1844 Presidential Election

November 1 – December 1, 1844 · Jacksonian Democracy · 275 electoral votes, 138 to win

Polk, the first dark-horse nominee, beat Clay narrowly on an explicit platform of annexing Texas and Oregon. The Liberty Party's 62,000 votes in New York arguably cost Clay the presidency.

Elected

James K. Polk

Democratic

Electoral vote

170 of 275

Popular vote

49.5%

1,339,494 votes

Turnout

79.2%

The result

Sort by

James K. Polk

Democratic · 49.50% of votes

170

electoral votes

Henry Clay

Whig · 48.10% of votes

105

electoral votes

James G. Birney

Liberty · 2.30% of votes

—

electoral votes


James K. Polk	Democratic	George M. Dallas	170	1,339,494	49.50%	15
Henry Clay	Whig	Theodore Frelinghuysen	105	1,300,004	48.10%	11
James G. Birney	Liberty	Thomas Morris	—	62,103	2.30%	—

2,701,601 votes recorded for the candidates listed.

Results by state

Sort by

Alabama

James K. Polk · 59.0% · runner-up Henry Clay 41.0%

electoral votes

Arkansas

James K. Polk · 63.0% · runner-up Henry Clay 37.0%

electoral votes

Connecticut

Henry Clay · 50.8% · runner-up James K. Polk 46.2%

electoral votes

Delaware

Henry Clay · 51.2% · runner-up James K. Polk 48.8%

electoral votes

Georgia

James K. Polk · 51.2% · runner-up Henry Clay 48.8%

electoral votes

Illinois

James K. Polk · 53.9% · runner-up Henry Clay 42.1%

electoral votes

Indiana

James K. Polk · 50.1% · runner-up Henry Clay 48.4%

electoral votes

Kentucky

Henry Clay · 54.1% · runner-up James K. Polk 45.9%

electoral votes

Louisiana

James K. Polk · 51.3% · runner-up Henry Clay 48.7%

electoral votes

Maine

James K. Polk · 53.8% · runner-up Henry Clay 40.5%

electoral votes

Maryland

Henry Clay · 52.4% · runner-up James K. Polk 47.6%

electoral votes

Massachusetts

Henry Clay · 50.8% · runner-up James K. Polk 40.2%

electoral votes


Alabama	James K. Polk	59.0%	9	Henry Clay · 41.0%
Arkansas	James K. Polk	63.0%	3	Henry Clay · 37.0%
Connecticut	Henry Clay	50.8%	6	James K. Polk · 46.2%
Delaware	Henry Clay	51.2%	3	James K. Polk · 48.8%
Georgia	James K. Polk	51.2%	10	Henry Clay · 48.8%
Illinois	James K. Polk	53.9%	9	Henry Clay · 42.1%
Indiana	James K. Polk	50.1%	12	Henry Clay · 48.4%
Kentucky	Henry Clay	54.1%	12	James K. Polk · 45.9%
Louisiana	James K. Polk	51.3%	6	Henry Clay · 48.7%
Maine	James K. Polk	53.8%	9	Henry Clay · 40.5%
Maryland	Henry Clay	52.4%	8	James K. Polk · 47.6%
Massachusetts	Henry Clay	50.8%	12	James K. Polk · 40.2%
Michigan	James K. Polk	49.9%	5	Henry Clay · 43.5%
Mississippi	James K. Polk	57.4%	6	Henry Clay · 42.6%
Missouri	James K. Polk	57.0%	7	Henry Clay · 43.0%
New Hampshire	James K. Polk	55.2%	6	Henry Clay · 36.3%
New Jersey	Henry Clay	50.5%	7	James K. Polk · 49.4%
New York	James K. Polk	48.9%	36	Henry Clay · 47.9%
North Carolina	Henry Clay	52.4%	11	James K. Polk · 47.6%
Ohio	Henry Clay	49.7%	23	James K. Polk · 47.8%
Pennsylvania	James K. Polk	50.5%	26	Henry Clay · 48.6%
Rhode Island	Henry Clay	60.1%	4	James K. Polk · 39.9%
South Carolina	James K. Polk	—	9	—
Tennessee	Henry Clay	50.0%	13	James K. Polk · 50.0%
Vermont	Henry Clay	54.9%	6	James K. Polk · 37.0%
Virginia	James K. Polk	53.1%	17	Henry Clay · 47.0%

The Congress it seated

29th Congress

1845–1847

Unified government

Senate

34–22

Democratic control · Democratic–Whig

House

142–79 +7

Democratic control · Democratic–Whig +7 independents