1856 and 1857 United States House of Representatives elections

The 1856 and 1857 United States House of Representatives elections were held at various dates in different states from August 1856 to November 1857.

The elections briefly returned a semblance of normalcy to the Democratic Party, restoring its House majority alongside election of Democratic President James Buchanan. However, superficial victory masked severe, ultimately irretrievable divisions over slavery. Voters next would return a Democratic House majority only in 1874.

Party realignments continued. In 1856, the Whig Party disbanded, the Know Nothing movement declined, and its vehicle, the American Party, began to collapse. Many Northern Whig, American, and other Opposition Party Representatives joined the new, rapidly consolidating Republican Party, which contested the Presidency in 1856. Though the Republican Party did not yet demand abolition, its attitude toward slavery was stridently negative. It was an openly sectional Northern party opposing fugitive slave laws and slavery in the territories, and for the first time offered a mainstream platform to outspoken abolitionists.

In March 1857, after almost all Northern states had voted, the Supreme Court issued its infamous Dred Scott decision, amplifying tensions and hardening voter divisions. Remaining elections were concentrated in the South. Southern voters widely drove the American Party from office, rallying to the Democrats in firm opposition to the Republicans.

In October 1857, the pending new state of Minnesota elected its first Representatives, to be seated by the 35th Congress. Between the admissions of Vermont in 1791 and Wisconsin in 1848, Congress had admitted new states roughly in pairs: one slave, one free. California was admitted alone as a free state in 1850 only as part of a comprehensive compromise including significant concessions to slave state interests. Admission of Minnesota in May 1858, also alone but with no such deal, helped expose the declining influence of the South, destroying the formerly binding concept that slave and free state power was best kept in balance even in the Senate while solidifying a sense that the West would exclude slavery.

Election summaries
Two seats were added for the new state of Minnesota, which was unrepresented for part of the 1st session.



Special elections
There were special elections in 1856 and 1857 during the 34th United States Congress and 35th United States Congress.

34th Congress
! IL's 8th congressional district

! MO's 5th congressional district

! VA's 1st congressional district

! SC's 3rd congressional district

! SC's 4th congressional district

! IL's 7th congressional district

! New Mexico Territory At-large

! VT's 1st congressional district

! IL's 5th congressional district

! Kansas Territory At-large
 * John Wilkins Whitfield
 * | Democratic
 * 1854
 * | Seat declared vacant August 1, 1856. Incumbent re-elected to finish his term. Winner was not elected to the next term, see below.
 * nowrap | ✅ John Wilkins Whitfield (Democratic)

Andrew H Reeder (Republican)


 * }

35th Congress
! IN's 1st congressional district

! IN's 10th congressional district

! PA's 12th congressional district

! MO's 3rd congressional district


 * }

Alabama
! AL's 1st congressional district

! AL's 2nd congressional district

! AL's 3rd congressional district

! AL's 4th congressional district

! AL's 5th congressional district

! AL's 6th congressional district

! AL's 7th congressional district


 * }

Arkansas
! AR's 1st congressional district

! AR's 2nd congressional district


 * }

California
! rowspan=2 | CA At-large 2 seats on a general ticket
 * James W. Denver
 * | Democratic
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
 * rowspan=2 nowrap | ✅ Charles L. Scott (Democratic) 29.9%

✅ Joseph C. McKibbin (Democratic) 21%

A. B. Dibble (Know Nothing) 20.7%

Ira P. Rankin (Independent) 13%

J. N. Turner (Republican) 12.5%


 * Philemon T. Herbert
 * | Democratic
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent retired after manslaughter acquittal. New member elected. Democratic hold.
 * | Incumbent retired after manslaughter acquittal. New member elected. Democratic hold.


 * }

Connecticut
! CT's 1st congressional district

! CT's 2nd congressional district

! CT's 3rd congressional district


 * }

Delaware
! DE At-large


 * }

Florida
! FL At-large
 * Augustus Maxwell
 * | Democratic
 * 1852
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
 * nowrap | ✅ George S. Hawkins (Democratic) 53.1%

James McNair Baker (Know Nothing) 46.9%


 * }

Georgia
! GA's 1st congressional district

! GA's 2nd congressional district

! GA's 3rd congressional district

! GA's 4th congressional district

! GA's 5th congressional district

! GA's 6th congressional district

! GA's 7th congressional district

! GA's 8th congressional district


 * }

Illinois
! IL's 1st congressional district

! IL's 2nd congressional district

! IL's 3rd congressional district

! IL's 4th congressional district

! IL's 5th congressional district

! IL's 6th congressional district

! IL's 7th congressional district

! IL's 8th congressional district

! IL's 9th congressional district


 * }

Indiana
! IN's 1st congressional district

! IN's 2nd congressional district

! IN's 3rd congressional district

! IN's 4th congressional district

! IN's 5th congressional district

! IN's 6th congressional district

! IN's 7th congressional district

! IN's 8th congressional district

! IN's 9th congressional district

! IN's 10th congressional district

! IN's 11th congressional district


 * }

Iowa
! IA's 1st congressional district

! IA's 2nd congressional district


 * }

Kansas Territory
See non-voting delegates, below.

Kentucky
! KY's 1st congressional district

! KY's 2nd congressional district

! KY's 3rd congressional district

! KY's 4th congressional district

! KY's 5th congressional district

! KY's 6th congressional district

! KY's 7th congressional district


 * }

Louisiana
! LA's 1st congressional district

! LA's 2nd congressional district

! LA's 3rd congressional district

! LA's 4th congressional district


 * }

Maine
! ME's 1st congressional district

! ME's 2nd congressional district

! ME's 3rd congressional district

! ME's 4th congressional district

! ME's 5th congressional district

! ME's 6th congressional district


 * }

Maryland
! MD's 1st congressional district

! MD's 2nd congressional district

! MD's 3rd congressional district

! MD's 4th congressional district

! MD's 5th congressional district

! MD's 6th congressional district


 * }

Massachusetts
! MA's 1st congressional district
 * Robert B. Hall
 * | American
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent re-elected to a new party. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Robert B. Hall (Republican) 69.73%

Moses Bates (Democratic) 16.14%

Daniel Fisher (American) 14.12%

! MA's 2nd congressional district
 * James Buffinton
 * | American
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent re-elected to a new party. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ James Buffinton (Republican) 68.25%

Charles R. Vickery (Democratic) 20.58%

Darius Dunbar (American) 7.03%

! MA's 3rd congressional district
 * William S. Damrell
 * | American
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent re-elected to a new party. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ William S. Damrell (Republican) 61.57%

Arthur W. Austin (Democratic) 29.96%

Alfred B. Ely (American) 8.47%

! MA's 4th congressional district
 * Linus B. Comins
 * | American
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent re-elected to a new party. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Linus B. Comins (Republican) 45.92%

Charles Greene (Democratic) 39.22%

Benjamin F. Cooke (American) 14.85%

! MA's 5th congressional district
 * Anson Burlingame
 * | American
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent re-elected to a new party. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Anson Burlingame (Republican) 50.26%

William Appleton (American) 49.74%

! MA's 6th congressional district
 * Timothy Davis
 * | American
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent re-elected to a new party. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Timothy Davis (Republican) 69.39%

Nathaniel J. Lord (Democratic) 22.21%

Benjamin Perley (American) 7.74%

Scattering 0.66%

! MA's 7th congressional district
 * Nathaniel P. Banks
 * | American
 * 1852
 * | Incumbent re-elected to a new party. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Nathaniel P. Banks (Republican) 61.95%

Isaac H. Wright (Democratic) 26.31%

Isaac Story (American) 11.74%

! MA's 8th congressional district
 * Chauncey L. Knapp
 * | American
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent re-elected to a new party. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Chauncey L. Knapp (Republican) 70.36%

Benjamin Butler (Democratic) 26.97%

Abiel Lewis (American) 2.66%

! MA's 9th congressional district
 * Alexander DeWitt
 * | American
 * 1852
 * | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Eli Thayer (Republican) 53.69%

Alexander DeWitt (American) 26.57%

Nathaniel Wood (Democratic) 17.98%

Alfred Mowrey (American) 1.76%

! MA's 10th congressional district
 * Calvin C. Chaffee
 * | American
 * 1855 (special)
 * | Incumbent re-elected to a new party. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Calvin C. Chaffee (Republican) 72.66%

William C. Fowler (American) 27.34%

! MA's 11th congressional district
 * Mark Trafton
 * | American
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Henry L. Dawes (Republican) 43.85%

Mark Trafton (American) 27.41%

Josiah D. Weston (Democratic) 28.74%


 * }

Michigan
! MI's 1st congressional district
 * William A. Howard
 * 1854
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ William A. Howard (Republican) 51.6%
 * nowrap | ✅ William A. Howard (Republican) 51.6%

George V. N. Lothrop (Democratic) 48.4%

! MI's 2nd congressional district
 * Henry Waldron
 * 1854
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ Henry Waldron (Republican) 62.1%
 * nowrap | ✅ Henry Waldron (Republican) 62.1%

John S. Barry (Democratic) 37.9%

! MI's 3rd congressional district
 * David S. Walbridge
 * 1854
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ David S. Walbridge (Republican) 59.3%
 * nowrap | ✅ David S. Walbridge (Republican) 59.3%

Flavius Littlejohn (Democratic) 40.7%

! MI's 4th congressional district
 * George W. Peck
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Dewitt C. Leach (Republican) 55.7%
 * nowrap | ✅ Dewitt C. Leach (Republican) 55.7%

George W. Peck (Democratic) 44.3%


 * }

Minnesota
Minnesota Territory elected three members in advance of Minnesota's 1848 statehood. "Although three men won this election, which was held before Minnesota was actually a state, only two representatives from Minnesota were allowed in the congressional bill creating the state in 1858. George L. Becker lost in the drawing of lots to decide who would present their credentials, therefore he did not serve in Congress."

! rowspan=2 | MN At-large 2 seats
 * colspan=3 | None.
 * | New state would be admitted May 11, 1858. New member elected October 13, 1857. Democratic gain.
 * rowspan=2 nowrap | Elected on a general ticket:✅ William Wallace Phelps (Democratic) 17.31%

✅ James Michael Cavanaugh (Democratic) 17.17%

✅ George Loomis Becker (Democratic) 17.12%

Henry Adoniram Swift (Republican) 16.19%

Cyrus Aldrich (Republican) 16.11%

Morton S. Wilkinson (Republican) 16.10%


 * colspan=3 | None.
 * | New state would be admitted May 11, 1858. New member elected October 13, 1857. Democratic gain.
 * | New state would be admitted May 11, 1858. New member elected October 13, 1857. Democratic gain.


 * }

Mississippi
Elections held late, from October 5 to 6, 1857.

! MS's 1st congressional district
 * Daniel B. Wright
 * | Democratic
 * 1853
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
 * nowrap |

✅ Lucius Q. C. Lamar (Democratic) 63.76%

James L. Alcorn (Know Nothing) 36.24%

! MS's 2nd congressional district
 * Hendley S. Bennett
 * | Democratic
 * 1855
 * | Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic hold.
 * nowrap | ✅ Reuben Davis (Democratic) 65.30%

Charles Clark (Know Nothing) 34.70%

! MS's 3rd congressional district
 * William Barksdale
 * | Democratic
 * 1853
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ William Barksdale (Democratic) 98.21%

Scattering 1.79%

! MS's 4th congressional district
 * William A. Lake
 * | Know Nothing
 * 1855
 * | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Otho R. Singleton (Democratic) 55.04%

William A. Lake (Know Nothing) 44.97%

! MS's 5th congressional district
 * John A. Quitman
 * | Democratic
 * 1855
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ John A. Quitman (Democratic) 98.47%

Scattering 1.53%


 * }

Missouri
! MO's 1st congressional district

! MO's 2nd congressional district

! MO's 3rd congressional district

! MO's 4th congressional district

! MO's 5th congressional district

! MO's 6th congressional district

! MO's 7th congressional district


 * }

Nebraska Territory
See non-voting delegates, below.

New Hampshire
! NH's 1st congressional district

! NH's 2nd congressional district

! NH's 3rd congressional district


 * }

New Jersey
! NJ's 1st congressional district

! NJ's 2nd congressional district

! NJ's 3rd congressional district

! NJ's 4th congressional district

! NJ's 5th congressional district


 * }

New York
! NY's 1st congressional district

! NY's 2nd congressional district

! NY's 3rd congressional district

! NY's 4th congressional district

! NY's 5th congressional district

! NY's 6th congressional district

! NY's 7th congressional district

! NY's 8th congressional district

! NY's 9th congressional district

! NY's 10th congressional district

! NY's 11th congressional district

! NY's 12th congressional district

! NY's 13th congressional district

! NY's 14th congressional district

! NY's 15th congressional district

! NY's 16th congressional district

! NY's 17th congressional district

! NY's 18th congressional district

! NY's 19th congressional district

! NY's 20th congressional district

! NY's 21st congressional district

! NY's 22nd congressional district

! NY's 23rd congressional district

! NY's 24th congressional district

! NY's 25th congressional district

! NY's 26th congressional district

! NY's 27th congressional district

! NY's 28th congressional district

! NY's 29th congressional district

! NY's 30th congressional district

! NY's 31st congressional district

! NY's 32nd congressional district

! NY's 33rd congressional district


 * }

North Carolina
! NC's 1st congressional district

! NC's 2nd congressional district

! NC's 3rd congressional district

! NC's 4th congressional district

! NC's 5th congressional district

! NC's 6th congressional district

! NC's 7th congressional district

! NC's 8th congressional district


 * }

Ohio
! OH's 1st congressional district

! OH's 2nd congressional district

! OH's 3rd congressional district

! OH's 4th congressional district

! OH's 5th congressional district

! OH's 6th congressional district

! OH's 7th congressional district

! OH's 8th congressional district

! OH's 9th congressional district

! OH's 10th congressional district

! OH's 11th congressional district

! OH's 12th congressional district

! OH's 13th congressional district

! OH's 14th congressional district

! OH's 15th congressional district

! OH's 16th congressional district

! OH's 17th congressional district

! OH's 18th congressional district

! OH's 19th congressional district

! OH's 20th congressional district

! OH's 21st congressional district


 * }

Oregon Territory
See non-voting delegates, below.

Pennsylvania
! PA's 1st congressional district

! PA's 2nd congressional district

! PA's 3rd congressional district

! PA's 4th congressional district

! PA's 5th congressional district

! PA's 6th congressional district

! PA's 7th congressional district

! PA's 8th congressional district

! PA's 9th congressional district

! PA's 10th congressional district

! PA's 11th congressional district

! PA's 12th congressional district

! PA's 13th congressional district

! PA's 14th congressional district

! PA's 15th congressional district

! PA's 16th congressional district

! PA's 17th congressional district

! PA's 18th congressional district

! PA's 19th congressional district

! PA's 20th congressional district

! PA's 21st congressional district

! PA's 22nd congressional district

! PA's 23rd congressional district

! PA's 24th congressional district

! PA's 25th congressional district


 * }

Rhode Island
! RI's 1st congressional district

! RI's 2nd congressional district


 * }

South Carolina
! SC's 1st congressional district

! SC's 2nd congressional district

! SC's 3rd congressional district

! SC's 4th congressional district

! Sc's 5th congressional district

! SC's 6th congressional district


 * }

Tennessee
! TN's 1st congressional district
 * Albert G. Watkins
 * | Democratic
 * 1855
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Albert G. Watkins (Democratic) 50.58%

Nathaniel G. Taylor (Know Nothing) 49.42%

! TN's 2nd congressional district
 * William H. Sneed
 * | Know Nothing
 * 1855
 * |Incumbent retired. New member elected. Know Nothing hold.
 * nowrap |

✅ Horace Maynard (Know Nothing) 50.89%

Wayne W. Wallace (Democratic) 49.11%

! TN's 3rd congressional district
 * Samuel A. Smith
 * | Democratic
 * 1853
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Samuel A. Smith (Democratic) 52.98%

William Heiskell (Know Nothing) 47.02%

! TN's 4th congressional district
 * John H. Savage
 * | Democratic
 * 1855
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ John H. Savage (Democratic) 55.16%

Joseph Pickett (Know Nothing) 44.84%

! TN's 5th congressional district
 * Charles Ready
 * | Know Nothing
 * 1853
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Charles Ready (Know Nothing) 51.25%

Joseph Guild (Democratic) 48.75%

! TN's 6th congressional district
 * George W. Jones
 * | Democratic
 * 1842
 * Incumbent re-elected.

✅ George W. Jones (Democratic) 100%

! TN's 7th congressional district
 * John V. Wright
 * | Democratic
 * 1855
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ John V. Wright (Democratic) 83.81%

D. E. McElrath (Know Nothing) 16.19%

! TN's 8th congressional district
 * Felix Zollicoffer
 * | Know Nothing
 * 1853
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Felix Zollicoffer (Know Nothing) 52.18%

James M. Quarles (Democratic) 47.82%

! TN's 9th congressional district
 * Emerson Etheridge
 * | Know Nothing
 * 1853
 * |Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ John D.C. Atkins (Democratic) 50.37%

Emerson Etheridge (Know Nothing) 49.63%

! TN's 10th congressional district
 * Thomas Rivers
 * | Know Nothing
 * 1855
 * |Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap |

✅ William T. Avery (Democratic) 51.32%

William H. Stevens (Know Nothing) 48.68%


 * }

Texas
! TX's 1st congressional district

! TX's 2nd congressional district


 * }

Vermont
! VT's 1st congressional district

! VT's 2nd congressional district

! VT's 3rd congressional district


 * }

Virginia
! VA's 1st congressional district

! VA's 2nd congressional district

! VA's 3rd congressional district

! VA's 4th congressional district

! VA's 5th congressional district

! VA's 6th congressional district

! VA's 7th congressional district

! VA's 8th congressional district

! VA's 9th congressional district

! VA's 10th congressional district

! VA's 11th congressional district

! VA's 12th congressional district

! VA's 13th congressional district


 * }

Wisconsin
Election results in Wisconsin for 1856:

! WI's 1st congressional district
 * Daniel Wells, Jr.
 * | Democratic
 * 1852
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ John F. Potter (Republican) 50.6%

Jackson Hadley (Democratic) 49.4%

! WI's 2nd congressional district
 * Cadwallader C. Washburn
 * | Republican
 * 1854
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ Cadwallader C. Washburn (Republican) 61.8%

Samuel Crawford (Democratic) 38.2%

! WI's 3rd congressional district
 * Charles Billinghurst
 * | Republican
 * 1854
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ Charles Billinghurst (Republican) 52.0%

Harrison Carroll Hobart (Democratic) 48.0%


 * }

Non-voting delegates
! Kansas Territory's at-large congressional district
 * John Wilkins Whitfield
 * | Democratic
 * 1854 1856 (Seat vacated) 1856 (Special)
 * | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New delegate elected. Democratic hold.
 * nowrap |

✅ Marcus Junius Parrott (Democratic)

! Minnesota Territory's at-large congressional district
 * Henry Mower Rice
 * | Democratic
 * 1852
 * | Incumbent retired. New delegate elected. Democratic hold. District eliminated in 1858 upon Minnesota's statehood.
 * nowrap |

✅ William W. Kingsbury (Democratic)

! Nebraska Territory's at-large congressional district
 * Bird Chapman
 * | Democratic
 * 1854
 * | Incumbent lost re-election. New delegate elected August 3, 1857. Independent Democratic gain.
 * nowrap |

✅ Fenner Ferguson (Independent Democratic)

Bird Chapman (Democratic)

! Oregon Territory's at-large congressional district
 * Joseph Lane
 * | Democratic
 * 1851
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Joseph Lane (Democratic)


 * }