1842–43 United States House of Representatives elections

The 1842–43 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between August 1, 1842 and November 8, 1843. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 28th United States Congress convened on December 4, 1843. The exception was Maryland, who held theirs so late that they ran into February 1844. These elections occurred during President John Tyler's term. The congressional reapportionment based on the 1840 United States Census unusually decreased the number of House seats, from 242 down to 223.

After Whig President William Henry Harrison died within a month of taking office, his successor as president, John Tyler was only nominally a Whig who had not been properly validated for alignment to Whig policy. Effectively an independent, Tyler was disliked by politicians and was unpopular with voters of both parties, leaving the Whigs unexpectedly leaderless and in visible disarray.

Despite the improving economy, rural voters favored Democrats, again rejecting Whig economic nationalism. The Whig Party lost 69 seats and their sizeable majority from the 1840 election, almost half their House delegation (one of the Whigs who won re-election was William Wright of New Jersey, elected as an "Independent Whig" ).

The Democrats won a majority, flipping 48 Whig seats (this includes Henry Nes of Pennsylvania, elected as an Independent Democrat). In Rhode Island, the Law and Order Party, formed in response to the Dorr Rebellion, won both of Rhode Island's two seats.

Apportionment Act of 1842

Apportionment was based on the Census of 1840 and was unusual in that the number of House seats was decreased, from 242 to 223: this came after the Apportionment Act of 1842 mandated that all members be elected from single-member contiguous districts, thus abolishing plural districts and at-large districts. Four states that did not comply with this new law delayed redistricting under a grandfather clause.

Election summaries

Special elections

27th Congress

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! | Robert C. Winthrop | | Whig | 1840 | | Incumbent resigned May 25, 1842 due to the death of his wife.New member elected June 3, 1842.Whig hold.Successor would later resign and be replaced by his predecessor, see below. | nowrap |

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! | Nathan Appleton | | Whig | 18301832 1842 | | Incumbent resigned September 28, 1842.New member elected November 14, 1842.Whig hold.Successor also elected the same day to the next term, see below. | nowrap |

|}

28th Congress

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! | Barker Burnell | | Whig | 1840 | | Incumbent died June 15, 1843.New member elected November 13, 1843.Whig hold.Successor seated December 7, 1843. | nowrap |

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Alabama

Alabama gained 2 seats, going from 5 to 7 members. Elections were held August 7, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term. In the 1841 elections, Alabama briefly used at-large general-ticket elections, but in these elections it returned to districts.

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! | Benjamin Glover Shields | | Democratic | 1841 | | Incumbent retired.New member elected.Whig gain. | nowrap |

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! | colspan=3 | New seat | | New seat.New member elected.Democratic gain. | nowrap |

|-

! | Dixon Hall Lewis | | Democratic | 1829 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |

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! | William Winter Payne | | Democratic | 1841 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |

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! | George S. Houston | | Democratic | 1841 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |

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! | Reuben Chapman | | Democratic | 1835 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |

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! | colspan=3 | Open seat | | New seat.New member elected.Democratic gain. | nowrap |

|}

Arkansas

Arkansas stayed at 1 seat, electing its one member at-large October 3, 1842.

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! | Edward Cross | | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |

|}

Connecticut

Connecticut lost 2 seats, reduced from 6 to 4 members. Elections were held April 5, 1843, after the March 4, 1843 beginning of the term, but before the House first convened in December 1843.

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! rowspan=2 |

| Joseph Trumbull

| | Whig

| 1834 1835 1839

| | Incumbent retired.New member elected.Democratic gain. | rowspan=2 nowrap |

|-

| John H. Brockway

| | Whig

| 1839

| | Incumbent retired.Whig loss.

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! | William Boardman | | Whig | 1840 | | Incumbent retired.New member elected.Democratic gain. | nowrap |