The 1882 United States House of Representatives elections were held for the most part on November 7, 1882, with five states holding theirs early between June and October. They occurred during President Chester A. Arthur's term. Elections were held for 325 seats of the United States House of Representatives, representing 38 states, to serve in the 48th United States Congress. They were the first elections after reapportionment following the 1880 United States census, increasing the size of the House. Special elections were also held throughout the year.

Quick Facts All 325 seats in the United States House of Representatives 163 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

1882 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1880 November 7, 1882[lower-alpha 1] 1884 →
All 325 seats in the United States House of Representatives 163 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader John G. Carlisle J. Warren Keifer Party Democratic Republican Leader's seat Kentucky 6th Ohio 8th Last election 128 seats 151 seats Seats won 196[1][lower-alpha 2] 117[1][lower-alpha 2] Seat change 68 34 Popular vote 3,968,021 3,376,726 Percentage 48.90% 41.61% Swing 1.22% 3.33%   Third party Fourth party   Party Readjuster Greenback Last election 2 seats[lower-alpha 3] 10 seats Seats won 4[1][lower-alpha 4] 2[1] Seat change 2 8 Popular vote 99,992 248,327 Percentage 1.23% 3.06% Swing 0.61% 2.49%   Fifth party Sixth party   Party Liberal Independent Last election 0 seats 1 seats[lower-alpha 5] Seats won 1[lower-alpha 6] 5[lower-alpha 7][lower-alpha 8] Seat change 1 4 Popular vote 113,789 282,297 Percentage 1.40% 3.48% Swing New 2.38%
Elections results from the 1882 elections
Speaker before election Joseph Keifer Republican Elected Speaker John Carlisle Democratic

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Arthur's Republican Party was badly defeated, losing its majority to the opposition Democratic Party after a campaign that focused on the resistance of Republican leaders to reforming the Spoils system under which government jobs were handed to supporters of winning candidates. After the election, Arthur agreed with the Democrats to pass the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, establishing a professional civil service. However, his actions were too late, as the image of the Republican Party as corrupt was already engrained in the minds of voters.

This would nonetheless be the last occasion a Republican was elected to the House from Florida until 1954,^[2] for the disenfrachisement of almost all blacks in the 1890s would leave that state completely devoid of Republican support until the “Hoovercrat” bolt against Al Smith.^[3] This election also saw the decline of the pro-paper money Greenback Party, and the pick up of several Virginian seats by the Readjuster Party which promoted fiscal responsibility and shunned elitism, though the Virginia-based Readjuster Party all but disappeared following this election and fused with the state Republican Party.^[4]

Following the 1880 census, 32 new seats were apportioned.^[5] Three States lost 1 seat each, 13 States had no change in apportionment, 14 States gained 1 seat each, 6 States gained 2 seats, 1 State gained 4 seats, and 1 State gained 5 seats. Several States that gained one or more seats did not redistrict immediately, electing the new members at-large, while one state (Maine) which lost a member also delayed redistricting, electing all of its members at-large for this Congress only.

More information State, Type ...

State	Type	Total seats		Democratic		Republican		Others
		Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Alabama	District	8		7	1	1		0
Arkansas	District + at-large[lower-alpha 10]	5	1	5	1	0		0
California	District + 2 at-large[lower-alpha 10]	6	2	6	4	0	2	0
Colorado	At-large	1		0		1		0
Connecticut	District	4		3	2	1	2	0
Delaware	At-large	1		1		0		0
Florida	District	2		1		1		0
Georgia	District + at-large[lower-alpha 10]	10	1	10	1	0		0
Illinois	District	20	1	9[lower-alpha 11]	3	11	2	0
Indiana	District	13		10	5	3	5	0
Iowa[lower-alpha 12]	District	11	2	3	2	7	1	1[lower-alpha 13]	1
Kansas	District + 4 at-large[lower-alpha 10]	7	4	0		7	4	0
Kentucky	District	11	1	9[lower-alpha 11]		2	1	0
Louisiana	District	6		5		1		0
Maine[lower-alpha 12]	At-large[lower-alpha 14]	4	1	0		4	1	0	2[lower-alpha 13]
Maryland	District	6		4	1	2	1	0
Massachusetts	District	12	1	3	2	9[lower-alpha 7]	1	0
Michigan	District	11	2	6	6	5	4	0
Minnesota	District	5	2	0		5	2	0
Mississippi	District	7	1	5	1	1	1	1[lower-alpha 15]	1
Missouri	District	14	1	14	6	0	1	0	4[lower-alpha 13]
Nebraska	District[lower-alpha 16]	3	2	0		3	2	0
Nevada	At-large	1		1		0		0
New Hampshire	District	2	1	0		2	1	0
New Jersey	District	7		3		4		0
New York	District + at-large[lower-alpha 10]	34	1	21	1	13	1	0	1[lower-alpha 15]
North Carolina	District + at-large[lower-alpha 10]	9	1	7[lower-alpha 11]		2	1	0
Ohio[lower-alpha 12]	District	21	1	15	10	6	9	0
Oregon[lower-alpha 12]	At-large	1		0		1		0
Pennsylvania	District + at-large[lower-alpha 10]	28	1	12	5	15	3	1[lower-alpha 13]	1
Rhode Island	District	2		0		2		0
South Carolina	District	7	2	6	1	1	1	0
Tennessee	District	10		8	1	2	1	0
Texas	District	11	5	10	5	0		1[lower-alpha 15]	[lower-alpha 17]
Vermont[lower-alpha 12]	District	2	1	0		2	1	0
Virginia	District + at-large[lower-alpha 10]	10	1	6	1	0	2	4[lower-alpha 4]	4[lower-alpha 18]
West Virginia	District	4	1	3		1	1	0
Wisconsin	District	9	1	6	4	3	3	0
Total		325	32	199[1][lower-alpha 19] 61.2%	59	118[1][lower-alpha 7] 36.3%	26	8[1] 2.8%	2

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There were 8 members elected from third parties, 4 from the Virginia-based Readjuster Party, 2 from the declining Greenback Party, and 2 Independents. The previous election of 1880 had had 10 Greenbacks and 1 Independent.

More information House seats by party holding plurality in state, Net gain in party representation ...

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Five states, with 39 seats among them, held elections before the others:

• June 5, 1882: Oregon
• September 5, 1882: Vermont
• September 8, 1882: Maine
• October 10, 1882: Iowa and Ohio

There were four special elections in 1882 during the 47th United States Congress.

Elections are listed by date and district.

Missouri gained one seat in reapportionment. After redistricting and the new elections, the delegation went from 7 Democrats, 4 Greenbacks, and 2 Republicans, to a solid slate of 14 Democrats.

The Liberal Anti-Prohibition Party was formed following the failure of the first statewide referendum on Prohibition in 1881. Throughout most of North Carolina, the moribund Republican Party merged into the new party and scored impressive gains in the 1882 elections. By early 1884, however, the LAP was dissolving, and they are listed here synonymously with the Republican Party.

Wisconsin elected nine members of congress on Election Day, November 7, 1882. One seat was newly added in reapportionment after the 1880 census.^[94][95]