Contents

2020 United States House of Representatives elections

2020 United States House of Representatives elections

← 2018 November 3, 2020 2022 →
← 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 Kevin McCarthy Party Democratic Republican Leader since January 3, 2003 January 3, 2019 Leader's seat California 12th California 23rd Last election 235 seats, 53.4% 200 seats, 44.8% Seats before 232 197 Seats won 222 213 Seat change 13 13 Popular vote 77,122,690[1] 72,466,576[1] Percentage 50.3% 47.2% Swing 3.1% 2.4%
Results:      Democratic hold      Democratic gain      Republican hold      Republican gain
Speaker before election Nancy Pelosi Democratic Elected Speaker Nancy Pelosi Democratic

The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 3, 2020, to elect representatives from all 435 congressional districts across each of the 50 U.S. states to the 117th United States Congress, as well as six non-voting delegates from the District of Columbia and the inhabited U.S. territories. Special House elections were also held on various dates throughout 2020.

In the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections, the Democrats had won 235 seats. Leading up to the 2020 elections, the Democrats were projected by many polls to expand their majority by up to 15 seats due to the unpopularity of then-President Donald Trump. While Democrats ultimately retained control of the House following the 2020 elections, Republicans made a net gain of 14 seats^[2] and the Democrats entered 2021 with a narrow 222–213 House majority.^[3][4] This was the first time since 2004 that the Republican Party made net gains in the House during a presidential election year. This led to Democrats' smallest majority since 1942.

Republicans exceeded expectations in the 2020 House elections, winning back a number of seats that they lost in 2018 while successfully defending competitive seats that Democrats had hoped to flip. No Republican incumbent was defeated for re-election, while 13 incumbent Democrats were ousted by Republicans; also, several successful Democratic candidates won by smaller-than-expected margins. Many have cited Trump's presence on the ballot as having fueled high Republican turnout,^[3][5][6][7] while others have emphasized the Republican Party's efforts to promote their female and minority candidates.^{[8][9][10][11]}

This constitutes the 11th election since the Civil War in which the victorious presidential party lost seats in the House, after the elections of 1868, 1884, 1892, 1896, 1908, 1960, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2016.

Electoral system[edit]

Forty-seven states used the first-past-the-post voting plurality system to elect their representatives. Instant-runoff voting was used in one state (Maine) and runoff system was used in two states (Georgia and Louisiana).

Results summary[edit]

Federal[edit]

The 2020 election results are compared below to the November 2018 election, in which only 434 seats were filled (the election results in one constituency were voided). The results summary below does not include blank and over/under votes which were included in the official results.

Parties		Popular vote			Seats
		Vote	%	Change	2018	2020	+/−	Strength
	Democratic Party	77,122,690	50.3%	–3.1%	235	222	13	51.0%
	Republican Party	72,466,576	47.2%	+2.4%	199	213	14	49.0%
	Libertarian Party	1,100,639	0.7%	–	—	—	—	—
	Independent	431,984	0.3%	–0.2%	—	—	—	—
	Green Party	90,121	0.1%	–0.1%	—	—	—	—
	Constitution Party	77,848	0.1%	–	—	—	—	—
	Other parties	1,982,993	1.3%	+1.3%	—	—	—	—
	Write-ins	158,554	0.1%	+0.1%	—	—	—	—
Totals		153,431,405	100.0%	—	434	435	1	100.0%
Source: [1] Election Statistics – Office of the Clerk

Per states[edit]

State	Total seats	Democratic		Republican
		Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Alabama	7	1		6
Alaska	1	0		1
Arizona	9	5		4
Arkansas	4	0		4
California	53	42	4	11	4
Colorado	7	4		3
Connecticut	5	5		0
Delaware	1	1		0
Florida	27	11	2	16	2
Georgia	14	6	1	8	1
Hawaii	2	2		0
Idaho	2	0		2
Illinois	18	13		5
Indiana	9	2		7
Iowa	4	1	2	3	2
Kansas	4	1		3
Kentucky	6	1		5
Louisiana	6	1		5
Maine	2	2		0
Maryland	8	7		1
Massachusetts	9	9		0
Michigan	14	7		7	1
Minnesota	8	4	1	4	1
Mississippi	4	1		3
Missouri	8	2		6
Montana	1	0		1
Nebraska	3	0		3
Nevada	4	3		1
New Hampshire	2	2		0
New Jersey	12	10	1	2	1
New Mexico	3	2	1	1	1
New York	27	19	2	8	2
North Carolina	13	5	2	8	2
North Dakota	1	0		1
Ohio	16	4		12
Oklahoma	5	0	1	5	1
Oregon	5	4		1
Pennsylvania	18	9		9
Rhode Island	2	2		0
South Carolina	7	1	1	6	1
South Dakota	1	0		1
Tennessee	9	2		7
Texas	36	13		23
Utah	4	0	1	4	1
Vermont	1	1		0
Virginia	11	7		4
Washington	10	7		3
West Virginia	3	0		3
Wisconsin	8	3		5
Wyoming	1	0		1
Total	435	222	13	213	14

Maps[edit]

• 
  Cartogram of results:
  
• 
  Popular vote by states
• 
  Results by margin

Retirements[edit]

36 incumbents did not seek re-election either to retire or to seek other positions.

Democrats[edit]

Nine Democrats did not seek re-election.

1. California 53: Susan Davis retired.
2. Hawaii 2: Tulsi Gabbard retired to run for U.S. president.
3. Indiana 1: Pete Visclosky retired.
4. Iowa 2: Dave Loebsack retired.
5. Massachusetts 4: Joe Kennedy III retired to run for U.S. senator.
6. New Mexico 3: Ben Ray Luján retired to run for U.S. senator.
7. New York 15: José Serrano retired.
8. New York 17: Nita Lowey retired.
9. Washington 10: Denny Heck retired to run for lieutenant governor of Washington.

Libertarians[edit]

One Libertarian did not seek re-election.

1. Michigan 3: Justin Amash retired.

Republicans[edit]

26 Republicans did not seek re-election.

Resignations[edit]

Four incumbents resigned in 2020, all of them Republicans, with no special elections to fill the vacant seats before the November election.

Republicans[edit]

1. California 50: Duncan Hunter resigned January 13 after pleading guilty to one count of misusing campaign funds. Seat won by Republican Darrell Issa.^[12]
2. Georgia 14: Tom Graves resigned October 4; he had initially planned to retire at the end of the term. Seat won by Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene.^[13]
3. North Carolina 11: Mark Meadows resigned March 30 to become White House Chief of Staff. Seat won by Republican Madison Cawthorn.^[14]
4. Texas 4: John Ratcliffe resigned May 22 to become Director of National Intelligence. Seat won by Republican Pat Fallon.^[15]

Incumbents defeated[edit]

In primary elections[edit]

Eight incumbents lost renomination in 2020, the most in a non-redistricting year since 1974.^[16]

Democrats[edit]

Three Democrats lost renomination.

1. Illinois 3: Dan Lipinski lost renomination to Marie Newman, who went on to win the general election.^[17]
2. Missouri 1: Lacy Clay lost renomination to Cori Bush, who went on to win the general election.^[18]
3. New York 16: Eliot Engel lost renomination to Jamaal Bowman, who went on to win the general election.^[19]

Republicans[edit]

Five Republicans lost renomination.

1. Colorado 3: Scott Tipton lost renomination to Lauren Boebert, won the general election.^[20]
2. Florida 15: Ross Spano lost renomination to Scott Franklin, who won the general election.^[21]
3. Iowa 4: Steve King lost renomination to Randy Feenstra, who won the general election.^[22]
4. Kansas 2: Steve Watkins lost renomination to Jake LaTurner, won the general election.^[23]
5. Virginia 5: Denver Riggleman lost renomination in a district convention to Bob Good, who won the general election.^[24]

In general elections[edit]

Democrats[edit]

Thirteen Democrats, twelve of whom were freshmen, lost re-election to Republicans.

1. California 21: TJ Cox (first elected in 2018) lost to David Valadao.
2. California 39: Gil Cisneros (first elected in 2018) lost to Young Kim.
3. California 48: Harley Rouda (first elected in 2018) lost to Michelle Steel.
4. Florida 26: Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (first elected in 2018) lost to Carlos Giménez.
5. Florida 27: Donna Shalala (first elected in 2018) lost to Maria Elvira Salazar.
6. Iowa 1: Abby Finkenauer (first elected in 2018) lost to Ashley Hinson.
7. Minnesota 7: Collin Peterson (first elected in 1990) lost to Michelle Fischbach.
8. New Mexico 2: Xochitl Torres Small (first elected in 2018) lost to Yvette Herrell.
9. New York 11: Max Rose (first elected in 2018) lost to Nicole Malliotakis.
10. New York 22: Anthony Brindisi (first elected in 2018) lost to Claudia Tenney.
11. Oklahoma 5: Kendra Horn (first elected in 2018) lost to Stephanie Bice.
12. South Carolina 1: Joe Cunningham (first elected in 2018) lost to Nancy Mace.
13. Utah 4: Ben McAdams (first elected in 2018) lost to Burgess Owens.

Republicans[edit]

No Republicans lost re-election.

Open seats that changed parties[edit]

Democratic seats won by Republicans[edit]

One Democratic seat was won by a Republican.

1. Iowa 2: Won by Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

Libertarian seats won by Republicans[edit]

One Libertarian seat was won by a Republican.

1. Michigan 3: Won by Peter Meijer.

Republican seats won by Democrats[edit]

Three Republican seats were won by Democrats.

1. Georgia 7: Won by Carolyn Bourdeaux.
2. North Carolina 2: Won by Deborah K. Ross.
3. North Carolina 6: Won by Kathy Manning.

Open seats that parties held[edit]

Closest races[edit]

Seventy-seven races were decided by 10% or lower.

Election ratings[edit]

Special elections[edit]

There were five special elections in 2020 to the 116th United States Congress, listed here by date and district.

Election dates[edit]

These are the election dates for the regularly scheduled general elections.

Alabama[edit]

District		Incumbent			This race
Location	PVI	Member	Party	First elected	Results	Candidates[34][35]
Alabama 1	R+15	Bradley Byrne	Republican	2013 (special)	Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator. Republican hold.	▌Y Jerry Carl (Republican) 64.4% ▌James Averhart (Democratic) 35.5%
Alabama 2	R+16	Martha Roby	Republican	2010	Incumbent retired. Republican hold.	▌Y Barry Moore (Republican) 65.2% ▌Phyllis Harvey-Hall (Democratic) 34.7%
Alabama 3	R+16	Mike D. Rogers	Republican	2002	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Mike D. Rogers (Republican) 67.5% ▌Adia Winfrey (Democratic) 32.5%
Alabama 4	R+30	Robert Aderholt	Republican	1996	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Robert Aderholt (Republican) 82.2% ▌Rick Neighbors (Democratic) 17.7%
Alabama 5	R+18	Mo Brooks	Republican	2010	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Mo Brooks (Republican) 95.8%
Alabama 6	R+26	Gary Palmer	Republican	2014	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Gary Palmer (Republican) 97.1%
Alabama 7	D+20	Terri Sewell	Democratic	2010	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Terri Sewell (Democratic) 97.2%

Alaska[edit]