States held the 1850–51 United States House of Representatives elections between August 5, 1850, and November 4, 1851, during President Millard Fillmore's term. Each state set a date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 32nd United States Congress convened on December 1, 1851. Thirty-one states held elections, for 233 House seats.
After previously winning a plurality, the Democrats won a majority over the rival Whigs. Incumbent Whig President Millard Fillmore, who had succeeded to the Presidency in July 1850 after the death of more charismatic General Zachary Taylor, lacked a strong political base. The Compromise of 1850, which admitted California alone as a free state in exchange for concessions to slave state interests, began integration of the Mexican Cession. It appeared in the short term that Congress had politically feasible options to contain sectionalism and to reduce tensions over expanding slavery in the Western United States. This optimism soon would prove unfounded.
In the South, two short-lived minor parties formed, one supporting, and the other opposing, the Compromise of 1850. The supporting Union Party won 10 seats, while the opposing Southern Rights Party won three. The Free Soil Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery into the Western territories, lost seats and was reduced to four Representatives.
Election summaries + ↓ 130 7 10 86 Democratic Whig
State Type Date Totalseats Democratic Free SoilSouthern Rights Union Whig Seats Change Seats ChangeSeatsChange Seats Change Seats Change Iowa District August 5, 1850 2 2 0 0 0 0 Missouri District August 5, 1850 5 2 3 0 0 0 3 3 Vermont District September 3, 1850 4 1 0 0 0 3 Maine District September 9, 1850 7 5 0 0 0 2 Florida At-large October 7, 1850 1 0 0 0 0 1 Ohio District October 8, 1850 21 11 1 1 0 0 9 1 Pennsylvania District October 8, 1850 24 15 6 0 1 0 0 9 4 South Carolina District October 14–15, 1850 7 7 0 0 0 0 Illinois District November 5, 1850(Election Day) 7 6 0 0 0 1 Michigan District 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 New Jersey District 5 4 3 0 0 0 1 3 New York District 34 17 16 0 1 0 0 17 15 Wisconsin District 3 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 Massachusetts District November 11, 1850 10 1 1 2 1 0 0 7 1 Delaware At-large November 12, 1850 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 Late elections (after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term) New Hampshire District March 11, 1851 4 2 0 1 0 0 2 1 Rhode Island District April 2, 1851 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 Connecticut District April 7, 1851 4 3 1 0 1 0 0 1 Alabama District August 4, 1851 7 4 1 0 0 1 1 2 Arkansas At-large August 4, 1851 1 1 0 0 0 0 Indiana District August 4, 1851 10 8 0 1 0 0 2 1 Kentucky District August 4, 1851 10 5 1 0 0 0 5 1 Texas District August 4, 1851 2 2 0 0 0 0 North Carolina District August 7, 1851 9 3 0 0 0 6 Tennessee District August 7, 1851 11 7 0 0 0 4 California At-large September 3, 1851 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 Maryland District October 1, 1851 6 2 1 0 0 0 4 1 Georgia District October 6, 1851 8 0 4 0 2 2 6 6 0 4 Virginia District October 23, 1851 15 13 0 0 0 2 Mississippi District November 3–4, 1851 4 0 4 0 1 1 3 3 0 Louisiana District November 4, 1851 4 2 1 0 0 0 2 1 Total 233 130 17 4 5 3 3 10 10 86 22 One district in Massachusetts had been vacant in the 31st Congress. No new seats were added.
The previous election had 1 Know-Nothing and 1 Independent.
Special elections 31st Congress : 1850 : 1850 : 1851 : 1850 : 1850
32nd Congress
Alabama
Elections were held August 4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.
! | William J. Alston | | Whig | 1849 | |Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
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Arkansas
The election was held August 4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.
! | Robert W. Johnson | | Democratic | 1846 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
California
California's members were elected late, at-large statewide, September 3, 1851. There were nevertheless seated with the rest of the House at the beginning of the first session.
! rowspan=2 | | George W. Wright | | Independent | 1849 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. | rowspan=2 nowrap |
| Edward Gilbert | | Democratic | 1849 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic hold.
Connecticut
Elections were held April 7, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.
! | Loren P. Waldo | | 1849 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Whig gain. | nowrap |
! | Walter Booth | | Free Soil | 1849 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | Chauncey F. Cleveland | | 1849 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Thomas B. Butler | | Whig | 1849 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
Delaware
The election was held November 12, 1850.
! | John W. Houston | | Whig | 1844 | |Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
Florida
The election was held October 7, 1850.
! | Edward C. Cabell | | Whig | 1845 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Georgia
Elections were held October 6, 1851.
! | Joseph W. Jackson | | Democratic | 1850 | |Incumbent re-elected.Southern Rights gain. | nowrap | |- ! | Marshall Johnson Wellborn | | Democratic | 1848 | | Incumbent retired.Constitutional Union gain. | nowrap | |- ! | Allen F. Owen | | Whig | 1848 | | Incumbent retired.Southern Rights gain. | nowrap | |- ! | Hugh A. Haralson | | Democratic | 1842 | | Incumbent retired.Constitutional Union gain. | nowrap | |- ! | Thomas C. Hackett | | Democratic | 1848 | | Incumbent retired.Constitutional Union gain. | nowrap | |- ! | Howell Cobb | | Democratic | 1842 | | Incumbent retired.Constitutional Union gain. | nowrap | |- ! | Alexander H. Stephens | | Whig | 1843 | |Incumbent re-elected as a Unionist.Constitutional Union gain. | nowrap | |- ! | Robert Toombs | | Whig | 1844 | |Incumbent re-elected as a Unionist.Constitutional Union gain. | nowrap |
Illinois
Elections were held November 5, 1850.
! | William H. Bissell | | Democratic | 1848 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | |- ! | John A. McClernand | | Democratic | 1842 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. | nowrap | |- ! | Timothy R. Young | | Democratic | 1848 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. | nowrap | |- ! | John Wentworth | | Democratic | 1842 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. | nowrap | |- !
| William Alexander Richardson | | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | |- ! | Edward D. Baker | | Whig | 1848 | |Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | Thomas L. Harris | | Democratic | 1848 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Whig gain. | nowrap |
Indiana
Elections were held August 4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.
! | Nathaniel Albertson | | Democratic | 1849 | | Incumbent Lost renomination.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
! | Cyrus L. Dunham | | Democratic | 1849 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | John L. Robinson | | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | George W. Julian | | Free Soil | 1849 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Whig gain. | nowrap |
! | John L. Robinson | | Democratic | 1849 | | Incumbent Lost renomination.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
! | Willis A. Gorman | | Democratic | 1849 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Edward W. McGaughey | | Whig | 1849 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | Joseph E. McDonald | | Democratic | 1849 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
! | Graham N. Fitch | | Democratic | 1849 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Andrew J. Harlan | | Democratic | 1849 | | Incumbent retired.Whig gain. | nowrap |
Iowa
Elections were held August 5, 1850.
! | Daniel F. Miller | | Whig | 1850 | |Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. | nowrap | |- ! | Shepherd Leffler | | Democratic | 1846 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
Kentucky
Elections were held August 4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.
! | Linn Boyd | | Democratic | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | James Leeper Johnson | | Whig | 1849 | | Incumbent renominated but declined.Whig hold. | nowrap |
! | Finis McLean | | Whig | 1849 | | Incumbent retired.Whig hold. | nowrap |
! | George Caldwell | | Democratic | 1849 | |Incumbent retired.Whig gain. | nowrap |
! | John Burton Thompson | | Whig | 1847 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | Daniel Breck | | Whig | 1849 | | Incumbent retired.Whig hold. | nowrap |
! | Humphrey Marshall | | Whig | 1849 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Charles S. Morehead | | Whig | 1847 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | John C. Mason | | Democratic | 1849 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Richard H. Stanton | | Democratic | 1849 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Louisiana
Elections were held November 4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.
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Maine
Elections were held September 9, 1850.
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Maryland
Elections were held October 1, 1851 elections were after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the new term, but still before the Congress convened in December 1851.
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Massachusetts
Elections were held November 11, 1850, but at least one district's elections went to multiple ballots into 1851.
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! | colspan=3 | Vacant due to failure to elect. | | Whig gain. | nowrap |
Fourth ballot
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! | Julius Rockwell | | Whig | 1844 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Whig hold. | nowrap |
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Michigan
Elections were held November 5, 1850.
! | Alexander W. Buel | | 1848 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Whig gain. | nowrap |
! | William Sprague | | Whig | 1848 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | Kinsley S. Bingham | | 1846 | | Incumbent retired.Whig gain. | nowrap |
Minnesota Territory See Non-voting delegates, below.
Mississippi
Elections were held November 3–4, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.
! | Jacob Thompson | | Democratic | 1839 | | Incumbent lost re-election as a Southern Rights candidate.Union gain. | nowrap |
! | Winfield S. Featherston | | Democratic | 1847 | | Incumbent lost re-election as a Southern Rights candidate.Union gain. | nowrap |
! | William McWillie | | Democratic | 1849 | | Incumbent lost re-election as a Southern Rights candidate.Union gain. | nowrap |
! | Albert G. Brown | | Democratic | 1847 | | Incumbent re-elected as a Southern Rights candidate.Southern Rights gain. | nowrap |
Missouri
Elections were held August 5, 1850.
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New Hampshire
Elections were held March 11, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.
! | Amos Tuck | | Free Soil | 1847 | | Incumbent won re-election as a Whig.Whig gain. | nowrap | |- ! | Charles H. Peaslee | | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | |- !
| George W. Morrison | | Democratic | 1850 (special) | | Incumbent lost re-election.Whig gain. | nowrap | |- ! |Harry Hibbard | | Democratic | 1849 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
New Jersey
Elections were held November 5, 1850.
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New Mexico Territory See Non-voting delegates, below.
New York
Elections were held November 5, 1850.
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North Carolina
Elections were held August 7, 1851, after the March 4, 1851 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1851.
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