Below is a list of special elections to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

. Such elections are called by state governors to fill vacancies that occur when a member of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

dies or resigns before the biennial

general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

. Winners of these elections serve the remainder of the term and are usually candidates in the next general election for their districts. In the United States, these contests are called "special elections." They are sometimes held on the regular Election Day like regular congressional elections but often they are on different days as determined by local statutes. Despite their name, however, special elections to the U.S. House of Representatives happen often. Furthermore, one published study shows that special elections are explained by the same factors as regular congressional elections. Special elections to the U.S. House have occurred at least once in all states except Idaho. A few special elections for territorial delegates to Congress have also been held. A 2016 study of special elections to the House of Representatives found "that while candidate characteristics affect special election outcomes, presidential approval is predictive of special election outcomes as well. Furthermore, we find that the effect of presidential approval on special election outcomes has increased in magnitude from 1995 to 2014, with the 2002 midterm representing an important juncture in the nationalization of special elections."

List of special elections

Summary

In a few instances more than one seat was filled in a single

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

, but each seat is counted separately in the list below.

Notes

References

Sources

* ''United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results'', by Michael J. Dubin (McFarland and Company, 1998)

External links

Vacancies in the current Congress
via clerk.house.gov

via clerk.house.gov
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774 - 2005
Contains complete listing of all Congresses {{United States House of Representatives elections