The 1998 United States House of Representatives elections were part of the
midterm elections
Apart from general elections and by-elections, midterm election
refers to a type of election where the people can elect their representatives and other subnational officeholders (e.g. governor, members of local council) in the middle of the term ...
held during
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 ful ...
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 ...
's second term. They were a major disappointment to the Republicans, who were expecting to gain seats due to the embarrassment Clinton suffered during the
Monica Lewinsky scandal
Monica may refer to:
People
*Monica (actress) (born 1987), Indian film actress
*Monica (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name)
*Monica (singer) (born 1980), American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, ...
, and the "
six-year itch
The six-year itch, according to political scientists, is the pattern which takes place during a US president's sixth year in office. This year is characterized by the nation's disgruntled attitude towards the president and their political party ...
" effect observed in most second-term midterm elections. However, the Republicans lost five seats to the Democrats, but retained a narrow majority in the House. A wave of Republican discontent with Speaker
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy Gingrich (; né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U ...
prompted him to resign shortly after the election; he was replaced by Congressman
Dennis Hastert
John Dennis Hastert (; born January 2, 1942) is an American former politician and convicted felon who represented from 1987 to 2007 and served as the 51st speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007. The longest-se ...
of Illinois.
The campaign was marked by Republican attacks on the morality of President
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 ...
, with Independent Counsel
Kenneth Starr
Kenneth Winston Starr (July 21, 1946 – September 13, 2022) was an American lawyer and judge who authored the Starr Report, which led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton. He headed an investigation of members of the Clinton administration, kno ...
having released his report on the Lewinsky scandal and House leaders having initiated an inquiry into whether
impeachable offenses had occurred. However, exit polls indicated that most voters opposed impeaching Clinton, and predictions of high Republican or low Democratic turnout due to the scandal failed to materialize.
Some speculate that the losses reflected a backlash against the Republicans for attacking the popular Clinton. With the Republicans having lost four House seats and failing to gain any seats in the Senate, it was the first time since
1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
that the non-presidential party failed to gain congressional seats in a midterm election; this would happen again in 2002. It was also the first time since
1822
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The Greek Constitution of 1822 is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus.
*January 3 - The famous French explorer, Aimé Bonpland, is made prisoner in Paraguay accused of being a spy. ...
that the non-presidential party had failed to gain House seats in the midterm election of a president's second term.
Overall results
Source
Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk
Incumbent retirements
Democrats
# :
Vic Fazio
Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense): ...
# :
Esteban Edward Torres
Esteban Edward Torres (January 27, 1930 – January 25, 2022) was an American politician who served as member of the United States House of Representatives for California's 34th congressional district from 1983 to 1999.
Early life
Torres was bo ...
# :
Jane Harman: To
run for Governor
# :
David Skaggs
David Evans Skaggs (born February 22, 1943) is an American lawyer, politician and educator from Colorado. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 19 ...
# :
Barbara B. Kennelly
Barbara Bailey Kennelly (born Barbara Ann Bailey; born July 10, 1936) is an American politician. She is the former Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut.
Family and Educ ...
: To
run for Governor
# :
Sidney R. Yates
Sidney Richard Yates (August 27, 1909 – October 5, 2000) was an American politician from the state of Illinois. A native of Chicago, he graduated from Lake View High School in 1928. He received bachelor's (1931) and law (1933) degrees fro ...
# :
Glenn Poshard: To
run for Governor
# :
Lee H. Hamilton
Lee Herbert Hamilton (born April 20, 1931) is an American politician and lawyer from Indiana. He is a former member of the United States House of Representatives and a former member of the U.S. Homeland Security Advisory Council. A member of the ...
# :
Scotty Baesler
Henry Scott Baesler (born July 9, 1941) is an American Democratic politician and former Representative from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Life and career
Baesler was born in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in ...
: To
run for U.S. Senate
# :
Joseph P. Kennedy II
Joseph Patrick Kennedy II (born September 24, 1952) is an American businessman, Democratic politician, and a member of the Kennedy family. He is a son of former United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, and he is also a nephew ...
# :
Thomas J. Manton
Thomas J. Manton (November 3, 1932 – July 22, 2006) was an American politician who represented the 9th and 7th Congressional District of New York in the United States House of Representatives
Early life and education
Born in New York City, ...
# :
Chuck Schumer: To
run for U.S. Senate
# :
Bill Hefner
Willie Gathrel Hefner (April 11, 1930 – September 2, 2009), was a Democratic U.S. Congressman from North Carolina, serving between 1975 and 1999.
Life and career
Born in Elora, Tennessee, Hefner graduated from high school in Sardis, Al ...
# :
Louis Stokes
# :
Elizabeth Furse
Elizabeth Furse (October 13, 1936 – April 18, 2021) was a Kenya Colony-born American small business owner and former faculty member of Portland State University. She was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1999 ...
# :
Paul McHale
# :
Henry B. González
Republicans
# :
Frank Riggs
Frank Duncan Riggs (born September 5, 1950) is an American army veteran, former law enforcement officer, charter school executive, and politician from the states of California and Arizona.
Early life
Frank Riggs was born in Louisville, Kentucky. ...
: To
run for U.S. Senate
# :
Daniel Schaefer
Daniel "Dan" Schaefer (January 25, 1936 – April 16, 2006) was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Colorado's 6th congressional district from 1983 to 1999.
Early life and education
Born in Guttenberg, Iowa, he att ...
# :
Mike Crapo: To
run for U.S. Senate
# :
Harris W. Fawell
Harris Walter Fawell (March 25, 1929 – November 11, 2021) was an American politician from Illinois who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1985 to 1999.
Early life and career
Fawell was a graduate of ...
# :
Jim Bunning: To
run for U.S. Senate
# :
Michael Parker: To
run for Governor
# :
Jon Lynn Christensen
Jon Lynn Christensen (born February 20, 1963) is an American politician and corporate executive who is a former member of the United States House of Representatives.
Early life
Jon Lynn Christensen was born on February 20, 1963 in St. Paul, Ne ...
: To
run for Governor
# :
John Ensign: To
run for U.S. Senate
# :
Gerald Solomon
Gerald Brooks Hunt Solomon (August 14, 1930 – October 26, 2001) was an American businessman and politician most notable for his long service as a member of the United States House of Representatives in New York.
A veteran of the United St ...
# :
Bill Paxon
# :
Robert Freeman Smith
Robert Freeman Smith (June 16, 1931September 21, 2020), commonly known as Bob Smith, was an American Republican politician who represented Oregon in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995 and from 1997 to 1999.
Early life a ...
# :
Joseph M. McDade
Joseph Michael McDade (September 29, 1931 – September 24, 2017) was an American politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives, having represented Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district.
Early life and care ...
# :
Bob Inglis: To
run for U.S. Senate
# :
Linda Smith: To
run for U.S. Senate
# :
Mark Neumann
Mark William Neumann (born February 27, 1954) is an American businessman and politician. He represented for two terms, from 1995 to 1999. In 2010, Neumann lost a bid to become the Republican nominee for Governor of Wisconsin. Neumann was a cand ...
: To
run for U.S. Senate
# :
Scott L. Klug
Scott Leo Klug (born January 16, 1953) is an American lobbyist, author, and businessman, as well as a former politician and television reporter. From 1991-1999, he was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Wiscon ...
Incumbents defeated
In primary elections
Republicans who lost to a Republican challenger
# :
Jay Kim
Jay Chang Joon Kim (; born March 27, 1939) is a Korean- American politician and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California and ambassador for Korean-American relations. He was the first Korean American to be elected to t ...
lost to
Gary Miller Gary Miller may refer to:
*Gary Miller (politician) (born 1948), American politician
* Michael Dunn (actor) (Gary Neil Miller, 1934–1973), American actor
* Gary L. Miller (1947–1969), American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient
* Gary Miller ...
who later won the general election
In the general election
Democrats who lost to a Republican challenger
# :
Jay W. Johnson
Jay Withington Johnson (September 30, 1943October 17, 2009) was an American politician and journalist who served as the 36th director of the United States Mint, and one-term member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin. He ...
lost to
Mark Andrew Green
Mark Andrew Green (born June 1, 1960) is an American politician and diplomat who is the president, director and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Before joining the Wilson Center on March 15, 2021, he served as the exe ...
Republicans who lost to a Democratic challenger
# :
Vince Snowbarger
Vincent K. Snowbarger (born September 16, 1949) is an American lawyer and politician from Kansas. He is a former Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the United States House of Representatives.
Early life
Vincent K. Snowbarger ...
lost to
Dennis Moore
# :
Michael James Pappas
Michael James Pappas (born December 29, 1960) is an American politician and former one term Republican Congressman from New Jersey, serving from 1997 to 1999. He is currently the Township Administrator in Bridgewater, New Jersey. He was an unsuc ...
lost to
Rush Holt Jr.
# :
Bill Redmond
William Thomas Redmond (born January 28, 1954) is an American politician and minister who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New Mexico.
Early life and education
Redmond was born in Chicago. He gr ...
lost to
Tom Udall
Thomas Stewart Udall ( ; born May 18, 1948) is an American diplomat, lawyer and politician serving as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States senator from N ...
# :
Jon D. Fox
Jon D. Fox (April 22, 1947 – February 11, 2018) was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1985 to 1992 before being elected to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners (1992- ...
lost to
Joe Hoeffel
# :
Rick White lost to
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee (; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, lawyer, and economist who has served as the 23rd governor of Washington since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...
Special elections
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
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
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
See also
*
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, ...
*
106th United States Congress
The 106th 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, 1 ...
References
* Wattenberg; Martin P. "The Democrats' Decline in the House during the Clinton Presidency: An Analysis of Partisan Swings" ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'', Vol. 29, 1999
External links
*
{{United States House of Representatives elections