United States House of Representatives elections, 1850

United States House of Representatives elections, 1850

← 1848 August 5, 1850 - November 4, 1851 1852 →
All 233 seats to the United States House of Representatives 117 seats were needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Linn Boyd Edward Stanly Alexander H. Stephens Party Democratic Whig Constitutional Union Leader's seat Kentucky-1st North Carolina-8th Georgia-7th Last election 113 seats 108 seats 0 seats Seats won 130 86 10 Seat change 17 22 10   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Joshua Reed Giddings Albert G. Brown Party Free Soil States' Rights Leader's seat Ohio-20th Mississippi-4th Last election 9 seats 0 seats Seats won 4 3 Seat change 5 3
Speaker before election Howell Cobb Democratic Elected Speaker Linn Boyd Democratic

Howell Cobb
Democratic

Linn Boyd
Democratic

Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 32nd Congress were held at various dates in each state from August 5, 1850 (Iowa and Missouri) to November 4, 1851 (Louisiana and Mississippi). The Democrats gained 17 seats, increasing their majority relative to the Whigs, who lost 22 seats.

Whig President Millard Fillmore, who had gained the presidency after the death of Zachary Taylor, grew increasingly unpopular. The election saw sectionalism and slavery continue to emerge as major issues.

The Constitutional Union Party, formed in support of the Compromise of 1850, gained 10 seats (its first ever) in Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama. The Free Soil Party, which was strongly abolitionist, lost five seats and was reduced to four Representatives, all in New England districts. The States' Rights Party, a pro-slavery states' rights party, gained ground in Georgia and Mississippi.

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