The 1838 United States elections occurred in the middle of Democratic President Martin Van Buren's term, during the Second Party System. Members of the 26th United States Congress were chosen in this election.
| ← 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 → Midterm elections | |
| Incumbent president | Martin Van Buren (Democratic) |
|---|---|
| Next Congress | 26th |
| Senate elections | |
| Overall control | Democratic hold |
| Seats contested | 17 of 52 seats[1] |
| Net seat change | Whig +3[2] |
| House elections | |
| Overall control | Democratic hold |
| Seats contested | All 242 voting seats |
| Net seat change | Whig +16[2] |
Whigs picked up a moderate number of seats in both the House and Senate, but the Democratic Party retained a majority in both chambers.[3][4] However, due to a split in the Democratic party, Whig Congressman Robert M. T. Hunter was elected to be the Speaker of the House.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Not counting special elections.
- ^ a b Congressional seat gain figures only reflect the results of the regularly-scheduled elections, and do not take special elections into account.
- ^ "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
- ^ "Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present". United States Senate. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
- ^ "A Mob in Search of a Speaker". House.gov. US House of Representatives. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
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