Home About Chat Users Issues Party Candidates Polling Firms Media News Polls Calendar Key Races United States President Senate House Governors International

New User Account
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource." 
Email: Password:

  US House Speaker
RACE DETAILS
Parents > United States > U.S. House of Representatives > Speaker of the House
OfficeSpeaker of the House
HonorificSpeaker of the House - Abbr: Speaker of the House
Type General Election
Filing Deadline December 01, 1859 - 12:00pm Central
Polls Open December 05, 1859 - 12:00pm Central
Polls Close February 01, 1860 - 12:05pm Central
Term Start February 01, 1860 - 12:10pm
Term End March 04, 1861 - 12:00pm
ContributorChronicler
Last ModifiedRBH January 01, 2011 02:20pm
Data SourcesCongressional Globe
Description
For the third time in a decade, the House of Representatives was deadlocked in the choice of a Speaker. After nearly two months of voting, First-term Representative William Pennington of New Jersey was elected on the 44th ballot.

The Republican Party controlled just under half of the seats in the House. They hoped that their candidate for Speaker, Representative John Sherman of Ohio, would win enough third-party votes to be elected Speaker. The Democrats sponsored Representative Thomas S. Bocock of Virginia, as the prior Speaker (James L. Orr of South Carolina) had retired. The American Party Representatives scattered their votes on the first few ballots. Sherman moved into first place on the second ballot, and he hit his all-time high of 112 on the 11th ballot (four votes shy of a majority). Unlike the deadlocks of 1849 and 1855, the House devoted large chunks of time to debate during the 1859-1860 voting for Speaker. The chief topic of debate was the policy of the federal government in relation to expansion of slavery and Sherman's role in the publication of a book ("The Impending Crisis and How to Meet It" by Hinton Harper) on the deliterious effects of slavery on the Southern economy. Bocock withdrew his name from consideration after the 11th ballot to allow other Democrats an opportunity to test their chances of being elected. In the meantime, the Americans had concentrated their votes on Alexander Boteler of Virginia, who was in second place on the 15th ballot of

[More...]

LAST GENERAL ELECTION
  PartyDemocratic Won12/07/1857
NameJames Lawrence Orr Votes128 (56.89%)
Term12/07/1857 - 03/04/1859 Margin44 (+19.56%)
NEXT GENERAL ELECTION
  PartyRepublican Won07/04/1861
NameGalusha A. Grow Votes99 (52.66%)
Term07/04/1861 - 03/03/1863 Margin59 (+31.38%)
PRIMARY/OTHER SCHEDULE

CANDIDATES
Photo
Name Rep. William Pennington Rep. William N.H. Smith Rep. John Sherman Rep. John S. Millson Rep. John Alexander McClernand Rep. Andrew J. Hamilton Rep. Thomas S. Bocock
PartyRepublican American Republican Democratic Democratic Democratic Democratic
Campaign Logo
Certified Votes 117 (8.96%) 113 (8.65%) 112 (8.58%) 95 (7.27%) 91 (6.97%) 89 (6.82%) 88 (6.74%)
Margin0 (0.00%) -4 (-0.31%) -5 (-0.38%) -22 (-1.68%) -26 (-1.99%) -28 (-2.14%) -29 (-2.22%)
Predict Avg.0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Cash On Hand $-- $-- $-- $-- $-- $-- $--
Website
Entry Date -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Bar
MATCHUP POLLS (0 from 0 pollsters)
ENDORSEMENTS
Endorsements
MORE CANDIDATES
Photo
Name Charles L. Scott Rep. Clement Laird Vallandigham Rep. Horace Maynard Rep. Galusha A. Grow Rep. Alexander Robinson Boteler, Sr. Rep. John A. Gilmer Rep. William Barksdale
PartyDemocratic Democratic Opposition Republican Opposition American Democratic
Campaign Logo
Certified Votes 83 (6.36%) 69 (5.28%) 65 (4.98%) 43 (3.29%) 43 (3.29%) 35 (2.68%) 20 (1.53%)
Margin-34 (-2.60%) -48 (-3.68%) -52 (-3.98%) -74 (-5.67%) -74 (-5.67%) -82 (-6.28%) -97 (-7.43%)
Predict Avg.0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Cash On Hand $-- $-- $-- $-- $-- $-- $--
Website
Entry Date -- -- -- -- -- -- --
MATCHUP POLLS (0 from 0 pollsters)
ENDORSEMENTS
Endorsements
VIEW 76 MORE CANDIDATES


EVENTS
Start Date End Date Type Title Contributor

VIDEO ADVERTISEMENTS
Start Date Candidate Category Ad Tone Lng Title Run Time Contributor

BOOKS
Title Purchase Contributor

INFORMATION LINKS

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor

DISCUSSION