Misplaced Pages

1864–65 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1862 & 1863 June 5, 1864 – November 7, 1865 1866 & 1867 →
All 193 seats in the United States House of Representatives 97 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Schuyler Colfax James Brooks Party National Union Democratic Leader's seat Indiana 9th New York 8th Last election 110 seats 72 seats Seats won 150 33 Seat change 40 39 Popular vote 2,078,677 1,631,393 Percentage 53.47% 41.97% Swing 0.78% 3.14%   Third party Fourth party   Party Conservative Radical Democracy Last election New party New party Seats won 5 4 Seat change 5 4 Popular vote 84,998 54,008 Percentage 2.19% 1.39% Swing New party New party   Fifth party   Party Independent Last election 2 seats Seats won 1 Seat change 1 Popular vote 41,360 Percentage 1.06% Swing 0.50%
Results      National Unionist gain      National Unionist hold      Democratic gain      Democratic hold
Speaker before election Schuyler Colfax Republican Elected Speaker Schuyler Colfax Republican

The 1864–65 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 5, 1864, and November 7, 1865, in the midst of the American Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln's reelection. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives. Members were elected before the first session of the 39th United States Congress convened on December 4, 1865, including the at-large seat from the new state of Nevada, and the 8 from Tennessee, the first secessionist state to be readmitted. The other 10 secessionist states had not yet been readmitted, and therefore were not seated.

The opposition Democrats were deeply divided between the Copperheads, a group that demanded an immediate negotiated settlement with the Confederate States of America, and the War Democrats, who supported the war. With the Democrats lacking any coherent message, they lost half their seats to Lincoln's Republican Party, who increased their majority to a commanding level.

The Unionists lost seven seats, retaining control of 18 seats (some classify the Representatives as including 13 Unconditional Unionists and five Unionists), all from the border states of Maryland, Tennessee, and Kentucky, as well as West Virginia.

Election summaries

One new seat was added for the new State of Nevada and 8 vacancies were filled by the readmission of Tennessee, the first secessionist state to be readmitted. Three former Confederate States held elections in 1865 that were rejected by Congress.

State	Type	Date	Total seats	Democratic		Republican		Unionist
				Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Oregon	At-large	June 5, 1864	1	0		1		0
Vermont	District	September 6, 1864	3	0		3		0
Maine	District	September 11, 1864	5	0	1	5	1	0
Indiana	District	October 10, 1864	11	2	5	9	5	0
Nevada	At-large		1	0		1	1	0
Ohio	District		19	2	12	17	12	0
Pennsylvania	District		24	8	4	16	4	0
West Virginia	District	October 22, 1864	3	0		0		3
California	District	November 8, 1864 (Election Day)	3	0		3		0
Delaware	At-large		1	1		0		0
Illinois	District + 1 at-large		14	3	6	11	6	0
Iowa	District		6	0		6		0
Kansas	At-large		1	0		1		0
Maryland	District		5	2	1	0		3	1
Massachusetts	District		10	0		10		0
Michigan	District		6	0	1	6	1	0
Minnesota	District		2	0		2		0
Missouri	District		9	1	1	8	7	0	8
New Jersey	District		5	3	1	2	1	0
New York	District		31	10	7	21	7	0
Wisconsin	District		6	1	2	5	2	0
Late elections (after the March 4, 1865 beginning of the term)
New Hampshire	District	March 14, 1865	3	0	1	3	1	0
Connecticut	District	April 3, 1865	4	0	1	4	1	0
Tennessee	District	August 3, 1865	8	0		0		8	8
Rhode Island	District	April 5, 1865	2	0		2		0
Kentucky	District	August 7, 1865	9	5	5	0		4	5
Nevada	At-large	November 7, 1865	1	0		1		0
Secessionist states not yet readmitted
Alabama	District	November 6, 1865	6
Arkansas	District	October 9, 1865	3
Florida	At-large	November 29, 1865	1
Georgia	District	November 15, 1865	7
Louisiana	District	November 6, 1865	5
Mississippi	District	October 2, 1865	5
North Carolina	District	November 9, 1865	7
South Carolina	District	November 22, 1865	4
Texas	District	October 15, 1866	4
Virginia	District	October 12, 1865	8
Total			193 50 vacancies	38 19.7%	31	137 71.0%	46	18 9.3%	6

Of the rejected elections, Florida's and Mississippi's claimants' parties are unknown, while North Carolina elected 4 Union and 3 Conservative Representatives.

Special elections

38th Congress

39th Congress

Alabama

Alabama did not hold elections to the 39th Congress.

Arizona Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Arkansas

Arkansas did not hold elections to the 39th Congress.

California

California elections

← 1863 November 8, 1864 1867 →
3 seats
Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Last election 3 0 Seats won 3 0 Seat change Popular vote 62,039 43,045 Percentage 59.0% 41.0%
Results:      Republican hold

Note: This was the first election in which California elected representatives from congressional districts.

Colorado Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

Connecticut

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Dakota Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

Delaware

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Florida

Florida did not hold elections to the 39th Congress.

Georgia

Georgia did not hold elections to the 39th Congress.

Idaho Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

Illinois

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Indiana

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Iowa

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Kansas

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Kentucky

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Louisiana

Louisiana did not hold elections to the 39th Congress.

Maine

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Maryland

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Massachusetts

Michigan

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Minnesota

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Mississippi

Mississippi did not hold elections to the 39th Congress.

Missouri

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Montana Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

Nebraska Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

Nevada

38th Congress

On October 31, 1864, the new state of Nevada elected Republican Henry G. Worthington to finish the term ending March 3, 1865.

39th Congress

Worthington was not renominated for the next term, however, and on November 7, 1865, Republican Delos R. Ashley was elected November 7, 1865 for the term that had already begun but would not formally meet until December 4, 1865.

New Hampshire

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

New Jersey

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

New Mexico Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

New York

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

North Carolina

North Carolina did not hold elections to the 39th Congress.

Ohio

Ohio's delegation swung from 14–5 Democratic to 17-2 Republican as 10 Democratic incumbents lost renomination or re-election.

Oregon

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Pennsylvania

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Rhode Island

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

South Carolina

South Carolina did not hold elections to the 39th Congress.

Tennessee

Elections held late, on August 3, 1865.

Texas

Texas did not hold elections to the 39th Congress.

Utah Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

Vermont

Virginia

Virginia did not hold elections to the 39th Congress.

Washington Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wisconsin elected six members of congress on Election Day, November 8, 1864.

Non-voting delegates

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

38th Congress

39th Congress

See also

• 1864 United States elections
  • 1864 United States presidential election
  • 1864–65 United States Senate elections
• 38th United States Congress
• 39th United States Congress

Notes

1. Excludes states admitted after the start of Congress.
2. ^ Including late elections.
3. ^ Represents the combined results of the Republican and Unionist candidates in the last election cycle.
4. In comparison to the combined results of the Republican and Unionist candidates in the last election cycle.
5. ^ Includes 1 Independent Republican, John R. Kelso, elected in MO-04.
6. Including Unconditional Unionists.
7. New state.
8. Changed from at-large.
9. Although "An Act to establish a uniform time for holding elections for electors of President and Vice President in all the States of the Union (28th Congress, 2nd Session, Chapter 1, 5 Stat. 721, enacted January 23, 1845) was only for presidential elections, the date was gradually adopted by the states for congressional elections.
10. Readmitted state.
11. Not admitted until July 24, 1866.
12. ^ Rejected election.
13. There were a total of 50 vacancies remaining, after the readmission of Tennessee.
14. ^ Date speculative, but presumed to be in 1864 and 1865.

References

1. 14 Stat. 391
2. "IL District 05 - Special Race - May 19, 1864". Our Campaigns. March 10, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
3. "The Resignation of Hon. Henry G. Stebbins, M.C." The New York Times. October 26, 1864. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
4. "NY District 1 - Special Election Race - Nov 08, 1864". Our Campaigns. March 18, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
5. "MD District 2 Race - Nov 07, 1865". Our Campaigns. March 9, 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
6. "MA District 6 - Special Election Race - Nov 07, 1865". Our Campaigns. January 26, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
7. "NY District 16 - Special Election - Nov 07, 1865". Our Campaigns. May 11, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
8. ^ History of Nevada, p. 87.
9. History of Nevada, p. 88–89.
10. Smith, Joseph P, ed. (1898). History of the Republican Party in Ohio. Vol. I. Chicago: the Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 195, 196.
11. "TN - District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
12. "TN - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
13. "Vote of the Knoxville District," Knoxville Whig and Rebel Ventilator, 13 September 1865, p. 2.
14. "TN - District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
15. "TN - District 04". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
16. "TN - District 05". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
17. "TN - District 06". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
18. "TN - District 07". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
19. "TN - District 08". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
20. "VT Elections Database » Vermont Election Results and Statistics". VT Elections Database. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
21. "WV District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
22. "WV District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
23. "WV District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
24. "Wisconsin U.S. House Election Results" (PDF). Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
25. "Our Campaigns - AZ Territorial Delegate - Initial Election Race - Aug 02, 1864".
26. ^ "Our Campaigns - MT Territorial Delegate - Initial Election Race - Nov 08, 1864". www.ourcampaigns.com.
27. ^ "Our Campaigns - MT Territorial Delegate Race - Nov 07, 1865". www.ourcampaigns.com.
28. "Our Campaigns - AZ Territorial Delegate Race - Aug 02, 1865". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
29. "Our Campaigns - ID Territorial Delegate Race - Oct 10, 1864". www.ourcampaigns.com.

Bibliography

• Dubin, Michael J. (March 1, 1998). United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses. McFarland and Company. ISBN 978-0786402830.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (January 1, 1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0029201701.
• Moore, John L., ed. (1994). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (Third ed.). Congressional Quarterly Inc. ISBN 978-0871879967.
• Thompson; West (1881). History of Nevada. Oakland, California: Oakland, Cal., Thompson and West. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
• "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015.

External links

• Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)
• "Elections 1860 - 1869". JoinCalifornia / Election History for the State of California. Retrieved February 12, 2018.

• 1864 United States House of Representatives elections
• 1865 United States House of Representatives elections
• Presidency of Abraham Lincoln
• Schuyler Colfax