1876–77 United States House of Representatives elections explained

Election Name:	1876–77 United States House of Representatives elections
Country:	United States
Flag Year:	1867
Type:	legislative
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1874–75 United States House of Representatives elections
Next Election:	1878–79 United States House of Representatives elections
Seats For Election:	All 293 seats in the United States House of Representatives
Majority Seats:	147
Election Date:	June 5, 1876 – March 1877
Image1:	Samuel J. Randall - Brady-Handy (cropped).jpg
Leader1:	Samuel J. Randall
Party1:	Democratic Party (US)
Last Election1:	180 seats
Seats1:	155
Seat Change1:	25
Popular Vote1:	4,220,480
Percentage1:	51.27%
Swing1:	2.15%
Leader2:	James A. Garfield
Party2:	Republican Party (US)
Last Election2:	103 seats
Seats2:	136
Seat Change2:	33
Popular Vote2:	3,825,311
Percentage2:	46.47%
Swing2:	2.09%
Party4:	Independent (US)
Last Election4:	4 seats
Seats4:	2
Seat Change4:	2
Popular Vote4:	96,318
Percentage4:	1.17%
Swing4:	3.27%
Speaker
Before Election:	Vacancy
After Election:	Samuel Randall
Before Party:	Democratic Party (US)
After Party:	Democratic Party (US)
Map Size:	330px

The 1876–77 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 5, 1876, and March 13, 1877. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 45th United States Congress convened on October 15, 1877. The size of the House increased to 293 seats with the addition of the new state of Colorado.

These elections coincided with the (heavily contested) election of President Rutherford B. Hayes and the United States Centennial. Hayes' Republican Party was able to recover from the Democratic Party many of the seats it had lost two years before as the economy improved slightly. However, the Democrats retained a majority and were able to use the disinterest of the people in Republican Reconstruction-led projects to help keep crucial seats. Republican congressional leadership had a difficult time distancing itself from the corruption of the Ulysses S. Grant administration or the legislature's impact on the economy downturn.

Election summaries

↓

157	136
Democratic	Republican

State	Type	Total seats	Democratic	Republican
				Seats		Change		Seats		Change
Alabama	District	8		8	data-sort-value=2	2		0	data-sort-value=-2	2
Arkansas	District	4		4	data-sort-value=0			0	data-sort-value=0
California	District	4		2	data-sort-value=-1	1		2	data-sort-value=1	1
Colorado	At-large	1		1	data-sort-value=1	1		0	data-sort-value=-1	1
Connecticut	District	4		3	data-sort-value=0			1	data-sort-value=0
Delaware	At-large	1		1	data-sort-value=0			0	data-sort-value=0
Florida	District	2		2	data-sort-value=1	1		0	data-sort-value=-1	1
Georgia	District	9		9	data-sort-value=0			0	data-sort-value=0
Illinois	District	19		8	data-sort-value=-2	2		11	data-sort-value=4	4
Indiana	District	13		4	data-sort-value=-4	4		9	data-sort-value=4	4
Iowa	District	9		0	data-sort-value=-1	1		9	data-sort-value=1	1
Kansas	District	3		0	data-sort-value=-1	1		3	data-sort-value=1	1
Kentucky	District	10		10	data-sort-value=1	1		0	data-sort-value=-1	1
Louisiana	District	6		5	data-sort-value=1	1		1	data-sort-value=-1	1
Maine	District	5		0	data-sort-value=0			5	data-sort-value=0
Maryland	District	6		6	data-sort-value=0			0	data-sort-value=0
Massachusetts	District	11		2	data-sort-value=-1	1		9	data-sort-value=4	4
Michigan	District	9		1	data-sort-value=-2	2		8	data-sort-value=2	2
Minnesota	District	3		0	data-sort-value=0			3	data-sort-value=0
Mississippi	District	6		6	data-sort-value=2	2		0	data-sort-value=-2	2
Missouri	District	13		9	data-sort-value=-4	4		4	data-sort-value=4	4
Nebraska	At-large	1		0	data-sort-value=0			1	data-sort-value=0
Nevada	At-large	1		0	data-sort-value=0			1	data-sort-value=0
New Hampshire	District	3		1	data-sort-value=-1	1		2	data-sort-value=1	1
New Jersey	District	7		4	data-sort-value=-1	1		3	data-sort-value=1	1
New York	District	33		16	data-sort-value=-1	1		17	data-sort-value=1	1
North Carolina	District	8		7	data-sort-value=0			1	data-sort-value=0
Ohio	District	20		8	data-sort-value=-5	5		12	data-sort-value=5	5
Oregon	At-large	1		0	data-sort-value=-1	1		1	data-sort-value=1	1
Pennsylvania	District	27		10	data-sort-value=-7	7		17	data-sort-value=7	7
Rhode Island	District	2		0	data-sort-value=0			2	data-sort-value=0
South Carolina	District	5		2	data-sort-value=2	2		3	data-sort-value=-2	2
Tennessee	District	10		8	data-sort-value=-1	1		2	data-sort-value=1	1
Texas	District	6		6	data-sort-value=0			0	data-sort-value=0
Vermont	District	3		0	data-sort-value=0			3	data-sort-value=0
Virginia	District	9		8	data-sort-value=0			1	data-sort-value=0
West Virginia	District	3		3	data-sort-value=0			0	data-sort-value=0
Wisconsin	District	8		3	data-sort-value=0			5	data-sort-value=0
align=center colspan=2	Total		293		157	data-sort-value=-27	27		136	data-sort-value=31	31

The previous election included 4 Independents, in Illinois and Massachusetts.

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 1876–77, there were still 8 states with earlier election dates, and 1 state with a later election date.

Elections before Election Day (United States):

• June 5: Oregon
• September 5: Vermont
• September 11: Maine
• October 4:Georgia
• October 10: Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, West Virginia

Standard Election Day:

• November 7, 1876

Election after Election Day:

• March 13, 1877: New Hampshire

Special elections

District	Incumbent			This race
	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates
	Henry H. Starkweather		Republican	1867		Incumbent died January 28, 1876. New member elected April 12, 1876. Republican hold. Winner later re-elected to the next term; see below.	nowrap
	William Henry Barnum		Democratic	1867		Incumbent resigned May 18, 1876, when elected U.S. senator. New member elected November 7, 1876. Democratic hold. Winner also elected to the next term; see below.	nowrap
	James G. Blaine		Republican	1862		Incumbent resigned July 10, 1876. New member elected September 11, 1876. Republican hold. Winner retired after serving out the remainder of the term.	nowrap

Alabama

See also: List of United States representatives from Alabama.

Alabama redistricted and eliminated its at-large seats, going from 6 districts and 2 at-large seats to 8 districts. The state also elected a full delegation of Democrats, voting out the two Republicans.

|-! | Charles Hays
| | Republican| 1872| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | colspan=3 | New district| | New seat.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Jeremiah Norman Williams
| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Jeremiah Haralson
| | Republican| 1874| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | colspan=3 | New district| | New seat.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! rowspan=2 | | Goldsmith W. Hewitt| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| rowspan=2 nowrap |

|-| Burwell Boykin Lewis
| | Democratic| 1874| | Incumbent lost renomination.
Democratic loss.

|-! rowspan=3 | | William Henry Forney
| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| rowspan=3 nowrap |

|-| Taul Bradford
| | Democratic| 1874| | Incumbent retired.
Democratic loss.

|-| John H. Caldwell
| | Democratic| 1872| | Incumbent retired.
Democratic loss.

|-! | colspan=3 | New district| | New seat.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|}

Arkansas

See also: List of United States representatives from Arkansas.

|-! | Lucien C. Gause| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William F. Slemons| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William W. Wilshire| | Democratic| 1872
1874
1874| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Independent Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Thomas M. Gunter| | Democratic| 1872| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

California

See main article: 1876 United States House of Representatives elections in California.

See also: List of United States representatives from California.

|-! | William Adam Piper| | Democratic| 1875| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Horace F. Page| | Republican| 1872| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John K. Luttrell| | Democratic| 1872| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Peter D. Wigginton| | Democratic| 1875| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|}

Colorado

See also: List of United States representatives from Colorado.

There were two elections to the new state of Colorado.

44th Congress

|-! | colspan=3 | New district| | New seat.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|}

45th Congress

|-! | James B. Belford| | Republican | 1876| Incumbent re-elected.
Election was later successfully challenged by the challenger.| nowrap |

|}

Connecticut

See also: List of United States representatives from Connecticut.

Connecticut had been electing is members late in the cycle, even after the terms had begun. But starting in 1876, the state joined the others in electing its members on the November 7, 1876 Election Day. The delegation remained 3 Democrats and 1 Republican.

|-! | George M. Landers| | Democratic| 1875| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | James Phelps| | Democratic| 1875| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John T. Wait| | Republican| 1876 | Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William Henry Barnum| | Democratic| 1867| | Incumbent resigned May 18, 1876, when elected U.S. senator.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.
Winner also elected to finish the current next term.| nowrap |

|}

Delaware

See also: List of United States representatives from Delaware and 1876 United States Senate election in Delaware.

|-! | James Williams| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Florida

See main article: 1876 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida.

See also: List of United States representatives from Florida.

|-! | William J. Purman| | Republican| 1872| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Jesse J. Finley| | Democratic| 1874| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|}

Georgia

See also: List of United States representatives from Georgia.

Illinois

See also: List of United States representatives from Illinois.

Indiana

See also: List of United States representatives from Indiana.

Iowa

See also: List of United States representatives from Iowa.

Kansas

See also: List of United States representatives from Kansas.

Kentucky

See also: List of United States representatives from Kentucky.

Louisiana

See also: List of United States representatives from Louisiana.

Maine

See also: List of United States representatives from Maine.

|-! | John H. Burleigh| | Republican| 1872| | Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|-! | William P. Frye| | Republican| 1870| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | colspan="3"|Vacant| | Rep. James G. Blaine (R) resigned July 10, 1876.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
Concurrent special election held to serve out the unexpired term, the winner of which did not stand for the regular election.| nowrap |

|-! | Harris M. Plaisted| | Republican| 1875 | | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|-! | Eugene Hale| | Republican| 1868| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Maryland

See also: List of United States representatives from Maryland.

Massachusetts

See also: List of United States representatives from Massachusetts.

|-! | William W. Crapo| | Republican| 1875 (special)| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Benjamin W. Harris| | Republican| 1872| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Henry L. Pierce| | Republican| 1874| |Incumbent retired.
New member elected after initial result overturned.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Josiah Gardner Abbott| | Democratic| 1874| |Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.| nowrap |

|-! | Nathaniel P. Banks| | Republican| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Charles Perkins Thompson| | Democratic| 1874| |Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|-! | John K. Tarbox| | Democratic| 1874| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap | |-! | John M. S. Williams| | Democratic| 1874| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|-! | George F. Hoar| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senate.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|-! | Charles A. Stevens| | Republican| 1875 (special)| |Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|-! | Chester W. Chapin| | Democratic| 1874| |Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap | |}

Michigan

See also: List of United States representatives from Michigan.

Minnesota

See also: List of United States representatives from Minnesota.

Mississippi

See also: List of United States representatives from Mississippi.

|-! | Lucius Q. C. Lamar| | Democratic| 1872| | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.| nowrap |

|-! | G. Wiley Wells| | Republican| 1874| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Hernando Money| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Otho R. Singleton| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Charles E. Hooker| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John R. Lynch| | Republican| 1872| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|}

Missouri

See also: List of United States representatives from Missouri.

Nebraska

See also: List of United States representatives from Nebraska. |-! | Lorenzo Crounse| | Republican | 1872| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|}

Nevada

See also: List of United States representatives from Nevada. |-! | William Woodburn| | Republican | 1874| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|}

New Hampshire

See also: List of United States representatives from New Hampshire.

New Jersey

See also: List of United States representatives from New Jersey.

New York

See also: List of United States representatives from New York.

North Carolina

See also: List of United States representatives from North Carolina.

Ohio

See also: List of United States representatives from Ohio.

Oregon

See also: List of United States representatives from Oregon.

Pennsylvania

See also: List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania.

Rhode Island

See also: List of United States representatives from Rhode Island.

South Carolina

See main article: 1876 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina.

See also: List of United States representatives from South Carolina.

|-! | Joseph Rainey| | Republican| 1870 | Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Edmund W. M. Mackey| | Independent
Republican| 1874| | Seat declared vacant July 19, 1876, due to contested election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Solomon L. Hoge| | Republican| 1874| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Alexander S. Wallace| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Robert Smalls| | Republican| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Tennessee

See also: List of United States representatives from Tennessee.

|-! | William McFarland| | Democratic | 1874| |Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Jacob M. Thornburgh| | Republican| 1872| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | George G. Dibrell| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Haywood Y. Riddle| | Democratic| 1875 (special)| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John M. Bright| | Democratic| 1870| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John F. House| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Washington C. Whitthorne| | Democratic| 1870| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John D. C. Atkins| | Democratic| 1872| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William P. Caldwell| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Texas

See also: List of United States representatives from Texas.

Vermont

See also: List of United States representatives from Vermont.

Virginia

See also: List of United States representatives from Virginia.

West Virginia

See also: List of United States representatives from West Virginia.

|-! | Benjamin Wilson| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Charles J. Faulkner| | Democratic| 1874| | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.| nowrap |

|-! | Frank Hereford| | Democratic| 1870| | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.| nowrap |

|}

Wisconsin

See also: List of United States representatives from Wisconsin. Wisconsin elected eight members of congress on Election Day, November 7, 1876.^{[2] [3]}

|-! | Charles G. Williams| | Republican| 1872| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Lucien B. Caswell| | Republican| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Henry S. Magoon| | Republican| 1870| | Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|-! | William Pitt Lynde| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Samuel D. Burchard| | Democratic| 1874| | Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.| nowrap |

|-! | Alanson M. Kimball| | Republican| 1874| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Jeremiah McLain Rusk| | Republican| 1870| | Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|-! | George W. Cate| | Democratic| 1874| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|}

Non-voting delegates

|-!

|-! | Jefferson P. Kidder| | Republican| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Stephen S. Fenn| | Democratic| 1874| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Martin Maginnis| | Democratic| 1872| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-!

|-!

|-! | William R. Steele| | Democratic| 1872| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|}

See also

• 1876 United States elections
  • 1876 United States presidential election
  • 1876–77 United States Senate elections
• 44th United States Congress
• 45th United States Congress

Bibliography

• Book: Dubin, Michael J. . United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses . March 1, 1998 . McFarland and Company . 978-0786402830.
• Book: Martis, Kenneth C. . The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989 . January 1, 1989 . Macmillan Publishing Company . 978-0029201701 . .
• Book: Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections . 1994 . Congressional Quarterly Inc. . 978-0871879967 . Moore . John L. . Third.
• Web site: Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present . January 21, 2015 . Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives.

External links

• Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)

Notes and References

1. Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721.
2. Web site: Wisconsin U.S. House Election Results . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120405132933/http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/cspg/research/election_data_archive/pdf/WI_US_House_Election_Results.pdf . April 5, 2012 . May 24, 2020 . Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.
3. The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin . State of Wisconsin . . 449–452 . July 18, 2020 . http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1878 . Bashford . R. M. . 1878 . Official Directory: Members of Congress.