The 1880 United States House of Representatives elections were held for the most part on November 2, 1880, with five states holding theirs early between June and October. They coincided with the 1880 presidential election which was won by James A. Garfield, who was a member of the House at the time. Elections were held for 293 seats of the United States House of Representatives, representing 38 states, to serve in the 47th United States Congress. This was the first time that every state held their regular House elections on or before Election Day. Special elections were also held throughout the year.

Quick Facts All 293 seats in the United States House of Representatives 147 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

1880 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1878 & 1879 June 1, 1880 – November 2, 1880 1882 →
All 293 seats in the United States House of Representatives 147 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Joseph Keifer Samuel Randall Party Republican Democratic Leader's seat Ohio 4th Pennsylvania 3rd Last election 132 seats 141 seats Seats won 151[1][lower-alpha 1] 128[1][lower-alpha 1] Seat change 19 13 Popular vote 4,080,609 4,330,113 Percentage 44.94% 47.68% Swing 5.38% 3.48%   Third party Fourth party   Party Greenback Readjuster Last election 13 seats 0 seats Seats won 10[1][lower-alpha 1] 2[2] Seat change 3 2 Popular vote 504,097 56,058 Percentage 5.55% 0.62% Swing 6.74% New   Fifth party   Party Independent Last election 7 seats[lower-alpha 2] Seats won 2[lower-alpha 3] Seat change 5 Popular vote 99,511 Percentage 1.10% Swing 1.65%
Results      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      Independent gain      Independent hold      Greenback gain      Greenback hold      Readjuster gain
Speaker before election Samuel Randall Democratic Elected Speaker Joseph Keifer Republican

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Issues such as Civil War loyalties, tariffs, graft and corruption dominated the year's elections, though none became substantive a national issue. The economy was growing stronger after emerging from a long Depression. It was in this political environment that Garfield's Republican Party gained 19 seats and regained control of the House from the Democratic Party. The Greenback Party, an emerging party of workers and farmers, also lost seats in these elections, after gaining more than a dozen two years earlier.^[3][4]

In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors.^[5] 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 1880, no states held their elections after Election Day for the first time (California was the last state to hold late elections, in 1878). But 5 states, with 35 seats among them, held their elections before the rest of the states:

• June 1 Texas
• June 7 Oregon
• September 7 Vermont
• September 13 Maine
• October 12 Ohio

Maine held elections for its five members on September 13, 1880.