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The 1996 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
on November 5, 1996, which coincided with the re-election of
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
. Democrats won the popular vote by almost 60,000 votes (0.07%) and gained a net of two seats from the Republicans, but the Republicans retained an overall majority of seats in the House for the first time since
1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhano ...
. Although the Republicans lost 3 seats, 1 of them included an Independent who would caucus with them and switch to the Republicans. This resulted in a 227 Republican majority to the Democrats' 208 minority which also included an Independent caucusing with them. A total of 12 Freshman Republicans who were elected in the 1994
Republican Revolution The "Republican Revolution", "Revolution of '94", or "Gingrich Revolution" are political slogans that refer to the Republican Party (GOP) success in the 1994 U.S. mid-term elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of ...
were defeated in the election. The election is similar to the 1952 elections, although, in terms of the total vote this result remains one of the closest in U.S. history. This remains the last election in which Republicans won a majority of seats in the New Jersey delegation.


Special elections


Results summary

Source
Election Statistics – Office of the Clerk


Retiring incumbents

50 incumbents retired: 29 Democrats and 21 Republicans, giving the Republicans a net gain of 6 seats from the Democrats.


Democrats


Democratic hold

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Blanche Lincoln Blanche Lambert Lincoln (born Blanche Meyers Lambert; September 30, 1960) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Arkansas from 1999 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, she was first elected to the Senate in ...
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Ray Thornton Raymond Hoyt Thornton Jr. (July 16, 1928 – April 13, 2016)Arkansas CourtsA Self-Guided Tour of Justice Building Portraits(2016), p. 11. was an American attorney and politician. He was a Democratic U.S. Representative for Arkansas's 4th ...
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Anthony Beilenson Anthony Charles Beilenson (October 26, 1932 – March 5, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a Democratic Congressman from Southern California. He served ten terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 un ...
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Pat Schroeder Patricia Nell Scott Schroeder (born July 30, 1940) is an American politician who represented Colorado in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Schroeder was the first female U.S. Represe ...
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Pete Peterson Douglas Brian "Pete" Peterson (born June 26, 1935) is an American politician and diplomat. He served as a United States Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War and spent over six years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese army after his plane w ...
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Sam Gibbons Sam Melville Gibbons (January 20, 1920 – October 10, 2012) was an American politician from the state of Florida, who served in the Florida State House of Representatives, Florida State Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives. He represen ...
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Harry Johnston Sir Henry Hamilton Johnston (12 June 1858 – 31 July 1927), known as Harry Johnston, was a British explorer, botanist, artist, colonial administrator, and linguist who travelled widely in Africa and spoke many African languages. He publishe ...
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Cardiss Collins Cardiss Hortense Collins (; September 24, 1931 – February 3, 2013) was an American politician from Illinois who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the fourth Afric ...
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Andrew Jacobs Jr. Andrew Jacobs Jr. (February 24, 1932 – December 28, 2013) was an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, he served as an Indiana state legislator and Congressman. Jacobs was a member of the United States House of Representatives for thi ...
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Gerry Studds Gerry Eastman Studds (; May 12, 1937 – October 14, 2006) was an American Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts who served from 1973 until 1997. He was the first openly gay member of Congress. In 1983 he was censured by the House of Re ...
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Robert Torricelli Robert Guy Torricelli (born August 27, 1951), is an American attorney and former politician. A Democrat, Torricelli served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 9th district from 1983 to 1997 and as a United States sen ...
, to run for U.S. Senator # :
Charlie Rose Charles Peete Rose Jr. (born January 5, 1942) is an American former television journalist and talk show host. From 1991 to 2017, he was the host and executive producer of the talk show '' Charlie Rose'' on PBS and Bloomberg LP. Rose also co- ...
# : Jack Reed, to run for U.S. Senator # :
Harold Ford Sr. Harold Eugene Ford Sr. (born May 20, 1945) is an American politician and Democratic former member of the United States House of Representatives representing the area of Memphis, Tennessee, for 11 terms—from 1975 until his retirement in 1997. H ...
# : Jim Chapman, to run for U.S. Senator # : Charlie Wilson # :
Kika de la Garza Eligio "Kika" de la Garza II (September 22, 1927March 13, 2017) was an American politician who served as the Democratic representative for the 15th congressional district of Texas from January 3, 1965, to January 3, 1997. Biography De la Garza ...
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Ronald D. Coleman Ronald D'Emory Coleman (born November 29, 1941) is an American politician and former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas. Early life and career Born in El Paso, Texas, Coleman attended public schools, e ...
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Lewis F. Payne Jr. Lewis Franklin (L.F.) Payne Jr. (born July 9, 1945) is an American businessman, politician and lobbyist who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1988 to 1997. He served the of ...


Republican gain

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Glen Browder John Glen Browder (born January 15, 1943) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama's 3rd congressional district. Browder was born in Sumter, South Carolina and graduated in 1961 from Edmunds High School in ...
, to run for U.S. Senator # : Tom Bevill # :
Dick Durbin Richard Joseph Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Illinois, a seat he has held since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Durbin has served as the Senate De ...
, to run for U.S. Senator # :
Cleo Fields Cleo Fields (born November 22, 1962) is an American attorney and politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1997 and ran unsuccessfully for governor of Louisiana in 1995. He serves as a state senator fo ...
# : Sonny Montgomery # : Rick Hill # : William K. Brewster # : Tim Johnson, to run for U.S. Senator # : John Bryant, to run for U.S. Senator # :
Pete Geren Preston Murdoch Geren, III, known as Pete Geren (born January 29, 1952) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 20th United States Secretary of the Army from July 16, 2007, to September 16, 2009. He is a Democratic former me ...


Republicans


Republican hold

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Tim Hutchinson Young Timothy Hutchinson (born August 11, 1949) is an American Republican politician, lobbyist, and former United States senator from the state of Arkansas. Personal life Hutchinson was born in Bentonville in northwestern Arkansas, the son o ...
, to run for U.S. Senator # :
Carlos Moorhead Carlos John Moorhead (May 5, 1922 – November 23, 2011) was a United States Congressman from California. Born in Long Beach, he attended the public schools of Glendale, graduated from Herbert Hoover High School (Glendale) in 1940 and earn ...
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Wayne Allard Alan Wayne Allard (born December 2, 1943) is an American veterinarian and politician who served as a United States Representative (1991–1997) and United States Senator (1997–2009) from Colorado, as well as previously a Colorado State Senator ...
, to run for U.S. Senator # : John Myers # :
Pat Roberts Charles Patrick Roberts (born April 20, 1936) is a retired American politician and journalist who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1997 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Roberts served 8 terms in the U.S. House of Rep ...
, to run for U.S. Senator # :
Sam Brownback Samuel Dale Brownback (born September 12, 1956) is an American attorney, politician, diplomat, and member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party who served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Fr ...
, to run for U.S. Senator # :
Jan Meyers Janice Lenore Meyers (née Crilly; July 20, 1928 – June 21, 2019) was an American Republican party politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives from Kansas. Biography Meyers was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. She attended ...
# : Mel Hancock # :
Barbara Vucanovich Barbara Farrell Vucanovich (June 22, 1921 – June 10, 2013) was an American Republican politician who was the first Latina elected to the United States House of Representatives, in which she served representing Nevada from 1983 to 1997. B ...
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Bill Zeliff William H. Zeliff Jr. (June 12, 1936 – October 18, 2021) was an American Republican politician from New Hampshire who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 1997. Early life Zeliff was born in East Orange, New Jersey ...
, to run for Governor # :
Dick Zimmer Richard Alan Zimmer (born August 16, 1944) is an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician from New Jersey, who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and in the United States House of Representatives. H ...
, to run for U.S. Senator # : Wes Cooley # : Bill Clinger # :
Robert Smith Walker Robert Smith Walker (born December 23, 1942) is a former American politician who represented Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from 1977 until his retirement in 1997. He was known for his fiery rhetoric ...
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Jimmy Quillen James Henry Quillen (January 11, 1916Selective Service System and U.S. Navy official records both list Quillen's date of birth as January 11, 1915. – November 2, 2003) was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Unite ...
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Jack Fields Jack Milton Fields Jr. (born February 3, 1952) is a Texas businessman and a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from a Houston-based district. Early life Fields was born in Humble, a northern suburb of Hou ...
# : Enid Greene


Democratic gain

# : Jim Ross Lightfoot, to run for U.S. Senator # :
Jimmy Hayes James Allison Hayes (born December 21, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer. He is a Republican from Louisiana. Background Born in Lafayette, Hayes graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (then the University of Southw ...
, to run for U.S. Senator # :
Steve Gunderson Steven Craig Gunderson (born May 10, 1951) is an American former politician who was a Republican U.S. Representative for representing Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district from 1981 to 1997, when he was succeeded by Democrat Ron Kind. After l ...
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Toby Roth Tobias Anton "Toby" Roth (born October 10, 1938) is a former Republican U.S. Representative from Wisconsin. Roth represented Wisconsin's 8th congressional district. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979, first being ...


Incumbents defeated


In primary elections


Democrats

# :
Barbara-Rose Collins Barbara-Rose Collins (née Richardson; April 13, 1939 – November 4, 2021) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan and the first black woman from Michigan to be elected to Congress. Life and career Collins was born as Barba ...
lost to Carolyn Kilpatrick, who later won the general election


Republicans

# :
Greg Laughlin Gregory Haines Laughlin (born January 21, 1942) is a politician from Texas. He is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. Early life and education Laughlin was born in Bay City, Texas, and was raised in West Columbia, T ...
lost to
Ron Paul Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as we ...
, who later won the general election


In the general elections

21 seats switched parties in the November elections, giving the Democrats a net gain of 15 seats from the Republicans.


Democrats who lost to Republicans

# : Mike Ward lost to
Anne Northup Anne Meagher Northup (born January 22, 1948) is an American Republican politician and educator from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. From 1997 to 2007, she represented the Louisville-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky in the United ...
# : Harold Volkmer lost to
Kenny Hulshof Kenneth C. "Kenny" Hulshof (; born May 22, 1958) is an American politician and lawyer who represented in the United States House of Representatives. He was the unsuccessful nominee of the Republican Party for Governor of Missouri in the 2008 el ...
# : Bill Orton lost to
Chris Cannon Christopher Black Cannon (born October 20, 1950) is an American politician who formerly served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, for the Republican Party, representing the third district of Utah from 1997 to 2009. He wa ...


Republicans who lost to Democrats

# :
William P. Baker William Pond Baker (born June 14, 1940, in Oakland, California) is an American businessman and politician who served two terms as a United States Congressman from California from 1993 to 1997. Biography He attended San Jose State University, ...
lost to
Ellen Tauscher Ellen O'Kane Tauscher (November 15, 1951 – April 29, 2019) was an American businesswoman, diplomat, and Democratic Party politician who was the U.S. representative for California's 10th congressional district from 1997 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012 ...
# :
Andrea Seastrand Andrea Heidi Seastrand (née Ciszek; born August 5, 1941) is a former one-term Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1995 to 1997. Personal life Seastrand was born Andrea Heidi Ciszek in Chicago. She gra ...
lost to
Walter Capps Walter Holden Capps (May 5, 1934 – October 28, 1997) was an American academic and politician. He served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing California's 22nd congressional district from January 1 ...
# :
Bob Dornan Robert Kenneth Dornan (born April 3, 1933) is an American politician and actor from California. A Republican, Dornan served in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1983 and from 1985 to 1997. He has become well known for public ...
lost to
Loretta Sanchez Loretta Lorna Sanchez (born January 7, 1960) is an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1997 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she was first elected in 1996, when she defeated long-serving Re ...
# :
Gary Franks Gary Alvin Franks (born February 9, 1953) is an American politician who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut for six years, from 1991 until 1997. He is the first African-American elected to the U.S. Congress from Con ...
lost to
James H. Maloney James H. "Jim" Maloney (born September 17, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer from Connecticut. He is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Maloney was born in Quincy, Massachusetts. He was a Volunteers ...
# :
Michael Patrick Flanagan Michael Patrick Flanagan (born November 9, 1962) is a former captain in the United States Army, a practicing attorney, and a Republican Party politician from Chicago, Illinois. Flanagan is best known for his victory over eighteen-term Congress ...
lost to
Rod Blagojevich Rod Blagojevich ( , born December 10, 1956), often referred to by his nicknames "Blago" or "B-Rod", is an American former politician, political commentator, and convicted felon who served as the 40th governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009, when ...
# : James B. Longley Jr. lost to Tom Allen # : Peter I. Blute lost to Jim McGovern # :
Peter G. Torkildsen Peter Gerard Torkildsen (born January 28, 1958) is an American Republican Party politician from Massachusetts. He represented the 13th Essex district, including his hometown of Danvers, in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1985 ...
lost to
John F. Tierney John F. Tierney (born September 18, 1951) is an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts from 1997 to 2015. He is a Democrat who represented the state's , which includes the state's North Shore and Cape Ann ...
# :
Dick Chrysler Richard "Dick" Chrysler (born April 29, 1942) is an Amway distributor and former politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Chrysler was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and graduated from Brighton High School in Brighton, Michigan. He became vi ...
lost to
Debbie Stabenow Deborah Ann Stabenow ( ; née Greer, born April 29, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Michigan, a seat she has held since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she became the state's first female ...
# : William J. Martini lost to
Bill Pascrell William James Pascrell Jr. (born January 25, 1937) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for , having served in this position since January 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and a native of Paterson, New Jersey, Pascr ...
# : Dan Frisa lost to
Carolyn McCarthy Carolyn McCarthy ( Cook; born January 5, 1944) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1997 to 2015. She is a member of the Democratic Party. On January 8, 2014, she announced that she would not run for re-elect ...
# :
David Funderburk David Britton Funderburk (born April 28, 1944) is an American politician and diplomat who served as the Ambassador of the United States to Romania from 1981 to 1985. He later served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives fr ...
lost to
Bob Etheridge Bobby Ray "Bob" Etheridge (born August 7, 1941) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 1997 to 2011. He previously served as a county commissioner, state representative and state superintendent of public instructio ...
# :
Fred Heineman Frederick K. Heineman (December 28, 1929 – March 20, 2010) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina, serving in the 104th United States Congress. Born in New York City, New York, Heineman att ...
lost to David Price in a rematch of the 1994 election. # :
Frank Cremeans Frank Arnold Cremeans (April 5, 1943 – January 2, 2003) was an American small-businessman who represented Ohio in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican. He served one term in Congress, from 1995 to 1997. Cremeans wa ...
lost to
Ted Strickland Theodore Strickland (born August 4, 1941) is an American politician who was the 68th governor of Ohio, serving from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing ...
# : Martin Hoke lost to
Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich (; born October 8, 1946) is an American politician. A U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013, he was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008. He ran fo ...
# :
Jim Bunn James Lee Bunn (born December 12, 1956) is an American politician from Oregon. A native of Yamhill County, he served in the Oregon State Senate before election to the United States House of Representatives where he served one term. A Republic ...
lost to Darlene Hooley # :
Steve Stockman Stephen Ernest Stockman (born November 14, 1956) is an American politician who is a member of the Republican Party and a convicted felon. He served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 9th congressional district from 1995 to 1997 and for Texa ...
lost to
Nick Lampson Nicholas Valentino Lampson (born February 14, 1945) is an American politician and restaurateur who is a former Democratic Congressman representing the 22nd Congressional District and the 9th Congressional District of Texas. Early life, educ ...
# : Randy Tate lost to
Adam Smith Adam Smith (baptized 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the thinking of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by some as "The Father of Economics"——� ...


Alabama


Alaska


Arizona


Arkansas


California


Colorado


Connecticut


Delaware


Florida


Georgia


Hawaii


Idaho


Illinois


Indiana


Iowa


Kansas


Kentucky


Louisiana


Maine


Maryland


Massachusetts


Michigan


Minnesota


Mississippi


Missouri

*Jo Ann Emerson was elected as a Republican in a special to serve the remaining months of the term and was elected as an Independent caucusing with Republicans due to Missouri state law. She later switched to the Republican Party a few days after the start of the new Congress.


Montana


Nebraska


Nevada


New Hampshire


New Jersey


New Mexico


New York


North Carolina


North Dakota


Ohio


Oklahoma


Oregon


Pennsylvania


Rhode Island


South Carolina


South Dakota


Tennessee


Texas


Utah


Vermont


Virginia


Washington

, these were the last elections in which the Republican Party won a majority of congressional districts from
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
.


West Virginia


Wisconsin


Wyoming


See also

*
104th United States Congress The 104th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 19 ...
*
105th United States Congress The 105th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1997, ...


Notes


References

{{United States House of Representatives elections