1836–37 United States House of Representatives elections

1836–37 United States House of Representatives elections

July 4, 1836 – November 7, 1837

All 242 seats in the United States House of Representatives
122 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader James K. Polk John Bell
Party Democratic Whig
Leader's seat Tennessee 9th Tennessee 7th
Last election 143 seats 75 seats
Seats won 128 100
Seat change 15 25
Popular vote 801,767 731,627
Percentage 50.15% 45.77%
Swing 1.26pp 2.89pp

  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Anti-Masonic Nullifier
Last election 16 seats 8 seats
Seats won 7 6
Seat change 9 2
Popular vote 48,329 1,261
Percentage 3.02% 0.08%
Swing 0.05pp 1.11pp

  Fifth party
 
Party Independent
Last election 1 seat
Seats won 1
Seat change
Popular vote 15,606
Percentage 0.98%
Swing 2.23pp

Speaker before election

James K. Polk
Democratic

Elected Speaker

James K. Polk
Democratic

The 1836–37 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between July 4, 1836, and November 7, 1837. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives, either before or after the first session of the 25th United States Congress convened on September 4, 1837. With Arkansas and Michigan officially achieving statehood in 1836 and 1837, respectively, the size of the House was set at 242 seats.

Though Democrat Martin Van Buren was elected president in November 1836, Democrats lost seats. The newly organizing Whigs benefited from regional candidacies and issues and voter fatigue with outgoing two-term President Andrew Jackson. Jackson, a flamboyant public personality with a record of high-profile leadership and historic military success, often clashed with Congress and the Supreme Court. By comparison, Van Buren, a brilliant partisan organizer and political operative, was less charismatic in looks and demeanor. Voter support for the minor Anti-Masonic and Nullifier parties ebbed, but remained significant. One Independent, John Pope, was elected from Kentucky.