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1888 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1886 June 6, September 4, September 10, and November 6, 1888 1890 →
All 332 seats in the United States House of Representatives 167 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Thomas Brackett Reed John G. Carlisle Party Republican Democratic Leader's seat Maine 1st Kentucky 6th Last election 152 seats 167 seats Seats won 179 152 Seat change 27 15 Popular vote 5,408,259 5,558,964 Percentage 47.36% 48.68% Swing 2.37% 0.56%   Third party Fourth party   Party Labor Independent Last election 2 seats 2 seats Seats won 1 0 Seat change 1 2 Popular vote 161,225 61,520 Percentage 1.41% 0.54% Swing 0.33% 1.54%
Map of U.S. House elections results from 1888 elections for 51st Congress on election day (a number of Southern seats were later successfully contested and the results overturned)
Speaker before election John Carlisle Democratic Elected Speaker Thomas Reed Republican

The 1888 United States House of Representatives elections were held for the most part on November 6, 1888, with three states holding theirs early between June and September. They occurred at the same time as the election of President Benjamin Harrison. Elections were initially held for 325 seats of the United States House of Representatives, representing 38 states, to serve in the 51st United States Congress. Six new states would later join the union and increase the House to 332 seats. Special elections were also held throughout the year.

Harrison's Republican Party gained a majority in the House at the expense of the Democratic Party, even though incumbent President Grover Cleveland actually received more votes counted than Harrison. However, as in other elections in the period, widespread vote suppression and electoral fraud was common on behalf of Democrats and against black Republicans in the Southern United States. The Republican House majority in uncontested elections unseated a number of initially reported as victorious Democratic candidates in favor of Republican candidates who contested their election loss.

The issue of tariffs played a key role in this election. The Democrats, with the support of farmers and laborers, wanted to lower tariffs in order to promote free trade, while the Republicans, backed by industry and big business, believed that higher tariffs were necessary to protect American manufacturing. Especially in industrializing regions, voters chose the Republican view on tariffs, as they gave the party a slim majority in the House.

Hamilton D. Coleman’s win in the Second District would prove the last time until 1972 that a Republican won any House seat in Louisiana, for the disenfrachisement of almost all blacks in the 1890s would leave that state completely devoid of Republican support until after the Dixiecrat bolt.

Election summaries

Seven seats were added, for the six new states of, in order of admission (number of House seats for each new state listed in parentheses): North Dakota (1), South Dakota (2), Montana (1), Washington (1), Idaho (1), and Wyoming (1).

State	Type	Total seats	Republican		Democratic		Others
			Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Alabama	District	8	1	1	7	1	0
Arkansas	District	5	1		3		1	1
California	District	6	4		2		0
Colorado	At-large	1	1		0		0
Connecticut	District	4	3	1	1	1	0
Delaware	At-large	1	0		1		0
Florida	District	2	0		2		0
Georgia	District	10	0		10		0
Illinois	District	20	13	1	7	1	0
Indiana	District	13	3	4	10	4	0
Iowa	District	11	10	1	1		0	1
Kansas	District	7	7		0		0
Kentucky	District	11	2	1	9	1	0
Louisiana	District	6	1	1	5	1	0
Maine	District	4	4		0		0
Maryland	District	6	3	2	3	2	0
Massachusetts	District	12	10	2	2	2	0
Michigan	District	11	9	3	2	3	0
Minnesota	District	5	5	3	0	3	0
Mississippi	District	7	0		7		0
Missouri	District	14	4	2	10	2	0
Nebraska	District	3	3	1	0	1	0
Nevada	At-large	1	1		0		0
New Hampshire	District	2	2	1	0	1	0
New Jersey	District	7	4	1	3	1	0
New York	District	34	19	1	15	1	0
North Carolina	District	9	3	2	6	2	0	1
Ohio	District	21	16	1	5	1	0
Oregon	At-large	1	1		0		0
Pennsylvania	District	28	21	1	7	1	0
Rhode Island	District	2	2		0		0
South Carolina	District	7	1	1	6	1	0
Tennessee	District	10	3	1	7	1	0
Texas	District	11	0		11		0
Vermont	District	2	2		0		0
Virginia	District	10	4	2	6	3	0	1
West Virginia	District	4	2	1	2	1	0
Wisconsin	District	9	7		2	1	0	1
1889 elections (New States)
Montana	At-large	1	1	1	0		0
North Dakota	At-large	1	1	1	0		0
South Dakota	At-large	2	2	2	0		0
Washington	At-large	1	1	1	0		0
1890 elections (New States)
Idaho	At-large	1	1	1	0		0
Wyoming	At-large	1	1	1	0		0
Total		332	179 53.9%	17	152 45.8%	6	1 0.3%	5

The previous election had 4 third-party candidates, 2 Labor, 1 Greenback, and 1 Independent.

Election dates

All states elected their members November 6, 1888 except, three states, with 7 seats among them:

• June 6: Oregon
• September 4: Vermont
• September 10: Maine

Alabama

Arizona Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Arkansas

In the 1st district, initial returns showed William H. Cate (Democratic) winning the election, but the election was contested by Lewis P. Featherstone (Labor), and on May 5, 1890, he was declared the winner.

In the 2nd district, Clifton R. Breckinridge (Democratic) was initially declared re-elected. John M. Clayton successfully contested the election, but was assassinated before the contest was complete, so the House declared the seat vacant. Breckinridge was subsequently re-elected November 4, 1890 to finish the term.

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Idaho Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

Montana Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

New Mexico Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

In the 7th district, Elliott was initially declared re-elected, but Miller successfully challenged the election and was seated in his place in September 1890.

Tennessee

Texas

Utah Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Vermont

Virginia

Washington Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wisconsin elected nine members of congress on Election Day, November 6, 1888.

Wyoming Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Non-voting delegates

See also

• 1888 United States elections
  • 1888 United States presidential election
  • 1888–89 United States Senate elections
• 50th United States Congress
• 51st United States Congress

Notes

1. Regulars only, not including Specials.
2. ^ Includes the late elections of six new states that joined the union in 1889 and 1890.
3. ^ There are significant discrepancies between the party counts provided by Martis (pp. 142–43) and Dubin (p. 285) in regards to the 51st Congress, mainly due to the fact that Martis counts the results of many later contested elections (which were generally decided in favor of the challenging Republican candidate, resulting in the unseating of a number of Democratic members). Dubin records 169 Republicans and 161 Democrats on the first day of the 1st session of the 51st Congress; Dubin reports 177 Republicans, 154 Democrats, and one Labor Party member at the start of the 2nd session of the 51st Congress, figures that nearly match Martis' numbers.
4. Including 2 Independent Republicans, John Alexander Anderson elected to Kansas's 5th congressional district, and Albert R. Anderson to Iowa's 8th congressional district.
5. There was 1 labor member.
6. After a contested election, Lewis P. Featherstone of the Labor Party was declared the winner in Arkansas's 1st congressional district.
7. Greenback Party
8. ^ Elections held early.
9. Independent
10. At-large seat eliminated in redistricting.
11. ^ Labor Party

References

1. ^ Martis, pp. 142–143.
2. "Parish Follows Trend: Local Voters Support Nixon, Treen, Johnston". The St. Charles Herald. Hahnville, Louisiana. November 9, 1972. p. 1.
3. Phillips, Kevin P. The Emerging Republican Majority. pp. 208, 210. ISBN 9780691163246.
4. "State of Connecticut Elections Database » Search Past Election Results". State of Connecticut Elections Database. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
5. Dubin 1998, p. 279.
6. ^ Dubin 1998.
7. University of Minnesota Libraries. "Minnesota Historical Election Archive". Minnesota Historical Election Archive. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
8. "MS - District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
9. "MS - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
10. "MS - District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
11. "MS - District 04". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
12. "MS - District 05". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
13. "MS - District 06". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
14. "MS - District 07". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
15. "Our Campaigns - NE - District 01 Race - Nov 6, 1888". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
16. "Our Campaigns - NE - District 02 Race - Nov 6, 1888". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
17. "Our Campaigns - NE - District 03 Race - Nov 6, 1888". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
18. Dubin 1998, p. 282.
19. Smith, Joseph P, ed. (1898). History of the Republican Party in Ohio. Vol. I. Chicago: the Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 567, 568.
20. "TN - District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
21. "TN - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
22. "TN - District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
23. "TN - District 04". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
24. "TN - District 05". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
25. "TN - District 06". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
26. "TN - District 07". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
27. "TN - District 08". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
28. "TN - District 09". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
29. "TN - District 10". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
30. "VT Elections Database » Vermont Election Results and Statistics". VT Elections Database. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
31. "Virginia Elections Database » Virginia Election Results and Statistics". Virginia Elections Database. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
32. "WV District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
33. "WV District 01 Recount". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
34. "WV District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
35. "WV District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
36. "WV District 04". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
37. "Wisconsin U.S. House Election Results" (PDF). Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2021 – via Wayback Machine.
38. Timme, Ernst G., ed. (1889). "Biographical" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. pp. 487–489. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
39. "ID Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
40. "Our Campaigns - MT Territorial Delegate - Final Election Race - Nov 06, 1888".
41. "WY Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 11 April 2021.

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)

• 1888 United States House of Representatives elections
• Presidency of Benjamin Harrison