The incumbent carried New Hampshire but lost the national vote to William Henry Harrison, the military hero, whose Whigs took a majority of seats in the Twenty-seventh Congress. Harrison died after a month in office, and Vice President John Tyler succeeded him. Pierce and the Democrats were quick to challenge the new administration, questioning the removal of federal officeholders, and opposing Whig plans for a national bank. The fiasco compromised the election for the Democrats, who lost several races; still, Pierce's party retained its control over the state, and was well positioned for the upcoming presidential election. Pierce kept quiet so as not to upset his party's delicate unity, and allowed his allies to run the campaign. Pierce's opponents caricatured him as an anti-Catholic coward and alcoholic ('the hero of many a well-fought bottle'). Scott, meanwhile, drew weak support from the Whigs, who were torn by their pro-Compromise platform and found him to be an abysmal, gaffe-prone public speaker.
[{"offices_lost": "n/a", "opponent": "n/a"}]
[{"offices_lost": "n/a", "opponent": "n/a"}] [{"offices_lost": "President ", "opponent": "William Henry Harrison,"}]