Election day. Lincoln votes Whig ticket for all other offices, and for Cartwright for Congress. He gets 919 votes to 450 for Cartwright in Springfield. Seventh district of 11 counties gives Lincoln 6,340 votes, 4,829 for Cartwright. Elihu Wolcott, Liberty party candidate, receives 249 votes. Lincoln's majority of 1,262 votes over both opponents is unprecedented.Election Returns.

[Lincoln's election as only Whig congressman from Illinois brings comment in Democratic newspapers: "We had hoped better results would have followed the nomination of Mr. Cartwright. But `General Apathy' seems to have controlled the Democratic party—and wherever he is commander-in-chief defeat ensues, as a natural consequence. Better luck next time."Illinois State Gazette (Shawneetown), 20 August 1846.]

Lincoln writes to Allen Ford, editor of Illinois Gazette, on campaign "infidelity" charge, enclosing his statement on subject which Ford prints August 15, 1846.Abraham Lincoln to Allen N. Ford, 11 August 1846, CW, 1:383-84.