United States House election, 1846

United States House of Representatives elections, 1846

← 1844 August 2, 1846 - November 2, 1847 1848 →
All 230 seats to the United States House of Representatives 116 seats were needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Robert Winthrop Linn Boyd Lewis Charles Levin Party Whig Democratic Know Nothing Leader's seat Massachusetts-1st Kentucky-1st Pennsylvania-1st Last election 79 seats 142 seats 6 seats Seats won 116 112 1 Seat change 37 30 5
Speaker before election John Davis Democratic Elected Speaker Robert Winthrop Whig

John Davis
Democratic

Robert Winthrop
Whig

Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 30th Congress were held at different dates in the various states, from August 2, 1846 (Missouri) to November 2, 1847 (Mississippi and Louisiana) during James K. Polk's term in office. The Whigs picked up 37 seats to win 116 seats, while the rival Democrats lost 30 and fell to 112 seats in the House. The result was a switch of partisan control of the House, with the Whigs gaining a narrow majority of just four seats. The Whigs picked up seats in New England and the South. The nativist American Party, dedicated to opposition to immigration and anti-Catholicism, lost five of its Representatives and was left with only a single seat. In addition, one Independent, Amos Tuck, was elected to New Hampshire's 1st District.

The Mexican–American War was the biggest issue of concern during this election. While the war was widely supported west of the Appalachian Mountains, many people in eastern urban regions were opposed. The extreme loyalty of the Democratic Congress—with only 14 representatives voting against the war—was a huge factor in the Whig pick-up. Growing divisions over slavery were also a contentious concern, as this ever-present issue had been brought to the forefront by Congressional rejection of the Wilmot Proviso.

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