Event of 1849: After 17 days of deadlock and 63 votes, Democrat Howell Cobb of Georgia is elect

Background. The 31st United States Congress convened in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1849, to March 4, 1851. Seat apportionment was based on the 1840 census. While the Senate held a Democratic majority, the House possessed only a Democratic plurality. This lack of a clear majority contributed to the legislative deadlock regarding the speakership, requiring multiple ballots to resolve the leadership question.

Election Process. The election for the House speakership took place between December 3 and December 22, 1849. The process required 63 ballots to reach a decision. Howell Cobb, a southern Democrat and five-term member, was elected Speaker on December 22, 1849, at the age of 34. He served as Speaker during the 31st Congress until his departure in 1851, when he left the House to serve as Governor of Georgia. The passages do not state the total elapsed duration of the contest in days.

Political Context. Howell Cobb was a southern Democrat who advocated for extending slavery into the territories. Following the agreement of the Compromise of 1850, he became a staunch supporter of the measure as a Union Democrat. These positions are biographical context only: the Compromise of 1850 postdates the December 1849 election, and the cited passages do not connect his slavery positions to the speakership contest itself. His election as Speaker occurred during the presidency of Zachary Taylor, who died in July 1850, leading to the accession of Millard Fillmore.