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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 County results
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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
editDemocratic
editNominee
edit- Augustus Maxwell, incumbent U.S. representative
Whig
editNominee
edit- Thomas Brown, former governor of Florida
Campaign
editDespite 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
editResults
edit| 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
edit| County[5] | Augustus Maxwell Democratic |
Thomas Brown Whig |
Total votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | ||
| Alachua | 262 | 61.79% | 162 | 38.21% | 424 |
| Calhoun | 87 | 50.88% | 84 | 49.12% | 171 |
| Columbia | 529 | 61.37% | 333 | 38.63% | 862 |
| Duval | 406 | 49.39% | 416 | 50.61% | 822 |
| 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 | 49.44% | 136 | 50.56% | 269 |
| 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% | 771 |
| 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 | 437 | 55.60% | 349 | 44.40% | 786 |
| 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 | 137 | 57.08% | 103 | 42.92% | 240 |
| St. Lucie | 12 | 100% | 0 | 0% | 12 |
| 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 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Our Campaigns - FL At Large Race - Oct 02, 1854". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- ^ "Brown vs Maxwell - Florida 1854". Pensacola Gazette. August 12, 1854. p. 2. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ "Party Movements in Florida". Pensacola Gazette. July 15, 1854. p. 2. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ "FL At Large - 1854". Our Campaigns. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- ^ Allen, Benjamin F. (November 7, 1854). "Florida Election-Official". Florida Sentinel. p. 2. Retrieved September 8, 2022.