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1876–77 United States House of Representatives elections

1876–77 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1874 & 1875 June 5, 1876 – March 1877[a][b] 1878 & 1879 →
All 293 seats in the United States House of Representatives 147 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Samuel J. Randall James A. Garfield Party Democratic Republican Leader's seat Pennsylvania 3rd Ohio 19th Last election 180 seats 103 seats Seats won 155[1][c] 136[c] Seat change 25 33 Popular vote 4,220,480 3,825,311 Percentage 51.27% 46.47% Swing 2.15% 2.09%   Third party   Party Independent Last election 4 seats[d][e] Seats won 2[f] Seat change 2 Popular vote 96,318 Percentage 1.17% Swing 3.27%
Map of U.S. House elections results from 1876 elections for 45th Congress
Speaker before election Vacancy Democratic Elected Speaker Samuel Randall Democratic

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 Grant administration or the legislature's impact on the economy downturn.

Election summaries[edit]

State	Type	Total seats	Democratic		Republican
			Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Alabama	District	8	8	2	0	2
Arkansas	District	4	4[g]		0
California	District	4	2	1	2	1
Colorado	At-large	1	1	1	0	1
Connecticut	District	4	3		1
Delaware	At-large	1	1		0
Florida	District	2	2	1	0	1
Georgia	District	9	9[g]		0
Illinois	District	19	8	2	11	4
Indiana	District	13	4	4	9	4
Iowa	District	9	0	1	9	1
Kansas	District	3	0	1	3	1
Kentucky	District	10	10	1	0	1
Louisiana	District	6	5	1	1	1
Maine	District	5	0		5
Maryland	District	6	6		0
Massachusetts	District	11	2	1	9	4
Michigan	District	9	1	2	8	2
Minnesota	District	3	0		3
Mississippi	District	6	6	2	0	2
Missouri	District	13	9	4	4	4
Nebraska	At-large	1	0		1
Nevada	At-large	1	0		1
New Hampshire[h]	District	3	1	1	2	1
New Jersey	District	7	4	1	3	1
New York	District	33	16	1	17	1
North Carolina	District	8	7		1
Ohio	District	20	8	5	12	5
Oregon	At-large	1	0	1	1	1
Pennsylvania	District	27	10	7	17	7
Rhode Island	District	2	0		2
South Carolina	District	5	2	2	3	2
Tennessee	District	10	8	1	2	1
Texas	District	6	6		0
Vermont	District	3	0		3
Virginia	District	9	8		1
West Virginia	District	3	3		0
Wisconsin	District	8	3		5
Total		293	157[1][f] 53.6%	27	136[1] 46.4%	31

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

Election dates[edit]

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 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[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2019)

Alabama[edit]

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.

Arkansas[edit]

California[edit]

Colorado[edit]

There were two elections to the new state of Colorado.

44th Congress[edit]

45th Congress[edit]

Connecticut[edit]

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.

Delaware[edit]

Florida[edit]

Georgia[edit]

Illinois[edit]

Indiana[edit]

Iowa[edit]

Kansas[edit]

Kentucky[edit]

Louisiana[edit]

Maine[edit]

Maryland[edit]

Massachusetts[edit]

Michigan[edit]

Minnesota[edit]

Mississippi[edit]

Missouri[edit]

Nebraska[edit]

Nevada[edit]

New Hampshire[edit]

New Jersey[edit]

New York[edit]

North Carolina[edit]

Ohio[edit]

Oregon[edit]

Pennsylvania[edit]

Rhode Island[edit]

South Carolina[edit]

Tennessee[edit]

Texas[edit]

Vermont[edit]

Virginia[edit]

West Virginia[edit]

Wisconsin[edit]

Wisconsin elected eight members of congress on Election Day, November 7, 1876.^[33][34]

Non-voting delegates[edit]

See also[edit]

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

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• 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[edit]

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