The 1996 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
on November 5, 1996, which coincided with the re-election of
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
. Democrats won the popular vote by almost 60,000 votes (0.07%) and gained a net of two
seats from the Republicans, but the Republicans retained an overall majority of seats in the House for the first time since
1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhan ...
.
Although the Republicans lost 3 seats, 1 of them included an Independent who would caucus with them and switch to the Republicans. This resulted in a 227 Republican majority to the Democrats' 208 minority which also included an Independent caucusing with them. A total of 12 Freshman Republicans who were elected in the 1994
Republican Revolution were defeated in the election. The election is similar to the
1952 elections, although, in terms of the total vote this result remains one of the closest in U.S. history.
This remains the last election in which Republicans won a majority of seats in the New Jersey delegation.
Special elections
Results summary
Source
Election Statistics – Office of the Clerk
Retiring incumbents
50 incumbents retired: 29 Democrats and 21 Republicans, giving the Republicans a net gain of 6 seats from the Democrats.
Democrats
Democratic hold
# :
Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Lambert Lincoln (born Blanche Meyers Lambert; September 30, 1960) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Arkansas from 1999 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, she was first elected to the Senate in ...
# :
Ray Thornton
Raymond Hoyt Thornton Jr. (July 16, 1928 – April 13, 2016)Arkansas CourtsA Self-Guided Tour of Justice Building Portraits(2016), p. 11. was an American attorney and politician. He was a Democratic U.S. Representative for Arkansas's 4th ...
# :
Anthony Beilenson
# :
Pat Schroeder
Patricia Nell Scott Schroeder (born July 30, 1940) is an American politician who represented Colorado in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Schroeder was the first female U.S. Repres ...
# :
Pete Peterson
Douglas Brian "Pete" Peterson (born June 26, 1935) is an American politician and diplomat. He served as a United States Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War and spent over six years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese army after his plane w ...
# :
Sam Gibbons
Sam Melville Gibbons (January 20, 1920 – October 10, 2012) was an American politician from the state of Florida, who served in the Florida State House of Representatives, Florida State Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives. He represe ...
# :
Harry Johnston
Sir Henry Hamilton Johnston (12 June 1858 – 31 July 1927), known as Harry Johnston, was a British explorer, botanist, artist, colonial administrator, and linguist who travelled widely in Africa and spoke many African languages. He publishe ...
# :
Cardiss Collins
Cardiss Hortense Collins (; September 24, 1931 – February 3, 2013) was an American politician from Illinois who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the fourth Afric ...
# :
Andrew Jacobs Jr.
# :
Gerry Studds
Gerry Eastman Studds (; May 12, 1937 – October 14, 2006) was an American Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts who served from 1973 until 1997. He was the first openly gay member of Congress. In 1983 he was censured by the House of Re ...
# :
Robert Torricelli
Robert Guy Torricelli (born August 27, 1951), is an American attorney and former politician. A Democrat, Torricelli served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 9th district from 1983 to 1997 and as a United States s ...
, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Charlie Rose
# :
Jack Reed, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Harold Ford Sr.
# :
Jim Chapman Jim Chapman may refer to:
* Jim Chapman (congressman) (born 1945), American businessman and politician
** Jim Chapman Lake, a lake in Texas named after the politician
* Jim Chapman (footballer) (born 1965), Scottish footballer
* Jim Chapman (Intern ...
, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Charlie Wilson
# :
Kika de la Garza
# :
Ronald D. Coleman
Ronald D'Emory Coleman (born November 29, 1941) is an American
politician and former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas.
Early life and career
Born in El Paso, Texas, Coleman attended public schools, e ...
# :
Lewis F. Payne Jr.
Lewis Franklin (L.F.) Payne Jr. (born July 9, 1945) is an American businessman, politician and lobbyist who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1988 to 1997. He served the of ...
Republican gain
# :
Glen Browder
John Glen Browder (born January 15, 1943) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama's 3rd congressional district. Browder was born in Sumter, South Carolina and graduated in 1961 from Edmunds High School in ...
, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Tom Bevill
Tom Donald Fike Bevill (March 27, 1921 – March 28, 2005) was an American attorney, politician, and Democratic fifteen-term U.S. congressman who represented Alabama's 4th Congressional District and Alabama's 7th congressional district from 19 ...
# :
Dick Durbin
Richard Joseph Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Illinois, a seat he has held since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Durbin has served as the Senate De ...
, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Cleo Fields
Cleo Fields (born November 22, 1962) is an American attorney and politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1997 and ran unsuccessfully for governor of Louisiana in 1995. He serves as a state senator fo ...
# :
Sonny Montgomery
# :
Rick Hill
Richard Hill (born December 30, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Montana. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Montana in 2012.
Early life and ...
# :
William K. Brewster
# :
Tim Johnson, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
John Bryant, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Pete Geren
Preston Murdoch Geren, III, known as Pete Geren (born January 29, 1952) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 20th United States Secretary of the Army from July 16, 2007, to September 16, 2009. He is a Democratic former me ...
Republicans
Republican hold
# :
Tim Hutchinson
Young Timothy Hutchinson (born August 11, 1949) is an American Republican politician, lobbyist, and former United States senator from the state of Arkansas.
Personal life
Hutchinson was born in Bentonville in northwestern Arkansas, the son o ...
, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Carlos Moorhead
Carlos John Moorhead (May 5, 1922 – November 23, 2011) was a United States Congressman from California. Born in Long Beach, he attended the public schools of Glendale, graduated from Herbert Hoover High School (Glendale) in 1940 and earn ...
# :
Wayne Allard
Alan Wayne Allard (born December 2, 1943) is an American veterinarian and politician who served as a United States Representative (1991–1997) and United States Senator (1997–2009) from Colorado, as well as previously a Colorado State Senator ...
, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
John Myers
# :
Pat Roberts
Charles Patrick Roberts (born April 20, 1936) is a retired American politician and journalist who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1997 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Roberts served 8 terms in the U.S. House of Rep ...
, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Sam Brownback
Samuel Dale Brownback (born September 12, 1956) is an American attorney, politician, diplomat, and member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party who served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Fr ...
, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Jan Meyers
Janice Lenore Meyers ( née Crilly; July 20, 1928 – June 21, 2019) was an American Republican party politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives from Kansas.
Biography
Meyers was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. She attended ...
# :
Mel Hancock
Melton D. "Mel" Hancock (September 14, 1929 – November 6, 2011) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri's 7th congressional district.
Early life
Hancock was born in Cape Fair, Stone County, Missouri and ...
# :
Barbara Vucanovich
# :
Bill Zeliff
William H. Zeliff Jr. (June 12, 1936 – October 18, 2021) was an American Republican politician from New Hampshire who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 1997.
Early life
Zeliff was born in East Orange, New Jersey ...
, to
run for Governor
# :
Dick Zimmer
Richard Alan Zimmer (born August 16, 1944) is an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician from New Jersey, who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and in the United States House of Representatives. H ...
, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Wes Cooley
# :
Bill Clinger
William Floyd Clinger Jr. (April 4, 1929 – May 28, 2021) was an American attorney and Republican politician who represented northwest and north-central Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979 to 1997.
Early life and educ ...
# :
Robert Smith Walker
# :
Jimmy Quillen
James Henry Quillen (January 11, 1916Selective Service System and U.S. Navy official records both list Quillen's date of birth as January 11, 1915. – November 2, 2003) was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Unite ...
# :
Jack Fields
Jack Milton Fields Jr. (born February 3, 1952) is a Texas businessman and a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from a Houston-based district.
Early life
Fields was born in Humble, a northern suburb of Hous ...
# :
Enid Greene
Democratic gain
# :
Jim Ross Lightfoot
James Ross Lightfoot (born September 27, 1938) is an American businessman-broadcaster who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa.
Early life
Lightfoot was born in the Florence Crittenton Home for Unwed Mothers ...
, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Jimmy Hayes
James Allison Hayes (born December 21, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer. He is a Republican from Louisiana.
Background
Born in Lafayette, Hayes graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (then the University of Southw ...
, to
run for U.S. Senator
# :
Steve Gunderson
# :
Toby Roth
Tobias Anton "Toby" Roth (born October 10, 1938) is a former Republican U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.
Roth represented Wisconsin's 8th congressional district. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979, first being ...
Incumbents defeated
In primary elections
Democrats
# :
Barbara-Rose Collins
Barbara-Rose Collins (née Richardson; April 13, 1939 – November 4, 2021) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan and the first black woman from Michigan to be elected to Congress.
Life and career
Collins was born as Barba ...
lost to
Carolyn Kilpatrick, who later won the general election
Republicans
# :
Greg Laughlin
Gregory Haines Laughlin (born January 21, 1942) is a politician from Texas. He is a former member of the United States House of Representatives.
Early life and education
Laughlin was born in Bay City, Texas, and was raised in West Columbia, T ...
lost to
Ron Paul, who later won the general election
In the general elections
21 seats switched parties in the November elections, giving the Democrats a net gain of 15 seats from the Republicans.
Democrats who lost to Republicans
# :
Mike Ward lost to
Anne Northup
Anne Meagher Northup (born January 22, 1948) is an American Republican politician and educator from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. From 1997 to 2007, she represented the Louisville-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky in the United ...
# :
Harold Volkmer
Harold Lee Volkmer (April 4, 1931 – April 16, 2011) was an American politician from Missouri. He was a Democrat who served 20 years in the United States House of Representatives.
Early life and career
Volkmer grew up in Jefferson City, Missour ...
lost to
Kenny Hulshof
Kenneth C. "Kenny" Hulshof (; born May 22, 1958) is an American politician and lawyer who represented in the United States House of Representatives. He was the unsuccessful nominee of the Republican Party for Governor of Missouri in the 2008 el ...
# :
Bill Orton
William Orton (September 22, 1948 – April 18, 2009) was an American Democratic politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Utah from 1991 to 1997.
Biography
Early life and education
Born in North Ogd ...
lost to
Chris Cannon
Christopher Black Cannon (born October 20, 1950) is an American politician who formerly served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, for the Republican Party, representing the third district of Utah from 1997 to 2009.
He wa ...
Republicans who lost to Democrats
# :
William P. Baker lost to
Ellen Tauscher
Ellen O'Kane Tauscher (November 15, 1951 – April 29, 2019) was an American businesswoman, diplomat, and Democratic Party politician who was the U.S. representative for California's 10th congressional district from 1997 to 2009. From 2009 to 20 ...
# :
Andrea Seastrand
Andrea Heidi Seastrand (née Ciszek; born August 5, 1941) is a former one-term Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1995 to 1997.
Personal life
Seastrand was born Andrea Heidi Ciszek in Chicago. She gra ...
lost to
Walter Capps
Walter Holden Capps (May 5, 1934 – October 28, 1997) was an American academic and politician. He served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing California's 22nd congressional district from January 1 ...
# :
Bob Dornan
Robert Kenneth Dornan (born April 3, 1933) is an American politician and actor from California. A Republican, Dornan served in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1983 and from 1985 to 1997. He has become well known for public ...
lost to
Loretta Sanchez
# :
Gary Franks
Gary Alvin Franks (born February 9, 1953) is an American politician who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut for six years, from 1991 until 1997. He is the first African-American elected to the U.S. Congress from Con ...
lost to
James H. Maloney
James H. "Jim" Maloney (born September 17, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer from Connecticut. He is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Maloney was born in Quincy, Massachusetts. He was a Volunteers ...
# :
Michael Patrick Flanagan lost to
Rod Blagojevich
# :
James B. Longley Jr.
James Bernard Longley Jr. (born July 7, 1951) is an American politician from Maine. A U.S. Republican Party, Republican, he served one term in the United States House of Representatives representing Maine's 1st congressional district, Maine's 1st ...
lost to
Tom Allen
# :
Peter I. Blute lost to
Jim McGovern
# :
Peter G. Torkildsen lost to
John F. Tierney
John F. Tierney (born September 18, 1951) is an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts from 1997 to 2015. He is a Democrat who represented the state's , which includes the state's North Shore and Cape Ann ...
# :
Dick Chrysler lost to
Debbie Stabenow
Deborah Ann Stabenow ( ; née Greer, born April 29, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Michigan, a seat she has held since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she became the state's first female ...
# :
William J. Martini lost to
Bill Pascrell
# :
Dan Frisa lost to
Carolyn McCarthy
# :
David Funderburk
David Britton Funderburk (born April 28, 1944) is an American politician and diplomat who served as the Ambassador of the United States to Romania from 1981 to 1985. He later served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives fro ...
lost to
Bob Etheridge
Bobby Ray "Bob" Etheridge (born August 7, 1941) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 1997 to 2011.
He previously served as a county commissioner, state representative and state superintendent of public instructio ...
# :
Fred Heineman
Frederick K. Heineman (December 28, 1929 – March 20, 2010) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina, serving in the 104th United States Congress.
Born in New York City, New York, Heineman att ...
lost to
David Price in a rematch of the 1994 election.
# :
Frank Cremeans
Frank Arnold Cremeans (April 5, 1943 – January 2, 2003) was an American small-businessman who represented Ohio in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican. He served one term in Congress, from 1995 to 1997.
Cremeans was ...
lost to
Ted Strickland
Theodore Strickland (born August 4, 1941) is an American politician who was the 68th governor of Ohio, serving from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing ...
# :
Martin Hoke
Martin R. Hoke (born May 18, 1952) is an American Republican politician, former member of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, and former member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.
Biography
Hoke was born in Lakewood, Ohio, a ...
lost to
Dennis Kucinich
# :
Jim Bunn
James Lee Bunn (born December 12, 1956) is an American politician from Oregon. A native of Yamhill County, he served in the Oregon State Senate before election to the United States House of Representatives where he served one term. A Republican ...
lost to
Darlene Hooley
Darlene Kay Olson Hooley (born April 4, 1939) is an American politician and former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon who represented the state's .
A high school teacher by profession, she served as a city coun ...
# :
Steve Stockman lost to
Nick Lampson
Nicholas Valentino Lampson (born February 14, 1945) is an American politician and restaurateur who is a former Democratic Congressman representing the 22nd Congressional District and the 9th Congressional District of Texas.
Early life, educ ...
# :
Randy Tate
Randall John "Randy" Tate (born November 23, 1965) is an American politician and a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Washington.
Tate grew up in suburban Seattle and graduated with an Associate of Arts ...
lost to
Adam Smith
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
*Jo Ann Emerson was elected as a Republican in a special to serve the remaining months of the term and was elected as an Independent caucusing with Republicans due to Missouri state law. She later switched to the Republican Party a few days after the start of the new Congress.
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
, these were the last elections in which the Republican Party won a majority of congressional districts from
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
.
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
See also
*
104th United States Congress
The 104th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 19 ...
*
105th United States Congress
The 105th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1997, ...
Notes
References
{{United States House of Representatives elections