1854 United States elections

Elections were held for the 34th United States Congress during the middle of Democratic President Franklin Pierce's term. It was part of the transition from the Second Party System to the Third Party System, as the Whigs collapsed as a national party and were replaced by a coalition running on the Opposition Party ticket and the nascent Republican Party.

1854 United States elections

← 1852          1853          1854          1855          1856 → Midterm elections
Incumbent president	Franklin Pierce (Democratic)
Next Congress	34th
Senate elections
Overall control	Democratic hold
Seats contested	21 of 62 seats[1]
Net seat change	Republican +3[2]
House elections
Overall control	Opposition gain
Seats contested	All 234 voting seats
Net seat change	Opposition +78[2]

In the House, Democrats suffered a massive defeat, losing seats to the Opposition Party, and to the American Party;^[3] the latter (also known as the Know Nothings) won more seats in the House than any other third party in the history of the chamber.^[3] Nathaniel Banks, a member of the American Party and the Free Soil Party, won election as Speaker of the House after a protracted battle, defeating Democrat William Aiken.^[4] In the Senate, Democrats retained a strong majority, while the Opposition replaced the Whigs as the second largest party in the chamber.^[5]

See also

• 1854–55 United States House of Representatives elections
• 1854–55 United States Senate elections