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 DistrictIncumbent PartyElected Councilor PartyOutcome1st George Hepner Dem Jesse B. BrowneWhigWhig Gain Arthur Inghram Dem Edward Johnstone Dem Dem Hold Robert Ralston DemObsolete subdistrict2nd Jesse B. Browne Whig Gideon Smith Bailey DemDem GainNewly created subdistrict James Hall DemDem Gain3rd Lawson B. Hughes Whig Joseph C. Hawkins Whig Whig Hold Jesse D. Payne DemObsolete subdistrict4th Isham Keith Whig William Henson Wallace Whig Whig Hold E. A. M. Swazy DemObsolete subdistrict 5th James M. Clark Whig William Greyer Coop DemDem Gain 6th Charles Whittlesey Whig Francis Springer Whig Whig Hold 7th Jonathan W. Parker Dem Serranus Clinton Hastings Dem Dem Hold8th Stephen Hempstead Dem George Greene Dem Dem Hold Warner Lewis DemObsolete subdistrict 9thNewly created subdistrict Jonathan W. Parker DemDem Gain10thNewly created subdistrict Mortimer Phillips BainbridgeWhigWhig GainNewly created subdistrict Joseph S. KirkpatrickWhigWhig Gain

Source:

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

See also Elections in Iowa

External links District boundaries for the council were redrawn before the 1840 general election: Iowa Territory Council Districts 1838-1840 map Iowa Territory Council Districts 1840-1844 map

References