Contents

2008 United States House of Representatives elections

2008 United States House of Representatives elections

← 2006 November 4, 2008 2010 →
← outgoing members elected members →
All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives[a] 218 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Nancy Pelosi John Boehner Party Democratic Republican Leader since January 3, 2003 January 3, 2007 Leader's seat California 8th Ohio 8th Last election 233 seats, 52.3% 202 seats, 44.3% Seats before 236 199 Seats won 257 178 Seat change 21 21 Popular vote 65,237,840 52,249,491 Percentage 53.2% 42.6% Swing 0.9% 1.7%
Results:      Democratic hold      Democratic gain      Republican hold      Republican gain
Speaker before election Nancy Pelosi Democratic Elected Speaker Nancy Pelosi Democratic

The 2008 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 4, 2008, to elect members to the United States House of Representatives to serve in the 111th United States Congress from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. It coincided with the election of Barack Obama as president. All 435 voting seats, as well as all 6 non-voting seats, were up for election. The Democratic Party, which won a majority of seats in the 2006 election, expanded its control in 2008.

The Republican Party, hoping to regain the majority it lost in the 2006 election or at least expand its congressional membership, lost additional seats. With one exception (Louisiana's 2nd district), the only seats to switch from Democratic to Republican had been Republican-held prior to the 2006 elections. Republicans gained five Democratic seats total, while losing 26 of their own, giving the Democrats a net gain of 21 seats, effectively erasing all gains made by the GOP since 1994.^[1] In addition, with the defeat of Republican congressman Chris ShaysinConnecticut's 4th district, this became the first time since the 1850s that no Republican represented the New England region.^[2][3]

The 10.6% popular vote advantage by the Democrats was the largest by either party since 1982, 26 years earlier, and as of 2022 remains the most recent time that either party won by a double-digit margin in the overall popular vote for the House of Representatives.^[4] Turnout increased due to the concurrent presidential election. The presidential election, 2008 Senate elections, and 2008 gubernatorial elections, as well as many other state and local elections, occurred on the same date. This was the first and, as of 2022, the only election since 1980 in which the party of a newly elected president simultaneously gained seats in the House. It was the only time since 1994, and the last time until 2018, that Republicans held less than 200 House seats.

As of 2022, this remains the last election in which Democrats won house seats in Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota, the last election in which Democrats won more than one seat in Alabama, and the last election in which Democrats won a majority of seats in Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. It is also the last time Republicans won a seat in Delaware.

Results summary[edit]

Federal[edit]

Party		Voting members[5][6]				Non-voting members[7]
		Votes	Percentage	Seats	+/−	Votes	Percentage	Seats	+/−
	▌Democratic[A]	65,237,840	53.2%	257	21	1,952,133	94.3%	4	1
	Republican	52,249,491	42.6%	178	21	1,919	0.1%	0	1
	Libertarian	1,083,096	0.9%	0		—	—	0
	Independent[B]	982,761	0.8%	0		21,574	1.0%	2	1
	Green	580,263	0.5%	0		14,386	0.7%	0
	Constitution	179,261	0.1%	0		—	—	0
	Independence	168,939	0.1%	0		—	—	0
Others		2,066,229	1.7%
Totals		122,547,880[8]	100.0%	435	—	2,069,306	100.0%	6	1
Voter turnout

Per state[edit]

State	Total seats	Democratic		Republican
		Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Alabama	7	3	1	4	1
Alaska	1	0		1
Arizona	8	5	1	3	1
Arkansas	4	3		1
California	53	34		19
Colorado	7	5	1	2	1
Connecticut	5	5	1	0	1
Delaware	1	0		1
Florida	25	10	1	15	1
Georgia	13	6		7
Hawaii	2	2		0
Idaho	2	1	1	1	1
Illinois	19	12	1	7	1
Indiana	9	5		4
Iowa	5	3		2
Kansas	4	1	1	3	1
Kentucky	6	2		4
Louisiana	7	1	2	6	2
Maine	2	2		0
Maryland	8	7	1	1	1
Massachusetts	10	10		0
Michigan	15	8	2	7	2
Minnesota	8	5		3
Mississippi	4	3		1
Missouri	9	4		5
Montana	1	0		1
Nebraska	3	0		3
Nevada	3	2	1	1	1
New Hampshire	2	2		0
New Jersey	13	8	1	5	1
New Mexico	3	3	2	0	2
New York	29	26	3	3	3
North Carolina	13	8	1	5	1
North Dakota	1	1		0
Ohio	18	10	3	8	3
Oklahoma	5	1		4
Oregon	5	4		1
Pennsylvania	19	12	1	7	1
Rhode Island	2	2		0
South Carolina	6	2		4
South Dakota	1	1		0
Tennessee	9	5		4
Texas	32	12	1	20	1
Utah	3	1		2
Vermont	1	1		0
Virginia	11	6	3	5	3
Washington	9	6		3
West Virginia	3	2		1
Wisconsin	8	5		3
Wyoming	1	0		1
Total	435	257	21	178	21

^A The number of non-voting members also includes the non-voting member-elect from Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, who is a member of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico, but will caucus with the Democrats. The New Progressive Party is affiliated with both the Democratic and Republican Parties and the last representative from Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, caucused with the Republicans. The vote total for the non-voting members also includes the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico, which has ties to the Democratic Party.

^B Both non-voting independents, American Samoa's representative Eni Faleomavaega and the Northern Mariana Islands' representative-elect Gregorio Sablan, will caucus with the Democrats. In America Samoa all elections are non-partisan.^[9] In the Northern Mariana Islands, Sablan appeared on the ballot as an independent.^[10]

Maps[edit]

• 
  Popular vote by states
• 
  House results shaded by margin
• 
  Net changes to U.S. House seats after the 2008 elections

Retiring incumbents[edit]

Thirty-three incumbents voluntarily retired.^[11]

Democratic incumbents[edit]

All seven seats held by retiring Democrats were won by Democrats.

1. Alabama 5: Bud Cramer: "[T]o spend more time with my family and begin another chapter in my life"^[12]
2. California 12: Tom Lantos: died February 11, 2008, having already announced his planned retirement.
3. Colorado 2: Mark Udall: Ran for and won the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Wayne Allard.
4. Maine 1: Tom Allen: Ran against and lost to Susan Collins in the U.S. Senate election.
5. New Mexico 3: Tom Udall: Ran for and won the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Pete Domenici.
6. New York 21: Michael McNulty: "[I]t's not what I want to do for the rest of my life."^[13]
7. Oregon 5: Darlene Hooley: Because of the "cumulative effect of arduous travel, the relentless demands of fund-raising and 32 years of public service"^[14]

Republican incumbents[edit]

Twenty-seven Republicans retired. Thirteen of their seats were then won by Democrats (see Open seat gains, below).

1. Alabama 2: Terry Everett: Because of age and health^[15]
2. Arizona 1: Rick Renzi: To fight federal criminal charges involving a land-swap deal^[16]
3. California 4: John Doolittle: To fight an FBI corruption investigation^[17]
4. California 52: Duncan Hunter Ran for and lost the race for the Republican nomination for president. Already planned to retire
5. Colorado 6: Tom Tancredo: Ran for and lost the race for the Republican nomination for President
6. Florida 15: Dave Weldon: To return to his medical practice^[18]
7. Illinois 11: Jerry Weller: To spend more time with his family,^[19] amid questions about his Nicaraguan land dealings, his wife's investments, and his relationship to an indicted defense contractor^[20]
8. Illinois 18: Ray LaHood (On December 19, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate LaHood to serve as the next Secretary of Transportation.) He was later confirmed.
9. Kentucky 2: Ron Lewis
10. Louisiana 4: Jim McCrery
11. Minnesota 3: Jim Ramstad
12. Mississippi 3: Chip Pickering
13. Missouri 9: Kenny Hulshof: Ran for and lost the election for governor
14. New Jersey 3: Jim Saxton: Because of age and health^[21]
15. New Jersey 7: Mike Ferguson: To spend more time with his family^[22]
16. New Mexico 1: Heather Wilson: Ran in and lost the Republican primary for New Mexico's open U.S. Senate seat
17. New Mexico 2: Steve Pearce: Ran for and lost the election for New Mexico's open U.S. Senate seat
18. New York 13: Vito Fossella: Amid scandal following a drunk driving arrest which led to revelations of infidelity and a secret family he maintained in Virginia
19. New York 25: Jim Walsh
20. New York 26: Tom Reynolds
21. Ohio 7: Dave Hobson: "I wanted to go out on top"^[23]
22. Ohio 15: Deborah Pryce: To spend more time with her family^[24]
23. Ohio 16: Ralph Regula
24. Pennsylvania 5: John Peterson: To spend more time with his family^[25][26]
25. Puerto Rico's at-large congressional district: Luis Fortuño: Ran for and won the Governorship of Puerto Rico defeating Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá^[27]
26. Virginia 11: Thomas M. Davis: "It's time for me to take a sabbatical"^[28]
27. Wyoming's at-large congressional district: Barbara Cubin^[29]

Defeated incumbents[edit]

Incumbents defeated in primary election[edit]

One Republican lost in a primary and the seat was eventually won by a Democrat. One Democrat lost the primary as did two Republicans. The three primary winners, however, managed to retain the seat for the same party.

1. Maryland 1: Wayne Gilchrest (R), whose seat was later won by a Democrat
2. Maryland 4: Albert Wynn (D), who subsequently resigned May 31, 2008
3. Utah 3: Chris Cannon (R)
4. Tennessee 1: David Davis (R)

Incumbents defeated in general election[edit]

Fourteen Republicans and five Democrats lost their general elections, thereby losing their seats to the other party.

Open seat gains[edit]

Twelve seats (and one delegate's seat) held by retiring Republicans were won by Democrats. No Democratic retirements were picked up by Republicans.

Closest races[edit]

Fifty-two races were decided by 10% or lower.^[31]

Election ratings[edit]

Special elections[edit]

The thirteen special elections to the 110th United States Congress are listed below by election date.

In 2008 there were eight special elections for vacant seats in the United States House of Representatives, for the 110th United States Congress. In the special elections, Democrats gained three seats while keeping hold of five seats. Republicans held only one of their four seats.

Alabama[edit]

Alaska[edit]

American Samoa[edit]

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Arizona[edit]

Arkansas[edit]

California[edit]