1872–73 United States House of Representatives elections
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 292 seats in the United States House of Representatives 147 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Map of U.S. House elections results from 1872 elections for 43rd Congress | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The 1872–73 United States House of Representatives elections, coincided with the re-election of United States President Ulysses S. Grant.
Grant's Republican Party increased its majority greatly, partly at the expense of the opposition Democratic Party and partly by adding 49 new seats to the House. The pro-industry outlook of the Republicans appealed to many Northern voters, especially as the post-war economy exploded, and this allowed the party to flourish as the Industrial Revolution grew more widespread. The Republicans also benefited from a continuing association with Civil War victory as well as disarray amongst Democratic leadership.
Election summaries
Following the 1870 Census, the House was reapportioned, initially adding 40 seats, followed by a subsequent amendment to the apportionment act adding another seat to 9 states, resulting in a total increase of 49 seats. No states lost seats, 10 states had no change, 13 states gained 1 seat each, 9 states gained 2 seats, 3 states gained 3 seats, 1 State gained 4 seats, and 1 State gained 5 seats. Prior to the supplemental act, two states (New Hampshire and Vermont) had each lost 1 seat. This was the first reapportionment after the repeal of the three-fifths compromise by the 14th Amendment.
89 | 203 |
Democratic | Republican |
State | Type | Total seats | Democratic | Republican | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seats | Change | Seats | Change | Seats | Change | ||
Alabama | District + 2 at-large |
8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
Arkansas | District + at-large |
4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
California | District | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
Connecticut | District | 4 | 1 | 3 | |||
Delaware | At-large | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Florida | At-large | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
Georgia | District | 9 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Illinois | District | 19 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 6 |
Indiana | District + 3 at-large |
13 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 4 |
Iowa | District | 9 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 3 | |
Kansas | At-large | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
Kentucky | District | 10 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | |
Louisiana | District + 1 at-large |
6 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
Maine | District | 5 | 0 | 5 | |||
Maryland | District | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Massachusetts | District | 11 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
Michigan | District | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
Minnesota | District | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
Mississippi | District | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
Missouri | District | 13 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Nebraska | At-large | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||
Nevada | At-large | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||
New Hampshire | District | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
New Jersey | District | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
New York | District + 1 at-large |
33 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 24 | 9 |
North Carolina | District | 8 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | |
Ohio | District | 20 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 14 | |
Oregon | At-large | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Pennsylvania | District + 3 at-large |
27 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 22 | 9 |
Rhode Island | District | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||
South Carolina | District + 1 at-large |
5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
Tennessee | District + 1 at-large |
10 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 |
Texas | District + 2 at-large |
6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Vermont | District | 3 | 0 | 3 | |||
Virginia | District | 9 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
West Virginia | District | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||
Wisconsin | District | 8 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | |
Total | 292 | 49 | 89 30.5% |
13 | 203 69.5% |
62 30.5% |
Election dates
In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors. 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 1872–73, there were still 9 states with earlier election dates, and 2 states with later election dates:
- Early elections (1872):
- June 4 Oregon
- August 1 North Carolina
- August 27 West Virginia
- September 3 Vermont
- September 9 Maine
- October 8 Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Late elections (1873):
- March 11, 1873 New Hampshire
- April 7, 1873 Connecticut
Special elections
- Connecticut 1: 1872
- Georgia 8: 1873
- Louisiana 4: 1872
- Louisiana 4: 1873
- Massachusetts 3: 1873
- Oregon at-large: 1873
- Pennsylvania 13: 1872
Alabama
Arkansas
California
A new seat was added, following the 1870 U.S. Census, bringing the delegation up from three to four Representatives.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representative | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
California 1 | None (New seat) | New district. New member elected. Republican gain. |
| ||
California 2 | Aaron Augustus Sargent | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
California 3 | John M. Coghlan | Republican | 1871 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
|
California 4 | Sherman O. Houghton (Redistricted from the 1st district) |
Republican | 1871 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Florida gained a second seat after the 1870 census, but delayed districting until 1874, electing both Representatives at-large for this election.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representative | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Florida at-large 2 seats on a general ticket |
Josiah T. Walls | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
None (New seat) | New seat. New member elected. Republican gain. |
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
In the newly-formed at-large district, George A. Sheridan (Liberal Republican) beat P. B. S. Pinchback (Republican), the first black Governor of Louisiana. Pinchback challenged the election and it was settled in February 1875, in Sheridan's favor, only one month before the end of the Congress.
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Mississippi 1 | George E. Harris | Republican | 1869 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
|
Mississippi 2 | Joseph L. Morphis | Republican | 1869 | Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
Mississippi 3 | Henry W. Barry | Republican | 1869 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Mississippi 4 | George C. McKee | Republican | 1869 | Incumbent redistricted to the 5th district. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
Mississippi 5 | Legrand W. Perce | Republican | 1869 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
George C. McKee | Republican | 1869 | Redistricted from the 4th district. | ||
Mississippi 6 | None (new district) | New member elected. Republican gain. |
|
Missouri
Nebraska
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Nebraska at-large | John Taffe | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
After redistricting and eleven retirements, only four of the nineteen incumbents were re-elected.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representative | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Ohio 1 | Ozro J. Dodds | Democratic | 1872 (Special) | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
|
Ohio 2 | Job E. Stevenson | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Liberal Republican gain. |
|
Ohio 3 | Lewis D. Campbell | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain. |
|
Ohio 4 | John F. McKinney | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain. |
|
Ohio 5 | Charles N. Lamison | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Ohio 6 | John Armstrong Smith | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
Ohio 7 | Samuel Shellabarger | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
|
John Thomas Wilson (Redistricted from the 11th district) |
Republican | 1866 | Incumbent lost re-election. Republican loss. | ||
Ohio 8 | John Beatty | Republican | 1868 (Special) | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
Ohio 9 | George W. Morgan (Redistricted from the 13th district) |
Democratic | 1868 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain. |
|
Ohio 10 | Charles Foster (Redistricted from the 9th district) |
Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Erasmus D. Peck | Republican | 1870 (Special) | Incumbent retired. Republican loss. | ||
Ohio 11 | None (New seat) | New district. New member elected. Republican gain. |
| ||
Ohio 12 | Philadelph Van Trump | Democratic | 1866 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
|
Ohio 13 | None (New seat) | New district. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
| ||
Ohio 14 | James Monroe | Republican | 1870 | Re-districted Democratic gain. |
|
Ohio 15 | William P. Sprague | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Ohio 16 | John Bingham | Republican | 1864 | Incumbent lost re-nomination. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
Ohio 17 | Jacob A. Ambler | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
Ohio 18 | William H. Upson | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
Ohio 19 | James A. Garfield | Republican | 1862 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Ohio 20 | None (New seat) | New district. New member elected. Republican gain. |
|
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Tennessee at-large | Horace Maynard | Republican | 1865 | Incumbent redistricted from the 2nd district. Republican gain. |
|
Tennessee 1 | Roderick R. Butler | Republican | 1867 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Tennessee 2 | Horace Maynard | Republican | 1865 | Incumbent redistricted to the at-large district. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
Abraham E. Garrett | Democratic | 1870 | Redistricted from the 3rd district. | ||
Tennessee 3 | Abraham E. Garrett | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent redistricted to the 2nd district. New member elected. Republican gain. |
|
Tennessee 4 | John M. Bright | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Tennessee 5 | Edward I. Golladay | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain. |
|
Tennessee 6 | Washington C. Whitthorne | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Tennessee 7 | Robert P. Caldwell | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
|
Tennessee 8 | William W. Vaughan | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain. |
|
Tennessee 9 | None (new district) | New member elected. Republican gain. |
|
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
West Virginia 1 | John J. Davis | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. Independent Democratic gain. |
|
West Virginia 2 | James McGrew | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
West Virginia 3 | Frank Hereford | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Wisconsin
Wisconsin elected eight members of congress on Election Day, November 5, 1872. Two seats were newly added in reapportionment after the 1870 census.
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Wisconsin 1 | Alexander Mitchell | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent was redistricted to the 4th congressional district. New member elected. Republican gain. |
|
Wisconsin 2 | Gerry Whiting Hazelton | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Wisconsin 3 | J. Allen Barber | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Wisconsin 4 | Charles A. Eldredge | Democratic | 1862 | Incumbent was redistricted to the 5th congressional district. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
|
Wisconsin 5 | Philetus Sawyer | Republican | 1864 | Incumbent was redistricted to the 6th congressional district. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
|
Wisconsin 6 | Jeremiah McLain Rusk | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent was redistricted to the 7th congressional district. New member elected. Republican hold. |
|
Wisconsin 7 | New district. | New district. New member elected. Republican gain. |
| ||
Wisconsin 8 | New district. | New district. New member elected. Republican gain. |
|
Non-voting delegates
Colorado Territory
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Delegate | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Colorado Territory at-large | Jerome B. Chaffee | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. |
|
Dakota Territory
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Delegate | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Dakota Territory at-large | Moses K. Armstrong | Independent Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. Democratic gain. |
|
Idaho Territory
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Delegate | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Idaho Territory at-large | Samuel A. Merritt | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
|
Montana Territory
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Delegate | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Montana Territory at-large | William H. Clagett | Republican | 1871 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
|
Wyoming Territory
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Delegate | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
Wyoming Territory at-large | William T. Jones | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
|