1866–67 United States House of Representatives elections

June 4, 1866 – September 6, 1867[lower-alpha 1]

All 224[lower-alpha 2] seats in the United States House of Representatives
113 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Schuyler Colfax Samuel Marshall
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat Indiana 9th Illinois 11th
Last election 150 seats[lower-alpha 3] 33 seats
Seats won 173 47
Seat change Increase 23 Increase 14
Popular vote 2,611,309 1,919,507
Percentage 55.36% 40.69%
Swing Increase 1.89%[lower-alpha 4] Decrease 1.28%

  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Conservative Independent
Last election 5 seats 1 seat
Seats won 2 2[lower-alpha 5]
Seat change Decrease 3 Increase 1
Popular vote 94,455 83,205
Percentage 2.00% 1.76%
Swing Decrease 0.19% Increase 0.70%

House election results map. Red represents seats won by the Republicans and blue denotes those won by the Democrats.

Speaker before election

Schuyler Colfax
Republican

Elected Speaker

Schuyler Colfax
Republican

The 1866–67 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 4, 1866, and September 6, 1867. They occurred during President Andrew Johnson's term just one year after the American Civil War ended when the Union defeated the Confederacy. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives. Members were elected before or after the first session of the 40th United States Congress convened on March 4, 1867, including the at-large seat from the new state of Nebraska. Ten secessionist states still had not yet been readmitted, and therefore were not seated.

The 1866 elections were a decisive event in the early Reconstruction era, in which President Johnson faced off against the Radical Republicans in a bitter dispute over whether Reconstruction should be lenient or harsh toward the vanquished white South.

Most of the congressmen from the former Confederate states were either prevented from leaving the state or were arrested on the way to the capital. A Congress consisting of mostly Radical Republicans sat early in the Capitol and aside from the delegation from Tennessee who were allowed in, the few Southern Congressmen who arrived were not seated.

Background

Johnson, a War Democrat, had been elected Vice President in the 1864 presidential election as the running mate of Abraham Lincoln, a Republican. (The Republicans had chosen not to re-nominate Hannibal Hamlin for a second term as vice president).

Lincoln and Johnson ran together under the banner of the National Union Party, which brought together Republicans (with the exception of some hard-line abolitionist Radical Republicans who backed John C. Frémont, who eventually dropped out of the race after brokering a deal with Lincoln) and the War Democrats (the minority of Democrats who backed Lincoln's prosecution of the war, as opposed to the Peace Democrats, or Copperheads, who favored a negotiated settlement with the Confederates).

After the assassination of Lincoln, Johnson became president. He immediately became embroiled in a dispute with the Radical Republicans over the conditions of Reconstruction; Johnson favored a lenient Reconstruction, while Radical Republicans wanted to continue the military occupation of the South and force Southern states to give freedmen (the newly freed slaves) civil rights (and the right to vote).

Campaign and results

Johnson stumped the country in a public speaking tour known as the Swing Around the Circle; he generally supported Democrats but his speeches were poorly received.

The Republicans won in a landslide, capturing enough seats to override Johnson's vetoes. Only the border states of Delaware, Maryland, and Kentucky voted for Democrats. Recently Reconstructed Tennessee sent a Republican delegation. The other 10 ex-Confederate states did not vote. As a percentage of the total number of seats available in the House of Representatives, the Republican majority attained in the election of 1866 has never been exceeded in any subsequent Congress. The Democratic Party was able to achieve similar success only in the political environment of the era of the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Election summaries

Seven secessionist states were readmitted during this Congress, filling 32 vacancies, but are not included in this table if they were not elected within 1866 through 1867.[1]

44 4 147
Democratic [lower-alpha 6] Republican
State Type Date Total
seats
Democratic Conservative Republican Others
Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change
Oregon At-large June 4, 1866 1 0 Steady 0 Steady 1 Steady 0 Steady
Vermont Districts Sep 4, 1866 3 0 Steady 0 Steady 3 Steady 0 Steady
Maine Districts Sep 10, 1866 5 0 Steady 0 Steady 5 Steady 0 Steady
Indiana Districts Oct 9, 1866 11 3 Increase 1 0 Steady 8 Decrease 1 0 Steady
Iowa Districts Oct 9, 1866 6 0 Steady 0 Steady 6 Steady 0 Steady
Nebraska At-large Oct 9, 1866 1 0 Steady 0 Steady 1 Steady 0 Steady
Ohio Districts Oct 9, 1866 19 2 Steady 0 Steady 17 Steady 0 Steady
Pennsylvania Districts Oct 9, 1866 24 6 Decrease 3 0 Steady 18 Increase 3 0 Steady
West Virginia Districts Oct 25, 1866 3 0 Steady 0 Steady 3 Increase 3 0 Decrease 3[lower-alpha 7]
Delaware At-large Nov 6, 1866
(Election Day)[lower-alpha 8]
1 1 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Illinois District +
1 at-large
14 3 Steady 0 Steady 11 Steady 0 Steady
Kansas At-large 1 0 Steady 0 Steady 1 Steady 0 Steady
Maryland Districts 5 3 Increase 1 1 Increase 1 1 Increase 1 0 Decrease 3[lower-alpha 7]
Massachusetts Districts 10 0 Steady 0 Steady 10 Steady 0 Steady
Michigan Districts 6 0 Steady 0 Steady 6 Steady 0 Steady
Minnesota Districts 2 0 Steady 0 Steady 2 Steady 0 Steady
Missouri Districts 9 1 Steady 0 Steady 8 Steady 0 Steady
Nevada At-large 1 0 Steady 0 Steady 1 Steady 0 Steady
New Jersey Districts 5 2 Decrease 1 0 Steady 3 Increase 1 0 Steady
New York Districts 31 10 Decrease 1 0 Steady 21[lower-alpha 5] Increase 1 0 Steady
Wisconsin Districts 6 1 Steady 0 Steady 5 Steady 0 Steady
Late elections (after the March 4, 1867 beginning of Congress)
New Hampshire Districts Mar 12, 1867 3 0 Steady 0 Steady 3 Steady 0 Steady
Connecticut Districts Apr 1, 1867 4 3 Increase 3 0 Steady 1 Decrease 3 0 Steady
Rhode Island Districts Apr 3, 1867 2 0 Steady 0 Steady 2 Steady 0 Steady
Kentucky Districts May 4, 1867 9[lower-alpha 9] 7 Increase 2 0 Steady 1 Increase 1 0 Decrease 4[lower-alpha 10]
Tennessee Districts Aug 3, 1867 8 0 Steady 0 Steady 8 Increase 8 0 Decrease 8[lower-alpha 11]
California Districts Sep 6, 1867 3 2 Increase 2 0 Steady 1 Decrease 2 0 Steady
Secessionist states not yet readmitted
Alabama Districts 6 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Arkansas Districts 3 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Florida At-large 1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Georgia Districts 7 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Louisiana Districts 5 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Mississippi Districts 5 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
North Carolina Districts 7 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
South Carolina Districts 4 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Texas Districts 4 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Virginia Districts 8 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Total[lower-alpha 2] 193[lower-alpha 12] 44
22.8%
Increase 4 1
0.5%
Increase 1 147[lower-alpha 5]
76.2%
Increase 12 0
0.0%
Decrease 18[lower-alpha 13]
Results shaded according to winning candidate's share of vote. Data from Electing the House of Representatives by the University of Richmond
Popular vote
Republican
55.36%
Democratic
40.69%
Conservative
2.00%
Independent
1.76%
Others
0.19%
House seats
Republican
77.23%
Democratic
20.98%
Conservative
0.89%
Independent
0.89%

The party affiliations of the 4 Representatives elected in Texas's rejected elections are unknown.

Special elections

39th Congress

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Kentucky 5 Lovell Rousseau Unconditional
Unionist
1865 Incumbent resigned July 21, 1866 following his assault of Josiah Grinnell.
Incumbent re-elected September 15, 1866.
Unconditional Unionist hold.
Kentucky 6 Green C. Smith Unconditional
Unionist
1861 Incumbent resigned July 13, 1866 to become Governor of Montana Territory.
New member elected September 15, 1866.
Democratic gain.
Kentucky 3 Henry Grider Democratic 1861 Incumbent died September 7, 1866.
New member elected October 6, 1866.
Democratic hold.
  • Green tickY Elijah Hise (Democratic) 74.3%
  • P. B. Hawkins (National Union) 25.7%[4]
New York 3 James Humphrey Republican 1864 Incumbent died June 16, 1866.
New member elected November 6, 1866.
Democratic gain.

40th Congress

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Kentucky 3 Elijah Hise Democratic 1866 (special) Incumbent died May 6, 1867.
New member elected August 5, 1867.
Democratic hold.
  • Green tickY Jacob Golladay (Democratic) 76.6%
  • J. R. Curd (Republican) 13.6%
  • W. T. Jackman (Independent) 9.8%[6]
Ohio 2 Rutherford B. Hayes Republican 1864 Incumbent resigned July 20, 1867 to run for Governor of Ohio.
New member elected October 8, 1867.
Independent Republican gain.
  • Green tickY Samuel F. Cary (Independent Republican) 52.1%
  • Richard Smith (Republican) 47.3%
  • Charles Reemelin (Democratic) 0.6%[7]
Pennsylvania 12 Charles Denison Democratic 1862 Incumbent died June 27, 1867.
New member elected October 8, 1867.
Democratic hold.
Missouri 3 Thomas E. Noell Democratic 1864 Incumbent died October 3, 1867.
New member elected November 5, 1867.
Democratic hold.
New York 21 Roscoe Conkling Republican 1864 Incumbent resigned March 3, 1867 when elected U.S. senator.
New member elected November 5, 1867.
Republican hold.

California

California elections

September 6, 1867

3 seats
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic Republican
Last election 0 3
Seats won 2 1
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 2
Popular vote 48,346 44,436
Percentage 52.1% 47.9%

  Democratic gain
  Republican hold
District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
California 1 Donald C. McRuer Republican 1864 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
California 2 William Higby Republican 1863 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY William Higby (Republican) 52.1%
  • James W. Coffrot (Democratic) 47.9%
California 3 John Bidwell Republican 1864 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
  • Green tickY James A. Johnson (Democratic) 50.6%
  • Chancellor Hartson (Republican) 49.4%

Colorado Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

Connecticut

Dakota Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

Delaware

Idaho Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Massachusetts 1 Thomas D. Eliot Republican 1858 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Thomas D. Eliot (Republican) 84.17%
  • Matthias Elias (Democratic) 15.83%
Massachusetts 2 Oakes Ames Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Oakes Ames (Republican) 79.60%
  • Abijah M. Ide (Democratic) 20.40%
Massachusetts 3 Alexander H. Rice Republican 1858 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
Massachusetts 4 Samuel Hooper Republican 1861 (special) Incumbent re-elected.
Massachusetts 5 John B. Alley Republican 1858 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
  • Green tickY Benjamin Butler (Republican) 76.07%
  • William D. Northend (Democratic) 23.93%
Massachusetts 6 Nathaniel P. Banks Republican 1865 (special) Incumbent re-elected.
Massachusetts 7 George S. Boutwell Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Massachusetts 8 John D. Baldwin Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY John D. Baldwin (Republican) 82.62%
  • William A. Williams (Democratic) 17.38%
Massachusetts 9 William B. Washburn Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Massachusetts 10 Henry Laurens Dawes Republican 1856 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Henry L. Dawes (Republican) 66.00%
  • Abijah W. Chapin (Democratic) 34.00%

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Montana Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

Nebraska

There were two elections in the new state of Nebraska in 1866: on June 6 for the remainder of the current term, and October 9 for the next term.

39th Congress

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Nebraska at-large New state New seat.
Republican gain.
New member seated March 2, 1867.

40th Congress

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Nebraska at-large Turner M. Marquett Republican 1866 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

New York

Ohio

Democrats gained one seat this election in Ohio. It was later contested and awarded to the Republican for a net gain of zero.

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates[13]
Ohio 1 Benjamin Eggleston Republican 1864 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 2 Rutherford B. Hayes Republican 1864 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 3 Robert C. Schenck Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 4 William Lawrence Republican 1864 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 5 Francis C. Le Blond Democratic 1862 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.
Ohio 6 Reader W. Clarke Republican 1864 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 7 Samuel Shellabarger Republican 1864 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 8 James Randolph Hubbell Republican 1864 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
Ohio 9 Ralph P. Buckland Republican 1864 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 10 James M. Ashley Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY James M. Ashley (Republican) 53.4%
  • Henry S. Commager (Democratic) 46.6%
Ohio 11 Hezekiah S. Bundy Republican 1864 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
Ohio 12 William E. Finck Democratic 1862 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.
Ohio 13 Columbus Delano Republican 1864 Incumbent lost re-election
New member elected.
Democratic gain.[lower-alpha 14]
Ohio 14 Martin Welker Republican 1864 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Martin Welker (Republican) 53.4%
  • James B. Young (Democratic) 46.6%
Ohio 15 Tobias A. Plants Republican 1864 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 16 John Bingham Republican 1864 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY John Bingham (Republican) 52.8%
  • Charles H. Mitchner (Democratic) 47.2%
Ohio 17 Ephraim R. Eckley Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 18 Rufus P. Spalding Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 19 James A. Garfield Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected.

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Elections held late, on August 1, 1867.

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Tennessee 1 Nathaniel G. Taylor Unionist 1865 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
  • Green tickY Roderick R. Butler (Republican) 86.82%
  • James White (Conservative) 12.85%
  • James Powell (Republican) 0.33%[14]
Tennessee 2 Horace Maynard Unionist 1865 Incumbent re-elected.
Republican gain.
Tennessee 3 William B. Stokes Unionist 1865 Incumbent re-elected.
Republican gain.
Tennessee 4 Edmund Cooper Unionist 1865 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Tennessee 5 William B. Campbell Unionist 1865 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Tennessee 6 Samuel M. Arnell Unionist 1865 Incumbent re-elected.
Republican gain.
Tennessee 7 Isaac R. Hawkins Unionist 1865 Incumbent re-elected.
Republican gain.
Tennessee 8 John W. Leftwich Unionist 1865 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.

Utah Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

Vermont

Washington Territory

See non-voting delegates, below.

West Virginia

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
West Virginia 1 Chester D. Hubbard Unconditional
Unionist
1864 Incumbent re-elected.
Republican gain.
West Virginia 2 George R. Latham Unconditional
Unionist
1864 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
West Virginia 3 Kellian Whaley Unconditional
Unionist
1863 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin elected six members of congress on Election Day, November 4, 1866.[25]

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Wisconsin 1 Halbert E. Paine National
Union
1864 Incumbent won re-election as a Republican.
Republican hold.
Wisconsin 2 Ithamar Sloan National
Union
1862 Incumbent was not a candidate for re-election.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
Wisconsin 3 Amasa Cobb National
Union
1862 Incumbent won re-election as a Republican.
Republican hold.
Wisconsin 4 Charles A. Eldredge Democratic 1862 Incumbent re-elected.
Wisconsin 5 Philetus Sawyer National
Union
1864 Incumbent won re-election as a Republican.
Republican hold.
Wisconsin 6 Walter D. McIndoe National
Union
1862 (Special) Incumbent was not a candidate for re-election.
New member elected.
Republican hold.

Non-voting delegates

District Incumbent This race
Delegate Party First elected Results Candidates
Colorado Territory at-large
Dakota Territory at-large
Idaho Territory at-large Edward D. Holbrook Democratic 1864 Incumbent re-elected.
Montana Territory at-large Samuel McLean Democratic 1864 Incumbent retired.
New delegate elected.
Democratic hold.
New Mexico Territory at-large
Utah Territory at-large
Washington Territory at-large

See also

Notes

  1. Excludes states readmitted after the start of Congress.
  2. 1 2 Including late elections.
  3. Represents the results of the National Union coalition in the last election cycle.
  4. In comparison to the vote for the National Union coalition in the last election cycle.
  5. 1 2 3 Includes 1 Independent Republican, Lewis Selye, and 1 Conservative Republican, Thomas E. Stewart.
  6. Conservatives in Virginia took 4 seats
  7. 1 2 Previous election had 3 Unionists.
  8. In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform date for choosing presidential electors (see: Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721). Congressional elections were unaffected by this law, but the date was gradually adopted by the states for congressional elections as well.
  9. One seat remained vacant throughout the 40th Congress.
  10. Previous election had 4 Unionists.
  11. 8 Unionists in previous election.
  12. 50 vacancies from secessionist states
  13. Previous election had 18 Unionists.
  14. 1 2 3 Morgan (Democratic) was initially seated (and thus is counted towards the party totals at this article), but the election was contested and the seat was subsequently awarded to Delano (Republican) during the 40th Congress's second session.

References

  1. Martis, pp. 120–121; Dubin, p. 209.
  2. "KY - District 05 - Special Election Race - Sep 15, 1866". Our Campaigns. March 1, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  3. "KY - District 06 - Special Election Race - Sep 15, 1866". Our Campaigns. March 2, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  4. "KY - District 03 Special Election Race - Oct 06, 1866". Our Campaigns. February 24, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  5. "NY District 3 - Special Election Race - Nov 06, 1866". Our Campaigns. March 12, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  6. "KY - District 03 Special Election Race - Aug 05, 1867". Our Campaigns. February 24, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  7. "OH District 02 - Special Election Race - Oct 08, 1867". Our Campaigns. April 16, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  8. "PA District 12 - Special Election Race - Oct 08, 1867". Our Campaigns. January 17, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  9. "MO District 3 - Special Election Race - Nov 05, 1867". Our Campaigns. November 24, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  10. "NY District 21 - Special Election Race - Nov 05, 1867". Our Campaigns. February 20, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  11. "Our Campaigns - NE - District 01 Race - Jun 02, 1866".
  12. "Our Campaigns - NE - District 01 Race - Oct 09, 1866".
  13. Smith, Joseph P, ed. (1898). History of the Republican Party in Ohio. Vol. I. Chicago: the Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 228, 229.
  14. "TN - District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  15. "TN - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  16. "TN - District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  17. "TN - District 04". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  18. "TN - District 05". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  19. "TN - District 06". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  20. "TN - District 07". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  21. "TN - District 08". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  22. "WV District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  23. "WV District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  24. "WV District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  25. "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.
  26. "ID Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  27. "Our Campaigns - MT Territorial Delegate Race - Nov 05, 1867". www.ourcampaigns.com.

Bibliography

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