In 1032, following the death of John XIX, Theophylactus of Tusculum was elevated to the papacy as Benedict IX1. His election continued the dominance of the powerful Tusculan family, which had already secured the office for Benedict VIII and John XIX.

Contemporary and later sources suggest that the Tusculan faction used its political influence and armed strength in Rome to ensure his accession. Some chroniclers describe Benedict as unusually young at the time of his elevation, though the precise age remains uncertain. The succession of three closely related popes reinforced perceptions that the Roman see had become closely tied to aristocratic power structures.

The circumstances of his election, and the controversies that followed during his pontificate, would later be cited by reformers as evidence of the need to insulate papal elections from local factional control.

• 1. The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church