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U.S. House election, 1860

The U.S. House election, 1860 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1860 which coincided with the election of President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln's Republican Party gained a handful of seats from the Democratic Party.

However, in the wake of South Carolina's secession from the Union and the beginning of the Civil War, many Southern House members, mostly Democrats, refused to take their seats, and other Democrats declared themselves Unionists to support the war. This resulted in a Republican majority by the time the House actually sat.

Overall results

Figures here unfortunately only represent the members who took their seats. This has the effect of greatly understating the number of Democrats relative to the numbers elected.

Party Total Seats (change) Seat percentage
American Party 0 -5 0.0%
Democratic Party 44 -39 24.0%
Independents 1 -14 0.5%
Other 0 -19 0.0%
Republican Party 108 -8 59.0%
Unionist Party 30 +30 16.3%
Totals 183 -55 100.0%

See also

Last updated: 05-31-2005 15:04:30
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