Lucius Elmer

Who was Lucius Elmer?

Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus Elmer was an American Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the U.S. Congress from 1843 to 1845. He was son of Ebenezer Elmer and nephew of Jonathan Elmer, both of whom also served in Congress.

Elmer was born in Bridgeton, New Jersey on February 3, 1793. He attended the private schools and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. During the War of 1812, he served in the militia as a lieutenant of artillery, and was promoted to the rank of brigade major and inspector. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1815 and commenced practice in Bridgeton. He was prosecuting attorney for the State in 1824. He was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1820–1823, serving the last year as speaker. He was prosecutor of the pleas for Cumberland County in 1824 and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 1824-1829.

Elmer was elected in 1843 as a Democrat to the Twenty-eighth Congress in a district which comprises Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties, serving in office from March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845, where he served as chairman of the Committee on Elections. He was an unsuccessful for reelection in 1844 to the Twenty-ninth Congress. As a lame-duck Congressman, Elmer was the lone New Jersey Democratic vote against the annexation of Texas in January 1845.