1908 United States House of Representatives elections

Elections to the United States House of Representatives in 1908 were held for members of the 61st Congress, coinciding with the 1908 United States presidential election, which William Howard Taft won.

1908 United States House of Representatives elections
June 1, September 1, September 14, and November 3, 1908[lower-alpha 1]
All 391 seats in the United States House of Representatives
196 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Joseph Cannon Champ Clark
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat Illinois 18th Missouri 9th
Last election 223 seats 167 seats
Seats won 218[1][2] 172[1][2]
Seat change 5 5
Popular vote 7,227,470 6,552,986
Percentage 50.05% 45.38%
Swing 0.01% 1.81%
  Third party
 
Party Independent
Last election 1 seat[lower-alpha 2]
Seats won 1[lower-alpha 3]
Seat change
Popular vote 61,499
Percentage 0.43%
Swing
Speaker before election

Joseph Cannon
Republican

 Elected Speaker

Joseph Cannon
Republican

Taft was not as popular as his predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, but won with Roosevelt's backing, and his Republican Party lost only a handful of seats to the opposition Democrats. Without any striking national issues, the Republicans were able to remain in control. Regional issues led to some changes in House membership, but new Democrats who were elected by dissatisfied industrial workers were balanced out by new Republicans who gained seats in districts with a strong middle class presence.

Election summaries
↓
172 219
Democratic Republican
State Type Total
seats		 Democratic Republican
Seats Change Seats Change
Alabama District 9 9 0
Arkansas District 7 7 0
California District 8 0 8
Colorado District
+at-large		 3 3 3 0 3
Connecticut District
+at-large		 5 0 5
Delaware At-large 1 0 1
Florida District 3 3 0
Georgia District 11 11 0
Idaho At-large 1 0 1
Illinois District 25 6 1 19 1
Indiana District 13 11 7 2 7
Iowa District 11 1 10
Kansas District 8 0 8
Kentucky District 11 8 1 3 1
Louisiana District 7 7 0
Maine[lower-alpha 4] District 4 0 4
Maryland District 6 3 3
Massachusetts District 14 3 11
Michigan District 12 0 12
Minnesota District 9 1 8
Mississippi District 8 8 0
Missouri District 16 10 2 6 2
Montana At-large 1 0 1
Nebraska District 6 3 2 3 2
Nevada At-large 1 1 0
New Hampshire District 2 0 2
New Jersey District 10 3 1 7 1
New York District 37 11 26
North Carolina District 10 7 3 3 3
North Dakota District 2 0 2
Ohio District 21 8 3 13 3
Oklahoma District 5 2 2 3 2
Oregon[lower-alpha 4] District 2 0 2
Pennsylvania District 32 5 2 27 2
Rhode Island District 2 0 1 2 1
South Carolina District 7 7 0
South Dakota At-large 2 0 2
Tennessee District 10 8 2
Texas District 16 16 0
Utah At-large 1 0 1
Vermont[lower-alpha 4] District 2 0 2
Virginia District 10 9 1
Washington District[lower-alpha 5] 3 0 3
West Virginia District 5 0 5
Wisconsin District 11 1 1 10 1
Wyoming At-large 1 0 1
Total 391 172
44.0%		 5 219
56.0%		 5
Popular vote
Democratic
 
 45.38%
Independent
 
 0.43%
Others
 
 4.14%
Republican
 
 50.05%
House seats
Democratic
 
 43.99%
Independent
 
 0.26%
Republican
 
 55.75%
[[File:61 us house membership.png|thumb|left|350px|
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% Republican
]]		 [[File:61 us house changes.png|thumb|left|350px|
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 Republican gain
  no net change
]]

Special elections
See also: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives

There were nine special elections in 1908.

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Illinois 25 George W. Smith Republican 1888 Incumbent died November 30, 1907.
New member elected February 15, 1908.
Republican hold.
  • Y Napoleon B. Thistlewood (Republican) 47.17%
  • William H. Warder (Democratic) 33.16%
  • Samuel T. Brush (Independent Republican) 15.34%
  • Daniel W. Boone (Socialist) 4.33%[3]
Alabama 2 Ariosto A. Wiley Democratic 1900 Incumbent died June 17, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908 to finish his brother's term.
Democratic hold.
Indiana 13 Abraham L. Brick Republican 1898 Incumbent died April 7, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Democratic gain.
Successor was also elected the same day to the next term, see below.
  • Y Henry A. Barnhart (Democratic) 48.42%
  • Charles W. Miller (Republican) 47.69%
  • Thomas B. Barnes (Prohibition) 2.02%
  • John A. Snook (Socialist) 1.79%[5]
Louisiana 1 Adolph Meyer Democratic 1890 Incumbent died March 8, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Democratic hold.
Successor was also elected the same day to the next term, see below.
Maine 2 Charles E. Littlefield Republican 1899 (Special) Incumbent died September 30, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Republican hold.
Successor had already been elected to the next term, see below.
Maine 4 Llewellyn Powers Republican 1876
1878 (Lost)
1901 (Special)		 Incumbent died July 28, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Republican hold.
Successor had already been elected to the next term, see below.
New York 3 Charles T. Dunwell Republican 1902 Incumbent died June 12, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Republican hold.
Successor was also elected the same day to the next term, see below.
South Dakota at-large William H. Parker Republican 1906 Incumbent died June 26, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Republican hold.
Successor was also elected the same day to the next term, see below.
  • Y Eben Martin (Republican) 62.33%
  • W.W. Soule (Democratic) 37.67%

Regular election dates

All the states held their regular elections November 3, 1908 except for three, which, held elections:

Alaska Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Arizona Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

California
Main article: 1908 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 William F. Englebright Republican 1906 Incumbent re-elected.
California 2 Duncan E. McKinlay Republican 1904 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y Duncan E. McKinlay (Republican) 57.5%
  • W. K. Hays (Democratic) 38.5%
  • A. J. Gaylord (Socialist) 4%
California 3 Joseph R. Knowland Republican 1904 Incumbent re-elected.
California 4 Julius Kahn Republican 1898 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y Julius Kahn (Republican) 52.7%
  • James G. Maguire (Democratic) 42.9%
  • K. J. Doyle (Socialist) 4%
  • William N. Meserve (Prohibition) 0.3%
California 5 Everis A. Hayes Republican 1904 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y Everis A. Hayes (Republican) 49.1%
  • George A. Tracy (Democratic) 42.8%
  • E. H. Misner (Socialist) 6.3%
  • Walter E. Vail (Prohibition) 1.8%
California 6 James C. Needham Republican 1898 Incumbent re-elected.
California 7 James McLachlan Republican 1900 Incumbent re-elected.
California 8 Sylvester C. Smith Republican 1904 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y Sylvester C. Smith (Republican) 55.7%
  • W. E. Shepherd (Democratic) 34.7%
  • Noble A. Richardson (Socialist) 9.6%

Florida
Main article: 1908 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.
  • Y Stephen M. Sparkman (Democratic) 75.2%
  • George W. Allen (Republican) 15.0%
  • C. C. Allen (Socialist) 9.8%
Florida 2 Frank Clark Democratic 1904 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y Frank Clark (Democratic) 75.9%
  • William R. O'Neal (Republican) 18.0%
  • A. N. Jackson (Socialist) 6.1%
Florida 3 William B. Lamar Democratic 1902 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.
New member elected.
Democratic hold

Maryland
See also: List of United States Representatives from Maryland and 1908 United States Senate election in Maryland
District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Maryland 1 William H. Jackson Republican 1906 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Maryland 2 J. Frederick C. Talbott Democratic 1902 Incumbent re-elected.
Maryland 3 Harry Benjamin Wolf Democratic 1906 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Maryland 4 John Gill Jr. Democratic 1904 Incumbent re-elected.
Maryland 5 Sydney Emanuel Mudd I Republican 1896 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Y Sydney Emanuel Mudd I (Republican) 49.2%
  • George M. Smith (Democratic) 48.2%
  • S.W. James (Prohibition) 1.7%
  • B.E. Davis (Socialist) 1.0%
Maryland 6 George A. Pearre Republican 1898 Incumbent re-elected.

Kansas
See also: List of United States Representatives from Kansas
District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Kansas 1 Daniel R. Anthony Jr. Republican 1907 (Special) Incumbent re-elected.
Kansas 2 Charles F. Scott Republican 1900 Incumbent re-elected.
Kansas 3 Philip P. Campbell Republican 1902 Incumbent re-elected.
Kansas 4 James Monroe Miller Republican 1898 Incumbent re-elected.
Kansas 5 William A. Calderhead Republican 1894
1896 (Lost)
1898		 Incumbent re-elected.
Kansas 6 William A. Reeder Republican 1898 Incumbent re-elected.
Kansas 7 Edmond H. Madison Republican 1900 Incumbent re-elected.
Kansas 8 Victor Murdock Republican 1902 Incumbent re-elected.

New Mexico Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

South Carolina
Main article: 1908 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 George Swinton Legaré Democratic 1902 Incumbent re-elected.
South Carolina 2 James O'H. Patterson Democratic 1904 Incumbent re-elected.
South Carolina 3 Wyatt Aiken Democratic 1902 Incumbent re-elected.
South Carolina 4 Joseph T. Johnson Democratic 1900 Incumbent re-elected.
South Carolina 5 David E. Finley Democratic 1898 Incumbent re-elected.
South Carolina 6 J. Edwin Ellerbe Democratic 1904 Incumbent re-elected.
South Carolina 7 Asbury F. Lever Democratic [[1901 South Carolina's 7th congressional district special election|1901 (Special)}] Incumbent re-elected.

Virginia
See also: List of United States Representatives from Virginia
District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Virginia 1
Virginia 2
Virginia 3
Virginia 4
Virginia 5
Virginia 6 Carter Glass Democratic 1902 (Special) Incumbent re-elected.
Virginia 7
Virginia 8
Virginia 9
Virginia 10

Non-voting delegates
See also: Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives, List of United States Representatives from Alaska, List of United States Representatives from Arizona, and List of United States Representatives from New Mexico
District Incumbent This race
Delegate Party First elected Results Candidates
Alaska Territory at-large Thomas Cale Independent 1906 Incumbent retired.
New delegate elected August 11, 1908.
Democratic gain.
  • Y James Wickersham (Republican) 39.50%
  • Joseph Chilberg (Labor) 24.76%
  • John W. Corson (Republican) 22.22%
  • John Ronan (Democratic) 10.46%
  • John Clum (Unknown) 3.06%[10]
Arizona Territory at-large
New Mexico Territory at-large William Henry Andrews Republican 1904 Incumbent re-elected November 3, 1908.

See also

Notes
  1. Regulars only, not including specials
  2. One Independent Republican, Peter Porter from the 34th District of New York.
  3. One Independent Republican, Richard Austin from the 2nd District of Tennessee.
  4. Elections held early
  5. Changed from at-large.
  6. This was the last year that Oregon held its congressional elections early.

References
  1. "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  2. Martis, pp. 162–163.
  3. "Our Campaigns - IL - District 25 Special Election Race - Feb 15, 1908".
  4. "Our Campaigns - AL - District 02 - Special Election Race - Nov 03, 1908".
  5. "Our Campaigns - IN - District 13 Special Election Race - Nov 03, 1908".
  6. "Our Campaigns - LA - District 01 - Special Election Race - Nov 03, 1908".
  7. "Our Campaigns - ME District 2 - Special Election Race - Nov 03, 1908".
  8. "Our Campaigns - ME District 4 - Special Election Race - Nov 03, 1908".
  9. "Our Campaigns - NY District 3 - Special Election Race - Nov 03, 1908".
  10. "Our Campaigns - AK Territorial Delegate Race - Aug 11, 1908".
  11. "Our Campaigns - NM Territorial Delegate Race - Nov 03, 1908". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

Bibliography
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