1860 United States House of Representatives election in Florida explained

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 gubernatorial election and various state and local elections.

Democratic nominee Robert Benjamin Hilton defeated Opposition nominee Benjamin F. Allen. Hilton was never seated in Congress, however, as Florida had succeeded from the Union before Congress convened.^[1]

Candidates

Democratic

Nominee

• Robert Benjamin Hilton, clerk of the Florida House of Representatives^{[2] [3]}

Eliminated at party convention

• William Dilworth, former state representative^{[4] [5]}
• James Gettis, former state representative
• Barton C. Pope, former state representative^[6]
• J. Carraway Smith, former state representative^[7]
• Frederick L. Villepigue, secretary of state of Florida
• C. C. Younge, lawyer

Opposition

Nominee

• Benjamin F. Allen, former state representative

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.

General election

Results by County

County[8]	Robert Benjamin Hilton Democratic		Benjamin F. Allen Opposition		Total votes
		%		%
align="center"	Alachua	516	74.67%	175	25.33%	691
align="center"	Brevard	align="center"	0	align="center"	0%	align="center"	0	align="center"	0%	align="center"	0
align="center"	Calhoun	88	88.0%	12	12.0%	100
align="center"	Clay	85	43.59%	110	51.73%	195
align="center"	Columbia	237	48.27%	254	51.73%	491
align="center"	Dade	align="center"	0	align="center"	0%	align="center"	0	align="center"	0%	align="center"	0
align="center"	Duval	263	53.46%	229	46.54%	492
align="center"	Escambia	173	30.73%	390	69.27%	563
align="center"	Franklin	155	85.16%	27	14.84%	182
align="center"	Gadsden	387	48.99%	403	51.01%	790
align="center"	Hamilton	247	58.39%	176	41.61%	423
align="center"	Hernando	216	72.0%	84	28.0%	300
align="center"	Hillsborough	347	90.36%	37	9.64%	384
align="center"	Holmes	75	46.88%	85	53.13%	160
align="center"	Jackson	511	51.88%	474	48.12%	985
align="center"	Jefferson	450	74.38%	155	25.62%	605
align="center"	Lafayette	110	55.56%	88	44.44%	198
align="center"	Leon	427	56.26%	332	43.74%	759
align="center"	Levy	181	69.35%	80	30.65%	261
align="center"	Liberty	93	51.38%	88	48.62%	181
align="center"	Madison	422	64.53%	232	35.47%	654
align="center"	Manatee	79	94.05%	5	5.95%	84
align="center"	Marion	435	73.36%	158	26.64%	593
align="center"	Monroe	156	78.0%	44	22.0%	200
align="center"	Nassau	252	81.82%	56	18.18%	308
align="center"	New River	211	61.34%	133	38.66%	344
align="center"	Orange	58	36.02%	103	63.98%	161
align="center"	Putnam	162	63.28%	94	36.72%	256
align="center"	Santa Rosa	251	44.27%	316	55.73%	567
align="center"	St. Johns	202	67.79%	96	32.21%	298
align="center"	Sumter	108	59.67%	73	40.33%	181
align="center"	Suwannee	135	49.63%	137	50.37%	272
align="center"	Taylor	86	50.59%	84	49.41%	170
align="center"	Volusia	49	69.01%	22	30.99%	71
align="center"	Wakulla	173	54.75%	143	45.25%	316
align="center"	Walton	210	51.98%	194	48.02%	404
align="center"	Washington	172	67.45%	83	32.55%	255
Totals	7,722	59.89%	5,172	40.11%	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.^[9]

See also

• 1860 United States presidential election in Florida
• United States House of Representatives elections, 1860
• 1860 Florida Gubernatorial election
• 1861 Confederate States House of Representatives elections in Florida

References

1. Book: Dubin, Michael J. . United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses . . 1998 . 9780786402830 . 187; 191.
2. News: 1860-06-23. Florida's U.S. Representative nomination 1860. 2. The Florida Peninsular. 2020-11-08.
3. News: 1860-06-30. Democratic nominations for governor and U.S. representative, 1860. 2. The Florida Peninsular. 2020-11-08.
4. Web site: 2018-03-08. Dilworth-Barnhill House - Monticello, FL. 2020-11-08. Old Georgia Homes. en-US.
5. Book: The People of Lawmaking in Florida 1822 - 2019. Florida House of Representatives. 2019. Tallahassee. November 7, 2020.
6. News: May 22, 2009. The Pope Family. 9. The Madison Enterprise-Recorder. Greene Publishing. 38. Madison. November 7, 2020. University of Florida.
7. Book: Membership of the Florida House of Representatives by County 1845-2020. Florida House of Representatives. 2020. Tallahassee. 149. November 7, 2020.
8. News: Dyke . Carlisle . November 17, 1860 . VOTE FOR CONGRESSMAN BY COUNTIES . 3 . Floridian & Journal . September 15, 2022.
9. McConville. Michael Paul. 2012. The Politics Of Slavery And Secession In Antebellum Florida, 1845-1861. University of Central Florida. 75. November 7, 2020. STARS.