1890 United States House of Representatives elections
Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held in 1890 for members of the 52nd Congress, taking place in the middle of President Benjamin Harrison's term.
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All 332 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives 167 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Map of U.S. House elections results from 1890 elections for 52nd Congress | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A stagnant economy which became worse after the Panic of 1890, combined with a lack of support for then Representative William McKinley's (defeated in the election) steep tariff act, which favored large industries at the expense of consumers, led to a sharp defeat for Harrison's Republican Party, giving a large majority to the Democratic Party and presaging Harrison's defeat in the 1892 United States presidential election. The Republican-controlled Congress was highly criticized for its lavish spending, and it earned the unflattering nickname of The Billion Dollar Congress. Democrats promised to cut the outlandish budget.
Furthermore, aggressive Republican promotion of controversial English-only education laws enacted by Wisconsin and Illinois in 1889, accompanied by a surge in nativist and anti-Catholic sentiment within the state parties, had greatly hollowed out the party's support base in these former strongholds. A rare multi-confessional alliance of mainly German clergy rallied their flocks in defense of language and faith to the Democratic Party, which tore through incumbent Republican majorities in both states, capturing a total of 11 formerly Republican seats between them alone.[2] Bitterly divisive struggles over temperance laws had also been alienating immigrants from the increasingly prohibitionist Republican Party across the Midwest more broadly. Dramatic losses in the previous year's gubernatorial elections in Iowa and Ohio (which would lose another 14 Republican congressional seats between them during this election) were due in no small part to wet immigrant communities, especially Germans, expressing their resentment toward Republican efforts to ban or otherwise curtail alcohol consumption by throwing their support behind the Democratic candidates.[3]
This election also saw the Populist Party, a coalition of farmers and laborers who wanted to overhaul the nation's financial system, make a small mark on Congress.
Special elections
- Kentucky 6: June 21, 1890: William W. Dickerson (D) elected to finish the term of John G. Carlisle (D), who had resigned May 26, 1890 when elected U.S. senator. Dickerson: 8,412 (63.95%), Wesley M. Rardin (R) 4,742 (36.05%).[4]
- California 1: December 9, 1890: Thomas J. Geary (D) elected to finish the term of John J. De Haven (R), who had resigned October 1, 1890.
Election summaries
238 | 8 | 86 |
Democratic | P | Republican |
State | Type | Total seats |
Democratic | Populist | Republican | |||
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Seats | Change | Seats | Change | Seats | Change | |||
Alabama | District | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |||
Arkansas | District | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||
California | District | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |||
Colorado | At-large | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
Connecticut | District | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |||
Delaware | At-large | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
Florida | District | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
Georgia | District | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | |||
Idaho[lower-alpha 3] | At-large | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
Illinois | District | 20 | 14 | 0 | 6 | |||
Indiana | District | 13 | 11 | 0 | 2 | |||
Iowa | District | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | |||
Kansas | District | 7 | 0 | 5 | 2 | |||
Kentucky | District | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | |||
Louisiana | District | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |||
Maine[lower-alpha 3] | District | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |||
Maryland | District | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |||
Massachusetts | District | 12 | 7 | 0 | 5 | |||
Michigan | District | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | |||
Minnesota | District | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |||
Mississippi | District | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |||
Missouri | District | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | |||
Montana | At-large | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
Nebraska | District | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||
Nevada | At-large | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
New Hampshire | District | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
New Jersey | District | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | |||
New York | District | 34 | 23 | 0 | 11 | |||
North Carolina | District | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | |||
North Dakota | At-large | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
Ohio | District | 21 | 14 | 0 | 7 | |||
Oregon[lower-alpha 3] | At-large | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
Pennsylvania | District | 28 | 11 | 0 | 17 | |||
Rhode Island | District | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
South Carolina | District | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |||
South Dakota | At-large | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||
Tennessee | District | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | |||
Texas | District | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | |||
Vermont[lower-alpha 3] | District | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||
Virginia | District | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | |||
Washington | At-large | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
West Virginia | District | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||
Wisconsin | District | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | |||
Wyoming[lower-alpha 3] | At-large | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
Total | 332 | 238[5] 71.7% |
8[5] 2.4% |
86[5] 25.9% |
The previous election of 1888 saw the election of one Labor Party representative in Arkansas.
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[[File:52 us house changes.png|thumb|500px|
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Early election dates
In 1890, five states, with 9 seats among them, held elections early:
Idaho and Wyoming held elections for both the outgoing 51st Congress and the incoming 52nd Congress in 1890, having been admitted that year, and held future elections on the standard election day.
Alabama
Arkansas
California
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Representative | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
California 1 | Vacant | Incumbent resigned October 1, 1890. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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California 2 | Marion Biggs | Democratic | 1886 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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California 3 | Joseph McKenna | Republican | 1884 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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California 4 | William W. Morrow | Republican | 1884 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
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California 5 | Thomas J. Clunie | Democratic | 1888 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain. |
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California 6 | William Vandever | Republican | 1886 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
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Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Representative | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Florida 1 | Robert H. M. Davidson | Democratic | 1876 | Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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Florida 2 | Robert Bullock | Democratic | 1888 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
The Ohio Legislature redistricted the state between censuses. Coupled with other Democratic gains, this redistricting gave the Democrats a nine-seat net gain.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Representative | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates[6] | |
Ohio 1 | Benjamin Butterworth | Republican | 1884 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
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Ohio 2 | John A. Caldwell | Republican | 1888 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Ohio 3 | Elihu S. Williams | Republican | 1886 | Incumbent retired. Republican loss. |
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Henry Lee Morey Redistricted from the 7th district |
Republican | 1888 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain. | ||
Ohio 4 | Samuel S. Yoder | Democratic | 1886 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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Ohio 5 | George E. Seney | Democratic | 1886 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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Ohio 6 | Melvin M. Boothman | Republican | 1886 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 7 | William E. Haynes Redistricted from the 10th district |
Democratic | 1888 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Ohio 8 | Robert P. Kennedy | Republican | 1886 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 9 | William C. Cooper | Republican | 1884 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican loss. |
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Joseph H. Outhwaite Redistricted from the 13th district |
Democratic | 1884 | Incumbent re-elected. | ||
Ohio 10 | Open seat | New seat. New member elected. Republican gain. |
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Ohio 11 | Albert C. Thompson | Republican | 1886 | Lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 12 | Jacob J. Pugsley | Republican | 1886 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
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Ohio 13 | Open seat | New seat. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 14 | Charles Preston Wickham | Republican | 1886 | Incumbent retired. Republican loss. |
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James W. Owens Redistricted from the 16th district |
Democratic | 1888 | Incumbent re-elected. | ||
Ohio 15 | Charles H. Grosvenor | Republican | 1886 | Lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 16 | William McKinley Redistricted from the 18th district |
Republican | 1886 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 17 | Open seat | New seat. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 18 | Joseph D. Taylor Redistricted from the 17th district |
Republican | 1886 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Ohio 19 | Ezra B. Taylor | Republican | 1880 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Ohio 20 | Martin L. Smyser | Republican | 1888 | Lost renomination. New member elected. Republican hold. |
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Ohio 21 | Theodore E. Burton | Republican | 1888 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Representative | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
South Carolina 1 | Samuel Dibble | Democratic | 1882 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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South Carolina 2 | George D. Tillman | Democratic | 1878 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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South Carolina 3 | James S. Cothran | Democratic | 1886 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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South Carolina 4 | William H. Perry | Democratic | 1884 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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South Carolina 5 | John J. Hemphill | Democratic | 1882 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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South Carolina 6 | George W. Dargan | Democratic | 1882 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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South Carolina 7 | Thomas E. Miller | Republican | 1888[lower-alpha 4] | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Republican Clarence D. Clark was elected over Democrat George T. Buck in a single ballot both to finish the current term (ending 1891) and the next term (beginning 1891).[7]
Non-voting delegates
Oklahoma Territory
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
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Representative | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Oklahoma Territory at-large | New seat | New seat. New delegate elected to finish the current term. Republican gain. |
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New seat. New delegate elected to the next term. Republican gain. |
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See also
Notes
- Dubin (pp. 293–94) counts 235 Democrats, 88 Republicans, and 8 Populists at the opening of the 52nd Congress.
- One Labor Party member had been elected in 1888.
- Elections held early.
- After disputed election.
References
- Martis, p. 144–145.
- Jensen, Richard J. (1971). "5: The Winning of the Midwest: Social and Political Conflict, 1888-1896". Education, the Tariff, and the Melting Pot. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 122–153.
- Jensen, p. ch. 4: Iowa, Wet or Dry?. pp. 89-121.
- "Our Campaigns - KY - District 06 Special Election Race - Jun 21, 1890". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- Martis.
- Smith, Joseph P, ed. (1898). History of the Republican Party in Ohio. I. Chicago: the Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 592, 593.
- https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=253636
- https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=299870
- https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=264142
Bibliography
- Dubin, Michael J. (March 1, 1998). United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses. McFarland and Company. ISBN 978-0786402830.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (January 1, 1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0029201701.
- Moore, John L., ed. (1994). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (Third ed.). Congressional Quarterly Inc. ISBN 978-0871879967.
- "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
External links
- Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)