1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections

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1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1868 & 1869 June 6, 1870 –
October 6, 1871[a]
1872 & 1873 →

All 243 seats in the United States House of Representatives
122 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader James G. Blaine Fernando Wood
Party
Republican
Democratic
Leader's seat Maine 3rd New York 9th
Last election 171 seats 61 seats
Seats won 136 94[b]
Seat change Decrease 35 Increase 33
Popular vote 2,719,276 2,441,956
Percentage 49.59% 44.53%
Swing Decrease 2.22% Increase 0.40%

  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Conservative Liberal Republican
Last election 6 seats New Party
Seats won 10 2
Seat change Increase 4 Increase 2
Popular vote 160,295 55,551
Percentage 2.92% 1.01%
Swing Decrease 0.27% Pre-creation

  Fifth party
 
Party
Independent
Last election 0 seats
Seats won 1[c]
Seat change Increase 1
Popular vote 98,591
Percentage 1.80%
Swing Decrease 0.81%

Results:
     Democratic hold      Democratic gain
     Republican hold      Republican gain
     Conservative Gain

Speaker before election

James G. Blaine

Republican

Elected Speaker

James G. Blaine

Republican

The 1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 6, 1870, and October 6, 1871. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before or after the first session of the 42nd United States Congress convened on March 4, 1871. They occurred in the middle of President Ulysses S. Grant's first term. Elections were held for all 243 seats, representing 37 states.

With Grant's administration rocked by a number of scandals (including a shady deal for gold speculation that led to a crash in the market and several business deals that saw high-ranking governmental officials gain kickbacks) and

Democratic Party
but retained an overall majority. Also, since white-supremacist governments controlled by the Democratic Party were reestablishing themselves in some portions of the South, the Democrats were able to make huge gains in this election.

Election summaries

104 139
Democratic Republican
State Type Total
seats
Democratic Republican
Seats Change Seats Change
Mississippi[d][e] District 5 0 Steady 5 Steady
Alabama District 6 3 Increase 1 3 Decrease 1
Arkansas District 3 1 Steady 2 Steady
California[f] District 3 0 Decrease 2 3 Increase 2
Connecticut[f] District 4 1 Steady 3 Steady
Delaware At-large 1 1 Steady 0 Steady
Florida At-large 1 1 Increase 1 0 Decrease 1
Georgia District 7 4 Steady 3 Steady
Illinois District
+ 1 at-large
14 6 Increase 2 8 Decrease 2
Indiana[d] District 11 5 Increase 1 6 Decrease 1
Iowa[d] District 6 0 Steady 6 Steady
Kansas At-large 1 0 Steady 1 Steady
Kentucky District 9 9 Steady 0 Steady
Louisiana District 5 0 Steady 5 Steady
Maine[d] District 5 0 Steady 5 Steady
Maryland District 5 5 Steady 0 Steady
Massachusetts District 10 0 Steady 10 Steady
Michigan District 6 1 Increase 1 5 Decrease 1
Minnesota District 2 0 Decrease 1 2 Increase 1
Missouri District 9 4 Increase 2 5[g] Decrease 2
Nebraska[d] At-large 1 0 Steady 1 Steady
Nevada At-large 1 1 Increase 1 0 Decrease 1
New Hampshire[f] District 3 3 Increase 3 0 Decrease 3
New Jersey District 5 2 Decrease 1 3 Increase 1
New York District 31 16 Increase 3 15 Decrease 3
North Carolina[d] District 7 5 Increase 4 2 Decrease 4
Ohio[d] District 19 5 Decrease 1 14 Increase 1
Oregon[d] At-large 1 1 Steady 0 Steady
Pennsylvania[d] District 24 11 Increase 3 13[h] Decrease 3
Rhode Island District 2 0 Steady 2 Steady
South Carolina[d] District 4 0 Steady 4 Steady
Tennessee District 8 6 Increase 6 2 Decrease 6
Texas[f] District 4 4 Increase 3 0 Decrease 3
Vermont[d] District 3 0 Steady 3 Steady
Virginia District 8 5 Increase 5[i] 3 Steady
West Virginia[d] District 3 2 Increase 2 1 Decrease 2
Wisconsin District 6 2 Increase 1 4 Decrease 1
Total 243 104
42.8%
Increase 37 139[j]
57.2%
Decrease 32
Results shaded according to winning candidates share of popular vote
Popular vote
Conservative
2.92%
Democratic
44.53%
Independent
1.80%
Lib. Republican
1.01%
Republican
49.59%
Others
0.15%
House seats
Conservative
4.08%
Democratic
38.37%
Independent
0.41%
Lib. Republican
0.82%
Republican
56.33%

The previous election included 5

Conservatives

Election dates

In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors.[1] This law did not affect election dates for Congress, which remained within the jurisdiction of State governments, but over time, the States moved their congressional elections to this date as well. In 1870, there remained 12 States that held elections before Election Day, and 4 that held it after at this time:

Special elections

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Iowa 2
Michigan 4
South Carolina 1
Wisconsin 2 Benjamin F. Hopkins Republican
1866
Incumbent died January 1, 1870.
New member elected February 15, 1870.
Republican hold.

Alabama

Arizona Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Arkansas

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Arkansas 1
Logan Roots
Republican
1868
Incumbent defeated.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Arkansas 2
Anthony A.C. Rogers
Democratic
1868
Incumbent defeated.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Arkansas 3 Thomas Boles Republican
1868
Incumbent defeated.
New member elected.
Liberal Republican gain.

California

California elections

← 1868 September 6, 1871 1872 →

3 seats
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 1 2
Seats won 3 0
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 2
Popular vote 62,539 57,065
Percentage 52.3% 47.7%

  Republican hold
  Republican gain
District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
California 1 Samuel Beach Axtell Democratic 1867 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
  • Green tickY
    Sherman O. Houghton
    (Republican) 51.6%
  • Lawrence Archer (Democratic) 48.4%
California 2
Aaron Sargent
Republican 1868 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY
    Aaron Sargent
    (Republican) 54%
  • James W. Coffroth (Democratic) 46%
California 3 James A. Johnson Democratic 1867 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
  • Green tickY John M. Coghlan (Republican) 51.7%
  • George Pearce (Democratic) 48.3%

Colorado Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Connecticut

Dakota Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Delaware

District of Columbia

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Florida

Florida election

← 1868 November 8, 1870 (Election Day) 1872 →

1 seat
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 1 0
Seats won 1[4] 0[4]
Seat change Steady Steady
Popular vote 12,439 11,812
Percentage 51.3% 48.7%
District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Florida at-large Charles M. Hamilton Republican 1868 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.

Niblack subsequently successfully challenged Walls's election and was seated from Florida's at-large district on January 29, 1873.[5]

Georgia

Idaho Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Montana Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Nebraska

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Nebraska at-large John Taffe Republican
1866
Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY John Taffe (Republican) 60.84%
  • George B. Lake (Democratic) 42.00%[6]

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

New Mexico Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Ohio

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates[7]
Ohio 1 Peter W. Strader Democratic
1868
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 2 Job E. Stevenson Republican
1868
Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 3 Robert C. Schenck Republican
1862
Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Ohio 4 William Lawrence Republican
1864
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
  • Green tickY John F. McKinney (Democratic) 50.5%
  • William B. McClung (Republican) 49.5%
Ohio 5 William Mungen Democratic
1866
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.
Ohio 6 John Armstrong Smith Republican
1868
Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 7 James J. Winans Republican
1868
Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
  • Green tickY
    Samuel Shellabarger
    (Republican) 52.8%
  • Hugh J. Jewett (Democratic) 47.2%
Ohio 8 John Beatty Republican
1868 (Special)
Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 9 Edward F. Dickinson Democratic
1868
Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio 10 Erasmus D. Peck Republican
1870 (Special)
Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Erasmus D. Peck (Republican) 52.5%
  • William F. Lockwood (Democratic) 47.5%
Ohio 11 John Thomas Wilson Republican
1866
Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 12 Philadelph Van Trump Democratic
1866
Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 13 George W. Morgan Democratic
1868
Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY George W. Morgan (Democratic) 54.1%
  • Charles W. Potwin (Republican) 45.9%
Ohio 14 Martin Welker Republican
1864
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
Ohio 15 Eliakim H. Moore Republican
1868
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
Ohio 16 John Bingham Republican
1864
Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY John Bingham (Republican) 52.4%
  • Robert A. Chambers (Democratic) 47.6%
Ohio 17 Jacob A. Ambler Republican
1868
Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio 18 William H. Upson Republican
1868
Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY William H. Upson (Republican) 62.2%
  • John M. Coffinberry (Democratic) 37.8%
Ohio 19 James A. Garfield Republican
1862
Incumbent re-elected.

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Tennessee 1 Roderick R. Butler Republican
1867
Incumbent re-elected.
Tennessee 2 Horace Maynard Republican
1865
Incumbent re-elected.
Tennessee 3
William B. Stokes
Republican
1865
Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Tennessee 4 Lewis Tillman Republican
1868
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Tennessee 5
William F. Prosser
Republican
1868
Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Tennessee 6 Samuel M. Arnell Republican
1865
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Tennessee 7 Isaac R. Hawkins Republican
1865
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Tennessee 8 William J. Smith Republican
1868
Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.

Texas

Utah Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Vermont

Virginia

Washington Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

West Virginia

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
West Virginia 1 Isaac H. Duval Republican
1868
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
West Virginia 2 James McGrew Republican
1868
Incumbent re-elected.
West Virginia 3 John Witcher Republican
1868
Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin elected six members of congress on Election Day, November 8, 1870.

District Incumbent This race
Member Party First elected Results Candidates
Wisconsin 1 Halbert E. Paine Republican
1864
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Wisconsin 2 David Atwood Republican
1870 (special)
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
Wisconsin 3 Amasa Cobb Republican
1862
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
Wisconsin 4 Charles A. Eldredge Democratic
1862
Incumbent re-elected.
Wisconsin 5 Philetus Sawyer Republican
1864
Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Philetus Sawyer (Republican) 59.3%
  • Joseph Stringham (Democratic) 40.7%
Wisconsin 6 Cadwallader C. Washburn Republican
1866
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
  • Green tickY
    Jeremiah McLain Rusk
    (Republican) 61.3%
  • Alexander Meggett (Democratic) 38.7%

Wyoming Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Non-voting delegates

District Incumbent This race
Delegate Party First elected Results Candidates
Arizona Territory at-large
Richard C. McCormick
Republican 1869 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY
    Richard C. McCormick (Republican) 100%[19]
Colorado Territory at-large
Allen A. Bradford
Republican
1868
Unknown if incumbent retired or lost renomination.
New delegate elected.
Republican hold.
Dakota Territory at-large Solomon L. Spink Republican
1868
Incumbent lost re-election as a Democrat.
New delegate elected.
Independent Democratic gain.
District of Columbia at-large New district New seat.
New delegate elected in 1871.
Republican gain.
Idaho Territory at-large Jacob K. Shafer Democratic
1868
Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.
  • Green tickY
    Samuel A. Merritt
    (Democratic) 59.24%
  • T. J. Butler (Republican) 40.74%
  • J. L. Butler (Independent) 0.02%[23]
Montana Territory at-large James M. Cavanaugh Democratic
1868
Incumbent lost renomination.
New delegate elected August 7, 1871.
Republican gain.
New Mexico Territory at-large José F. Chaves Republican
1868
Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Utah Territory at-large William H. Hooper Democratic 1864 Incumbent re-elected.
Washington Territory at-large Selucius Garfielde Republican 1868 Incumbent re-elected June 6, 1870.
Wyoming Territory at-large Stephen F. Nuckolls Democratic
1869
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.
  • Green tickY William T. Jones (Republican) 52.13%
  • John Wanless (Democratic) 45.03%
  • [FNU] Murrin (Ind. Democratic) 2.85%[28]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Majority of states held elections on November 8, 1870 (i.e. Election Day).
  2. ^ Note that Dubin (p. 221) records 9–10 "Conservatives", and approximately 94 Democrats, as being elected to the 42nd Congress. This contrasts with Martis (pp. 124–125) which offers no separate accounting of "Conservatives" from Democrats and thus records a total of 104 Democratic members of the 42nd Congress.
  3. ^ Includes 1 Independent Republican.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Elections held early.
  5. 41st Congress
    .
  6. ^ a b c d Elections held late.
  7. Gustavus A. Finkelnburg elected to Missouri's 2nd district, and James G. Blair elected to Missouri's 8th district
    .
  8. ^ Includes 1 Independent Republican, John V. Creely, elected to Pennsylvania's 2nd district.
  9. Conservatives
    .
  10. ^ Includes 2 Liberal Republicans and 1 Independent Republican.

References

  1. ^ Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721.
  2. ^ "Wisconsin U.S. House Election Results" (PDF). Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  3. ^
    OCLC 430736650
    .
  4. ^ a b Initial result, Democratic candidate successfully challenged Republican victory
  5. ^ "Forty-Second Congress (membership roster)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 9, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  6. ^ "Our Campaigns - NE - District 01 Race - Oct 11, 1870". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  7. ^ Smith, Joseph P, ed. (1898). History of the Republican Party in Ohio. Vol. I. Chicago: the Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 277, 278.
  8. ^ "TN - District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  9. ^ "TN - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  10. ^ "TN - District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  11. ^ "TN - District 04". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  12. ^ "TN - District 05". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  13. ^ "TN - District 06". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  14. ^ "TN - District 07". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  15. ^ "TN - District 08". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  16. ^ "WV District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  17. ^ "WV District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  18. ^ "WV District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  19. ^ "AZ Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  20. ^ "CO Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  21. ^ "DK Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  22. ^ "DC Delegate - Initial Election". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  23. ^ "ID Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  24. ^ "MT Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  25. ^ "NM Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  26. ^ "UT Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  27. ^ "WA Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  28. ^ "WY Territorial Delegate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 5, 2021.

Bibliography

External links