1842 Iowa Council election

1842 Iowa Council election

1842
All 13 seats in the Iowa Territory Council 7 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Thomas Cox John D. Elbert Party Democratic Whig Leader's seat 10th-Jackson County 2nd-Van Buren County Last election 8 5 Seats after 7 6 Seat change 1 1
Democratic hold      Whig hold      Democratic gain      Whig gain
President of the Iowa Territory Council before election Jonathan W. Parker Democratic Elected President of the Iowa Territory Council John D. Elbert Whig

In the 1842 Iowa Territory Council elections, electors selected councilors to serve in the fifth Iowa Territory Council. All 13 members of the Territory Council were elected. Councilors served one-year terms.

The Iowa Territory existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when Iowa was admitted to the Union as a state. At the time, the Iowa Territory had a Legislative Assembly consisting of an upper chamber (i.e., the Territory Council) and a lower chamber (i.e., the Territory House).

Following the previous election in 1841, Democrats held a majority with eight seats to Whigs' five seats.

To claim a majority of seats, the Whigs needed to net two seats from Democrats.

Democrats maintained a majority of seats in the Iowa Territory Council following the 1842 general election with the balance of power shifting to Democrats holding seven seats and Whigs having six seats (a net gain of 1 seat for Whigs). Whig Councilor John D. Elbert was chosen as the President of the fifth Territory Council to succeed Democratic Councilor Jonathan W. Parker in that leadership position.

Summary of Results

Iowa Territory Council District	Incumbent	Party		Elected Councilor	Party		Outcome
1st	Jesse B. Browne		Whig	Robert M. G. Patterson		Whig	Whig Hold
	Edward Johnstone		Dem	William Patterson		Dem	Dem Hold
2nd	Gideon Smith Bailey		Dem	John D. Elbert		Whig	Whig Gain
	James Hall		Dem	James H. Jenkins		Dem	Dem Hold
3rd	Shepherd Leffler		Dem	Shepherd Leffler		Dem	Dem Hold
4th	William Henson Wallace		Whig	William Henson Wallace		Whig	Whig Hold
5th	William Greyer Coop		Dem	Joseph B. Teas		Dem	Dem Hold
6th	Francis Springer		Whig	Francis Springer		Whig	Whig Hold
7th	Serranus Clinton Hastings		Dem	Pleasant Harris		Dem	Dem Hold
8th	George Greene		Dem	John Parsons Cook		Whig	Whig Gain
9th	Jonathan W. Parker		Dem	Robert Christie		Whig	Whig Gain
10th	Mortimer Phillips Bainbridge		Whig	Thomas Cox		Dem	Dem Gain
	Joseph S. Kirkpatrick		Whig	Francis Gehon		Dem	Dem Gain

Source:

Detailed Results

• NOTE: The Iowa General Assembly does not contain detailed vote totals for Territory Council elections in 1842.

See also

• Elections in Iowa

External links

District boundaries for the Iowa Territory Council in 1842:

• Iowa Territory Council Districts 1840-1844 map