1902 United States House of Representatives elections

United States House of Representatives elections, 1902
All 386 seats to the United States House of Representatives ; 194 seats were needed for a majority
Speaker before election; David Henderson; Republican	Elected Speaker ; Joseph Cannon; Republican

Elections to the United States House of Representatives held in 1902 occurred in the middle of President Theodore Roosevelt's first term, about a year after the assassination of President William McKinley in September 1901.

Due to the increased size of the House and the reapportionment that resulted from the 1900 U.S. Census, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party both gained seats simultaneously, which has not occurred in any elections since. The Democrats increased their share of the House, but not by enough to regain control.

With a stable economy and no cornerstone issue, Democratic gains can mostly be linked to the effects of redistricting. Many of the new seats were in areas with high numbers of immigrants (mostly Eastern and Southern European industrial workers, and Northern European farmers), with new immigrants tending to vote Democrat. The Populist Party disappeared from the House, with its supporters almost unanimously switching to the Democratic Party.^{[citation needed]} Notable freshmen included future Vice President and Speaker John Nance Garner (D-Texas).

This election marked the third and most recent time in American history where the incumbent President's party gained House seats in a midterm election while still losing seats in the Senate, the first two being in 1814 and 1822.

Election summaries

29 new seats were added in reapportionment following the 1900 Census.^[3] No states lost seats, 16 had no change in apportionment, 14 gained 1 seat, 3 gained 2 seats, and 3 gained 3 seats. Two of the states that gained representation elected the new seat at-large.

↓
207	3	176
Republican	IR	Democratic

State	Type	Total seats		Republican		Democratic
State	Type	Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Alabama	District	9		0		9
Arkansas	District	7	1	0		7	1
California	District	8	1	5	2	3	3
Colorado	District +at-large^{[Note 4]}	3^{[Note 5]}	1	3	2^{[Note 6]}	0
Connecticut	District +at-large^{[Note 4]}	5	1	5	1	0
Delaware	At-large	1		0	1	1	1
Florida	District	3	1	0		3	1
Georgia	District	11		0		11
Idaho	At-large	1^{[Note 5]}		1	1	0
Illinois	District	25	3	17	6	8	3
Indiana	District	13		9		4
Iowa	District	11		10	1	1	1
Kansas	District +at-large	8		8	1	0	1
Kentucky	District	11		1	1	10	1
Louisiana	District	7	1	0		7	1
Maine^{[Note 7]}	District	4		4		0
Maryland	District	6		4	2	2	2
Massachusetts	District	14	1	10		4	1
Michigan	District	12		11	1	1	1
Minnesota	District	9	2	8	1	1	1
Mississippi	District	8	1	0		8	1
Missouri	District	16	1	1	2	15	3
Montana	At-large	1^{[Note 5]}		1	1	0
Nebraska	District	6^{[Note 8]}		5	3	1	1
Nevada	At-large	1		0		1
New Hampshire	District	2		2		0
New Jersey	District	10	2	7	1	3	1
New York	District	37	3	20	1	17	4
North Carolina	District	10	1	0	2	10	3
North Dakota	At-large	2	1	2	1	0
Ohio	District	21		17		4
Oregon^{[Note 7]}	District	2		2		0
Pennsylvania	District^{[Note 9]}	32	2	29^{[Note 3]}	3	3	1
Rhode Island	District	2		1	1	1	1
South Carolina	District	7		0		7
South Dakota	At-large	2		2		0
Tennessee	District	10		2		8
Texas	District	16	3	0		16	3
Utah	At-large	1		1		0
Vermont^{[Note 7]}	District	2		2		0
Virginia	District	10		1	1	9	1
Washington	At-large	3	1	3	1	0
West Virginia	District	5	1	5	1	0
Wisconsin	District	11	1	10		1	1
Wyoming	At-large	1		1		0
Total		386	29	210^{[Note 3]} 54.4%	9	176 45.6%	25

House seats

Republican			54.40%
Democratic			45.60%

The previous election had 5 Populists, but the party completely disappeared from the U.S. House in the 1902 elections.

Early election dates

In 1902, three states, with 8 seats among them, held elections early:

June 2 Oregon
September 2 Vermont
September 8 Maine

California

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
California 1	Samuel D. Woods Redistricted from the 2nd district	Republican	1900	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.	√ James N. Gillett (Republican) 50.5% Thomas S. Ford (Democratic) 46.7% M. E. Shore (Socialist) 1.9% W. O. Clark (Prohibition) 0.9%
California 2	Frank Coombs Redistricted from the 1st district	Republican	1900	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.	√ Theodore A. Bell (Democratic) 49.2% Frank Coombs (Republican) 48.3% G. H. Rogers (Socialist) 1.7% W. P. Fassett (Prohibition) 0.8%
California 3	Victor H. Metcalf	Republican	1898	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Victor H. Metcalf (Republican) 66.2% Calvin B. White (Democratic) 27.7% M. W. Wilkins (Socialist) 5% T. H. Montgomery (Prohibition) 1.1%
California 4	Julius Kahn	Republican	1898	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.	√ Edward J. Livernash (Democratic) 49.2% Julius Kahn (Republican) 48.7% William Costley (Socialist) 1.9% Joseph Rowell (Prohibition) 0.2%
California 5	Eugene F. Loud	Republican	1890	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.	√ William J. Wynn (Democratic) 56.5% Eugene F. Loud (Republican) 41.2% Joseph Lawrence (Socialist) 1.5% Frank W. Caton (Prohibition) 0.7%
California 6	James C. Needham Redistricted from the 7th district	Republican	1898	Incumbent re-elected.	√ James C. Needham (Republican) 53.5% Gaston N. Ashe (Democratic) 42.5% J. L. Cobb (Socialist) 2.5% L. C. Jolley (Prohibition) 1.4%
California 7	James McLachlan Redistricted from the 6th district	Republican	1900	Incumbent re-elected.	√ James McLachlan (Republican) 64.8% Carl A. Johnson (Democratic) 27% George H. Hewes (Socialist) 4.2% Frederick F. Wheeler (Prohibition) 4%
California 8	None (District created)			New seat. New member elected. Republican gain.	√ Milton J. Daniels (Republican) 51.9% William E. Smythe (Democratic) 40.8% Noble A. Richardson (Socialist) 5.4% Ellsworth Leonardson (Prohibition) 2%

Florida

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Florida 1	Stephen M. Sparkman	Democratic	1894	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Stephen M. Sparkman (Democratic) Unopposed
Florida 2	Robert Wyche Davis	Democratic	1896	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Robert Wyche Davis (Democratic) Unopposed
Florida 3	None (District created)			New seat. New member elected. Democratic gain.	√ William B. Lamar (Democratic) Unopposed

South Carolina

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
South Carolina 1	William Elliott	Democratic	1886 1896	Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator. New member elected. Democratic hold.	√ George Swinton Legaré (Democratic) 95.5% Aaron P. Prioleau (Republican) 4.5%
South Carolina 2	W. Jasper Talbert	Democratic	1892	Incumbent retired to run for Governor of South Carolina. New member elected. Democratic hold.	√ George W. Croft (Democratic) 94.9% W. S. Dixon (Republican) 5.0% Others 0.1%
South Carolina 3	Asbury Latimer	Democratic	1892	Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator. New member elected. Democratic hold.	√ Wyatt Aiken (Democratic) 98.9% John Scott (Republican) 1.1%
South Carolina 4	Joseph T. Johnson	Democratic	1900	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Joseph T. Johnson (Democratic) 98.7% L. W. C. Blalock (Republican) 1.3%
South Carolina 5	David E. Finley	Democratic	1898	Incumbent re-elected.	√ David E. Finley (Democratic) 99.3% C. P. T. White (Republican) 0.7%
South Carolina 6	Robert B. Scarborough	Democratic	1900	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Robert B. Scarborough (Democratic) Unopposed
South Carolina 7	Asbury F. Lever	Democratic	1901 (special)	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Asbury F. Lever (Democratic) 96.2% Alexander D. Dantzler (Republican) 3.8%

Notes

^ Three states held early elections between June 2 and September 18.
^ Included 1 member of the Silver Republican faction, John F. Shafroth, of CO-01.
^ ^a ^b ^c Includes 3 Independent Republicans elected to PA-29, PA-31, and PA-32 in the Pittsburgh area.
^ ^a ^b Additional seat elected at-large due to State delaying redistricting.
^ ^a ^b ^c Election of 1900 saw the election of 1 Populist.
^ There was one member of the Silver Republican Party faction elected in 1900, John F. Shafroth. Shafroth attempted to get elected as a Democrat in 1902, but his election was contested and overturned.
^ ^a ^b ^c Elections held early.
^ Election of 1900 saw the election of 2 Populists in Nebraska.
^ At-large seats eliminated in redistricting.

References

^ ^a ^b "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Martis, pp. 156–157.
^ Apportionment Act of 1901

Bibliography

Republican Congressional Committee, The Republican Campaign Textbook 1902 (1902).
Dubin, Michael J. (March 1, 1998). United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses. McFarland and Company. ISBN 978-0786402830.
Martis, Kenneth C. (January 1, 1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0029201701.
Moore, John L., ed. (1994). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (Third ed.). Congressional Quarterly Inc. ISBN 978-0871879967.
"Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015.

External links

Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)

[1] Three states held early elections between June 2 and September 18.

[Reps-1900-2] Included 1 member of the Silver Republican faction, John F. Shafroth, of CO-01.

[3IR-5] Includes 3 Independent Republicans elected to PA-29, PA-31, and PA-32 in the Pittsburgh area.

[als-7] Additional seat elected at-large due to State delaying redistricting.

[1p-8] Election of 1900 saw the election of 1 Populist.

[CO-1900-9] There was one member of the Silver Republican Party faction elected in 1900, John F. Shafroth. Shafroth attempted to get elected as a Democrat in 1902, but his election was contested and overturned.

[early-10] Elections held early.

[11] Election of 1900 saw the election of 2 Populists in Nebraska.

[als2-12] At-large seats eliminated in redistricting.

[USH-PartyDiv-3] "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 18, 2015.

[Martis-4] Martis, pp. 156–157.

[6] Apportionment Act of 1901

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