The 1868–69 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 1, 1868, and August 2, 1869. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before or after the first session of the 41st United States Congress convened on March 4, 1869. They coincided with the 1868 United States presidential election, which was won by Ulysses S. Grant. Elections were held for all 243 seats, representing 37 states. All of the former Confederate states were represented in Congress for the first time since they seceded from the Union.

Quick Facts All 243 seats in the United States House of Representatives 122 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

1868–69 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1866 & 1867 June 1, 1868 – August 2, 1869[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] 1870 & 1871 →
All 243[lower-alpha 3] seats in the United States House of Representatives 122 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader James Blaine Michael Kerr Party Republican Democratic Leader's seat Maine 3rd Indiana 3rd Last election 175 seats 47 seats Seats won 171 67 Seat change 4 20 Popular vote 3,050,307 2,598,042 Percentage 51.81% 44.13% Swing 3.55% 3.44%   Third party Fourth party   Party Conservative Independent Last election 2 seats 2 seats Seats won 5 0 Seat change 3 2 Popular vote 187,553 58,332 Percentage 3.19% 0.99% Swing 1.19% 0.77%
Map of U.S. House elections results from 1868 elections for 41st Congress
Speaker before election Theodore M. Pomeroy Republican Elected Speaker James Blaine Republican

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The Democrats gained 20 seats, but Grant's Republican Party retained a commanding majority in the Reconstruction era following the American Civil War, holding onto a firm legitimacy through an association with victory. As more Southern states exited Reconstruction, more Democratic seats appeared in the South. However, Democratic gains in the South were limited, as the Republican power-brokers of Reconstruction held a great deal of influence. The small Conservative Party of Virginia also picked up several seats in Virginia, as it had support among wealthy Southern leaders who wanted to increase the region's power.

Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia were readmitted during this Congress, leaving Congress without vacant State delegations for the first time since 1860. Georgia had been partially readmitted in the previous Congress, but was not initially admitted to the 41st Congress. With Georgia's final readmission in 1870, all former Confederate states were once more represented in Congress.

More information State, Type ...

State	Type	Total seats	Democratic		Conservative		Republican
			Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Alabama[lower-alpha 5]	District	6	2	2	0		4	2
Arkansas	District	3	1	1	0		2	1
California	District	3	2		0		1
Connecticut[lower-alpha 5]	District	4	1	2	0		3	2
Delaware	At-large	1	1		0		0
Florida[lower-alpha 6]	At-large	1	0		0		1
Georgia[lower-alpha 7]	District	7[lower-alpha 8]	4	2	0		3	1
Illinois	District + 1 at-large	14	4	1	0		10	1
Indiana[lower-alpha 6]	District	11	4	1	0		7	1
Iowa[lower-alpha 6]	District	6	0		0		6
Kansas	At-large	1	0		0		1
Kentucky	District	9[lower-alpha 8]	9	2	0		0	1
Louisiana	District	5	0	1	0		5	1
Maine[lower-alpha 6]	District	5	0		0		5
Maryland	District	5	5	2	0	1	0	1
Massachusetts	District	10	0		0		10
Michigan	District	6	0		0		6
Minnesota	District	2	1	1	0		1	1
Mississippi[lower-alpha 7]	District	5	0		0		5	5
Missouri	District	9	2	1	0		7	1
Nebraska[lower-alpha 6]	At-large	1	0		0		1
Nevada	At-large	1	0		0		1
New Hampshire[lower-alpha 5]	District	3	0		0		3
New Jersey	District	5	3	1	0		2	1
New York	District	31	12	2	0		19	2
North Carolina	District	7	1	1	0	1	6
Ohio[lower-alpha 6]	District	19	6	3	0		13	3
Oregon[lower-alpha 6]	At-large	1	1	1	0		0	1
Pennsylvania[lower-alpha 6]	District	24	6		0		18
Rhode Island	District	2	0		0		2
South Carolina	District	4	0		0		4
Tennessee	District	8	0		0		8
Texas[lower-alpha 7]	District	4	1	1	0		3	3
Vermont[lower-alpha 6]	District	3	0		0		3
Virginia[lower-alpha 7]	District	8	0		5	5	3	3
West Virginia[lower-alpha 6]	District	3	0		0		3
Wisconsin	District	6	1		0		5
Total[lower-alpha 3]		243	67 27.6%	22	5 2.1%	3	171 70.4%	6

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Mississippi held rejected elections on July 1, 1868. New (accepted) elections were held December 1, 1869.

In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing presidential electors. 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 that date. 1868 was the first year in which the majority of States (20 of 37) held their elections on that date. There were still 9 states which held elections before that date and 4 that held regular elections after that date, in addition to 4 readmitted states that held elections after that date.

• Early dates (1868):
  • June 1: Oregon
  • September 1: Vermont
  • September 14: Maine
  • October 13: Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania
  • October 22: West Virginia
• ▌Late dates (regular elections):
  • December 29, 1868: Florida
  • March 9, 1869: New Hampshire
  • April 5, 1869: Connecticut
  • August 2, 1869: Alabama
• Readmitted states:
  • July 6, 1869: Virginia
  • December 1, 1869: Mississippi (also held elections to the 42nd Congress on the same day)
  • December 3, 1868: Texas
  • December 20–22, 1870: Georgia

There were special elections in 1868 and 1869 to the 40th United States Congress and 41st United States Congress.

Special elections are sorted by date then district.

Quick Facts All 3 seats, Majority party ...

California elections

← 1867 November 3, 1868 1871 →
All 3 seats
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 2 1 Seats won 2 1 Seat change Popular vote 54,548 53,873 Percentage 50.3% 49.7%
Democratic hold   Republican hold

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California's delegation remained at two Democrats and one Republican.

See non-voting delegates, below.

See non-voting delegates, below.

Quick Facts Florida's single seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Majority party ...

United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 1868^[8]

← 1865 May 5, 1868 and December 29, 1868 1870 →
Florida's single seat in the U.S. House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party Third party   Party Republican Democratic Independent Seats won 1 0 0 Popular vote 14,108 7,915 2,276 Percentage 58.1% 32.6% 9.4%

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Florida had been unrepresented in Congress since January 21, 1861, when its sole member and both senators withdrew from Congress following the secession of Florida from the Union. Following the end of the Civil War, an election had been held in 1865, but it was rejected by Congress. In 1868, Congress readmitted Florida following Reconstruction.

See non-voting delegates, below.

See non-voting delegates, below.

See non-voting delegates, below.

See non-voting delegates, below.

See non-voting delegates, below.

Wisconsin elected six members of congress on Election Day, November 3, 1868.^[41]

• 1868 United States elections
  • 1868 United States presidential election
  • 1868–69 United States Senate elections
• 40th United States Congress
• 41st United States Congress