The 1920 United States House of Representatives elections were elections for the United States House of Representatives to elect members to serve in the 67th United States Congress. They were held for the most part on November 2, 1920, while Maine held its on September 13. They coincided with the election of President Warren G. Harding, the first time that women in all states were allowed to vote in federal elections after the passage of the 19th Amendment.

Quick Facts All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives 218 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

1920 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1918 November 2, 1920[lower-alpha 1] 1922 →
All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives 218 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Frederick Gillett Champ Clark (lost re-election) Party Republican Democratic Leader since May 19, 1919 March 4, 1909 Leader's seat Massachusetts 2nd Missouri 9th (lost re-election) Last election 240 seats 192 seats Seats won 303[lower-alpha 2] 131 Seat change 63 61 Popular vote 14,803,673 8,903,730 Percentage 58.82% 35.38% Swing 5.56% 7.77%   Third party Fourth party   Party Socialist Prohibition Last election 1 seat 1 seat Seats won 1 0 Seat change 1 Popular vote 648,577 176,811 Percentage 2.58% 0.70% Swing 0.64% 0.25%   Fifth party   Party Independent Last election 1 seat Seats won 1[lower-alpha 3] Seat change
Results:      Democratic hold      Democratic gain      Republican hold      Republican gain      Socialist gain      Independent gain
Speaker before election Frederick Gillett Republican Elected Speaker Frederick Gillett Republican

Close

The incumbent Democratic administration of Woodrow Wilson lost popularity after the conclusion of World War I in 1918, as American voters hoped to return to isolationism and avoid military conflict in the future. Heedless of the prevailing national mood, Wilson advocated American leadership in a new international order under the League of Nations, alienated voters of German and Irish ancestry, and constantly struggled with a Congress controlled by the opposition Republican Party. Harding and the Republicans promised a new start for the nation and a disassociation from Europe's political troubles that most voters found appealing. As a result, the Republicans picked up 63 seats in the House of Representatives, with most of the gains coming from Democratic-leaning districts in the big industrial cities and the border states. Many of these districts elected Republican representatives for the only time in decades, and House Democratic leader Champ Clark was among those who lost reelection. Although the South remained solidly Democratic for the most part, the Republicans secured more than 90% of the seats outside the South, which gave them their largest majority of the 20th century and as of 2023, their greatest number of seats ever. The 67th Congress is the most recent in which the Republican Party won greater than a two-thirds majority of seats in either chamber.

Source: Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk