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1852 United States House of Representatives election in Florida

← 1850 October 5, 1852 1854 →
 
Nominee Augustus Maxwell Edward Carrington Cabell
Party Democratic Whig
Popular vote 4,590 4,568
Percentage 50.12% 49.88%

County results

Representative before election

Edward Carrington Cabell
Whig

Elected Representative


Augustus Maxwell
Democratic

The 1852 United States House of Representatives election in Florida was held on Tuesday, October 5, 1852, 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 33rd Congress. The election coincided with the elections of other offices, including the presidential election, the gubernatorial election, and various state and local elections.[1]

The winning candidate would serve a two-year term in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1853, to March 4, 1855.

Candidates[edit]

Whig[edit]

Nominee[edit]

Democratic[edit]

Nominee[edit]

Campaign[edit]

Despite a very popular tenure as a compromise candidate, by 1852, Cabell became very unpopular among Democrats in Florida after a number of smear campaigns accused him of supporting abolitionism. In reality, Cabell was one of Congress' biggest supporters of slavery, and was one of the spearheads behind the Compromise of 1850. Cabell also refused to support the Whig candidate for president, General Winfield Scott, as Scott was perceived to be a trojan horse for abolitionism among many Southern Whigs, most of whom supported President Millard Fillmore at the 1852 Whig National Convention.[2] Cabell opted instead to support the Democratic candidate, former New Hampshire Senator Franklin Pierce, drawing the ire of many staunch Whig supporters in Pensacola.[3][4]

By the time of the election, after guaranteeing that no Democrat would vote for him and Whig turnout for him would be significantly lower, Cabell narrowly lost the election to Maxwell by just 22 votes.

General election[edit]

Results[edit]

Florida's at-large congressional district election, 1852[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Augustus Maxwell 4,590 50.12% +3.64%
Whig Edward Carrington Cabell (inc.) 4,568 49.88% -3.64%
Majority 22 0.24% -6.81%
Turnout 9,158 100.00%
Democratic gain from Whig

Results by County[edit]

County[6][7] Augustus Maxwell
Democratic
Edward Carrington Cabell
Whig
Total
votes
# % # %
Alachua 231 58.63% 163 41.37% 394
Calhoun 78 43.09% 103 56.91% 181
Columbia 255 47.22% 285 52.78% 540
Dade* 0 0% 0 0% 0
Duval 275 45.30% 332 54.70% 607
Escambia 212 45.89% 250 54.11% 462
Franklin 167 65.23% 89 34.77% 256
Gadsden 432 50.76% 419 49.24% 851
Hamilton 159 50.00% 159 50.00% 318
Hernando 106 61.63% 66 38.37% 172
Hillsborough 189 59.62% 128 40.38% 317
Holmes 39 25.83% 112 74.17% 151
Jackson 248 40.39% 366 59.61% 614
Jefferson 268 64.11% 150 35.89% 418
Leon 395 54.33% 332 45.67% 727
Levy 32 42.67% 43 57.33% 75
Madison 254 44.33% 319 55.67% 573
Marion 253 50.91% 244 49.09% 497
Monroe 160 70.80% 66 29.20% 223
Nassau 57 48.31% 61 51.69% 118
Orange 27 39.71% 41 60.29% 68
Putnam 55 42.64% 74 57.36% 129
Santa Rosa 167 39.39% 257 60.61% 424
St. Johns 138 60.26% 91 39.74% 229
St. Lucie 7 87.50% 1 12.50% 8
Wakulla 151 47.94% 164 52.06% 315
Walton 111 39.36% 171 60.64% 282
Washington 124 60.19% 82 39.81% 206
Totals 4,590 50.12% 4,568 49.88% 9,158
*Dade County had no returns.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Our Campaigns - FL At Large Race - Oct 05, 1852". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  2. ^ Holt, Michael F. (June 17, 1999). The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset of the Civil War. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-977203-2.
  3. ^ "Mr. Cabell and the Whig State Convention". Pensacola Gazette. July 31, 1852. p. 2. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  4. ^ "Hon. E. C. Cabell". Pensacola Gazette. September 11, 1852. p. 2. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  5. ^ "FL At Large - 1852". Our Campaigns. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  6. ^ Clisby, Joseph (November 23, 1852). "State of Florida". Florida Sentinel. p. 2. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  7. ^ Dyke, Charles E. (October 30, 1852). "Florida Elections". Floridian & Journal. p. 2. Retrieved September 7, 2022.