1854 United States House of Representatives election in Florida
The 1854 United States House of Representatives election in Florida was held on Monday, October 2, 1854 to elect the single United States Representative from the state of Florida, one from the state's single at-large congressional district, to represent Florida in the 34th Congress. The election coincided with the elections of other offices, including the senatorial election and various state and local elections.[1]
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| Elections in Florida |
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The winning candidate would serve a two-year term in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1855, to March 4, 1857.
Candidates
Nominee
- Augustus Maxwell, incumbent U.S. representative
Nominee
- Thomas Brown, former governor of Florida
Campaign
Despite Brown leaving office as a popular governor, the national Whig Party had all but collapsed by this election. Additionally, many Southerners who were formerly sympathetic to the Whigs now aligned fully with the Democratic Party, due to the perception that the Whigs were willing to compromise with abolitionist Northerners. To take advantage of this, Maxwell actively campaigned in Pensacola, a former Whig stronghold, as well as running up his margins in deeply conservative North Central Florida, particularly in Columbia and Jefferson counties, both of which had high enslaved populations.[2][3]
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Augustus Maxwell (inc.) | 5,638 | 55.26% | +5.14% | |
| Whig | Thomas Brown | 4,564 | 44.74% | -3.64% | |
| Majority | 1,074 | 10.53% | -6.81% | ||
| Turnout | 10,202 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
| County | Augustus Maxwell
Democratic |
Thomas Brown
Whig |
Total votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | ||
| Alachua | 262 | 61.79% | 162 | 38.21% | 424 |
| Calhoun | 87 | 51.79% | 81 | 48.21% | 168 |
| Columbia | 529 | 61.37% | 333 | 38.63% | 862 |
| Duval | 408 | 49.39% | 418 | 50.61% | 826 |
| Escambia | 179 | 50.28% | 177 | 49.72% | 356 |
| Franklin | 132 | 52.38% | 120 | 47.62% | 252 |
| Gadsden | 388 | 47.37% | 431 | 52.63% | 819 |
| Hamilton | 133 | 41.69% | 186 | 58.31% | 319 |
| Hernando | 124 | 63.92% | 70 | 36.08 | 194 |
| Hillsborough | 223 | 65.20% | 119 | 34.80% | 342 |
| Holmes | 66 | 46.15% | 77 | 53.85% | 143 |
| Jackson | 357 | 46.30% | 414 | 53.70% | 811 |
| Jefferson | 364 | 74.90% | 122 | 25.10% | 486 |
| Leon | 424 | 55.86% | 335 | 44.14% | 759 |
| Levy | 59 | 55.14% | 48 | 44.86% | 107 |
| Madison | 347 | 52.10% | 319 | 47.90% | 666 |
| Marion | 256 | 56.64% | 196 | 43.36% | 452 |
| Monroe | 151 | 66.81% | 75 | 33.19% | 226 |
| Nassau | 60 | 46.15% | 70 | 53.85% | 130 |
| Orange | 18 | 22.50% | 62 | 77.50% | 80 |
| Putnam | 123 | 70.29% | 52 | 29.71% | 175 |
| Santa Rosa | 188 | 47.84% | 205 | 52.16% | 393 |
| St. Johns | 138 | 57.26% | 103 | 42.74% | 241 |
| Sumter | 78 | 61.90% | 48 | 38.10% | 126 |
| Wakulla | 169 | 55.78% | 134 | 44.22% | 303 |
| Walton | 132 | 43.56% | 171 | 56.44% | 303 |
| Washington | 144 | 72.36% | 55 | 27.64% | 199 |
| Totals | 5,638 | 55.26% | 4,564 | 44.74% | 10,202 |
References
- "Our Campaigns - FL At Large Race - Oct 02, 1854". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
- "Brown vs Maxwell - Florida 1854". Pensacola Gazette. 1854-08-12. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
- "Party Movements in Florida". Pensacola Gazette. 1854-07-15. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
- "FL At Large - 1854". Our Campaigns. Retrieved October 18, 2020.