1844 Iowa Council election

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1844 Iowa Council election
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All 13 seats in the Iowa Territory Council
7 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic Whig
Last election 7 6
Seats before 6[a] 6[a]
Seats after 11 2
Seat change Increase5 Decrease4
President of the Iowa Territory Council before election

Thomas Cox[a]
Democratic

Elected President of the Iowa Territory Council

Serranus Clinton Hastings
Democratic

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In the 1844 Iowa Territory Council elections, electors selected councilors to serve in the seventh Iowa Territory Council. All 13 members of the Territory Council were elected.[b] Councilors served one-year terms.

The Iowa Territory existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when Iowa was admitted to the Union as a state. At the time, the Iowa Territory had a Legislative Assembly consisting of an upper chamber (i.e., the Territory Council) and a lower chamber (i.e., the Territory House of Representatives).

Following the previous election in 1843, Democrats held a majority with seven seats to Whigs' six seats. During the sixth session of the Territory Council, Councilor Cox died, causing a vacancy in a Democratic Party seat. Therefore, on election day in 1844, the Democrats and Whigs both had six seats each.

To claim a majority of seats, the Whigs needed to net one seat from Democrats.

Democrats maintained a majority of seats in the Iowa Territory Council following the 1844 general election with the balance of power shifting to Democrats holding 11 seats and Whigs having two seats (a net gain of 5 seat for Democrats, including regaining the vacant seat). Democratic Councilor Serranus Clinton Hastings was chosen as the President of the seventh Territory Council to succeed the deceased Democratic Councilor Thomas Cox in that leadership position.

Summary of Results[]

Iowa Territory Council District Incumbent Party Elected Councilor Party Outcome
1st[c] Robert M. G. Patterson Whig James Brierly Dem Dem Gain
William Patterson Dem John Thompson Dem Dem Hold
2nd[d] John D. Elbert Whig Paul Brattain Dem Dem Gain
James H. Jenkins Dem Henry M. Shelby Dem Dem Hold
3rd[e] Shepherd Leffler Dem Shepherd Leffler Dem Dem Hold
4th[f] William Henson Wallace Whig John Stephenson Whig Whig Hold
5th[g] Joseph B. Teas Dem William Greyer Coop Dem Dem Hold
6th[h] Francis Springer Whig Enoch Ross Whig Whig Hold
7th[i] Pleasant Harris Dem Serranus Clinton Hastings Dem Dem Hold
8th[j] John Parsons Cook Whig William Abbe Dem Dem Gain
9th[k] Robert Christie Whig Laurel Summers Dem Dem Gain
10th[l] Thomas Cox[a] Dem Philip Burr Bradley Dem Dem Gain
Vacancy after Cox's death[a]
Francis Gehon Dem Stephen Hempstead Dem Dem Hold

Source:[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e Councilor Cox of Jackson County died during the sixth session of the Iowa Territory Council on November 9, 1844 from pneumonia, causing a vacancy in a Democratic seat.[1]
  2. ^ At the time, the Iowa Territory Council had several multi-member districts.[2]
  3. ^ The 1st was a 2-member district.
  4. ^ The 2nd was a 2-member district.
  5. ^ The 3rd was a 1-member district.
  6. ^ The 4th was a 1-member district.
  7. ^ The 5th was a 1-member district.
  8. ^ The 6th was a 1-member district.
  9. ^ The 7th was a 1-member district.
  10. ^ The 8th was a 1-member district.
  11. ^ The 9th was a 1-member district.
  12. ^ The 10th was a 2-member district.

Detailed Results[]

  • NOTE: The Iowa General Assembly does not contain detailed vote totals for Territory Council elections in 1844.

See also[]

External links[]

District boundaries for the Iowa Territory Council were redrawn before the 1844 general election:

References[]

  1. ^ "Councilor Thomas Cox". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Legislative Assembly: 7 (05/05/1845 - 11/30/1845)". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  3. ^ "Legislators". Iowa State Senate. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
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