United States House of Representatives elections, 1846

Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held in 1846. The Whigs picked up 37 seats, while the rival Democrats lost 32 seats. The result was a switch of partisan control of the House, with the Whigs gaining a narrow majority of 116 to 110. 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.

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.

Notable freshmen include future president Abraham Lincoln, elected as a Whig to his first and only term in this election.

Overall results

See also

http://clerk.house.gov/histHigh/Congressional_History/index.html