United States House of Representatives elections, 1908

United States House of Representatives elections, 1908
United States
November 3, 1908[Note 1]

All 391 seats to the United States House of Representatives
196 seats were 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 224 seats 167 seats
Seats won 219[1][2] 172[1][2]
Seat change Decrease 5 Increase 5

Speaker before election

Joseph Cannon
Republican

Elected Speaker

Joseph Cannon
Republican

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

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

219 172
Republican Democratic
State Type Total
seats
Republican Democratic
Seats Change Seats Change
Alabama District 9 0 Steady 9 Steady
Arkansas District 7 0 Steady 7 Steady
California District 8 8 Steady 0 Steady
Colorado District
+at-large
3 0 Decrease 3 3 Increase 3
Connecticut District
+at-large
5 5 Steady 0 Steady
Delaware At-large 1 1 Steady 0 Steady
Florida District 3 0 Steady 3 Steady
Georgia District 11 0 Steady 11 Steady
Idaho At-large 1 1 Steady 0 Steady
Illinois District 25 19 Decrease 1 6 Increase 1
Indiana District 13 2 Decrease 7 11 Increase 7
Iowa District 11 10 Steady 1 Steady
Kansas District 8 8 Steady 0 Steady
Kentucky District 11 3 Decrease 1 8 Increase 1
Louisiana District 7 0 Steady 7 Steady
Maine[Note 2] District 4 4 Steady 0 Steady
Maryland District 6 3 Steady 3 Steady
Massachusetts District 14 11 Steady 3 Steady
Michigan District 12 12 Steady 0 Steady
Minnesota District 9 8 Steady 1 Steady
Mississippi District 8 0 Steady 8 Steady
Missouri District 16 6 Increase 2 10 Decrease 2
Montana At-large 1 1 Steady 0 Steady
Nebraska District 6 3 Decrease 2 3 Increase 2
Nevada At-large 1 0 Steady 1 Steady
New Hampshire District 2 2 Steady 0 Steady
New Jersey District 10 7 Increase 1 3 Decrease 1
New York District 37 26 Steady 11 Steady
North Carolina District 10 3 Increase 3 7 Decrease 3
North Dakota District 2 2 Steady 0 Steady
Ohio District 21 13 Decrease 3 8 Increase 3
Oklahoma District 5 3 Increase 2 2 Decrease 2
Oregon[Note 2] District 2 2 Steady 0 Steady
Pennsylvania District 32 27 Increase 2 5 Decrease 2
Rhode Island District 2 2 Increase 1 0 Decrease 1
South Carolina District 7 0 Steady 7 Steady
South Dakota At-large 2 2 Steady 0 Steady
Tennessee District 10 2 Steady 8 Steady
Texas District 16 0 Steady 16 Steady
Utah At-large 1 1 Steady 0 Steady
Vermont[Note 2] District 2 2 Steady 0 Steady
Virginia District 10 1 Steady 9 Steady
Washington District[Note 3] 3 3 Steady 0 Steady
West Virginia District 5 5 Steady 0 Steady
Wisconsin District 11 10 Increase 1 1 Decrease 1
Wyoming At-large 1 1 Steady 0 Steady
Total 391 219
56.0%
Decrease 5 172
44.0%
Increase 5
House seats
Republican
 
56.01%
Democratic
 
43.99%
[[Image:61 us house membership.png|thumb|left|350px|
House seats by party holding plurality in state
  80.1-100% Democratic
  80.1-100% Republican
  60.1-80% Democratic
  60.1-80% Republican
  Up to 60% Democratic
  Up to 60% Republican

]]

[[Image: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

]]

Early election dates

In 1908, three states, with 8 seats among them, held elections early:

This was the last year that Oregon held its congressional elections early.

Complete returns

Party abbreviations

California

District Incumbent Party First
elected
Result Candidates
California 1 William F. Englebright Republican 1906 Re-elected William F. Englebright (R) 54.1%
E. W. Holland (D) 36.8%
D. N. Cunningham (S) 7.6%
W. P. Fassett (Pro) 1.4%
California2 Duncan E. McKinlay Republican 1904 Re-elected Duncan E. McKinlay (R) 57.5%
W. K. Hays (D) 38.5%
A. J. Gaylord (S) 4%
California 3 Joseph R. Knowland Republican 1904 Re-elected Joseph R. Knowland (R) 64.1%
George W. Peckham (D) 22.8%
O. H. Philbrick (S) 9.3%
John A. Sands (IL) 2.1%
T. H. Montgomery (Pro) 1.7%
California 4 Julius Kahn Republican 1898 Re-elected Julius Kahn (R) 52.7%
James G. Maguire (D) 42.9%
K. J. Doyle (S) 4%
William N. Meserve (Pro) 0.3%
California 5 Everis A. Hayes Republican 1904 Re-elected Everis A. Hayes (R) 49.1%
George A. Tracy (D) 42.8%
E. H. Misner (S) 6.3%
Walter E. Vail (Pro) 1.8%
California 6 James C. Needham Republican 1898 Re-elected James C. Needham (R) 52%
Fred P. Feliz (D) 38.7%
W. M. Pattison (S) 5.6%
James W. Webb (Pro) 3.7%
California 7 James McLachlan Republican 1900 Re-elected James McLachlan (R) 91.5%
Jud R. Rush (D) 6.3%
A. R. Holston (S) 1.1%
Marshall W. Atwood (Pro) 1%
F. G. Hentig (IL) 0.2%
California 8 Sylvester C. Smith Republican 1904 Re-elected Sylvester C. Smith (R) 55.7%
W. E. Shepherd (D) 34.7%
Noble A. Richardson (S) 9.6%

Florida

District Incumbent Party First
elected
Result Candidates
Florida 1 Stephen M. Sparkman Democratic 1894 Re-elected Stephen M. Sparkman (D) 75.2%
George W. Allen (R) 15.0%
C. C. Allen (S) 9.8%
Florida 2 Frank Clark Democratic 1904 Re-elected Frank Clark (D) 75.9%
William R. O'Neal (R) 18.0%
A. N. Jackson (S) 6.1%
Florida 3 William B. Lamar Democratic 1902 Ran unsuccessfully for the Senate
Democratic hold
Dannite H. Mays (D) 84.5%
William Northrup (R) 15.5%

South Carolina

District Incumbent Party First
elected
Result Candidates
South Carolina 1 George Swinton Legaré Democratic 1902 Re-elected George Swinton Legaré (D) 90.1%
Aaron P. Prioleau (R) 9.9%
South Carolina 2 James O'H. Patterson Democratic 1904 Re-elected James O'H. Patterson (D) 99.3%
Isaac Myers (R) 0.7%
South Carolina 3 Wyatt Aiken Democratic 1902 Re-elected Wyatt Aiken (D) 100%
South Carolina 4 Joseph T. Johnson Democratic 1900 Re-elected Joseph T. Johnson (D) 100%
South Carolina 5 David E. Finley Democratic 1898 Re-elected David E. Finley (D) 100%
South Carolina 6 J. Edwin Ellerbe Democratic 1904 Re-elected J. Edwin Ellerbe (D) 100%
South Carolina 7 Asbury F. Lever Democratic 1901 (special) Re-elected Asbury F. Lever (D) 90.9%
AR. H. Richardson (R) 9.1%

See also

Notes

  1. Three states held earlier elections between June 1 and September 14.
  2. 1 2 3 Elections held early
  3. Changed from at-large.

References

  1. 1 2 "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Martis, pp. 162–163.

Bibliography

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