1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections explained

The 1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 6, 1870, and October 6, 1871. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before or after the first session of the 42nd United States Congress convened on March 4, 1871. They occurred in the middle of President Ulysses S. Grant's first term. Elections were held for all 243 seats, representing 37 states.

With Grant's administration rocked by a number of scandals (including a shady deal for gold speculation that led to a crash in the market and several business deals that saw highranking governmental officials gain kickbacks) and Reconstruction winding down, his Republican Party lost seats to the opposition Democratic Party but retained an overall majority. Also, since white-supremacist governments controlled by the Democratic Party were reestablishing themselves in some portions of the Southern United States, the Democrats were able to make huge gains in this election.

Election summaries

↓

104	139
Democratic	Republican

State	Type	Total seats	Democratic	Republican
				Seats		Change		Seats		Change
Mississippi	District	5		0				5
Alabama	District	6		3		1		3		1
Arkansas	District	3		1				2
California	District	3		0		2		3		2
Connecticut	District	4		1				3
Delaware	At-large	1		1				0
Florida	At-large	1		1		1		0		1
Georgia	District	7		4				3
Illinois	District + 1 at-large	14		6		2		8		2
Indiana	District	11		5		1		6		1
Iowa	District	6		0				6
Kansas	At-large	1		0				1
Kentucky	District	9		9				0
Louisiana	District	5		0				5
Maine	District	5		0				5
Maryland	District	5		5				0
Massachusetts	District	10		0				10
Michigan	District	6		1		1		5		1
Minnesota	District	2		0		1		2		1
Missouri	District	9		4		2		5		2
Nebraska	At-large	1		0				1
Nevada	At-large	1		1		1		0		1
New Hampshire	District	3		3		3		0		3
New Jersey	District	5		2		1		3		1
New York	District	31		16		3		15		3
North Carolina	District	7		5		4		2		4
Ohio	District	19		5		1		14		1
Oregon	At-large	1		1				0
Pennsylvania	District	24		11		3		13		3
Rhode Island	District	2		0				2
South Carolina	District	4		0				4
Tennessee	District	8		6		6		2		6
Texas	District	4		4		3		0		3
Vermont	District	3		0				3
Virginia	District	8		5		5		3
West Virginia	District	3		2		2		1		2
Wisconsin	District	6		2		1		4		1
Total		243		104		37		139		32

The previous election included 5 Conservatives

Election dates

In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors.^[1] 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 1870, there remained 12 States that held elections before Election Day, and 4 that held it after at this time:

• Early elections:
  • December 1, 1869: Mississippi (Mississippi was a special case, having held elections for both the 41st Congress upon readmission and for the 42nd Congress on the same day)
  • June 6: Oregon
  • August 4: North Carolina
  • September 6: Vermont
  • September 12: Maine
  • October 11: Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania
  • October 25: West Virginia
  • November 1: South Carolina
• Late elections:
  • March 14, 1871: New Hampshire
  • April 4, 1871: Connecticut
  • August 6, 1871: Montana Territory
  • September 6, 1871: California
  • October 6, 1871: Texas

Special elections

|-! |-! |-! |-! | Benjamin F. Hopkins| | Republican| 1866| | Incumbent died January 1, 1870.
New member elected February 15, 1870.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|}

Alabama

See also: List of United States representatives from Alabama.

Arizona Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Arkansas

See also: List of United States representatives from Arkansas.

|-! | Logan Roots| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent lost re-election.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | Anthony A. C. Rogers| | Democratic| 1868| | Incumbent lost re-election.
Republican gain.| nowrap | |-! | Thomas Boles| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent lost re-election.
Liberal Republican gain.| nowrap |

|}

California

See main article: 1871 United States House of Representatives elections in California.

See also: List of United States representatives from California.

|-! | Samuel Beach Axtell| | Democratic| 1867| | Incumbent retired.
Republican gain.| nowrap | |-! | Aaron A. Sargent| | Republican| 1868| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | James A. Johnson| | Democratic| 1867| | Incumbent retired.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|}

Colorado Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Connecticut

See also: List of United States representatives from Alabama.

|-! | Julius L. Strong| | 1869| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Stephen Kellogg| | 1869| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Henry H. Starkweather| | 1867| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | William Barnum| | 1867| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Dakota Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Delaware

See also: List of United States representatives from Delaware.

District of Columbia

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Florida

See main article: 1870 United States House of Representatives election in Florida.

See also: List of United States representatives from Florida.

|-! | Charles M. Hamilton| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent retired.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|}

Niblack subsequently successfully challenged Walls's election and was seated from Florida's at-large district on January 29, 1873.^[3]

Georgia

See also: List of United States representatives from Georgia.

Idaho Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Illinois

See also: List of United States representatives from Illinois.

Indiana

See also: List of United States representatives from Indiana.

Iowa

See also: List of United States representatives from Iowa.

Kansas

See also: List of United States representatives from Kansas.

Kentucky

See also: List of United States representatives from Kentucky.

Louisiana

See also: List of United States representatives from Louisiana.

Maine

See also: List of United States representatives from Maine.

Maryland

See also: List of United States representatives from Maryland.

Massachusetts

See also: List of United States representatives from Massachusetts.

Michigan

See also: List of United States representatives from Michigan.

Minnesota

See also: List of United States representatives from Minnesota.

Missouri

See also: List of United States representatives from Missouri.

Montana Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Nebraska

See also: List of United States representatives from Nebraska. |-! | John Taffe| | Republican| 1866| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Nevada

See also: List of United States representatives from Nevada.

New Hampshire

See also: List of United States representatives from New Hampshire.

New Jersey

See also: List of United States representatives from New Jersey.

New York

See also: List of United States representatives from New York.

North Carolina

See also: List of United States representatives from North Carolina.

New Mexico Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Ohio

See also: List of United States representatives from Ohio.

|-! | Peter W. Strader| | Democratic| 1868| | Incumbent retired.
Republican gain.| nowrap | |-! | Job E. Stevenson| | Republican| 1868| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Robert C. Schenck| | Republican| 1862| | Incumbent lost re-election.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | William Lawrence| | Republican| 1864| | Incumbent retired.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | William Mungen| | Democratic| 1866| | Incumbent retired.
Democratic hold.| nowrap | |-! | John Armstrong Smith| | Republican| 1868| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | James J. Winans| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent lost renomination.
Republican hold.| nowrap | |-! | John Beatty| | Republican| 1868 | Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Edward F. Dickinson| | Democratic| 1868| | Incumbent lost re-election.
Republican gain.| nowrap | |-! | Erasmus D. Peck| | Republican| 1870 | Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | John Thomas Wilson| | Republican| 1866| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Philadelph Van Trump| | Democratic| 1866| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | George W. Morgan| | Democratic| 1868| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Martin Welker| | Republican| 1864| | Incumbent retired.
Republican hold.| nowrap | |-! | Eliakim H. Moore| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent retired.
Republican hold.| nowrap | |-! | John Bingham| | Republican| 1864| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Jacob A. Ambler| | Republican| 1868| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | William H. Upson| | Republican| 1868| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | James A. Garfield| | Republican| 1862| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Oregon

See also: List of United States representatives from Oregon.

Pennsylvania

See also: List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania.

Rhode Island

See also: List of United States representatives from Rhode Island.

South Carolina

See also: List of United States representatives from South Carolina.

Tennessee

See also: List of United States representatives from Tennessee.

|-! | Roderick R. Butler| | Republican| 1867| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Horace Maynard| | Republican| 1865| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | William B. Stokes| | Republican| 1865| |Incumbent lost re-election.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | Lewis Tillman| | Republican| 1868| |Incumbent retired.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | William F. Prosser| | Republican| 1868| |Incumbent lost re-election.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | Samuel M. Arnell| | Republican| 1865| |Incumbent retired.
Democratic gain.| |-! | Isaac R. Hawkins| | Republican| 1865| |Incumbent retired.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | William J. Smith| | Republican| 1868| |Incumbent lost re-election.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|}

Texas

See also: List of United States representatives from Texas.

Utah Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Vermont

See also: List of United States representatives from Vermont. |-! | Charles W. Willard| | Republican| 1868| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|-! | Luke P. Poland| | Republican| 1866| Incumbent re-elected| nowrap |

|-! | Worthington C. Smith| | Republican| 1866| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap |

|}

Virginia

See also: List of United States representatives from Virginia.

|-! | Richard S. Ayer| | 1869| | Incumbent retired.
Conservative gain.| nowrap | |-! | James H. Platt Jr.| | 1869| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Charles H. Porter| | 1869| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | George Booker| | Conservative| 1869| | Incumbent retired.
Republican gain.| nowrap | |-! | Richard T. W. Duke| | Conservative| 1870 (special)| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | William Milnes Jr.| | Conservative| 1869| | Incumbent retired.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | Lewis McKenzie| | Conservative| 1869| | Incumbent lost re-election as a Republican.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | James K. Gibson| | Conservative| 1869| | Incumbent retired.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |}

Washington Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

West Virginia

See also: List of United States representatives from West Virginia.

|-! | Isaac H. Duval| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent retired.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | James McGrew| | Republican| 1868| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | John Witcher| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent lost re-election.
Democratic gain.| nowrap |

|}

Wisconsin

See also: List of United States representatives from Wisconsin. Wisconsin elected six members of congress on Election Day, November 8, 1870.

|-! | Halbert E. Paine| | Republican| 1864| | Incumbent retired.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | David Atwood| | Republican| 1870 | | Incumbent retired.
Republican hold.| nowrap | |-! | Amasa Cobb| | Republican| 1862| | Incumbent retired.
Republican hold.| nowrap | |-! | Charles A. Eldredge| | Democratic| 1862| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Philetus Sawyer| | Republican| 1864| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Cadwallader C. Washburn| | Republican| 1866| | Incumbent retired.
Republican hold.| nowrap |

|}

Wyoming Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Non-voting delegates

See also: Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives.

|-! | Richard C. McCormick| | Republican| 1869| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Allen A. Bradford| | Republican| 1868| | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost renomination.
Republican hold.| nowrap | |-! | Solomon L. Spink| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent lost re-election as a Democrat.
Independent Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | colspan=3 | New district| | New seat.
New delegate elected in 1871.
Republican gain.| nowrap | |-! | Jacob K. Shafer| | Democratic| 1868| | Incumbent lost renomination.
Democratic hold.|nowrap | |-! | James M. Cavanaugh| | Democratic| 1859
1861
1868| | Incumbent lost renomination.
New delegate elected August 7, 1871.
Republican gain.| nowrap | |-! | José F. Chaves| | Republican| 1868| | Incumbent lost re-election.
Democratic gain.| nowrap | |-! | William H. Hooper| | Democratic| 1864| Incumbent re-elected.| nowrap | |-! | Selucius Garfielde| | Republican| 1868| Incumbent re-elected June 6, 1870.| nowrap | |-! | Stephen F. Nuckolls| | Democratic| 1869| | Incumbent retired.
Republican gain.| nowrap |

|}

See also

• 1870 United States elections
  • 1870–71 United States Senate elections
• 41st United States Congress
• 42nd United States Congress

Bibliography

• Book: Dubin, Michael J. . United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses . McFarland and Company . March 1, 1998 . 978-0786402830.
• Book: Martis, Kenneth C. . The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989 . Macmillan Publishing Company . January 1, 1989 . 978-0029201701.
• Book: John L. . Moore . Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections . Congressional Quarterly Inc. . Third . 1994 . 978-0871879967.
• Web site: Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present . Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives . January 21, 2015.

External links

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

Notes and References

1. Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721.
2. Initial result, Democratic candidate successfully challenged Republican victory
3. Web site: Forty-Second Congress (membership roster) . June 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130309234550/http://artandhistory.house.gov/house_history/bioguide-front/42.pdf . March 9, 2013 . dead .