United States House of Representatives elections, 1836

United States House of Representatives elections, 1836

1834 ←
→ 1838

All 242 seats to the United States House of Representatives
122 seats were needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader James K. Polk John Bell
Party Democratic Whig
Leader's seat Tennessee-9th Tennessee-7th
Last election 143 seats 75 seats
Seats won 128 100
Seat change -15 +25

Speaker before election

James K. Polk
Democratic

Elected Speaker

James K. Polk
Democratic

The U.S. House election, 1836 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1836.

Although Democrat Martin Van Buren was elected president, the Democrats continued to lose seats in the House. The Whigs played off the unpopularity of Jackson's refusal to compromise with Congress or cooperate with the Supreme Court, as well as the continuing decline of the single-issue Anti-Masonic (based on the distrust of Freemasonry) and Nullifier (based on the principle of states' rights) parties. Despite Whig gains, the Democrats held on to a majority.

Overall results

Party Total Seats
(change)
Seat
percentage
Democratic Party 128 -15 52.9%
Whig Party 100 +25 41.3%
Anti-Masonic Party 7 -9 2.9%
Nullifier Party 6 -2 2.5%
Independents 1 +1 0.4%
Totals 242 0 100%

See also