1842 Iowa Council election

1842 Iowa Council election

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All 13 seats in the Iowa Territory Council
7 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Thomas Cox[a] John D. Elbert[b]
Party Democratic Whig
Leader's seat 10th-Jackson County 2nd-Van Buren County
Last election 8 5
Seats after 7 6
Seat change Decrease1 Increase1

     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[b]
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.[c] 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.[b]

  1. ^ "Councilor Thomas Cox". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Councilor John D. Elbert". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  3. ^ "Legislative Assembly: 4 (12/06/1841 - 12/04/1842)". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 15, 2021.


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