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Although Democratic candidates received a nationwide plurality of more than 1.4 million votes (1.2%) in all House elections,[2] the Republican Party won a 33-seat advantage in the state-apportioned totals, thus retaining its House majority by 17 seats. Democrats had picked up 27 seats, enough to win back control of the house, but most of these gains were canceled out due to republican gains as well as reapportionment, leaving the democrats with a net gain of 8 seats. This disparity – common in close elections involving single-member district voting[3] – has generally been attributed to targeted, widespread Republican gerrymandering in the congressional redistricting process following the 2010 United States Census.[4][5][6][7][8] Some analysts believe that in addition to Republican gerrymandering, other factors that helped the GOP maintain control of congress, despite getting fewer votes, included the large number of Democratic votes in urban centers which led to "unintentional gerrymandering," as compact districts naturally led to "wasted votes" in districts that easily elected Democratic candidates.[9][7][10] The GOP also had a greater number of incumbents, who tend to have an advantage in elections.[7]
In the previous century, on four occasions the party with a plurality of the popular vote was unable to receive a majority in the House, but only twice since World War II.[6] The last times were in 1952 and 1996, in which the GOP held a majority in the House. The 1942 election was the last time that the Democrats held a majority in the House without winning the popular vote.[11] Notable freshmen included future Senators Tom Cotton, Tammy Duckworth, and Steve Daines.
Forty-one Representatives retired. Thirty-four of those seats were held by the same party, six seats changed party.
Democrats
Twenty-two Democrats retired. Fourteen of those seats were held by Democrats, five were won by Republicans, and three seats were eliminated in redistricting.
Nineteen Republicans retired. Fifteen of those seats were held by Republicans, one was won by a Democrat, and three seats were eliminated in redistricting.
As a result of redistricting, many incumbents were forced to compete against each other in the same district, which resulted in a larger number of incumbents being defeated in primaries.
In primary elections
Thirteen representatives lost renomination: Eight were lost in redistricting battles pitting incumbents against each other, and five incumbents lost nomination to non-incumbent challengers.
Democrats
Seven Democrats lost renomination: five in redistricting and two to a non-incumbent challenger.
Seat held by a Democrat
These primary winners later won the general election.
Pennsylvania 12: Jason Altmire (first elected 2006) lost a redistricting race to fellow incumbent Mark Critz (first elected 2010),[47] who later lost the general election
Republicans
Six Republicans lost renomination: three in redistricting races and three to a non-incumbent challenger. All the seats were held by Republicans.
Ten incumbent Democrats lost re-election; four to fellow Democrats and six to Republicans. Four losses were in California: two due to redistricting putting two incumbents together (resulting in a net loss of two for the Democrats) and two due to the state's "Top Two Primary." Two incumbents outside of California lost to Republican incumbents after being redistricted to the same district.
Arizona gained one seat in reapportionment. A second open seat was created when a pair of Republicans were redistricted into the same district.[57] Primary elections were August 28, 2012.
California retained its fifty-three seats: four new seats were created when four pairs of Representatives were redistricted to run against each other. An additional Republican incumbent, Gary Miller, won re-election in an entirely different district from the one he had previously represented.[58] The election featured the first use of the top-two primary system in which primary elections list candidates from all parties on one ballot, and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election. Two elections (30th and 44th districts) featured two Democratic incumbents running against each other.[59]
Florida gained two seats in reapportionment. As a result of the Fair Districts Amendment, approved by voters via referendum in 2010, the legislature could not take incumbency into account in drawing the lines.[60] As a result, two incumbent Republicans, John Mica and Sandy Adams, were drawn into the same district, creating a third new seat.[61]
Massachusetts lost one seat in reapportionment, forcing a pair of incumbent Democrats into the same district, although one, John Olver, retired in advance of the legislature's approval of new maps. Primary elections were held September 6, 2012.
Rep. Thad McCotter (Republican) failed to make the ballot for renomination, and then resigned July 6, 2012. New member elected to finish the term. Democratic gain.
Rep. Thad McCotter (Republican) failed to make the ballot for renomination, and then resigned July 6, 2012. New member elected to the next term. Republican gain (back from Democratic).
New York lost two seats in reapportionment. After the legislature failed to reach agreement, New York conducted its 2012 congressional elections under a map drawn by a federal magistrate judge. Two incumbent Representatives saw their districts eliminated; one, Maurice Hinchey, chose to retire, while the other, Bob Turner, chose to run for the U.S. Senate.[65] A third incumbent impacted by redistricting, Gary Ackerman, chose to retire, creating an open seat.[66]
Pennsylvania lost one seat in reapportionment, forcing two incumbent Democrats to run against each other, with the seat ultimately being won by a Republican challenger in November.
Texas gained four seats in reapportionment. After the initial redistricting map drawn by the Texas Legislature was denied pre-clearance by a federal district court under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, Texas conducted its 2012 congressional elections under a court-ordered interim map.[68]
Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner is elected to a four-year term during U.S. presidential election years. It is the only seat in the House elected for a four-year term.
^"...the discrepancy between the popular vote won by a party and the seats that party wins in Congress is an endemic feature of our political system." Trende, Sean. Why Republicans Lost the Vote But Kept the House. RealClearPolitics. 2013-05-16. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
^Miller, William (2013). The Political Battle Over Congressional Redistricting. Lexington Books. p. 129. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
^Eddie Gonzales legally changed his name to VoteForEddie.com
Foreman, Sean D., and Robert Dewhirst, eds. Roads to Congress, 2012 (Lexington Books; 2013) 326 pages; covers the 2012 Congressional races, as well as campaign finance, redistricting, and "voter suppression" laws.