# 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

↓Chart showing seating arrangement :
| 98 | 2 | 142 |
| Democratic | | Whig |
| State | Type | Date | Total seats | Democratic | Democratic | Whig | Whig |
| State | Type | Date | Total seats | Seats | Change | Seats | Change |
| Louisiana | Districts | July 6–8, 1840 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Missouri | At-large | August 3, 1840 | 2 | 2 | | 0 | |
| Illinois | Districts | August 7, 1840 | 3 | 2 | | 1 | |
| Vermont | Districts | September 4, 1840 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Maine | Districts | September 14, 1840 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Arkansas | At-large | October 5, 1840 | 1 | 1 | | 0 | |
| Georgia | At-large | October 6, 1840 | 9 | 0 | | 9 | |
| South Carolina | Districts | October 12–13, 1840 | 9 | 8 | | 1 | |
| Ohio | Districts | October 13, 1840 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 4 |
| Pennsylvania | District (25) | October 13, 1840 | 28 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 8 |
| New York | District (33) | November 2–4, 1840 | 40 | 21 | 2 | 19 | 2 |
| Connecticut | Districts | November 3, 1840 | 6 | 0 | | 6 | |
| Michigan | At-large | November 3, 1840 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| New Jersey | At-large | November 3, 1840 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Massachusetts | Districts | November 9, 1840 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| Delaware | At-large | November 10, 1840 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1841 elections ||||||||
| New Hampshire | At-large | March 9, 1841 | 5 | 5 | | 0 | |
| Rhode Island | At-large | April 21, 1841 | 2 | 0 | | 2 | |
| Virginia | Districts | April 23, 1841 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 3 |
| Kentucky | Districts | April 26, 1841 | 13 | 2 | | 11 | |
| Indiana | Districts | May 3, 1841 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Tennessee | Districts | May 6, 1841 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| North Carolina | Districts | May 13, 1841 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
| Maryland | District (7) | May 17, 1841 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Alabama | At-large | May 20, 1841 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Mississippi | At-large | November 1–2, 1841 | 2 | 2 | | 0 | |
| Total | Total | Total | 242 | 99 40.9% | 26 | 142 59.5% | 33 |
Popular vote
Whig
51.04%
Democratic
47.83%
Others
1.13% :
House seats
Whig
58.68%
Democratic
40.50%
Independent
0.83% :
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.

## Special elections
### 26th Congress

* Connecticut's 2nd congressional district: 1840
* Georgia's at-large congressional district: January 1841 (one of the at-large seat)
* Indiana's 7th congressional district: 1840
* Massachusetts's 6th congressional district: 1840
* Ohio's 4th congressional district: 1840
* Pennsylvania's 22nd congressional district: 1840
* Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district: 1840

### 27th Congress

* Maine's 4th congressional district: 1841
* Massachusetts's 5th congressional district: 1841
* Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district: 1841
* Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district: 1841
* Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district: 1841
* Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district (again): 1841
* Pennsylvania's 20th congressional district: 1841
| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| New York 26 | Francis Granger | Whig | 1838 | Incumbent resigned March 5, 1841 to become U.S. Postmaster General. New member elected May 13, 1841 and seated May 21, 1841. Whig hold. | ▌Y John Greig (Whig) 53.36% ▌Bowen Whiting (Democratic) 43.30% ▌Hiram Pitts (Liberty) 3.34% |
| New York 26 | John Greig | Whig | 1841 (special) | Incumbent resigned September 25, 1841. New member elected November 3, 1841 and seated November 27, 1841. Whig hold. | ▌Y Francis Granger (Whig) 53.36% ▌Bowen Whiting (Democratic) 45.14% ▌Hiram Pitts (Liberty) 3.96% |
| Georgia 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. | Elected on a general ticket: ▌Y Mark A. Cooper (Democratic) 17.26% ▌Y Walter T. Colquitt (Democratic) 17.14% ▌Y Edward J. Black (Democratic) 16.96% ▌Charles Dougherty (Whig) 16.32% ▌George R. Gilmer (Whig) 16.18% ▌Augustus R. Wright (Whig) 16.14% |
| Georgia at-large (Three of the at-large seats) | E. A. Nisbet | Whig | 1838 | Incumbent resigned October 12, 1841. New member elected December 21, 1841. Democratic gain. | Elected on a general ticket: ▌Y Mark A. Cooper (Democratic) 17.26% ▌Y Walter T. Colquitt (Democratic) 17.14% ▌Y Edward J. Black (Democratic) 16.96% ▌Charles Dougherty (Whig) 16.32% ▌George R. Gilmer (Whig) 16.18% ▌Augustus R. Wright (Whig) 16.14% |
| Georgia at-large (Three of the at-large seats) | Julius C. Alford | Whig | 1838 | Incumbent resigned October 1, 1841. New member elected December 21, 1841. Democratic gain. | Elected on a general ticket: ▌Y Mark A. Cooper (Democratic) 17.26% ▌Y Walter T. Colquitt (Democratic) 17.14% ▌Y Edward J. Black (Democratic) 16.96% ▌Charles Dougherty (Whig) 16.32% ▌George R. Gilmer (Whig) 16.18% ▌Augustus R. Wright (Whig) 16.14% |

## Arkansas

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Arkansas at-large | Edward Cross | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent reelected. | ▌Y Edward Cross (Democratic) 57.6% ▌Absalom Fowler (Whig) 42.4% |

## Connecticut

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Connecticut 1 | Joseph Trumbull | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Joseph Trumbull (Whig) 56.7% ▌Thomas H. Seymour (Democratic) 42.6% |
| Connecticut 2 | William W. Boardman | Whig | 1840 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y William W. Boardman (Whig) 53.2% ▌Charles A. Ingersoll (Democratic) 44.7% |
| Connecticut 3 | Thomas W. Williams | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Thomas W. Williams (Whig) 55.2% ▌Erastis Coit (Democratic) 44.5% |
| Connecticut 4 | Thomas B. Osborne | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Thomas B. Osborne (Whig) 55.4% ▌Thomas T. Whittlesey (Democratic) 44.3% |
| Connecticut 5 | Truman Smith | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Truman Smith (Whig) 55.4% ▌John C. Smith Jr. (Democratic) 43.8% |
| Connecticut 6 | Orrin Holt | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y John H. Brockway (Whig) 56.6% ▌Chauncey F. Cleveland (Democratic) 43.4% |

## Florida Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## Iowa Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## Maine

Maine elected its members September 14, 1840.
| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Maine 1 |
| Maine 2 |
| Maine 3 |
| Maine 4 |
| Maine 5 |
| Maine 6 |
| Maine 7 |
| Maine 8 | Thomas Davee | Democratic | 1836 | Incumbent retired. Whig gain. | ▌Y Elisha H. 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.
| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Massachusetts 1 |
| Massachusetts 2 |
| Massachusetts 3 |
| Massachusetts 4 | William Parmenter | Democratic | 1836 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y William Parmenter (Democratic) 50.34% ▌Nathan Brooks (Whig) 48.35% ▌David Goodale (Unknown) 1.31% |
| Massachusetts 5 |
| Massachusetts 6 |
| Massachusetts 7 |
| Massachusetts 8 |
| Massachusetts 9 |
| Massachusetts 10 | Henry Williams | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected on the second ballot. Whig gain. | 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) ▌Y Nathaniel B. Borden (Whig) 52.41% ▌Henry Williams (Democratic) 45.26% ▌George W. Johnson (Unknown) 2.33% |
| Massachusetts 11 |
| Massachusetts 12 | John Quincy Adams | Whig | 1830 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y John Quincy Adams (Whig) 54.60% ▌William M. Jackson (Democratic) 45.40% |

## Mississippi

Elections held late, from November 1 to 2, 1841.
| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Mississippi at-large (2 seats) | Jacob Thompson | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Jacob Thompson (Democratic) 26.86% ▌Y William M. Gwin (Democratic) 26.74% ▌Adam L. Benjamin (Whig) 23.38% ▌William Harley (Whig) 23.03% |
| Mississippi at-large (2 seats) | Albert G. Brown | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Jacob Thompson (Democratic) 26.86% ▌Y William M. Gwin (Democratic) 26.74% ▌Adam L. Benjamin (Whig) 23.38% ▌William Harley (Whig) 23.03% |

## Michigan

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Michigan at-large | Isaac E. Crary | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent retired. Whig gain. | ▌Y Jacob M. Howard (Whig) 51.5% ▌Alpheus French (Democratic) 48.5% |

## Tennessee

Elections held late, on May 6, 1841.
| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Tennessee 1 | William B. Carter | Whig | 1835 | Incumbent retired. Whig hold. | ▌Y Thomas D. Arnold (Whig) 90.21% ▌Robert J. McKinney (Unknown) 5.65% ▌Jeremiah Jack (Unknown) 4.14% |
| Tennessee 2 | Abraham McClellan | Democratic | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Abraham McClellan (Democratic) 53.00% ▌William T. Senter (Whig) 47.00% |
| Tennessee 3 | Joseph L. Williams | Whig | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Joseph L. Williams (Whig) 97.41% Scattering 2.59% |
| Tennessee 4 | Julius W. Blackwell | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent lost re-election. Whig gain. | ▌Y Thomas J. Campbell (Whig) 49.26% ▌Julius W. Blackwell (Democratic) 48.50% ▌William Stone (Unknown) 2.24% |
| Tennessee 5 | Hopkins L. Turney | Democratic | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Hopkins L. Turney (Democratic) 67.98% ▌John L. Goodall (Whig) 32.02% |
| Tennessee 6 | William B. Campbell | Whig | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y William B. Campbell (Whig) 87.44% ▌Jesse Skein (Unknown) 10.74% Scattering 1.82% |
| Tennessee 7 | John Bell | Whig | 1827 | Incumbent retired to become Secretary of War. Whig hold. | ▌Y Robert L. Caruthers (Whig) 72.29% ▌John Hall (Democratic) 27.71% |
| Tennessee 8 | Meredith P. Gentry | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Meredith P. Gentry (Whig) 70.10% ▌Thomas Hogan (Democratic) 29.90% |
| Tennessee 9 | Harvey M. Watterson | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Harvey M. Watterson (Democratic) 54.81% ▌Terry H. Cahal (Whig) 45.19% |
| Tennessee 10 | Aaron V. Brown | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Aaron V. Brown (Democratic) 80.96% ▌Ebenezer J. Shields (Whig) 15.63% Scattering 3.41% |
| Tennessee 11 | Cave Johnson | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Cave Johnson (Democratic) 74.25% ▌N. H. Allen (Whig) 25.75% |
| Tennessee 12 | John W. Crockett | Whig | 1837 | Incumbent retired to become Attorney General for the 9th district. Whig hold. | ▌Y Milton Brown (Whig) 61.19% ▌Stephen C. Davatt (Democratic) 38.81% |
| Tennessee 13 | Kit Williams | Whig | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Kit Williams (Whig) 57.29% ▌Levin H. Coe (Democratic) 42.71% |

## Vermont

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Vermont 1 | Hiland Hall | Whig | 1833 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Hiland Hall (Whig) 59.2% ▌Daniel Kellogg (Democratic) 40.4% |
| Vermont 2 | William Slade | Whig | 1831 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y William Slade (Whig) 68.6% ▌Charles Linsley (Democratic) 30.9% |
| Vermont 3 | Horace Everett | Whig | 1828 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Horace Everett (Whig) 58.5% ▌Truman B. Ransom (Democratic) 40.0% |
| Vermont 4 | John Smith | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent lost re-election. Whig gain. | ▌Y Augustus Young (Whig) 55.9% ▌John Smith (Democratic) 43.6% |
| Vermont 5 | Isaac Fletcher | Democratic | 1836 | Incumbent lost re-election. Whig gain. | ▌Y John Mattocks (Whig) 60.1% ▌Isaac Fletcher (Democratic) 38.4% |

## Virginia

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Virginia 1 | Francis Mallory | Whig | 1840 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Francis Mallory (Whig) 81.9% ▌Archibald Atkinson (Democratic) 11.3% ▌James Walters (Unknown) 6.8% |
| Virginia 2 | Francis E. Rives | Democratic | 1837 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. | ▌Y George B. Cary (Democratic) 56.5% ▌[FNU] Collier (Whig) 43.5% |
| Virginia 3 | John Winston Jones | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y John Winston Jones (Democratic) 69.5% ▌Junius E. Leigh (Unknown) 23.2% ▌Thomas Miller (Unknown) 7.3% |
| Virginia 4 | George Dromgoole | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. | ▌Y William Goode (Democratic) 75.0% ▌Richard H. Baptist (Unknown) 25.0% |
| Virginia 5 | John Hill | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Edmund W. Hubard (Democratic) 50.4% ▌John Hill (Whig) 49.6% |
| Virginia 6 | Walter Coles | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Walter Coles (Democratic) 50.5% ▌Vincent Witcher (Whig) 49.5% |
| Virginia 7 | William L. Goggin | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y William L. Goggin (Whig) 56.5% ▌Archibald Stuart (Democratic) 43.5% |
| Virginia 8 | Henry A. Wise | Whig | 1833 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Henry A. Wise (Whig) ▌William Todd (Democratic) |
| Virginia 9 | Robert M. T. Hunter | Whig | 1837 | Incumbent re-elected as an Independent. Independent gain. | ▌Y Robert M. T. Hunter (Independent) 53.4% ▌[FNU] Corbin (Whig) 36.1% ▌[FNU] Braxton (Democratic) 10.4% |
| Virginia 10 | John Taliaferro | Whig | 1835 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y John Taliaferro (Whig) 54.2% ▌Robert O. Grayson (Democratic) 45.8% |
| Virginia 11 | John Botts | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y John Botts (Whig) 73.2% ▌[FNU] Goodall (Unknown) 26.8% |
| Virginia 12 | James Garland | Conservative | 1835 | Incumbent lost re-election. Whig gain. | ▌Y Thomas W. Gilmer (Whig) 51.6% ▌James Garland (Conservative) 42.0% ▌[FNU] Holladay (Unknown) 6.5% |
| Virginia 13 | Linn Banks | Democratic | 1838 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Linn Banks (Democratic) 50.1% ▌William Smith (Democratc) 49.9% |
| Virginia 14 | Charles F. Mercer | Whig | 1817 | Incumbent retired. Whig hold. | ▌Y Cuthbert Powell (Whig) 62.9% ▌B. Shreve (Democratic) 37.1% |
| Virginia 15 | William Lucas | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent lost re-election. Whig gain. | ▌Y Richard W. Barton (Whig) 52.2% ▌William Lucas (Democratic) 47.8% |
| Virginia 16 | Green Berry Samuels | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. | ▌Y William A. Harris (Democratic) 36.8% ▌Samuel C. Williams (Democratic) 30.1% ▌James M. H. Beale (Democratic) 19.5% ▌Gabriel T. Barbee (Unknown) 13.7% |
| Virginia 17 | Robert Craig | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent retired. Whig gain. | ▌Y Alexander H. H. Stuart (Whig) 53.6% ▌James McDowell Jr. (Democratic) 46.4% |
| Virginia 18 | George W. Hopkins | Conservative | 1835 | Incumbent re-elected as a Democrat. Democratic gain. | ▌Y George W. Hopkins (Democratic) 60.9% ▌J. Watson (Whig) 39.1% |
| Virginia 19 | Andrew Beirne | Democratic | 1837 | Incumbent retired. Whig gain. | ▌Y George W. Summers (Whig) 92.6% ▌Augustus Caperton (Unknown) 7.4% |
| Virginia 20 | Joseph Johnson | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Samuel L. Hays (Democratic) 59.2% ▌Augustine J. Smith (Whig) 40.8% |
| Virginia 21 | Lewis Steenrod | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Lewis Steenrod (Democratic) 100% |

## Wisconsin Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## Non-voting delegates
### 26th Congress

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Iowa Territory at-large | William W. Chapman | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent's term expired by law. New delegate elected in 1840. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Augustus C. Dodge (Democratic) ▌Alfred Rich (Whig) (615-vote margin) |

### 27th Congress

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Florida Territory at-large | Charles Downing | Democratic | 1836 | Incumbent re-elected on an unknown date. | ▌Y Charles Downing (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Iowa Territory at-large | Augustus C. Dodge | Democratic | 1840 | Incumbent re-elected August 6, 1841. | ▌Y 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. | ▌Y James D. Doty (Democratic) [data missing] |