<page_title> List of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives elections </page_title> <section_title> December 1859 – February 1860 </section_title> <table> <cell> December 5, 1859 – 1st ballot <col_header> 1859–60 election for speaker </col_header> </cell> <cell> February 1, 1860 – 44th ballot <col_header> 1859–60 election for speaker </col_header> <col_header> December 5, 1859 – 1st ballot </col_header> <col_header> Candidate </col_header> <col_header> Votes </col_header> <col_header> Percent </col_header> <col_header> Total votes: </col_header> <col_header>  </col_header> <col_header> Votes necessary: </col_header> </cell> <cell> William Pennington (R–New Jersey) <col_header> 1859–60 election for speaker </col_header> <col_header> December 5, 1859 – 1st ballot </col_header> <col_header> Candidate </col_header> <col_header> Total votes: </col_header> <col_header> Votes necessary: </col_header> <col_header> February 1, 1860 – 44th ballot </col_header> <col_header> Candidate </col_header> </cell> <cell> 117 <col_header> 1859–60 election for speaker </col_header> <col_header> December 5, 1859 – 1st ballot </col_header> <col_header> Votes </col_header> <col_header> February 1, 1860 – 44th ballot </col_header> <col_header> Votes </col_header> </cell> <cell> 50.22% <col_header> 1859–60 election for speaker </col_header> <col_header> December 5, 1859 – 1st ballot </col_header> <col_header> Percent </col_header> <col_header>  </col_header> <col_header> February 1, 1860 – 44th ballot </col_header> <col_header> Percent </col_header> </cell> </table>
Following an election for speaker of the House of Representatives for 44 ballots from December 5, 1859 to February 1, 1860, William Pennington was elected to the post.