United States House of Representatives elections, 1896

November 3, 1896^{[Note 1]}

All 357 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives 179 seats needed for a majority

	Majority party	Minority party

Leader	Thomas Brackett Reed	Joseph Weldon Bailey
Party	Republican	Democratic
Last election	254 seats	93 seats
Seats won	210^[1]^{[Note 2]}	124^[1]
Seat change	44	31

	Third party	Fourth party

Leader	John Calhoun Bell
Party	Populist	Silver
Last election	9 seats	1 seat
Seats won	22^[1]	1^[1]
Seat change	13

Speaker before election

Thomas Reed
Republican

Elected Speaker

Thomas Reed
Republican

Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held in 1896 for members of the 55th Congress, coinciding with the election of President William McKinley.

In spite of McKinley's victory over William Jennings Bryan, both the Democratic and Populist parties gained seats from McKinley's Republican Party. This is most likely a reaction to the extraordinary Republican gains in 1894, in which many normally Democratic districts switched parties due to the severity of and fallout from the Panic of 1893. Many Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern regions that were dominated by Catholic and working-class voters, switched to Republican in 1894, but returned to the Democratic Party during this election cycle. The Populist Party also made huge gains as Republicans were ousted in Western states. Despite this, the Republicans did maintain a strong majority in the House. Also, several Western Republicans split with the party in 1896, forming the tiny Silver Republican Party faction, which advocated a silver standard.

This election marked the zenith of the Populist Party, which would go on to lose most of its seats in the 1898 elections and thereafter slowly fade from prominence.

Election summaries

↓
206	1	3	1	22	124
Republican	IR	SR	S	P	Democratic

State	Type	Total seats	Republican	Democratic	Populist	Silver/ Silver Republican
State	Type	Total seats	Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Alabama	District	9	1	1	7	2	1	1	0
Arkansas	District	6	0		6		0		0
California	District	7	3	3	2	1	2	2	0
Colorado	District	2	0	1	0		1		1^{[Note 3]}	1
Connecticut	District	4	4		0		0		0
Delaware	At-large	1	0	1	1	1	0		0
Florida	District	2	0		2		0		0
Georgia	District	11	0		11		0		0
Idaho	At-large	1	0	1	0		1	1	0
Illinois	District	22	17	3	5	3	0		0
Indiana	District	13	9	4	4	4	0		0
Iowa	District	11	11		0		0		0
Kansas	District +at-large	8	2	5	0		6	5	0
Kentucky	District	11	4	1	7	1	0		0
Louisiana	District	6	0		6		0		0
Maine^{[Note 4]}	District	4	4		0		0		0
Maryland	District	6	6	3	0	3	0		0
Massachusetts	District	13	12		1		0		0
Michigan	District	12	10	2	2	2	0		0
Minnesota	District	7	7		0		0		0
Mississippi	District	7	0		7		0		0
Missouri	District	15	3	7	12	7	0		0
Montana	At-large	1	0	1	0		0		1^{[Note 3]}	1
Nebraska	District	6	2	3	0		4	3	0
Nevada	At-large	1	0		0		0		1
New Hampshire	District	2	2		0		0		0
New Jersey	District	8	8		0		0		0
New York	District	34	29	1	5	1	0		0
North Carolina	District	9	3		1	1	5	1	0
North Dakota	At-large	1	1		0		0		0
Ohio	District	21	15	4	6	4	0		0
Oregon^{[Note 4]}	District	2	2		0		0		0
Pennsylvania	District +2 at-large	30	27^{[Note 5]}	1	3	1	0		0
Rhode Island	District	2	2		0		0		0
South Carolina	District	7	0	1	7	1	0		0
South Dakota	At-large	2	0	2	0		2	2	0
Tennessee	District	10	2	2	8	2	0		0
Texas	District	13	1		12		0		0
Utah	At-large	1	0	1	1	1	0		0
Vermont^{[Note 4]}	District	2	2		0		0		0
Virginia	District	10	4	2	6	2	0		0
Washington^{[Note 6]}	At-large	2	0	2	1	1	0		1^{[Note 3]}	1
West Virginia	District	4	4		0		0		0
Wisconsin	District	10	10		0		0		0
Wyoming	At-large	1	0	1	1	1	0		0
Total		357	207^{[Note 5]} 58.0%	47	124 34.7%	31	22 6.2%	13	4^{[Note 7]} 0.8%	3

House seats

Republican			57.98%
Democratic			34.73%
Populist			6.16%
Silver Republican			0.84%
Silver			0.28%

The previous election of 1894 saw the election of 7 Populists and a Silver Party member.

[[File:55 us house membership.png|thumb|500px|

House seats by party holding plurality in state
80.1-100% Democratic	80.1-100% Populist	80.1-100% Republican	80.1-100% Silver
60.1-80% Democratic	60.1-80% Populist	60.1-80% Republican
Up to 60% Democratic	Up to 60% Populist	Up to 60% Republican	Up to 60% Silver

]]

[[Image:55 us house changes.png|thumb|500px|

Net gain in party representation
6+ Democratic gain		6+ Republican gain
3-5 Democratic gain	3-5 Populist gain	3-5 Republican gain
1-2 Democratic gain	1-2 Populist gain	1-2 Republican gain
1-2 Silver gain
no net change

]]

Early election dates

Three states, with 8 seats between them, held elections early in 1896:

June 1 Oregon
September 1 Vermont
September 14 Maine

Complete list of races

Party abbreviations

D: Democratic
I: Independent
IR: Independent Republican
ND: National Democratic ("Gold Democrat")
Pop: Populist
Pr: Prohibition
R: Republican
RR: Reorganized Republican
SL: Socialist Labor

Alabama

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama, 1896

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Alabama 1	Richard Henry Clarke	Democratic	1888	Retired to Run for Governor Democratic hold	George W. Taylor (politician) (D) 70.50% Frank H. Threatt (R) 25.38% Emory C. Stearnes (Pop) 3.84%
Alabama 2	Jesse F. Stallings	Democratic	1892	Re-elected	Jesse F. Stallings (D) 55.94% Thomas H. Clarke (ND) 25.63% John C. Fonville (Pop) 18.43%
Alabama 3	George Paul Harrison, Jr.	Democratic	1894	Retired Democratic hold	Henry De Lamar Clayton, Jr. (D) 52.61% George L. Comer (ND) 25.94% Emmet C. Jackson (Pop) 21.45%
Alabama 4	William F. Aldrich	Republican	1894	Re-elected; Initially Thomas Plowman was declared the winner but Aldrich contested the results. The revised totals favored Aldrich, and he was seated on February 8, 1896. It is the revised totals that are displayed here.	William F. Aldrich (R) 49.75% Thomas S. Plowman (D) 45.59% Edmund H. Dryer (ND) 4.66%
Alabama 5	Albert Taylor Goodwyn	Populist	1894	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Willis Brewer (D) 60.85% Albert Taylor Goodwyn (Pop) 39.15%
Alabama 6	John H. Bankhead	Democratic	1886	Re-elected	John H. Bankhead (D) 55.07% A. S. Van de Graff (ND) 27.05% George S. Youngblood (Pop) 17.88%
Alabama 7	Milford W. Howard	Populist	1894	Re-elected	Milford W. Howard (Pop) 35.79% William I. Bullock (D) 32.66% James J. Curtis (R) 28.91% George H. Parker (ND) 2.64%
Alabama 8	Joseph Wheeler	Democratic	1884	Re-elected	Joseph Wheeler (D) 56.66% Oscar W. Hundley (R) 42.13% W. W. Callahan (ND) 1.21%
Alabama 9	Truman H. Aldrich	Republican	1894	Retired Democratic gain	Oscar Underwood (D) 62.98% Grattan B. Crowe (R) 26.21% Archibald Lawson (ND) 10.81%

California

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in California, 1896

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
California 1	John All Barham	Republican	1894	Re-elected	John All Barham (R) 49.66% Fletcher A. Cutler (D) 45.48% George W. Montieth (Pop) 4.17% B. F. Taylor (Pr) 0.69%
California 2	Grove L. Johnson	Republican	1894	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Marion De Vries (D) 55.51% Grove L. Johnson (R) 42.28% F. E. Coulter (Pr) 2.21%
California 3	Samuel G. Hilborn	Republican	1894	Re-elected	Samuel G. Hilborn (R) 54.02% Warren B. English (D) 44.03% John H. Eustice (SL) 1.06% William Shafer (Pr) 0.89%
California 4	James G. Maguire	Democratic	1892	Re-elected	James G. Maguire (D) 60.98% Thomas B. O'Brien (R) 34.97% E. T. Kingsley (SL) 3.10% Joseph Rowell (Pr) 0.96%
California 5	Eugene F. Loud	Republican	1890	Re-elected	Eugene F. Loud (R) 48.58% Joseph P. Kelly (D) 26.35% A. B. Kinne (Pop) 22.16% Henry Daniels (SL) 1.90% T. H. Lawson (Pr) 1.01%
California 6	James McLachlan	Republican	1892	Lost re-election Populist gain	Charles A. Barlow (P) 48.91% James McLachlan (R) 47.57% Henry Clay Needham (Pr) 2.42% Job Harriman (SL) 1.10%
California 7	William W. Bowers	Republican	1890	Lost re-election Populist gain	Curtis H. Castle (P) 46.72% William W. Bowers (R) 46.12% William H. Carlson (I) 5.21% James W. Webb (Pr) 1.95%

Florida

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 1896

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Florida 1	Stephen M. Sparkman	Democratic	1894	Re-elected	Stephen M. Sparkman (D) 77.5% E. K. Nichols (R) 14.6% J. Asakiah Williams (Pop) 6.8% J. C. Green (Pr.) 1.1%
Florida 2	Charles Merian Cooper	Democratic	1892	Retired Democratic hold	Robert Wyche Davis (D) 61.9% Joseph N. Stripling (R) 28.6% Daniel G. Ambler (ND) 5.0% William R. Peterson (Pop) 3.7% M. E. Spencer (Pr) 0.8%

Maine

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Maine, 1896

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Maine 1	Thomas Brackett Reed	Republican	1876	Reelected	Thomas Brackett Reed (R) 66.90% Edward W. Staples (D) 30.42% Aaron Clark (Pr) 2.09% James E. Campion (Pop) 0.59%
Maine 2	Nelson Dingley, Jr.	Republican	1880	Reelected	Nelson Dingley, Jr. (R) 69.21% Arwood Levensaler (D) 26.01% Charles E. Allen (Pop) 3.38% Edward W. Ogier (Pr) 1.41%
Maine 3	Seth L. Milliken	Republican	1882	Reelected	Seth L. Milliken (R) 68.20% Melvin S. Holway (D) 26.18% Bradford F. Lancaster (Pop) 3.82% William S. Thompson (Pr) 1.80%
Maine 4	Charles A. Boutelle	Republican	1882	Reelected	Charles A. Boutelle (R) 65.96% Andrew J. Chase (D) 28.39% George M. Park (Pr) 2.89% Oliver D. Chapman (Pop) 2.76%

Ohio

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates^[2]
Ohio 1	Charles Phelps Taft	Republican	1894	retired Republican Hold	William B. Shattuc (R) 60.8% Thomas J. Donnelly (D) 39.2%
Ohio 2	Jacob H. Bromwell	Republican	1894	Re-elected	Jacob H. Bromwell (R) 59.0% David S. Oliver (D) 41.0%
Ohio 3	Paul J. Sorg	Democratic	1894	retired Democratic Hold	John L. Brenner (D) 50.2% Robert M. Nevin (R) 49.8%
Ohio 4	Fernando C. Layton	Democratic	1890	retired Democratic Hold	George A. Marshall (D) 60.6% John P. Maclean (R) 39.4%
Ohio 5	Francis B. De Witt	Republican	1894	Lost re-election Democratic gain	David Meekison (D) 56.9% Francis B. De Witt (R) 43.1%
Ohio 6	George W. Hulick	Republican	1892	Lost re-nomination Republican hold	Seth W. Brown (R) 54.3% Harry W. Paxton (D) 45.7%
Ohio 7	George W. Wilson	Republican	1892	retired Republican Hold	Walter L. Weaver (R) 52.9% Francis M. Hunt (D) 47.1%
Ohio 8	Luther M. Strong	Republican	1892	Lost re-nomination Republican hold	Archibald Lybrand (R) 53.8% McEldin Dun (D) 46.2%
Ohio 9	James H. Southard	Republican	1894	Re-elected	James H. Southard (R) 53.5% Stephen Brophy (D) 46.5%
Ohio 10	Lucien J. Fenton	Republican	1894	Re-elected	Lucien J. Fenton (R) 57.9% Timothy S. Hogan (D) 42.1%
Ohio 11	Charles H. Grosvenor	Republican	1892	Re-elected	Charles H. Grosvenor (R) 55.1% William E. Finck, Jr. (D) 44.9%
Ohio 12	David K. Watson	Republican	1894	Lost re-election Democratic gain	John J. Lentz (D) 50.05% David K. Watson (R) 49.95%
Ohio 13	Stephen Ross Harris	Republican	1894	Lost re-election Democratic gain	James A. Norton (D) 55.1% Stephen Ross Harris (R) 44.9%
Ohio 14	Winfield S. Kerr	Republican	1894	Re-elected	Winfield S. Kerr (R) 52.2% John B. Coffinberry (D) 47.8%
Ohio 15	H. Clay Van Voorhis	Republican	1892	Re-elected	H. Clay Van Voorhis (R) 53.2% James B. Tannehill (D) 46.8%
Ohio 16	Lorenzo Danford	Republican	1894	Re-elected	Lorenzo Danford (R) 53.8% Henry H. McFadden (D) 46.2%
Ohio 17	Addison S. McClure	Republican	1894	Lost re-election Democratic gain	John A. McDowell (D) 55.2% Addison S. McClure (R) 44.8%
Ohio 18	Robert W. Tayler	Republican	1894	Re-elected	Robert W. Tayler (R) 54.6% Isaac R. Sherwood (D) 45.4%
Ohio 19	Stephen A. Northway	Republican	1892	Re-elected	Stephen A. Northway (R) 60.6% William T. Sawyer (D) 39.4%
Ohio 20	Clifton B. Beach	Republican	1894	Re-elected	Clifton B. Beach (R) 53.4% A. T. Van Tassel (D) 46.6%
Ohio 21	Theodore E. Burton	Republican	1894	Re-elected	Theodore E. Burton (R) 56.0% L. A. Russell (D) 44.0%

Oregon

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Oregon, 1896

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Oregon 1	Binger Hermann	Republican	1892	Retired Republican hold	Thomas H. Tongue (R) 40.39% W. S. Vandenberg (Pop) 40.26% Jefferson Myers (D) 16.52% N. C. Christensen (Pr) 2.83%
Oregon 2	William R. Ellis	Republican	1892	Reelected	William R. Ellis (R) 30.38% Martin Quinn (Pop) 29.47% H. H. Northrup (I) 21.20% A. S. Bennett (D) 17.09% F. McKercher (Pr) 1.87%

South Carolina

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 1896

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
South Carolina 1	George W. Murray	Republican	1892^{[Note 8]}	Lost re-election Democratic gain	William Elliott (D) 63.7% George W. Murray (RR) 33.9% W. Cecil Cohen (R) 2.4%
South Carolina 2	W. Jasper Talbert	Democratic	1892	Re-elected	W. Jasper Talbert (D) 92.4% B. P. Chatfield (R) 7.3% Others 0.3%
South Carolina 3	Asbury Latimer	Democratic	1892	Re-elected	Asbury Latimer (D) 92.0% A. C. Merreck (R) 6.2% Clarence Gray (RR) 1.8%
South Carolina 4	Stanyarne Wilson	Democratic	1894	Re-elected	Stanyarne Wilson (D) 92.2% P. S. Suber (R) 4.2% D. T. Bounds (RR) 3.6%
South Carolina 5	Thomas J. Strait	Democratic	1892	Re-elected	Thomas J. Strait (D) 91.0% John F. Jones (R) 9.0%
South Carolina 6	John L. McLaurin	Democratic	1892	Re-elected	John L. McLaurin (D) 87.7% J. E. Wilson (R) 7.9% George Henry McKie 4.3% Others 0.1%
South Carolina 7	Previous incumbent J. William Stokes (D)'s election declared void due to electoral fraud			Democratic hold	J. William Stokes^{[Note 9]} (D) 85.6% T. B. Johnson (R) 14.2% D. A. Perrin (IR) 0.2%

John L. McLaurin (D) of the 6th district resigned May 31, 1897 after being elected to the Senate and was replaced in a special election by James Norton (D)

Vermont

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Vermont, 1896

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Vermont 1	H. Henry Powers	Republican	1890	Reelected	H. Henry Powers (R) 76.45% Peter F. McManus (D) 22.49% Andrew S. Bowen (Pop) 1.06%
Vermont 2	William W. Grout	Republican	1884	Reelected	William W. Grout (R) 80.41% Henry E. Fitzgerald (D) 18.95% Thomas J. Aldrich (Pop) 0.64%

Notes

↑ Three states held early elections between June 1 and September 14.
↑ Includes 1 Independent Republican and 3 Silver Republicans.
1 2 3 Member of the Silver Republican Party faction elected.
1 2 3 Elections held early.
1 2 Includes 1 Independent Republican, Thomas S. Butler, of PA-06.
↑ While Dubin (p. 320) indicates the two representatives elected to serve Washington state, J. Hamilton Lewis and William C. Jones, were Populists, most other sources (e.g. Martis, pp. 150–151, etc.) indicate that they were elected as a Democrat and a Silver Republican, respectively.
↑ Includes 3 members of the Silver Republican Party faction.
↑ Won contested election in 1894.
↑ Also won special election in 54th Congress.

References

1 2 3 4 Martis, pp. 150–151.
↑ Smith, Joseph P, ed. (1898). History of the Republican Party in Ohio I. Chicago: the Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 694, 695.

Bibliography

Dubin, Michael J. (March 1, 1998). United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses. McFarland and Company. ISBN 978-0786402830.
Martis, Kenneth C. (January 1, 1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0029201701.
Moore, John L., ed. (1994). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (Third ed.). Congressional Quarterly Inc. ISBN 978-0871879967.
"Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015.

External links

Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)

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