# 1840 Iowa Council election

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In the 1840 Iowa Territory Council elections, electors selected councilors to serve in the third Iowa Territory Council. All 13 members of the Territory Council were elected. Councilors served one-year terms.
The Iowa Territory existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when Iowa was admitted to the Union as a state. At the time, the Iowa Territory had a Legislative Assembly consisting of an upper chamber (i.e., the Territory Council) and a lower chamber (i.e., the Territory House).
Following the previous election in 1839, Democrats held a majority with seven seats to Whigs' six seats.
To claim a majority of seats, the Whigs needed to net one seat from the Democrats.
The Democrats maintained a majority of seats in the Council following the 1840 general election with the balance of power remaining unchanged with the Democrats holding seven seats and the Whigs having six seats. Whig Councilor Mortimer Phillips Bainbridge was chosen as the President of the third Territory Council to succeed Democratic Councilor Stephen P. Hempstead in that leadership position.

## Summary of Results

| Iowa Territory Council District | Incumbent | Party | Party | Elected Councilor | Party | Party | Outcome |
| 1st | George Hepner | | Dem | Jesse B. Browne | | Whig | Whig Gain |
| 1st | Arthur Inghram | | Dem | Edward Johnstone | | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 1st | Robert Ralston | | Dem | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict |
| 2nd | Jesse B. Browne | | Whig | Gideon Smith Bailey | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 2nd | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | James Hall | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 3rd | Lawson B. Hughes | | Whig | Joseph C. Hawkins | | Whig | Whig Hold |
| 3rd | Jesse D. Payne | | Dem | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict |
| 4th | Isham Keith | | Whig | William Henson Wallace | | Whig | Whig Hold |
| 4th | E. A. M. Swazy | | Dem | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict |
| 5th | James M. Clark | | Whig | William Greyer Coop | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 6th | Charles Whittlesey | | Whig | Francis Springer | | Whig | Whig Hold |
| 7th | Jonathan W. Parker | | Dem | Serranus Clinton Hastings | | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 8th | Stephen Hempstead | | Dem | George Greene | | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 8th | Warner Lewis | | Dem | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict |
| 9th | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | Jonathan W. Parker | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 10th | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | Mortimer Phillips Bainbridge | | Whig | Whig Gain |
| 10th | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | Joseph S. Kirkpatrick | | Whig | Whig Gain |
Source:
* ↑ Councilor Parker of Scott County.
* 1 2 3 4 Councilor Bainbridge of Dubuque County was chosen to be the President of the third Iowa Territory Council.
* ↑ At the time, the Council had several multi-member districts.
* ↑ The 1st transitioned from a 3- to 2-member district.
* 1 2 Councilor Browne was an incumbent Councilor redistricted from district 2 to 1.
* ↑ The 2nd transitioned from a 1- to 2-member district.
* ↑ The 3rd transitioned from a 2- to 1-member district.
* ↑ The 4th transitioned from a 2- to 1-member district.
* ↑ The 5th was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The 6th was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The 7th was a 1-member district.
* 1 2 Councilor Parker was an incumbent Councilor redistricted from district 7 to 9.
* ↑ The 8th transitioned from a 2- to 1-member district.
* ↑ The 9th was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The 10th was a newly created 2-member district.

## Detailed Results

* NOTE: The Iowa General Assembly does not contain detailed vote totals for Territory Council elections in 1840.