Preceded by Lewis McKenzie Name Elliott Braxton Preceded by District established Party Democratic Party | Political party Democratic Succeeded by John T. Harris Profession Politician, Lawyer Resigned March 3, 1873 | |
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Born October 8, 1823
Mathews, Virginia ( 1823-10-08 ) Role Former Virginia State Senator Died October 2, 1891, Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States Previous office Virginia State Senator (1852–1856) | ||
Elliott Muse Braxton (October 8, 1823 – October 2, 1891) was a nineteenth-century politician and lawyer from Virginia. He was the great-grandson of Carter Braxton.
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Biography
Born in Mathews, Virginia, Braxton attended the common schools as a child, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1849, commencing in Richmond, Virginia. He moved to Richmond County, Virginia and served in the Virginia Senate from 1852 to 1856. He later moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1860 and continued practicing law. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Braxton raised a company for the Confederate Army and was elected its captain. He was later promoted to a major and served in the staff of General John R. Cooke. After the war, Braxton was democratically elected a member of the common council of Fredericksburg in 1866 and was later elected a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives in 1870, serving from 1871 to 1873. After being unsuccessful for reelection in 1872, Braxton resumed practicing law in Fredericksburg until his death there on October 2, 1891. He was interred there in the Confederate Cemetery.
1870 and 1872 elections
Braxton was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (7th district) over Republican incumbent Lewis McKenzie by a margin of 53-47%. Following redistricting, he ran in the 1st district against Republican James B. Sener, this time losing by a narrow margin of 49-51% (373 votes).