1860 United States House of Representatives election in Florida

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1860 United States House of Representatives election in Florida
Flag of the United States (1859-1861).svg
  1858 October 1, 1860 1865  
  No image.svg No image.svg
Nominee Robert Benjamin Hilton Benjamin F. Allen
Party Democratic Opposition
Popular vote7,7225,172
Percentage59.89%40.11%

1860 Florida US House Results by County.png
County Results

Representative before election

George Sydney Hawkins
Democratic

Elected Representative

Robert Benjamin
Hilton

Democratic

The 1860 United States House of Representatives election in Florida was held on Monday, October 1, 1860 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 37th Congress. The election coincided with the elections of other offices, including the presidential election, gubernatorial election, and various state and local elections.

Contents

The winning candidate would serve a two-year term in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1861, to March 4, 1863. [1]

Hilton was never seated in Congress, however, as Florida had seceded from the Union before his term began.

Candidates

Democratic

Nominee

Eliminated at party convention

Opposition

Nominee

Campaign

By 1860, the secession of the South from the Union was nearly inevitable. Both Hilton and Allen were secessionists; the only question that remained was what ideology would an independent Florida prefer: the conservatism of the Democratic Party or the Whiggism of the Opposition Party. Due to Hilton's close ties with Vice President John C. Breckinridge, the Democratic nominee for president, it was all but guaranteed that he would ride on Breckinridge's coattails. [2]

Hilton soundly defeated Allen in the general election, receiving 60% of the vote to Allen's 40%.

General election

Results

Florida's at-large congressional district election, 1860 [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Robert Benjamin Hilton 7,722 59.89% -2.54%
Opposition Benjamin F. Allen 5,17240.11%N/A
Majority2,55019.78%-5.08%
Turnout 12,894100.00%
Democratic hold

Results by County

County [9] Robert Benjamin Hilton
Democratic
Benjamin F. Allen
Opposition
Total votes
# %# %
Alachua 51674.67%17525.33%691
Brevard 00%00%0
Calhoun 8888.0%1212.0%100
Clay 8543.59%11051.73%195
Columbia 23748.27%25451.73%491
Dade 00%00%0
Duval 26353.46%22946.54%492
Escambia 17330.73%39069.27%563
Franklin 15585.16%2714.84%182
Gadsden 38748.99%40351.01%790
Hamilton 24758.39%17641.61%423
Hernando 21672.0%8428.0%300
Hillsborough 34790.36%379.64%384
Holmes 7546.88%8553.13%160
Jackson 51151.88%47448.12%985
Jefferson 45074.38%15525.62%605
Lafayette 11055.56%8844.44%198
Leon 42756.26%33243.74%759
Levy 18169.35%8030.65%261
Liberty 9351.38%8848.62%181
Madison 42264.53%23235.47%654
Manatee 7994.05%55.95%84
Marion 43573.36%15826.64%593
Monroe 15678.0%4422.0%200
Nassau 25281.82%5618.18%308
New River 21161.34%13338.66%344
Orange 5836.02%10363.98%161
Putnam 16263.28%9436.72%256
Santa Rosa 25144.27%31655.73%567
St. Johns 20267.79%9632.21%298
Sumter 10859.67%7340.33%181
Suwannee 13549.63%13750.37%272
Taylor 8650.59%8449.41%170
Volusia 4969.01%2230.99%71
Wakulla 17354.75%14345.25%316
Walton 21051.98%19448.02%404
Washington 17267.45%8332.55%255
Totals7,72259.89%5,17240.11%12,894

Aftermath

Florida seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861, meaning Hilton was not able to take his seat in Congress. However, Hilton won election to the Confederate States House of Representatives later in 1861, representing Florida's 2nd congressional district. [10]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Our Campaigns - FL At Large Race - Oct 01, 1860". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Florida's U.S. Representative nomination 1860". The Florida Peninsular. June 23, 1860. p. 2. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  3. "Democratic nominations for governor and U.S. representative, 1860". The Florida Peninsular. June 30, 1860. p. 2. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  4. "Dilworth-Barnhill House - Monticello, FL". Old Georgia Homes. March 8, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 The People of Lawmaking in Florida 1822 - 2019 (PDF). Tallahassee: Florida House of Representatives. 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  6. "The Pope Family". The Madison Enterprise-Recorder. No. 38. Madison: Greene Publishing. May 22, 2009. p. 9. Retrieved November 7, 2020 via University of Florida.
  7. Membership of the Florida House of Representatives by County 1845-2020 (PDF). Tallahassee: Florida House of Representatives. 2020. p. 149. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  8. "FL At Large - 1860". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  9. Dyke; Carlisle (November 17, 1860). "VOTE FOR CONGESSMAN BY COUNTIES". Floridian & Journal. p. 3. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  10. McConville, Michael Paul (2012). "The Politics Of Slavery And Secession In Antebellum Florida, 1845-1861". University of Central Florida : 75. Retrieved November 7, 2020 via STARS.