United States House of Representatives elections, 1896

United States House of Representatives elections, 1896

1894 ←
November 3, 1896
→ 1898

All 357 seats to the United States House of Representatives
179 seats were needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Thomas Reed Joseph Bailey
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat Maine-1st Texas-5th
Last election 254 seats 93 seats
Seats won 206 124
Seat change -48 +31

Speaker before election

Thomas Reed
Republican

Elected Speaker

Thomas Reed
Republican

The U.S. House election, 1896 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1896 which coincided with the election of President William McKinley.

In spite of McKinley's victory over William Jennings Bryan, both the Democratic and Populist parties gained seats from McKinley's Republican Party. This is most likely a reaction to the extraordinary Republican gains in 1894, in which many normally Democratic districts switched parties due to the severity of and fallout from the Panic of 1893. Many Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern regions that were dominated by Catholic and working-class voters, switched to Republican in 1894, but returned to the Democratic Party during this election cycle. The Populist Party also made huge gains as Republicans were ousted in Western states. Despite this, the Republicans did maintain a strong majority in the House. Also, several Western Republicans split with the party in 1896, joining the tiny Silver Republican Party, which advocated a silver standard.

This election marked the zenith of the Populist Party, which would go on to lose most of its seats in the 1898 election and thereafter slowly fade from prominence.

Contents

Overall results

Party Total seats (change) Seat percentage
Republican Party 206 48 57.7%
Democratic Party 124 31 34.7%
Populist Party 22 13 6.1%
Silver Republican Party 3 3 0.9%
Silver Party 1 0.2%
Independent 1 1 0.2%
Totals 357 100.0%

Complete list of races

California

District Incumbent Party Elected Result Candidates
California 1 John All Barham Republican
1894
Re-elected John All Barham (R) 49.7%
Fletcher A. Cutler (D) 45.5%
George W. Montieth (PP) 4.2%
B. F. Taylor (Proh.) 0.7%
California 2 Grove L. Johnson Republican
1894
Lost re-election
Democratic gain
Marion De Vries (D) 55.5%
Grove L. Johnson (R) 42.3%
F. E. Coulter (Proh.) 2.2%
California 3 Samuel G. Hilborn Republican
1894
Lost renomination
Republican hold
Samuel G. Hilborn (R) 54%
Warren B. English (D) 44%
John H. Eustice (SL) 1.1%
William Shafer (Proh.) 0.9%
California 4 James G. Maguire Democratic
1892
Re-elected James G. Maguire (D) 61%
Thomas B. O'Brien (R) 35%
E. T. Kingsley (SL) 3.1%
Joseph Rowell (Proh.) 1%
California 5 Eugene F. Loud Republican
1890
Re-elected Eugene F. Loud (R) 59.5%
Joseph P. Kelly (D) 32.2%
A. H. Kinne (PP) 4.7%
Henry Daniels (SL) 2.3%
T. H. Lawson (Proh.) 1.2%
California 6 James McLachlan Republican
1892
Lost re-election
Populist gain
Charles A. Barlow (P) 48.9%
James McLachlan (R) 47.6%
Henry Clay Needham (Proh.) 2.4%
Job Harriman (SL) 1.1%
California 7 William W. Bowers Republican
1890
Lost re-election
Populist gain
Curtis H. Castle (P) 46.7%
William W. Bowers (R) 46.1%
William H. Carlson (I) 5.2%
James W. Webb (Proh.) 2%

See also