Electoral history of Abraham Lincoln



This is the electoral history of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln served one term in the United States House of Representatives from Illinois (1847–1849). He later served as the 16th president of the United States (1861–1865).

United States House of Representatives
1842: Despite aspirations for the congressional office, Lincoln did not actively run for the Whig Party nomination; as a delegate to the Whig nominating convention, Lincoln helped cut a deal that would give John J. Hardin the nomination in 1842, Edward Dickinson Baker the nomination in 1844 and Lincoln the nomination in 1846.

Illinois House of Representatives
1854 - Wins seat in Illinois House of Representatives, declines seat to focus on future candidacy for United States Senate. The election was held in November 1854, for a term starting in March 1855.

1855 US Senate election
The election was held on February 8, 1855, for a term starting in March 1855.


 * Note: At this time, U.S. Senators were elected by the state legislatures, not by vote of the people

51 votes needed for election
 * Candidate won that Round of voting
 * Candidate won Senate seat

''Note: Five "anti-Nebraska" Democrats (i.e. opposed to the Kansas–Nebraska Act) voted for Trumbull rather than vote for Lincoln, a Whig. When pro-Nebraska Democrats were unable to reelect Shields, they switched their allegiance to Matteson, who had no stance on the Act. Lincoln then withdrew and threw his support to Trumbull, so that an anti-Nebraska candidate would be assured victory.''

Vice presidential nomination for the Republican Party

 * William Lewis Dayton: 523 (64.73%)
 * Abraham Lincoln: 110 (13.61%)
 * Nathaniel Prentice Banks: 46 (5.69%)
 * David Wilmot: 43 (5.32%)
 * Charles Sumner: 35 (4.33%)
 * Jacob Collamer: 15 (1.86%)
 * John Alsop King: 9 (1.11%)
 * Samuel C. Pomeroy: 8 (0.99%)
 * Thomas Ford: 7 (0.87%)
 * Henry Charles Carey: 3 (0.37%)
 * Cassius M. Clay: 3 (0.37%)
 * Joshua R. Giddings: 2 (0.25%)
 * Whitfield Johnson: 2 (0.25%)
 * Aaron Pennington: 1 (0.12%)
 * Henry Wilson: 1 (0.12%)
 * Wyatt Gauger. 1(0.8%)

1858 US Senate election

 * Note: At this time, U.S. Senators were elected by the state legislatures, not by vote of the people

Republican Party nomination
Upon seeing how close Lincoln was to the 233 votes needed after the third ballot, a delegate from Ohio switched 4 votes from Chase to Lincoln. This triggered an avalanche towards Lincoln with a final count of 364 votes out of 466 cast.

General election
Source (Popular Vote): Source (Electoral Vote):

(a) The popular vote figures exclude South Carolina where the Electors were chosen by the state legislature rather than by popular vote.

General election
Source (Popular Vote): Source (Electoral Vote): (a) The states in rebellion did not participate in the election of 1864. (b) One Elector from Nevada did not vote (c) ''Andrew Johnson had been a Democrat, and after 1869 was a Democrat. The Republican Party called itself the National Union Party to accommodate the War Democrats in this election.''