United States House of Representatives elections, 1898

United States House of Representatives elections, 1898
United States
November 8, 1898[Note 1]

All 357 seats to the U.S. House of Representatives
179 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader David Henderson James Richardson
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat Iowa-3rd Tennessee-5th
Last election 210 seats[Note 2] 124 seats
Seats won 189[1][Note 3] 161[1]
Seat change Decrease 21 Increase 37

  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader John Calhoun Bell
Party Populist Silver
Last election 22 seats 1 seat
Seats won 6[1][Note 4] 1[1]
Seat change Decrease 16 Steady

Speaker before election

Thomas Reed
Republican

Elected Speaker

David Henderson
Republican

Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held in 1898 for members of the 56th Congress, and took place in the middle of President William McKinley's first term.

As in many midterm elections, the President's Republican Party lost seats, but was able to hold a majority over the Democratic Party. The Populist Party also lost many seats, as their movement began to decline. This was likely because many Populists rallied behind William Jennings Bryan's increasingly powerful branch of the Democratic Party, which built the rural economic issues advocated by Populists into their platform. As a result, the Democrats won a number of Western seats as well many in the Mid-Atlantic.

Election summaries

187 2 1 6 161
Republican SR S P Democratic
State Type Total
seats
Republican Democratic Populist Silver/
Silver Republican
Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change
Alabama District 9 1 Steady 8 Increase 1 0 Decrease 1 0 Steady
Arkansas District 6 0 Steady 6 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
California District 7 6 Increase 3 1 Decrease 1 0 Decrease 2 0 Steady
Colorado District 2 0 Steady 0 Steady 1 Steady 1[Note 5] Steady
Connecticut District 4 4 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Delaware At-large 1 1 Increase 1 0 Decrease 1 0 Steady 0 Steady
Florida District 2 0 Steady 2 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Georgia District 11 0 Steady 11 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Idaho At-large 1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Decrease 1 1[Note 5] Increase 1
Illinois District 22 14 Decrease 3 8 Increase 3 0 Steady 0 Steady
Indiana District 13 9 Steady 4 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Iowa District 11 11 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Kansas District
+at-large
8 7 Increase 5 0 Steady 1 Decrease 5 0 Steady
Kentucky District 11 2 Decrease 2 9 Increase 2 0 Steady 0 Steady
Louisiana District 6 0 Steady 6 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Maine[Note 6] District 4 4 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Maryland District 6 4 Decrease 2 2 Increase 2 0 Steady 0 Steady
Massachusetts District 13 10 Decrease 2 3 Increase 2 0 Steady 0 Steady
Michigan District 12 12 Increase 2 0 Decrease 2 0 Steady 0 Steady
Minnesota District 7 7 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Mississippi District 7 0 Steady 7 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Missouri District 15 3 Steady 12 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Montana At-large 1 0 Steady 1 Increase 1 0 Steady 0 Decrease 1
Nebraska District 6 2 Steady 1 Increase 1 3 Decrease 1 0 Steady
Nevada At-large 1 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 1 Steady
New Hampshire District 2 2 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
New Jersey District 8 6 Decrease 2 2 Increase 2 0 Steady 0 Steady
New York District 34 16 Decrease 12 18 Increase 12 0 Steady 0 Steady
North Carolina District 9 3 Steady 1 5 Increase 4 1[Note 4] Decrease 4 0 Steady
North Dakota At-large 1 1 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Ohio District 21 15 Steady 6 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Oregon[Note 6] District 2 2 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Pennsylvania District
+2 at-large
30 20 Decrease 7 10 Increase 7 0 Steady 0 Steady
Rhode Island District 2 2 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
South Carolina District 7 0 Steady 7 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
South Dakota At-large 2 2 Increase 2 0 Steady 0 Decrease 2 0 Steady
Tennessee District 10 2 Steady 8 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Texas District 13 1 Steady 12 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Utah At-large 1 0 Steady 1 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Vermont[Note 6] District 2 2 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Virginia District 10 0 Decrease 4 10 Increase 4 0 Steady 0 Steady
Washington At-large 2 2 Increase 2 0 Decrease 1 0 Steady 0 Decrease 1
West Virginia District 4 3 Decrease 1 1 Increase 1 0 Steady 0 Steady
Wisconsin District 10 10 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady 0 Steady
Wyoming At-large 1 1 Increase 1 0 Decrease 1 0 Steady 0 Steady
Total 357 187
52.4%
Decrease 20 161
45.1%
Increase 37 6[Note 4]
1.7%
Decrease 16 3[Note 3]
0.8%
Decrease 1
House seats
Republican
 
52.38%
Democratic
 
45.10%
Populist
 
1.68%
Silver Republican
 
0.56%
Silver
 
0.28%

The previous election of 1896 saw the election of 24 Populists, 2 Silver Republicans, and a Silver Party member.

[[Image:56 us house membership.png|thumb|left|450px|
House seats by party holding plurality in state
  80.1-100% Democratic
 
  80.1-100% Republican
  60.1-80% Democratic
 
  60.1-80% Republican
  Up to 60% Democratic
  Up to 60% Populist
  Up to 60% Republican

]]

[[Image:56 us house changes.png|thumb|left|450px|
Net gain in party representation
  6+ Democratic gain
 
  6+ Republican gain
  3-5 Democratic gain
 
  3-5 Republican gain
  1-2 Democratic gain
  1-2 Populist gain
  1-2 Republican gain
  no net change

]]

Early election dates

In 1898, three states, with 8 seats among them, held elections early:

Complete returns

Party abbreviations

California

District Incumbent Party Elected Status Opponent
California 1 John All Barham Republican 1894 Re-elected John All Barham (R) 61.1%
Emmet Seawell (D) 38.9%
California 2 Marion De Vries Democratic 1896 Re-elected Marion De Vries (D) 55.3%
Frank D. Ryan (R) 44.7%
California 3 Samuel G. Hilborn Republican 1894 Defeated in primary
Republican hold
Victor H. Metcalf (R) 57.3%
John Aubrey Jones (D) 39.1%
Thomas F. Burns (SL) 3.6%
California 4 James G. Maguire Democratic 1892 Ran for governor
Republican gain
Julius Kahn (R) 50%
James H. Barry (D) 44.1%
W. J. Martin (SL) 3.7%
Joseph P. Kelly (I) (D) 2.2%
California 5 Eugene F. Loud Republican 1890 Re-elected Eugene F. Loud (R) 51.8%
William Craig (D) 44.3%
E. T. Kingsley (SL) 3.9%
California 6 Charles A. Barlow Populist 1900 Lost re-election
Republican gain
Russell J. Waters (R) 52.6%
Charles A. Barlow (Pop) 44.9%
James T. Van Ransselear (SL) 2.5%
California 7 Curtis H. Castle Populist 1896 Lost re-election
Republican gain
James C. Needham (R) 50.1%
Curtis H. Castle (Pop) 49.9%

Florida

District Incumbent Party First
elected
Result Candidates
Florida 1 Stephen M. Sparkman Democratic 1894 Re-elected Stephen M. Sparkman (D) 84.2%
E. R. Gunby (R) 15.8%
Florida 2 Robert Wyche Davis Democratic 1896 Re-elected Robert Wyche Davis (D) 71.8%
H. L. Anderson (R) 28.2%

South Carolina

District Incumbent Party First
elected
Result Candidates
South Carolina 1 William Elliott Democratic 1886
1896
Re-elected William Elliott (D) 66.5%
George W. Murray (R) 33.5%
South Carolina 2 W. Jasper Talbert Democratic 1892 Re-elected W. Jasper Talbert (D) 97.0%
B. P. Chatfield (R) 2.9%
Others 0.1%
South Carolina 3 Asbury Latimer Democratic 1892 Re-elected Asbury Latimer (D) 96.6%
John R. Tolbert (R) 3.3%
Others 0.1%
South Carolina 4 Stanyarne Wilson Democratic 1894 Re-elected Stanyarne Wilson (D) 96.4%
P. S. Suber (R) 3.6%
South Carolina 5 Thomas J. Strait Democratic 1892 Lost primary
Democratic hold
David E. Finley (D) 100%
South Carolina 6 James Norton Democratic 1897 (special) Re-elected James Norton (D) 96.9%
J. H. Evans (R) 3.1%
South Carolina 7 J. William Stokes Democratic 1894 Re-elected J. William Stokes (D) 89.8%
James Weston (R) 10.2%

See also

Notes

  1. Three states held early elections between June 6 and September 12.
  2. Included 1 Independent Republican and 3 Silver Republicans.
  3. 1 2 Includes 2 members of the Silver Republican faction.
  4. 1 2 3 Includes 1 Independent Populist, John W. Atwater, elected to NC-04.
  5. 1 2 Member of the Silver Republican Party faction elected.
  6. 1 2 3 Elections held early

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Martis, pp. 152–153.

Bibliography

External links

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