List_of_special_elections_to_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives

List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives

List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives

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Below is a list of special elections to the United States House of Representatives. Such elections are called by state governors to fill vacancies that occur when a member of the House of Representatives dies or resigns before the biennial general election. Winners of these elections serve the remainder of the term and are usually candidates in the next general election for their districts.

In the United States, these contests are called "special elections." They are sometimes held on the regular Election Day like regular congressional elections but often they are on different days as determined by local statutes. Despite their name, however, special elections to the U.S. House of Representatives happen often. Furthermore, one published study shows that special elections are explained by the same factors as regular congressional elections.[1] Special elections to the U.S. House have occurred at least once in all states except Iowa and Idaho. A few special elections for territorial delegates to Congress have also been held.

A 2016 study of special elections to the House of Representatives found "that while candidate characteristics affect special election outcomes, presidential approval is predictive of special election outcomes as well. Furthermore, we find that the effect of presidential approval on special election outcomes has increased in magnitude from 1995 to 2014, with the 2002 midterm representing an important juncture in the nationalization of special elections."[1]

List of special elections

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Summary

In a few instances more than one seat was filled in a single special election, but each seat is counted separately in the list below.

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See also

Notes

  1. Congress during which election occurred
  2. For elections prior to 1901, the date of election was not typically recorded, so the date the Representative was seated is provided.
  3. Representative-elect, who served after the start of the Congress but vacated the seat without being sworn in.
  4. Date of election.[2]
  5. Representative-elect, who vacated the seat before the start of the Congress.
  6. Date given for the start of the term, of the person elected at the special election (source: Congressional Biographical Directory). In some cases this is clearly wrong as the date of the legal start of the Congress is given, even though the member was elected at a later date.
  7. MD-7 12th C.: The vacancies, for the remainder of the 11th Congress and the whole of the 12th Congress, were both filled by one ballot. This was the first of three examples of this method being used in Congressional special elections
  8. NY-15 13th C.: Bowers election was challenged by Isaac Williams Jr. (D-R). Williams was seated in place of Bowers December 20, 1813
  9. NH-AL 13th C.: Samuel Smith resigned May 21, 1814 (although the resignation is not mentioned in the Congressional Biographical Directory). At the special election no candidate received the more than 50% of the votes required to be elected. The seat appears to have been left vacant for the remainder of the Congress
  10. NJ-AL 13th C.: Jacob Hufty was elected from the 3rd District, but by the time of the special election the legislature had reinstated at-large elections. This was the second of three cases when the special election was held on a different basis than the general election
  11. Date seated. Election date unknown.
  12. MA-10 18th C.: Bailey had presented credentials as a Member-elect, but the election was contested on the ground that he was not a resident of the district he purported to represent, and the House declared he was not entitled to the seat. He returned to a home in the district and was subsequently elected.[4]
  13. Edward Tattnall, who previously represented Georgia at-large in the U.S. House of Representatives, was re-elected in the First district, but resigned before the beginning of the next Congress
  14. In the 1826 elections, there was a tie vote in the 2nd district, as a result, there was no winner and a second election was held in 1827.
  15. After his initial election, Sutherland resigned.
  16. George W. Towns was installed January 5, 1846, after Representative-elect Washington Poe never took seat.[5]
  17. Died before taking office, necessitating the November 26 special election
  18. Alexander H. Stephens was installed December 1, 1873, after Representative-elect Ambrose R. Wright died before taking seat.[5]
  19. Benjamin Harvey Hill was installed May 5, 1875, after Representative-elect Garnett McMillan died before taking office.[5]
  20. Democrat George A. La Dow was elected, but died before Congress convened.
  21. Congress refused to install Berger, leaving Wisconsin's 5th district vacant for the remainder of the 66th Congress
  22. Died before taking the oath of office
  23. District created following the 1980 census.
  24. Resigned in the 110th Congress, but the special election was not held until the 111th congress
  25. The special election for Georgia's 9th district was scheduled for May 18, 2010, but since no candidate received 50% of the vote, a runoff was held June 8
  26. The two additional special elections were held in states which had not then been re-admitted to representation in Congress, after the Civil War. Those elections were rejected by the House of Representatives.

References

  1. [1]
    Knotts, H. Gibbs; Ragusa, Jordan M. (2016). "The Nationalization of Special Elections for the U.S. House of Representatives". Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties. 26 (1): 22–39. doi:10.1080/17457289.2015.1063497. ISSN 1745-7289. S2CID 216142342.
  2. [2]
    Dubin, Michael J. (1998). United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results. McFarland and Company.
  3. [3]
    "DAVENPORT, James - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov.
  4. [4]
    Bioguide.
  5. [5]
    Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company
  6. [6]
    "Our Campaigns - NY District 7 Special Race - Feb 15, 1949".
  7. [7]
    "Our Campaigns - NY District 20 Special Race - May 17, 1949".
  8. [8]
    "LA District 7 Special Runoff Race".
  9. [9]
    Camia, Catalina; Davis, Susan (November 21, 2012). "Jesse Jackson Jr. to resign from Congress". USA Today. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  10. [10]
    "Tim Murphy resigns from Congress". Politico. October 5, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  11. [11]
    Levy, Adam (November 30, 2018). "North Carolina elections board delays certification of congressional election results again". CNN. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  12. [12]
    Veronica Stracqualursi; Dianne Gallagher; Kate Sullivan (February 21, 2019). "North Carolina elections board votes for new election in congressional race". CNN. Retrieved February 22, 2019.

Sources

  • United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results, by Michael J. Dubin (McFarland and Company, 1998)
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