James Baird Dawkins Independent John MarshallMartin Independent A special election to the Confederate States House of Representatives for Florida's 1st congressional district was held February 2, 1863.

[1] The winning candidate would serve the remainder of a two-year term in the Confederate States House of Representatives to represent Florida in the 1st Confederate Congress from February 3, 1863, to February 18, 1864.

However, Dawkins resigned on December 8, 1862, after Governor John Milton appointed him as a state judge.

[2] Unique to this election, none of the five candidates came from West Florida, which had been the state's political powerhouse, showing the waning influence of Pensacola.

Martin and Ives were both from North Central Florida; Martin was a planter and Confederate States Army captain from Ocala, while Ives was an influential newspaper editor from Lake City.