The 1848–49 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between August 1848 and November 1849. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 31st United States Congress convened on December 3, 1849. The new state of Wisconsin elected its first representatives, and California also held its first congressional elections before officially achieving statehood in 1850, increasing the size of the House to 233 seats. These elections spanned the 1848 United States presidential election and took place amid the U.S. victory over Mexico in the (1846–48) Mexican–American War. The Whigs lost their House majority as Democrats, whose support had driven the war, gained a House plurality. Among minor parties, the Free Soil Party won nine Northern seats, while the American or "Know Nothing" Party retained one. Following the discovery of gold in January 1848, California boomed, creating immediate pressure for statehood. The Compromise of 1850, though largely crafted in the Senate, was also passed by the House, brokering its admission to the Union. Anticipating statehood, California elected two members at-large on November 13, 1849, to be seated September 11, 1850. As neither major party held a majority when Congress convened on December 3, 1849 ⁠— the Democrats finished three seats short, while the Whigs had lost 12 seats and the majority ⁠— the election of a Speaker proved contentious. The Whigs were sectionally split, with Northern Whigs nominating incumbent speaker Robert C. Winthrop of Massachusetts and Southern Whigs supporting Meredith P. Gentry of Tennessee. Democrats primarily supported Howell Cobb of Georgia; 13 other Democratic hopefuls also garnered support. The small Free Soil Party, opposing expansion of slavery into the Western territories, supported David Wilmot of Pennsylvania, author of the Wilmot Proviso, calling attention to slave power's hold over both major parties. After nearly three weeks of heated debate, the House suspended its majority rule for the Speaker election: Cobb was elected on the 63rd ballot by plurality.

Election summaries

Wisconsin was apportioned an additional seat in 1848, and two more seats were added for the new state of California.

Special elections

30th Congress

! PA's 6th congressional district ! MA's 8th congressional district Edgar K. Whitaker (Democratic) 26.91% Appleton Howe (Liberty) 13.02% ! SC's 1st congressional district H. F. Thompson (Unknown) 35.77% W. F. Davie (Unknown) 24.64% ! NY's 27th congressional district James C. Smith (Free Soil) 40.89% Cullen Foster (Democratic) 13.49% ! SC's 4th congressional district Robert Munroe (Unknown) 37.33% ! Wisconsin Territory At-large

31st Congress

! SC's 4th congressional district Robert Munroe (Unknown) 46% ! OH's 6th congressional district ! VT's 3rd congressional district Asahel Peck (Free Soil) 38.7% Giles Harrington (Democratic) 6.8% ! VA's 15th congressional district George W. Thompson (Democratic) 49.5%

Alabama

Elections were held August 6, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849. ! 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

The election was held August 7, 1848. ! AR At-large Thomas W. Newton (Whig) 39.2%

California

In California two at-large members were elected November 13, 1849 in anticipation of statehood and seated September 11, 1850. ! rowspan=2 | CA At-large 2 seats elected on a general ticket ✅ George W. Wright (Independent) 22.0% ✅ Edward Gilbert (Democratic) 20.6% Rodman M. Price (Democratic) 16.3% P. A. Morse (Unknown) 8.3% Lewis Dent (Unknown) 8.2% E. J. C. Kewen (Unknown) 7.3% W. M. Sheppard (Unknown) 7.2% William E. Shannon (Unknown) 5.4% Others Peter Halsted (Unknown) 2.4% L. W. Hastings (Unknown) 0.9% Pierson B. Reading (Whig) 0.7% W. H. Russell (Unknown) 0.4% J. S. Thompson (Unknown) 0.3% Kimball H. Dimmick (Unknown) 0.2%

Connecticut

Elections were held April 2, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849. ! CT's 1st congressional district Charles Chapman (Whig) 49.5% ! CT's 2nd congressional district James F. Babcock (Whig) 49.0% Samuel D. Hubbard (Unknown) 0.9% ! CT's 3rd congressional district John A. Rockwell (Whig) 49.3% Increase Wilson (Free Soil) 0.2% ! CT's 4th congressional district Nathaniel H. Wildman (Democratic) 44.4% Barstow F. White (Free Soil) 4.1%

Delaware

The election was held November 6, 1848. ! DE At-large

Florida

Florida's single at-large member was elected October 2, 1848. ! FL At-large ✅ Edward C. Cabell (Whig) 53.5% William Pope Duval (Democratic) 46.5%

Georgia

Elections were held October 2, 1848. ! 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

Elections were held August 7, 1848. ! 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

Indiana

Elections were held August 10, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849. ! 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

Iowa

Elections were held August 7, 1848. ! IA's 1st congressional district ! IA's 2nd congressional district

Kentucky

Elections were held August 6, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849. ! 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 ! KY's 8th congressional district ! KY's 9th congressional district ! KY's 10th congressional district

Louisiana

Elections were held November 5, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849. ! LA's 1st congressional district ! LA's 2nd congressional district ! LA's 3rd congressional district ! LA's 4th congressional district

Maine

Elections were held September 11, 1848. ! 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 ! ME's 7th congressional district

Maryland

Elections were held October 3, 1849 elections were after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the new term, but still before the Congress convened in December 1849. ! 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

Elections were held November 13, 1848. ! MA's 1st congressional district ! MA's 2nd congressional district ! MA's 3rd congressional district ! MA's 4th congressional district Frederick Robinson (Democratic) Benjamin Thompson (Whig) ! MA's 5th congressional district ! MA's 6th congressional district ! MA's 7th congressional district Thomas F. Plunkett (Democratic) 28.22% Charles Sedgwick (Free Soil) 20.38% ! MA's 8th congressional district ! MA's 9th congressional district ! MA's 10th congressional district

Michigan

Elections were held November 7, 1848. ! MI's 1st congressional district George C. Bates (Whig) 40.8% Caleb N. Ormsby (Free Soil) 12.4% ! MI's 2nd congressional district Charles E. Stuart (Democratic) 46.7% ! MI's 3rd congressional district George H. Hazelton (Whig) 38.7% John M. Lamb (Free Soil) 10.3%

Minnesota Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Mississippi

Elections were held November 5–6, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849. ! MS's 1st congressional district ✅ Jacob Thompson (Democratic) 57.25% Alexander B. Bradford (Whig) 42.75% ! MS's 2nd congressional district William L. Harris (Whig) 46.48% ! MS's 3rd congressional district Henry Gray (Whig) 47.97% ! MS's 4th congressional district William Winans (Whig) 32.37%

Missouri

Elections were held August 7, 1848. ! 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

New Hampshire

Elections were held March 13, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849. ! NH's 1st congressional district ! NH's 2nd congressional district ! NH's 3rd congressional district ! NH's 4th congressional district

New Jersey

Elections were held November 7, 1848. ! 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

Elections were held November 7, 1848. ! 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 ! NY's 34th congressional district

North Carolina

Elections were held August 7, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849. ! 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 ! NC's 9th congressional district

Ohio

Elections were held October 10, 1848. ! 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

Elections were held October 10, 1848. ! 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

Rhode Island

Elections were held April 4, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849. ! RI's 1st congressional district ! RI's 2nd congressional district

South Carolina

Elections were held October 9–10, 1848. ! SC's 1st congressional district ! SC's 2nd congressional district ! SC's 3rd congressional district ! SC's 4th congressional district John McQueen (Cass Democratic) 49.48% ! SC's 5th congressional district ! SC's 6th congressional district ! SC's 7th congressional district

Tennessee

Elections were held August 2, 1849. ! TN's 1st congressional district ✅ Andrew Johnson (Democratic) 52.43% Nathaniel G. Taylor (Whig) 43.72% Brookins Campbell (Democratic) 3.85% ! TN's 2nd congressional district ✅ Albert G. Watkins (Whig) 58.90% William M. Cocke (Democratic) 41.10% ! TN's 3rd congressional district ✅ Josiah M. Anderson (Whig) 54.71% Thomas C. Lyon (Democratic) 45.29% ! TN's 4th congressional district ✅ John H. Savage (Democratic) 48.44% Samuel Turney (Unknown) 38.82% John B. Rogers (Whig) 12.74% ! TN's 5th congressional district ✅ George W. Jones (Democratic) 100% ! TN's 6th congressional district ✅ James H. Thomas (Democratic) 56.09% Franklin Buchanan (Whig) 43.91% ! TN's 7th congressional district ✅ Meredith P. Gentry (Whig) 95.29% [FNU] Bailey (Unknown) 4.71% ! TN's 8th congressional district ✅ Andrew Ewing (Democratic) 50.40% William Calhoun (Whig) 49.60% ! TN's 9th congressional district James T. Morris (Whig) 44.19% ! TN's 10th congressional district ✅ Frederick P. Stanton (Democratic) 51.87% John W. Harris (Whig) 48.13% ! TN's 11th congressional district ✅ Christopher H. Williams (Whig) 100%

Texas

Elections were held August 6, 1849. ! TX's 1st congressional district ! TX's 2nd congressional district

Vermont

Elections were held September 5, 1848. ! VT's 1st congressional district Daniel Roberts Jr. (Free Soil) 31.9% Jonathan D. Bradley (Democratic) 9.6% ! VT's 2nd congressional district William Hebard (Whig) 44.4% Sumner A. Webber (Free Soil) 28.9% Edmund Weston (Democratic) 17.0% Second ballot✅ William Hebard (Whig) 50.3% Sumner A. Webber (Free Soil) 46.9% Edmund Weston (Democratic) 2.7% ! VT's 3rd congressional district George P. Marsh (Whig) 48.5% Asahel Peck (Free Soil) 35.1% Stephen S. Keyes (Democratic) 16.2% Second ballot✅ George P. Marsh (Whig) 53.9% Asahel Peck (Free Soil) 36.0% Stephen S. Keyes (Democratic) 10.0% ! VT's 4th congressional district First ballot Lucius B. Peck (Democratic) 42.5% John L. Buck (Whig) 35.5% A. Judson Rowell (Liberty) 21.9% Second ballot✅ Lucius B. Peck (Democratic) 43.2% George B. Chandler (Whig) 35.9% A. Judson Rowell (Liberty) 20.9%

Virginia

Elections were held April 26, 1849, after the March 4, 1849 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1849. ! VA's 1st congressional district Samuel Watts (Whig) 48.3% ! VA's 2nd congressional district [FNU] Shell (Unknown) 5.7% S. J. Weisigner (Whig) 5.7% ! VA's 3rd congressional district Thomas Flournoy (Whig) 49.3% ! VA's 4th congressional district Henry P. Irving (Whig) 47.0% ! VA's 5th congressional district William L. Goggin (Whig) 49.1% ! VA's 6th congressional district John Botts (Whig) 46.4% ! VA's 7th congressional district Francis Mallory (Whig) 35.3% ! VA's 8th congressional district [FNU] Forbes (Whig) 49.0% ! VA's 9th congressional district John Pendleton (Whig) 45.9% ! VA's 10th congressional district Charles J. Faulkner (Whig) 44.8% ! VA's 11th congressional district ! VA's 12th congressional district [FNU] Anderson (Whig) 44.8% ! VA's 13th congressional district John B. George (Whig) 32.8% ! VA's 14th congressional district William McComas (Whig) 48.7% ! VA's 15th congressional district Charles Wells Russell (Whig)

Wisconsin

Wisconsin members were first elected in advance of its June 1848 statehood. It elected two members to finish the current term in the 30th Congress, and then it gained an elected an additional member for elections to the 31st Congress.

30th Congress

Wisconsin's two members were elected May 8, 1848. ! Wisconsin's 1st congressional district ✅ William Pitt Lynde (Democratic) 54.9% Edward V. Whiton (Whig) 41.2% Ichabod Cotting (Liberty) 3.9% ! Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district ✅ Mason C. Darling (Democratic) 58.4% Alexander L. Collins (Whig) 41.2%

31st Congress

Wisconsin's three members were elected November 7, 1848. ! Wisconsin's 1st congressional district ✅ Charles Durkee (Free Soil) 38.5% William Pitt Lynde (Democratic) 33.9% Asahel Finch Jr. (Whig) 27.6% ! Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district ✅ Orsamus Cole (Whig) 45.2% A. Hyatt Smith (Democratic) 41.0% George W. Crabb (Free Soil) 13.8% ! Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district ✅ James Duane Doty (Democratic) 50.3% Timothy O. Howe (Whig) 29.2% Stoddard Judd (Free Soil) 20.4%

Non-voting delegates

Going into these elections, there were no incumbent delegates, because the only territory — Wisconsin Territory — became a state in 1848. Two new territories — Minnesota Territory and Oregon Territory — were granted delegates in 1849. ! Minnesota Territory's at-large congressional district ✅ Henry Hastings Sibley (Democratic) ! Oregon Territory's at-large congressional district ✅ Samuel Thurston (Democratic)