| Election Name: | 1872–73 United States House of Representatives elections |
| Country: | United States |
| Flag Year: | 1867 |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections |
| Next Election: | 1874–75 United States House of Representatives elections |
| Seats For Election: | All 292 seats in the United States House of Representatives |
| Majority Seats: | 147 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1872 |
| Image1: | Unsuccessful 1884.jpg |
| Leader1: | James G. Blaine |
| Party1: | Republican Party (US) |
| Last Election1: | 138 seats |
| Seats1: | 199 |
| Seat Change1: | 61 |
| Popular Vote1: | 3,561,090 |
| Percentage1: | 51.40% |
| Swing1: | 3.26% |
| Leader2: | Fernando Wood |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (US) |
| Last Election2: | 94 seats |
| Seats2: | 84 |
| Seat Change2: | 9 |
| Popular Vote2: | 2,813,934 |
| Percentage2: | 40.62% |
| Swing2: | 2.77% |
| Party4: | Liberal Republican Party (United States) |
| Last Election4: | 2 seats |
| Seats4: | 4 |
| Seat Change4: | 2 |
| Popular Vote4: | 274,693 |
| Percentage4: | 3.97% |
| Swing4: | 3.07% |
| Party5: | Conservative Party (Virginia, 1867) |
| Last Election5: | 10 seats |
| Seats5: | 4 |
| Seat Change5: | 6 |
| Popular Vote5: | 126,329 |
| Percentage5: | 1.82% |
| Swing5: | 1.05% |
| Party7: | Independent (US) |
| Last Election7: | 1 seat |
| Seats7: | 1 |
| Popular Vote7: | 151,757 |
| Percentage7: | 2.19% |
| Swing7: | 0.45% |
| Speaker | |
| Before Election: | James G. Blaine |
| After Election: | James G. Blaine |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (US) |
| After Party: | Republican Party (US) |
The 1872–73 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 4, 1872, and April 7, 1873. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 43rd United States Congress convened on December 1, 1873. They coincided with the re-election of United States President Ulysses S. Grant. The congressional reapportionment based on the 1870 United States census increased the number of House seats to 292.
Grant's Republican Party increased its majority greatly, partly at the expense of the opposition Democratic Party and partly by adding 49 new seats to the House. The pro-industry outlook of the Republicans appealed to many Northern voters, especially as the post-war economy exploded, and this allowed the party to flourish as the Industrial Revolution grew more widespread. The Republicans also benefited from a continuing association with victory in the American Civil War, as well as disarray amongst Democratic leadership.
Following the 1870 census, the House was reapportioned, initially adding 40 seats, followed by a subsequent amendment to the apportionment act adding another seat to 9 states, resulting in a total increase of 49 seats. No states lost seats, 10 states had no change, 13 states gained 1 seat each, 9 states gained 2 seats, 3 states gained 3 seats, 1 State gained 4 seats, and 1 State gained 5 seats. Prior to the supplemental act, two states (New Hampshire and Vermont) had each lost 1 seat. This was the first reapportionment after the repeal of the three-fifths compromise by the 14th Amendment.
This would prove the last time until 1966 that a Republican won a House seat in Arkansas.[1]
| 89 | 203 | |
| Democratic | Republican |
| State | Type | Total seats | Democratic | Republican | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | Change | Seats | Change | Seats | Change | |||||||
| Alabama | District + 2 at-large | 8 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | 2 | data-sort-value="-1" | 1 | 6 | data-sort-value=3 | 3 | ||
| Arkansas | District + at-large | 4 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 0 | data-sort-value="-1" | 1 | 4 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | ||
| California | District | 4 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 1 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 3 | data-sort-value=0 | |||
| Connecticut | District | 4 | data-sort-value=0 | 1 | data-sort-value=0 | 3 | data-sort-value=0 | |||||
| Delaware | At-large | 1 | data-sort-value=0 | 0 | data-sort-value="-1" | 1 | 1 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | |||
| Florida | At-large | 2 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | 2 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | |||
| Georgia | District | 9 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | 7 | data-sort-value=3 | 3 | 2 | data-sort-value="-1" | 1 | ||
| Illinois | District | 19 | data-sort-value=5 | 5 | 5 | data-sort-value="-1" | 1 | 14 | data-sort-value=6 | 6 | ||
| Indiana | District + 3 at-large | 13 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | 3 | data-sort-value="-2" | 2 | 10 | data-sort-value=4 | 4 | ||
| Iowa | District | 9 | data-sort-value=3 | 3 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | 9 | data-sort-value=3 | 3 | |||
| Kansas | At-large | 3 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | 3 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | |||
| Kentucky | District | 10 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 10 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | |||
| Louisiana | District + 1 at-large | 6 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | 6 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | |||
| Maine | District | 5 | data-sort-value=0 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | 5 | data-sort-value=0 | |||||
| Maryland | District | 6 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 4 | data-sort-value="-1" | 1 | 2 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | ||
| Massachusetts | District | 11 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | 11 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | |||
| Michigan | District | 9 | data-sort-value=3 | 3 | 0 | data-sort-value="-1" | 1 | 9 | data-sort-value=4 | 4 | ||
| Minnesota | District | 3 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | 3 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | |||
| Mississippi | District | 6 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 1 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 5 | data-sort-value=0 | |||
| Missouri | District | 13 | data-sort-value=4 | 4 | 9 | data-sort-value=5 | 5 | 4 | data-sort-value="-1" | 1 | ||
| Nebraska | At-large | 1 | data-sort-value=0 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | 1 | data-sort-value=0 | |||||
| Nevada | At-large | 1 | data-sort-value=0 | 1 | data-sort-value=0 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | |||||
| New Hampshire | District | 3 | data-sort-value=0 | 1 | data-sort-value="-2" | 2 | 2 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | |||
| New Jersey | District | 7 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | 1 | data-sort-value="-1" | 1 | 6 | data-sort-value=3 | 3 | ||
| New York | District + 1 at-large | 33 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | 9 | data-sort-value="-7" | 7 | 24 | data-sort-value=9 | 9 | ||
| North Carolina | District | 8 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 5 | data-sort-value=0 | 3 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | |||
| Ohio | District | 20 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 6 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 14 | data-sort-value=0 | |||
| Oregon | At-large | 1 | data-sort-value=0 | 0 | data-sort-value="-1" | 1 | 1 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | |||
| Pennsylvania | District + 3 at-large | 27 | data-sort-value=3 | 3 | 5 | data-sort-value="-6" | 6 | 22 | data-sort-value=9 | 9 | ||
| Rhode Island | District | 2 | data-sort-value=0 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | 2 | data-sort-value=0 | |||||
| South Carolina | District + 1 at-large | 5 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | 5 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | |||
| Tennessee | District + 1 at-large | 10 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | 3 | data-sort-value="-3" | 3 | 7 | data-sort-value=5 | 5 | ||
| Texas | District + 2 at-large | 6 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | 6 | data-sort-value=3 | 3 | 0 | data-sort-value="-1" | 1 | ||
| Vermont | District | 3 | data-sort-value=0 | 0 | data-sort-value=0 | 3 | data-sort-value=0 | |||||
| Virginia | District | 9 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | 5 | data-sort-value=0 | 4 | data-sort-value=1 | 1 | |||
| West Virginia | District | 3 | data-sort-value=0 | 2 | data-sort-value=0 | 1 | data-sort-value=0 | |||||
| Wisconsin | District | 8 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | 2 | data-sort-value=0 | 6 | data-sort-value=2 | 2 | |||
| Total | 292 | 49 | 89 | data-sort-value="-13" | 13 | 203 | data-sort-value=62 | 62 | ||||
In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors.[2] 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 1872–73, there were still 9 states with earlier election dates, and 2 states with later election dates:
See also: List of United States representatives from Alabama and 1872 United States Senate special elections in Alabama.
See also: List of United States representatives from Arkansas.
|-! | James M. Hanks| | Democratic| 1870| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap | |-! | Oliver P. Snyder| | Republican| 1870| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Thomas Boles| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap | |-! | colspan=3 | None| | Vacant since 32nd Congress (Civil War and Reconstruction)
New member elected.
Liberal Republican gain.| nowrap |
|}
See main article: 1872 United States House of Representatives elections in California.
See also: List of United States representatives from California.
A new seat was added, following the 1870 U.S. census, bringing the delegation up from three to four Representatives.
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representative | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | ||||
| None (new district) | New district. New member elected. Republican gain. | nowrap | ||||||
| Aaron Augustus Sargent | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. | nowrap | ||||
| John M. Coghlan | Republican | 1871 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain. | nowrap | ||||
| Sherman O. Houghton | Republican | 1871 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | ||||
See also: List of United States representatives from Connecticut.
See also: List of United States representatives from Delaware.
| Election Name: | Delaware election |
| Country: | Delaware |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1870 United States House of Representatives election in Delaware |
| Previous Year: | 1870 |
| Next Election: | 1874 United States House of Representatives election in Delaware |
| Next Year: | 1874 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1872 |
| Nominee1: | James R. Lofland |
| Party1: | Republican Party (US) |
| Popular Vote1: | 11,378 |
| Percentage1: | 50.79% |
| Nominee2: | Eustis Wright |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (US) |
| Popular Vote2: | 11,023 |
| Percentage2: | 49.21% |
| Map Size: | 210px |
| U.S. Representative | |
| Before Election: | Benjamin T. Biggs |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | James R. Lofland |
| After Party: | Republican Party (US) |
The election was held November 5, 1872.
|-! | Benjamin T. Biggs| | Democrat| 1868| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican Gain.| nowrap |
See main article: 1872 United States House of Representatives election in Florida.
See also: List of United States representatives from Florida.
Florida gained a second seat after the 1870 census, but delayed districting until 1874, electing both Representatives at-large for this election.
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representative | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | ||
| Josiah T. Walls | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | |||
| None | New seat. Republican gain. | |||||
See also: List of United States representatives from Georgia and 1873 United States Senate election in Georgia.
See also: List of United States representatives from Illinois.
See also: List of United States representatives from Indiana.
See also: List of United States representatives from Iowa.
See also: List of United States representatives from Kansas.
See also: List of United States representatives from Kentucky, 1872 United States Senate election in Kentucky and 1873 United States Senate special election in Kentucky.
See also: List of United States representatives from Louisiana.
In the newly formed, George A. Sheridan (Liberal Republican) beat P. B. S. Pinchback (Republican), the first black Governor of Louisiana.[4] Pinchback challenged the election and it was settled in February 1875, in Sheridan's favor, only one month before the end of the Congress.
See also: List of United States representatives from Maine.
See also: List of United States representatives from Maryland.
See also: List of United States representatives from Massachusetts and 1873 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts.
See also: List of United States representatives from Michigan.
See also: List of United States representatives from Minnesota.
See also: List of United States representatives from Mississippi.
|-! | George E. Harris| | Republican| 1869| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |
|-! | Joseph L. Morphis| | Republican| 1869| | Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |
|-! | Henry W. Barry| | Republican| 1869| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |
|-! | colspan=3 | None (new district)| | New district.
Republican gain.| nowrap |
|-! rowspan=2 | | Legrand W. Perce| | Republican| 1869| | Incumbent retired.
Republican loss.| nowrap rowspan=2 | |-| George C. McKee
| | Republican| 1869| Incumbent re-elected.
|-! | colspan=3 | None (new district)| | New district.
Republican gain.| nowrap |
|}
See also: List of United States representatives from Missouri.
See also: List of United States representatives from Nebraska. |-! | John Taffe| | Republican | 1866| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |
|}
See also: List of United States representatives from Nevada and 1873 United States Senate election in Nevada.
See also: List of United States representatives from New Hampshire and 1872 United States Senate election in New Hampshire.
See also: List of United States representatives from New Jersey.
See also: List of United States representatives from New York and 1873 United States Senate election in New York.
See also: List of United States representatives from North Carolina, 1872 United States Senate election in North Carolina and 1872 United States Senate special election in North Carolina.
See also: List of United States representatives from Ohio. After redistricting and eleven retirements, only four of the nineteen incumbents were re-elected.
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representative | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates[5] | ||||
| Ozro J. Dodds | Democratic | 1872 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. | nowrap | ||||
| Job E. Stevenson | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Liberal Republican gain. | nowrap | ||||
| Lewis D. Campbell | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain. | nowrap | ||||
| John F. McKinney | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain. | nowrap | ||||
| Charles N. Lamison | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | ||||
| John Armstrong Smith | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. | nowrap | ||||
| Samuel Shellabarger | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent retired. Republican loss. | |||||
| John Thomas Wilson | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. | |||||
| John Beatty | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. | nowrap | ||||
| George W. Morgan | Democratic | 1868 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain. | nowrap | ||||
| Charles Foster | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | |||||
| Erasmus D. Peck | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent retired. Republican loss. | |||||
| None (new district) | New district. Republican gain. | nowrap | ||||||
| Philadelph Van Trump | Democratic | 1866 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. | nowrap | ||||
| None (new district) | New district. Democratic gain. | nowrap | ||||||
| James Monroe | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain. | nowrap | ||||
| William P. Sprague | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | ||||
| John Bingham | Republican | 1864 | Incumbent lost re-nomination. New member elected. Republican hold. | nowrap | ||||
| Jacob A. Ambler | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. | nowrap | ||||
| William H. Upson | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. | nowrap | ||||
| James A. Garfield | Republican | 1862 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | ||||
| None (new district) | New district. Republican gain. | nowrap | ||||||
See also: List of United States representatives from Oregon and 1872 United States Senate election in Oregon.
See also: List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania and 1873 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania.
See also: List of United States representatives from Rhode Island.
See main article: 1872 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina.
See also: List of United States representatives from South Carolina.
See main article: 1872 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee.
See also: List of United States representatives from Tennessee.
|-! | Horace Maynard
| | Republican| 1865| | New district.
Republican gain.| nowrap |
|-! | Roderick R. Butler| | Republican | 1867| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |
|-! | Abraham E. Garrett
| | Democratic| 1870| | Incumbent lost re-election as an Independent.
Republican gain.| nowrap |
|-! | colspan=3 | None (new district)| | New district.
Republican gain.| nowrap |
|-! | John M. Bright| | Democratic| 1870| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |
|-! | Edward I. Golladay| | Democratic| 1870| |Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |
|-! | Washington C. Whitthorne| | Democratic| 1870| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |
|-! | Robert P. Caldwell| | Democratic| 1870| |Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.| nowrap |
|-! | William W. Vaughan| | Democratic| 1870| |Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |
|-! | colspan=3 | None (new district)| |New district.
Republican gain.| nowrap |
|}
See also: List of United States representatives from Texas.
See also: List of United States representatives from Vermont.
See also: List of United States representatives from Virginia.
See also: List of United States representatives from West Virginia.
|-! | John J. Davis| | Democratic| 1870| | Incumbent re-elected.
Independent Democratic gain.| nowrap |
|-! | James McGrew| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |
|-! | Frank Hereford| | Democratic| 1870| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |
|}
See also: List of United States representatives from Wisconsin. Wisconsin elected eight members of congress on Election Day, November 5, 1872. Two seats were newly added in reapportionment after the 1870 census.[6] [7]
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | ||||
| None (new district) | New district. Republican gain. | nowrap | ||||||
| Gerry Whiting Hazelton | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | ||||
| J. Allen Barber | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | ||||
| Alexander Mitchell | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | ||||
| Charles A. Eldredge | Democratic | 1862 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | ||||
| Philetus Sawyer | Republican | 1864 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | ||||
| Jeremiah McLain Rusk | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | ||||
| None (new district) | New district. Republican gain. | nowrap | ||||||
See also: List of United States representatives from Colorado.
28th Congress, 2nd Sess., Ch. 1, enacted January 23, 1845