Speaker of the House balloting, 1834
Contender: ballot	1st	2d	3d	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
John Bell TN	30	39	47	49	57	65	76	97	104	114
James Knox Polk TN	42	53	57	59	67	67	73	78	76	78
Richard H. Wilde GA	64	64	59	49	37	24	16	11	11	11
James M. Wayne GA	15	13	15	25	30	36	26	13	8	6
Joel B. Sutherland PA	34	30	26	25	16	16	10	9	4	2
Jesse Speight NC	18	16	8	4	3	1	3	3	2	1
Scattering	13	6	3	3	2	2	--	1	--	--
Blank	4	2	4	7	5	5	10	7	6	6

Bell was elected on the 10th ballot. During the balloting, members of J

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Speaker of the House balloting, 1834
Contender: ballot	1st	2d	3d	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
John Bell TN	30	39	47	49	57	65	76	97	104	114
James Knox Polk TN	42	53	57	59	67	67	73	78	76	78
Richard H. Wilde GA	64	64	59	49	37	24	16	11	11	11
James M. Wayne GA	15	13	15	25	30	36	26	13	8	6
Joel B. Sutherland PA	34	30	26	25	16	16	10	9	4	2
Jesse Speight NC	18	16	8	4	3	1	3	3	2	1
Scattering	13	6	3	3	2	2	--	1	--	--
Blank	4	2	4	7	5	5	10	7	6	6

Bell was elected on the 10th ballot. During the balloting, members of Jackson's "Kitchen Cabinet" went to Capitol Hill and lobbied the Democrats to choose Polk. This effort backfired, as the Democrats on the Hill did not think that the President should meddle in the vote. As a result, both northern and southern Democrats bolted from Polk. Bell was considered to be a moderate, pro-Bank Democrat at the time, though the Whigs and Anti-Masons supported him.

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