1858 United States House of Representatives election in Florida

None February 2026 September 2023 1858 United States House of Representatives election in Florida Florida presidential no United States House of Representatives election in Florida, 1856 1856 United States House of Representatives election in Florida, 1860 1860 October 4, 1858 x150px George Sydney Hawkins Democratic Party (United States) 6,084 62.43% x150px John Westcott Independent Democratic 3,661 37.57% 1858 Florida US House.png County Results Hawkins #9ecae1 50–59% #6baed6 60–69% #4292c6 70–79% #2171b5 80–89% #023a83 90–100% Westcott #a1da9b 50–59% #74c476 60–69% #41ab5d 70–79% No Votes #bdbdbd No Votes Representative George Sydney Hawkins Democratic Party (United States) George Sydney Hawkins Democratic Party (United States) Flag_of_the_United_States_(1858–1859).svg The 1858 United States House of Representatives election in Florida was held on Monday, October 4, 1858 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 36th Congress. The election coincided with the elections of other offices, including various state and local elections. The winning candidate would serve a two-year term in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1859, to March 4, 1861.Our Campaigns – FL At Large Race – Oct 04, 1858 https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=287205 2020-11-07 www.ourcampaigns.com Candidates Democratic Nominee George Sydney Hawkins, incumbent U.S. representativeFlorida Historical Society 1933 Florida Historical Quarterly, Vol. 12, Issue 1 https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1054&context=fhq The Florida Historical Quarterly 12 1 23–24 November 7, 2020 STARS Independent Democratic Declared John Westcott, former Surveyor General of FloridaMcConville Michael Paul 2012 The Politics Of Slavery And Secession In Antebellum Florida, 1845–1861 https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=3221&context=etd University of Central Florida 75 November 7, 2020 STARS Campaign This election was held in the middle of the presidency of James Buchanan, with tensions between free states of the North and slave states of the South growing to the point of irreparability. Both the Whig Party and the Know Nothing Party had already collapsed, leaving no true opposition to the Democratic Party in Florida. Hawkins was very popular in the former Whig stronghold of Pensacola, bringing the populous city firmly into the Democratic column. Though Hawkins was expected to run unopposed, he was challenged by Westcott, the former surveyor general of Florida and brother of former U.S. senator James Westcott. Westcott, running as an Independent Democrat, was opposed to the corruption in the Florida Democratic Party, perceiving the party's selection of nominees at conventions making the state's politicians open to political patronage. Westcott also promised cheap land to frontier settlers.Doherty Herbert J. https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00010356/00001/ The Whigs of Florida, 1845–1854 University of Florida Press 1959 Gainesville, Florida 61 November 7, 2020 Westcott performed best in the frontierlands of East Florida and South Florida, where he was very popular due to his role in the Seminole Wars. Despite this, he could not make inroads into West Florida and was crushed in the general election, only receiving 38% of the vote to Hawkins' 62%.Thompson Arthur W. 1949 Political Nativism in Florida, 1848–1860: A Phase of Anti-Secessionism https://www.jstor.org/stable/2198072 Journal of Southern History 15 1 60 10.2307/2198072 2198072 November 7, 2020 subscription General election Results Florida's at-large congressional district election, 1858FL At Large – 1858 https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=287205 Our Campaigns November 6, 2020 Democratic Party (United States) George Sydney Hawkins (inc.) 6,084 62.43% +9.03% Independent Democratic John Westcott 3,661 37.57% N/A 2,423 24.86% +18.70% 9,745 100.00% Democratic Party (United States) Results by County CountyJones & Dyke November 13, 1858 Vote for Congress 2 Floridian & Journal https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00079928/00328/images/1 February 27, 2023George Sydney Hawkins DemocraticJohn Westcott Independent Democratic Total votes # % # %Alachua34971.22% 141 28.78% 490Brevard 0 0% 0 0% 0Calhoun 85 61.59% 53 38.41% 138Columbia 389 42.37% 529 57.63% 918Dade 12 100% 0 0% 12Duval 0 0% 0 0% 0Escambia 304 79.58% 78 20.42% 382Franklin 220 95.24% 11 4.76% 231Gadsden41162.75% 244 37.25% 655Hamilton 283 66.28% 144 33.72% 427Hernando 99 40.08% 148 59.92% 247Hillsborough7432.60% 153 67.40% 227Holmes 75 45.18% 91 54.82% 166Jackson 482 62.19% 293 37.81% 775Jefferson 432 84.38% 80 15.63% 512Lafayette 70 33.49% 139 66.51% 209Leon38275.64% 123 24.36% 505Levy 100 54.95% 82 45.05% 182Liberty 43 46.74% 49 53.26% 92Madison 317 53.28% 278 46.72% 595Manatee 45 75.00% 15 25.00% 60Marion 254 56.82% 193 43.18% 447Monroe 158 87.78% 22 12.22% 180Nassau 237 78.48% 65 21.52% 302Orange3736.27% 65 63.73% 102Putnam 127 58.80% 89 41.20%216Santa Rosa33177.52%9622.48% 427St. Johns 180 72.58% 68 27.42% 248Sumter 0 0% 0 0% 0Taylor 75 33.78% 147 66.22% 222Volusia 30 29.70% 71 70.30% 101Wakulla 105 71.43% 42 28.57% 147Walton 200 61.16% 127 38.84% 327Washington 178 87.68% 25 12.32% 203Totals6,08462.43%3,66137.57% 9,745 Aftermath This was the last election before the American Civil War to send a U.S. representative to Congress. An election was held in 1860, but the winner of that race did not serve in Congress as Florida seceded from the Union prior to the start of the 37th Congress. Hawkins withdrew from Congress on January 21, 1861 after Florida had joined the Confederate States of America. This was the last successful congressional election in Florida until 1868. See also United States House of Representatives elections, 1858 References 1852 Florida United States House of Representatives