 * Meredith P. Gentry
 * | Whig
 * 1839
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Meredith P. Gentry (Whig) 70.10%

Thomas Hogan (Democratic) 29.90%

! TN's 9th congressional district
 * Harvey M. Watterson
 * | Democratic
 * 1839
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ Harvey M. Watterson (Democratic) 54.81%

Terry H. Cahal (Whig) 45.19%

! TN's 10th congressional district
 * Aaron V. Brown
 * | Democratic
 * 1839
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Aaron V. Brown (Democratic) 80.96%

Ebenezer J. Shields (Whig) 15.63%

Scattering 3.41%

! TN's 11th congressional district
 * Cave Johnson
 * | Democratic
 * 1839
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Cave Johnson (Democratic) 74.25%

N. H. Allen (Whig) 25.75%

! TN's 12th congressional district
 * John W. Crockett
 * | Whig
 * 1837
 * |Incumbent retired to become Attorney General for the 9th district. New member elected. Whig hold.
 * nowrap |

✅ Milton Brown (Whig) 61.19%

Stephen C. Davatt (Democratic) 38.81%

! TN's 13th congressional district
 * Kit Williams
 * | Whig
 * 1837
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Kit Williams (Whig) 57.29%

Levin H. Coe (Democratic) 42.71%


 * }

Wisconsin Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

26th Congress
! Iowa Territory At-large
 * William W. Chapman
 * | Democratic
 * 1838
 * | Incumbent's term expired by law. New delegate elected in 1840. Democratic hold.
 * nowrap | ✅ Augustus C. Dodge (Democratic)

Alfred Rich (Whig) (615-vote margin)


 * }

27th Congress
! Florida Territory At-large
 * Charles Downing
 * | Democratic
 * 1836
 * Incumbent re-elected on an unknown date.
 * nowrap | ✅ Charles Downing (Democratic)

! Iowa Territory At-large
 * Augustus C. Dodge
 * | Democratic
 * 1840
 * Incumbent re-elected August 6, 1841.
 * nowrap | ✅ Augustus C. Dodge (Democratic) 4838 votes

Alfred Rich (Whig) 4315 votes

! Wisconsin Territory At-large
 * James D. Doty
 * | Democratic
 * 1838
 * Incumbent re-elected on an unknown date.
 * nowrap | ✅ James D. Doty (Democratic)


 * }