Joseph Elam

U.S. Representative
Born
June 12, 1821
Died
July 4, 1885
Age at death
64
Home state
Louisiana
Party
Democratic
On the ballot
1876–1878
Career timeline
2-0
RecordWin–Loss
Total Popular Votes
Elam26,568
Opponents13,296
2
Elections run

Between 1876 and 1878, Joseph Elam ran in 2 U.S. House elections, winning all 2. Elam's biggest single-election total was 14,432 votes, in the 1878 U.S. House election in Louisiana's District 4. Elam's closest win came in the 1876 U.S. House election in Louisiana's District 4, decided by 596 votes.

Browse every U.S. House race in Louisiana's District 4 or all 1878 U.S. House races.

How many votes has Joseph Elam received?

Joseph Elam has received 26,568 popular votes across 2 U.S. elections, with a career record of 2–0.

Election history

Joseph Elam’s election history
YearOfficeResultVotesOpponent(s)
1878U.S. HouseLouisianaWon14,43289.15%A C Wells
1876U.S. HouseLouisianaWon12,13651.26%Alexander Smith
Identity & sources. Identity verified against the Congressional Bioguide (E000100) and Wikidata (Q1706581). Election results come from official certified totals and the MIT Election Data and Science Lab; see methodology.
Cite this profile. PolitiFinder, “Joseph Elam: election history & vote totals.” https://politifinder.com/p/joseph-elam. Accessed [date].

Compiled by PolitiFinder. Election results from official certified sources and the MIT Election Lab. See Data & sources and methodology. Data last verified July 28, 2026.