1908 United States House of Representatives elections explained

Election Name:1908 United States House of Representatives elections
Country:United States
Flag Year:1908
Type:legislative
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1906 United States House of Representatives elections
Previous Year:1906
Next Election:1910 United States House of Representatives elections
Next Year:1910
Majority Seats:196
Election Date:June 1, September 1, September 14, and November 3, 1908
Image1:JGCannon.jpg
Party1:Republican Party (US)
Last Election1:223 seats
Seats1:219[1] [2]
Seat Change1: 4
Popular Vote1:7,227,470
Percentage1:50.05%
Swing1: 0.01%
Party2:Democratic Party (US)
Last Election2:167 seats
Seats2:172
Seat Change2: 5
Popular Vote2:6,552,986
Percentage2:45.38%
Swing2: 1.81%
Party4:Independent (US)
Last Election4:1 seat
Seats4:0
Seat Change4:1
Popular Vote4:61,499
Percentage4:0.43%
Before Party:Republican Party (US)
After Party:Republican Party (US)

The 1908 United States House of Representatives elections were held for the most part on November 3, 1908, with Oregon, Maine, and Vermont holding theirs early in either June or September. They coincided with the 1908 United States presidential election, which William Howard Taft won. Elections were held for all 391 seats of the United States House of Representatives, representing 46 states, to serve in the 61st United States Congress.

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

172219
DemocraticRepublican
StateTypeTotal
seats
DemocraticRepublican
SeatsChangeSeatsChange
AlabamaDistrict990
ArkansasDistrict770
CaliforniaDistrict808
ColoradoDistrict
+at-large
33 30 3
ConnecticutDistrict
+at-large
505
DelawareAt-large101
FloridaDistrict330
GeorgiaDistrict11110
IdahoAt-large101
IllinoisDistrict256 119 1
IndianaDistrict1311 72 7
IowaDistrict11110
KansasDistrict808
KentuckyDistrict118 13 1
LouisianaDistrict770
MaineDistrict404
MarylandDistrict633
MassachusettsDistrict14311
MichiganDistrict12012
MinnesotaDistrict918
MississippiDistrict880
MissouriDistrict1610 26 2
MontanaAt-large101
NebraskaDistrict63 23 2
NevadaAt-large110
New HampshireDistrict202
New JerseyDistrict103 17 1
New YorkDistrict371126
North CarolinaDistrict107 33 3
North DakotaDistrict202
OhioDistrict218 313 3
OklahomaDistrict52 23 2
OregonDistrict202
PennsylvaniaDistrict325 227 2
Rhode IslandDistrict20 12 1
South CarolinaDistrict770
South DakotaAt-large202
TennesseeDistrict1082
TexasDistrict16160
UtahAt-large101
VermontDistrict202
VirginiaDistrict1091
WashingtonDistrict303
West VirginiaDistrict505
WisconsinDistrict111 110 1
WyomingAt-large101
Total391172
5219
5

Special elections

See also: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives. There were nine special elections in 1908.

|-! | George W. Smith| | Republican| 1902| | Incumbent died November 30, 1907.
New member elected February 15, 1908.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|-! | Ariosto A. Wiley| | Democratic| 1900| | Incumbent died June 17, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908 to finish his brother's term.
Democratic hold.| nowrap |

|-! | Abraham L. Brick| | Republican| 1898| | Incumbent died April 7, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Democratic gain.
Successor was also elected the same day to the next term; see below.| nowrap |

|-! | Adolph Meyer| | Democratic| 1890| | Incumbent died March 8, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Democratic hold.
Successor was also elected the same day to the next term; see below.| nowrap |

|-! | Charles E. Littlefield| | Republican| 1899 | | Incumbent died September 30, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Republican hold.
Successor had already been elected to the next term; see below.| nowrap |

|-! | Llewellyn Powers| | Republican| 1876
1878
1901 | | Incumbent died July 28, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Republican hold.
Successor had already been elected to the next term; see below.| nowrap |

|-! | Charles T. Dunwell| | Republican| 1902| | Incumbent died June 12, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Republican hold.
Successor was also elected the same day to the next term; see below.| nowrap |

|-! | William H. Parker| | Republican| 1906| | Incumbent died June 26, 1908.
New member elected November 3, 1908.
Republican hold.
Successor was also elected the same day to the next term; see below.| nowrap |

|}

Regular election dates

All the states held their regular elections November 3, 1908 except for three, which, held elections:

Alabama

See also: List of United States representatives from Alabama.

Alaska Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Arizona Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Arkansas

See also: List of United States representatives from Arkansas.

California

See main article: 1908 United States House of Representatives elections in California.

See also: List of United States representatives from California.

|-! | William F. Englebright| | Republican| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Duncan E. McKinlay| | Republican| 1904| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Joseph R. Knowland| | Republican| 1904| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Julius Kahn| | Republican| 1898| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Everis A. Hayes| | Republican| 1904| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | James C. Needham| | Republican| 1898| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | James McLachlan| | Republican| 1900| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Sylvester C. Smith| | Republican| 1904| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Colorado

See also: List of United States representatives from Colorado.

Connecticut

See also: List of United States representatives from Connecticut.

Delaware

See also: List of United States representatives from Delaware.

Florida

See also: List of United States representatives from Florida.

|-! | Stephen M. Sparkman| | Democratic| 1894| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Frank Clark| | Democratic| 1904| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William B. Lamar| | Democratic| 1902| | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.
New member elected.
Democratic hold| nowrap |

|}

Georgia

See also: List of United States representatives from Georgia.

Idaho

See also: List of United States representatives from Idaho.

|-! | Burton L. French| | Republican| 1902| | Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|}

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.

|-! | Daniel R. Anthony Jr.| | Republican| 1907 | Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Charles F. Scott| | Republican| 1900| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Philip P. Campbell| | Republican| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | James Monroe Miller| | Republican| 1898| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William A. Calderhead| | Republican| 1894
1896
1898| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William A. Reeder| | Republican| 1898| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Edmond H. Madison| | Republican| 1900| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Victor Murdock| | Republican| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

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.

Maryland

See also: List of United States representatives from Maryland.

|-! | William H. Jackson| | Republican| 1906| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | J. Frederick C. Talbott| | Democratic| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Harry Benjamin Wolf| | Democratic| 1906| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|-! | John Gill Jr.| | Democratic| 1904| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Sydney Emanuel Mudd I| | Republican| 1896| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | George A. Pearre| | Republican| 1898| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |}

Massachusetts

See also: List of United States representatives from Massachusetts.

|-! | George P. Lawrence| | Republican| 1897 (special)| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Frederick H. Gillett| | Republican| 1892| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Charles G. Washburn| | Republican| 1906 (special)| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Charles Q. Tirrell| | Republican| 1900| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Butler Ames| | Republican| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Augustus Peabody Gardner| | Republican| 1902 (special)| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Ernest W. Roberts| | Republican| 1898| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Samuel W. McCall| | Republican| 1892| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John A. Keliher| | Democratic| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Joseph F. O'Connell| | Democratic| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Andrew James Peters| | Democratic| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John W. Weeks| | Republican| 1904| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William S. Greene| | Republican| 1898 (special)| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William C. Lovering| | Republican| 1896| Incumbent re-elected.| 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.

|-! | Ezekiel S. Candler Jr.| | Democratic| 1900| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Thomas Spight| | Democratic| 1898 (special)| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Benjamin G. Humphreys II| | Democratic| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Wilson S. Hill| | Democratic| 1902| | Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.| nowrap |

|-! | Adam M. Byrd| | Democratic| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Eaton J. Bowers| | Democratic| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Frank A. McLain| | Democratic| 1898 (special)| | Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.| nowrap |

|-! | John S. Williams| | Democratic| 1892| | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.| nowrap |

|}

Missouri

See also: List of United States representatives from Missouri.

Montana

See also: List of United States representatives from Montana.

|-! | Charles N. Pray| | Republican| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Nebraska

See also: List of United States representatives from Nebraska.

|-! | Ernest M. Pollard| | Republican| 1905 (special)| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Gilbert Hitchcock| | Democratic| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John F. Boyd| | Republican| 1906| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Edmund H. Hinshaw| | Republican| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | George W. Norris| | Republican| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Moses Kinkaid| | Republican| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Nevada

See also: List of United States representatives from Nevada.

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 Mexico Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

New York

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

North Carolina

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

North Dakota

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

|-! rowspan=2 |
| Thomas F. Marshall| | Republican| nowrap | 1900| | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap rowspan=2 |

|-| Asle Gronna| | Republican| nowrap | 1904| Incumbent re-elected.

|}

Ohio

See also: List of United States representatives from Ohio.

Oklahoma

See main article: 1908 United States House of Representatives elections in Oklahoma.

See also: List of United States representatives from Oklahoma.

|-! | Bird S. McGuire| | 1907| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Elmer L. Fulton| | 1907| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|-! | James S. Davenport| | 1907| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|-! | Charles D. Carter| | 1907| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Scott Ferris| | 1907| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Oregon

See also: List of United States representatives from Oregon.

|-! | Willis C. Hawley| | Republican| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William R. Ellis| | Republican| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |}

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: 1908 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina.

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

|-! | George Swinton Legaré| | Democratic| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | James O'H. Patterson| | Democratic| 1904| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Wyatt Aiken| | Democratic| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Joseph T. Johnson| | Democratic| 1900| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | David E. Finley| | Democratic| 1898| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | J. Edwin Ellerbe| | Democratic| 1904| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Asbury F. Lever| | Democratic| 1901 | Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

South Dakota

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

|-! rowspan=2 |
| Philo Hall| | Republican| 1906| | Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| rowspan=2 nowrap |

|-| colspan=3 | Vacant (incumbent died June 26, 1908)| | New member elected.
Republican hold.

|}

Tennessee

See also: List of United States representatives from Tennessee.

|-! | Walter P. Brownlow| | Republican| 1896| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Nathan W. Hale| | Republican| 1904| |Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|-! | John A. Moon| | Democratic| 1896| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Cordell Hull| | Democratic| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William C. Houston| | Democratic| 1904| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John W. Gaines| | Democratic| 1896| |Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.| nowrap |

|-! | Lemuel P. Padgett| | Democratic| 1900| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Thetus W. Sims| | Democratic| 1896| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Finis J. Garrett| | Democratic| 1904| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | George Gordon| | Democratic| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.|

|}

Texas

See also: List of United States representatives from Texas.

Utah

See also: List of United States representatives from Utah.

Vermont

See also: List of United States representatives from Vermont.

Virginia

See also: List of United States representatives from Virginia.

|-! | | | | ||-! | | | | ||-! | | | | ||-! | | | | ||-! | | | | ||-! | Carter Glass| | Democratic| 1902 | Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | | | | ||-! | | | | ||-! | C. Bascom Slemp| | Republican| 1907 | Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | | | | ||}

Washington

See also: List of United States representatives from Washington.

West Virginia

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

|-! | William P. Hubbard| | Republican| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | George C. Sturgiss| | Republican| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Joseph H. Gaines| | Republican| 1900| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Harry C. Woodyard| | Republican| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | James A. Hughes| | Republican| 1900| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Wisconsin

See also: List of United States representatives from Wisconsin. Wisconsin elected eleven members of congress on Election Day, November 3, 1908.[10] [11]

|-! | Henry Allen Cooper| | Republican| 1892| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John M. Nelson| | Republican| 1906
| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | James W. Murphy| | Democratic| 1906| | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|-! | William J. Cary| | Republican| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William H. Stafford| | Republican| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Charles H. Weisse| | Democratic| 1902| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John J. Esch| | Republican| 1898| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | James H. Davidson| | Republican| 1896| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Gustav Küstermann| | Republican| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Elmer A. Morse| | Republican| 1906| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | John J. Jenkins| | Republican| 1894| | Incumbent lost re-nomination.
New member elected.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|}

Wyoming

See also: List of United States representatives from Wyoming.

|-! | Frank W. Mondell| | Republican| 1898| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Non-voting delegates

See also: Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives, List of United States representatives from Alaska, List of United States representatives from Arizona and List of United States representatives from New Mexico.

|-! | Thomas Cale| | Independent| 1906| | Incumbent retired.
New delegate elected August 11, 1908.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|-!

|-! | William Henry Andrews| | Republican| 1904| Incumbent re-elected November 3, 1908.| nowrap |

|}

See also

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present . May 18, 2015 . Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives.
  2. Martis, pp. 162–163.
  3. Web site: OK District 01 Race - Nov 03, 1908 . Our Campaigns . April 25, 2008 . February 20, 2022 .
  4. Web site: OK District 02 Race - Nov 03, 1908 . Our Campaigns . April 25, 2008 . February 20, 2022 .
  5. Web site: OK District 03 Race - Nov 03, 1908 . Our Campaigns . April 25, 2008 . February 20, 2022 .
  6. Web site: OK District 04 Race - Nov 03, 1908 . Our Campaigns . April 26, 2008 . February 20, 2022 .
  7. Web site: OK District 05 Race - Nov 03, 1908 . Our Campaigns . April 28, 2008 . February 20, 2022 .
  8. Web site: OR - District 01 Race - Jun 01, 1908 . Our Campaigns . 1 December 2021 .
  9. Web site: OR - District 02 Race - Jun 01, 1908 . Our Campaigns . 1 December 2021 .
  10. 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 . Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs . March 8, 2022 . .
  11. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin 1909 . 1909 . Wisconsin Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics . Beck . J. D. . Biographical Sketches . 1084–1087 . June 9, 2024 .