1898 United States House of Representatives elections

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.

1898 United States House of Representatives elections
June 6, September 6, September 12, and November 8, 1898[lower-alpha 1]
All 357 seats in the United States House of Representatives
179 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader David Henderson James Richardson
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since March 4, 1899 March 4, 1899
Leader's seat Iowa 3rd Tennessee 5th
Last election 206 seats 124 seats
Seats won 187[1] 161[1]
Seat change 19 37
Popular vote 5,305,230 4,828,592
Percentage 48.55% 44.18%
Swing 0.22% 3.19%
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Populist Silver Republican
Last election 22 3
Seats won 5[1] 2[1]
Seat change 17 1
Popular vote 463,059 60,805
Percentage 4.24% 0.56%
Swing 2.62% 0.46%
  Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party Silver Independent
Last election 1 1
Seats won 1[1] 2[lower-alpha 2]
Seat change 1
Popular vote 5,766 96,537
Percentage 0.05% 0.88%
Swing 0.31%
Speaker before election

Thomas Reed
Republican

 Elected Speaker

David Henderson
Republican

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
↓
161 9 187
Democratic [lower-alpha 3] Republican
State Type Total
seats		 Democratic Populist Republican Silver/
Silver Republican
Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change Seats Change
Alabama District 9 8 1 0 1 1 0
Arkansas District 6 6 0 0 0
California District 7 1 1 0 2 6 3 0
Colorado District 2 0 1 0 1[lower-alpha 4]
Connecticut District 4 0 0 4 0
Delaware At-large 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
Florida District 2 2 0 0 0
Georgia District 11 11 0 0 0
Idaho At-large 1 0 0 1 0 1[lower-alpha 4] 1
Illinois District 22 8 3 0 14 3 0
Indiana District 13 4 0 9 0
Iowa District 11 0 0 11 0
Kansas District
+at-large		 8 0 1 5 7 5 0
Kentucky District 11 9 2 0 2 2 0
Louisiana District 6 6 0 0 0
Maine District 4 0 0 4 0
Maryland District 6 2 2 0 4 2 0
Massachusetts District 13 3 2 0 10 2 0
Michigan District 12 0 2 0 12 2 0
Minnesota District 7 0 0 7 0
Mississippi District 7 7 0 0 0
Missouri District 15 12 0 3 0
Montana At-large 1 1 1 0 0 0 1
Nebraska District 6 1 1 3 1 2 0
Nevada At-large 1 0 0 0 1
New Hampshire District 2 0 0 2 0
New Jersey District 8 2 2 0 6 2 0
New York District 34 18 12 0 16 12 0
North Carolina District 9 5 4 1[lower-alpha 5] 4 3 1 0
North Dakota At-large 1 0 0 1 0
Ohio District 21 6 0 15 0
Oregon District 2 0 0 2 0
Pennsylvania District
+2 at-large		 30 10 7 0 20 7 0
Rhode Island District 2 0 0 2 0
South Carolina District 7 7 0 0 0
South Dakota At-large 2 0 0 2 2 2 0
Tennessee District 10 8 0 2 0
Texas District 13 12 0 1 0
Utah At-large 1 1 0 0 0
Vermont District 2 0 0 2 0
Virginia District 10 10 4 0 0 4 0
Washington At-large 2 0 1 0 2 2 0 1
West Virginia District 4 1 1 0 3 1 0
Wisconsin District 10 0 0 10 0
Wyoming At-large 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
Total 357 161
45.1%		 37 6[lower-alpha 5]
1.7%		 16 187
52.4%		 20 3[lower-alpha 6]
0.8%		 1
Popular vote
Democratic
 
 44.18%
Independent
 
 0.86%
Populist
 
 4.24%
Republican
 
 48.55%
Silver Republican
 
 0.56%
Silver
 
 0.05%
Others
 
 1.56%
House seats
Democratic
 
 45.10%
Independent
 
 0.28%
Populist
 
 1.40%
Republican
 
 52.38%
Silver Republican
 
 0.56%
Silver
 
 0.28%

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

[[File:56 us house membership.png|thumb|left|450px|
House seats by party holding plurality in state
  80+% Democratic
  
  80+% Republican
  60 to 80% Democratic
  
  60 to 80% Republican
  Up to 60% Democratic
  Up to 60% Populist
  Up to 60% Republican
]]		 [[File: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
]]

Special elections
District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates}
Ohio 19
Pennsylvania 23
Virginia 2
Virginia 4

Election dates

All the states held their elections November 8, 1898, except for 3 states, with 8 seats among them:

California
Main article: 1898 United States House of Representatives elections in California
See also: List of United States Representatives from California
District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates}
California 1 John All Barham Republican 1894 Incumbent re-elected.
California 2 Marion De Vries Democratic 1896 Incumbent re-elected.
California 3 Samuel G. Hilborn Republican 1894 Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Republican hold
  • Y Victor H. Metcalf (Republican) 57.3%
  • John Aubrey Jones (Democratic) 39.1%
  • Thomas F. Burns (Socialist Labor) 3.6%
California 4 James G. Maguire Democratic 1892 Incumbent retired to run for California Governor.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
  • Y Julius Kahn (Republican) 50%
  • James H. Barry (Democratic) 44.1%
  • W. J. Martin (Socialist Labor) 3.7%
  • Joseph P. Kelly (Independent) (Democratic) 2.2%
California 5 Eugene F. Loud Republican 1890 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y Eugene F. Loud (Republican) 51.8%
  • William Craig (Democratic) 44.3%
  • E. T. Kingsley (Socialist Labor) 3.9%
California 6 Charles A. Barlow Populist 1900 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
  • Y Russell J. Waters (Republican) 52.6%
  • Charles A. Barlow (Populist) 44.9%
  • James T. Van Ransselear (Socialist Labor) 2.5%
California 7 Curtis H. Castle Populist 1896 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.

Florida
Main article: 1898 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida
See also: List of United States Representatives from Florida
District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Florida 1 Stephen M. Sparkman Democratic 1894 Incumbent re-elected.
Florida 2 Robert Wyche Davis Democratic 1896 Incumbent re-elected.

South Carolina
Main article: 1898 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina
See also: List of United States Representatives from South Carolina
District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
South Carolina 1 William Elliott Democratic 1886
1896		 Incumbent re-elected.
South Carolina 2 W. Jasper Talbert Democratic 1892 Incumbent re-elected.
South Carolina 3 Asbury Latimer Democratic 1892 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y Asbury Latimer (Democratic) 96.6%
  • John R. Tolbert (Republican) 3.3%
  • Others 0.1%
South Carolina 4 Stanyarne Wilson Democratic 1894 Incumbent re-elected.
South Carolina 5 Thomas J. Strait Democratic 1892 Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.
South Carolina 6 James Norton Democratic 1897 (special) Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y James Norton (Democratic) 96.9%
  • J. H. Evans (Republican) 3.1%
South Carolina 7 J. William Stokes Democratic 1894 Incumbent re-elected.

South Dakota
See also: List of United States Representatives from South Dakota
District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
South Dakota at-large
(2 seats)		 John Edward Kelley Populist 1896 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.		 Elected on a general ticket:
Freeman Knowles Populist 1896 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.

Non-voting delegates
See also: Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives
District Incumbent This race
Delegate Party First elected Results Candidates
Arizona Territory at-large
New Mexico Territory at-large
Oklahoma Territory at-large James Y. Callahan Free Silver 1896 Incumbent retired.
New delegate elected.
Republican gain.

See also

Notes
  1. Regulars only, not including specials
  2. 1 Independent Republican and 1 Independent Populist
  3. There were 6 Populists, 1 Silver, and 2 Silver Republicans
  4. Member of the Silver Republican Party faction elected.
  5. Includes 1 Independent Populist
  6. Includes 2 members of the Silver Republican faction.

References
  1. Martis, p. 152–153.
  2. "Elections in States". The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1900. New York: The Tribune Association. 1900. p. 338 – via Hathi Trust Digital Library.
  3. https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=299872

Bibliography
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