United States House of Representatives elections, 1890

United States House of Representatives elections, 1890

1888 ← → 1892

All 332 seats to the United States House of Representatives 167 seats were needed for a majority   Majority party Minority party   Leader Charles Crisp Thomas Reed Party Democratic Republican Leader's seat Georgia-3rd Maine-1st Last election 152 seats 179 seats Seats won 238 86 Seat change +86 -93

Speaker before election Thomas Reed Republican Elected Speaker Charles Crisp Democratic

The U.S. House election, 1890 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1890 which occurred in the middle of President Benjamin Harrison's term.

A stagnant economy which became worse after the Panic of 1890, combined with a lack of support for then Representative William McKinley's steep tariff act, which favored large industries at the expense of consumers, led to a sharp defeat for Harrison's Republican Party, giving a large majority to the Democratic Party and prefacing Harrison's defeat in 1892. The Republican-controlled Congress was highly criticized for its lavish spending, and it earned the unflattering nickname of The Billion Dollar Congress. Democrats promised to cut the outlandish budget. This election also saw the Populist Party, a coalition of farmers and laborers who wanted to overhaul the nation's financial system, make a small mark on Congress.

Overall results

Party	Total seats (change)		Seat percentage
Democratic Party	238	+86	71.6%
Republican Party	86	-93	25.9%
Populist Party	8	+8	2.4%
Totals	332	+0	100.0%

80.1-100% Republican	80.1-100% Democratic
60.1-80% Republican	60.1-80% Democratic
<=60% Republican	<=60% Democratic
60.1-80% Populist
House seats by party holding plurality in state

6+ Republican gain	6+ Democratic gain
3-5 Republican gain	3-5 Democratic gain
1-2 Republican gain	1-2 Democratic gain
3-5 Populist gain	1-2 Populist gain
no net change

California

District	Incumbent	Party	Elected	Status	Opponent
California 1	Thomas J. Geary	Democratic	1890	Running	Thomas J. Geary (D) 49.3% John A. Barham (R) 48.8% L. B. Scranton (Proh.) 1.9%
California 2	Marion Biggs	Democratic	1886	Retiring	Anthony Caminetti (D) 49% George I. Blanchard (R) 48.6% J. S. Witherell (Proh.) 2.4%
California 3	Joseph McKenna	Republican	1885	Running	Joseph McKenna (R) 55.4% John P. Irish (D) 42.5% O. O. Felkner (Proh.) 2.1%
California 4	William W. Morrow	Republican	1884	Retiring	John T. Cutting (R) 49.2% Robert Ferral (D) 45.1% Thomas V. Cator (K-N) 5.6% Joseph Rowell (Proh.) 0.2%
California 5	Thomas J. Clunie	Democratic	1888	Running	Eugene F. Loud (R) 52.8% Thomas J. Clunie (D) 45.9% E. F. Howe (Proh.) 1.3%
California 6	William Vandever	Republican	1886	Retiring	William W. Bowers (R) 51.1% W. J. Curtis (D) 44.1% O. R. Dougherty (Proh.) 4.8%

See also

• 52nd United States Congress