The 1898 United States House of Representatives elections were held for the most part on November 8, 1898, with Oregon, Maine, and Vermont holding theirs early in either June or September. They were held during the middle of President William McKinley's first term. Elections were held for 357 seats of the United States House of Representatives, representing 45 states, to serve in the 56th United States Congress. Special elections were also held throughout the year.

Quick Facts All 357 seats in the United States House of Representatives 179 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

1898 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1896 June 6, September 6, September 12, and November 8, 1898[lower-alpha 1] 1900 →
All 357 seats in the United States House of Representatives 179 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader David Henderson James Richardson Party Republican Democratic Leader since March 4, 1899 March 4, 1899 Leader's seat Iowa 3rd Tennessee 5th Last election 206 seats 124 seats Seats won 187[1] 161[1] Seat change 19 37 Popular vote 5,305,230 4,828,592 Percentage 48.55% 44.18% Swing 0.22% 3.19%   Third party Fourth party   Party Populist Silver Republican Last election 22 2 Seats won 5[1] 2[1] Seat change 17 Popular vote 463,059 60,805 Percentage 4.24% 0.56% Swing 2.62% 0.46%   Fifth party Sixth party   Party Silver Independent Last election 1 1 Seats won 1[1] 1[lower-alpha 2] Seat change Popular vote 5,766 96,537 Percentage 0.05% 0.88% Swing 0.31%
Speaker before election Thomas Reed Republican Elected Speaker David Henderson Republican

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As in many midterm elections, the President's Republican Party lost seats, but was able to hold a majority over the Democratic Party. The Populist Party also lost many seats, as their movement began to decline. This was likely because many Populists rallied behind William Jennings Bryan's increasingly powerful branch of the Democratic Party, which built the rural economic issues advocated by Populists into their platform. As a result, the Democrats won a number of Western seats as well many in the Mid-Atlantic.

More information State, Type ...

State	Type	Total seats	Democratic		Populist		Republican		Silver/ Silver Rep.
			Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Alabama	District	9	8	1	0	1	1		0
Arkansas	District	6	6		0		0		0
California	District	7	1	1	0	2	6	3	0
Colorado	District	2	0		1		0		1[lower-alpha 4]
Connecticut	District	4	0		0		4		0
Delaware	At-large	1	0	1	0		1	1	0
Florida	District	2	2		0		0		0
Georgia	District	11	11		0		0		0
Idaho	At-large	1	0		0	1	0		1[lower-alpha 4]	1
Illinois	District	22	8	3	0		14	3	0
Indiana	District	13	4		0		9		0
Iowa	District	11	0		0		11		0
Kansas	District +at-large	8	0		1	5	7	5	0
Kentucky	District	11	9	2	0		2	2	0
Louisiana	District	6	6		0		0		0
Maine	District	4	0		0		4		0
Maryland	District	6	2	2	0		4	2	0
Massachusetts	District	13	3	2	0		10	2	0
Michigan	District	12	0	2	0		12	2	0
Minnesota	District	7	0		0		7		0
Mississippi	District	7	7		0		0		0
Missouri	District	15	12		0		3		0
Montana	At-large	1	1	1	0		0		0	1
Nebraska	District	6	1	1	3	1	2		0
Nevada	At-large	1	0		0		0		1
New Hampshire	District	2	0		0		2		0
New Jersey	District	8	2	2	0		6	2	0
New York	District	34	18	12	0		16	12	0
North Carolina	District	9	5	4	1[lower-alpha 5]	4	3	1	0
North Dakota	At-large	1	0		0		1		0
Ohio	District	21	6		0		15		0
Oregon	District	2	0		0		2		0
Pennsylvania	District +2 at-large	30	10	7	0		20	7	0
Rhode Island	District	2	0		0		2		0
South Carolina	District	7	7		0		0		0
South Dakota	At-large	2	0		0	2	2	2	0
Tennessee	District	10	8		0		2		0
Texas	District	13	12		0		1		0
Utah	At-large	1	1		0		0		0
Vermont	District	2	0		0		2		0
Virginia	District	10	10	4	0		0	4	0
Washington	At-large	2	0	1	0		2	2	0	1
West Virginia	District	4	1	1	0		3	1	0
Wisconsin	District	10	0		0		10		0
Wyoming	At-large	1	0	1	0		1	1	0
Total		357	161 45.1%	37	6[lower-alpha 5] 1.7%	16	187 52.4%	20	3[lower-alpha 6] 0.8%	1

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The previous elections of 1896 saw the election of 24 Populists, 2 Silver Republicans, and a Silver Party member.

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

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All the states held their elections November 8, 1898, except for 3 states, with 8 seats among them:

• June 6: Oregon
• September 6: Vermont
• September 12: Maine

Wisconsin elected ten members of congress on Election Day, November 8, 1898.^[37][38]

• 1898 United States elections
  • 1898–99 United States Senate elections
• 55th United States Congress
• 56th United States Congress