The 1845 United States House of Representatives election in Florida was held on Monday, May 26, 1845, to elect the first United States Representative from the state of Florida, one from the state's single at-large congressional district, to represent Florida in the 29th Congress. The election coincided with the elections of other offices, including the gubernatorial election, the senatorial elections, and various state and local elections.[1]
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The winning candidate would have served a less-than-two-year term in the United States House of Representatives from July 1, 1845, to March 4, 1847.
Background
Florida was admitted to the Union as a slave state on March 3, 1845, the last day of the 28th Congress.[2] The state was not represented in that Congress. Florida held its elections on May 26, 1845.
Candidates
Democratic
Nominee
Whig
Nominee
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David Levy Yulee | 3,608 | 60.32% | N/A | |
| Whig | Benjamin Alexander Putnam | 2,373 | 39.68% | N/A | |
| Majority | 1,235 | 20.65% | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 5,981 | 100.00% | |||
Results by County
| County[4] | David Levy Yulee Democratic | Benjamin A. Putnam Whig | Total votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | ||
| Alachua | 193 | 67.25% | 94 | 32.75% | 287 |
| Benton | 73 | 90.12% | 8 | 9.88% | 81 |
| Calhoun | 57 | 85.07% | 10 | 14.93% | 67 |
| Columbia | 354 | 72.84% | 132 | 27.16% | 486 |
| Dade | 60 | 92.31% | 5 | 7.69% | 65 |
| Duval | 232 | 58.88% | 162 | 41.12% | 394 |
| Escambia | 105 | 39.33% | 162 | 60.67% | 267 |
| Franklin | 113 | 53.55% | 98 | 46.45% | 211 |
| Gadsden | 264 | 51.26% | 251 | 48.74% | 515 |
| Hamilton | 136 | 80.00% | 34 | 20.00% | 170 |
| Hillsborough | 88 | 74.58% | 30 | 25.42% | 118 |
| Jackson | 162 | 35.06% | 300 | 64.94% | 462 |
| Jefferson | 332 | 81.17% | 77 | 18.83% | 409 |
| Leon | 301 | 51.28% | 286 | 48.72% | 587 |
| Madison | 215 | 73.13% | 79 | 26.87% | 294 |
| Marion | 93 | 55.36% | 75 | 44.64% | 168 |
| Monroe | 156 | 68.42% | 72 | 31.58% | 228 |
| Nassau | 127 | 82.47% | 27 | 17.53% | 154 |
| Orange | 29 | 74.36% | 10 | 25.64% | 39 |
| Santa Rosa | 35 | 21.08% | 131 | 78.92% | 166 |
| St. Johns | 170 | 57.43% | 126 | 42.57% | 296 |
| St. Lucie | 16 | 94.12% | 1 | 5.88% | 17 |
| Wakulla | 119 | 70.00% | 51 | 30.00% | 170 |
| Walton | 101 | 37.69% | 167 | 62.31% | 268 |
| Washington | 77 | 93.90% | 5 | 39.88% | 82 |
| Totals | 3,608 | 60.12% | 2,393 | 39.88% | 6,001 |
Aftermath
Because Yulee was jointly elected to both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate and a person cannot hold both offices at the same time, he resigned from the House before taking his seat. A special election was held later in 1845 to elect his replacement, electing Whig Edward Carrington Cabell, though after a recount, Democrat William Henry Brockenbrough was found to be the winner instead.[5][6]