1872 and 1873 United States House of Representatives elections

1872 and 1873 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1870 & 1871 November 5, 1872[a] 1874 & 1875 →
All 292 seats in the United States House of Representatives 147 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader James G. Blaine Fernando Wood Party Republican Democratic Leader's seat Maine 3rd New York 10th Last election 138 seats 94 seats Seats won 199 84 Seat change 61 9 Popular vote 3,561,090 2,813,934 Percentage 52.85% 41.76% Swing 3.26% 2.77%   Third party Fourth party   Party Liberal Republican Conservative Last election 2 seats 10 seats Seats won 4 4 Seat change 2 6 Popular vote 274,693 126,329 Percentage 4.08% 1.87% Swing 3.07% 1.05%   Fifth party   Party Independent Last election 1 seat[b] Seats won 1[c] Seat change Popular vote 151,757 Percentage 2.25% Swing 0.45%
Map of U.S. House elections results from 1872 elections for 43rd Congress
Speaker before election James G. Blaine Republican Elected Speaker James G. Blaine Republican

Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held in 1872 and 1873 for representatives to the 43rd Congress, coinciding with the re-election of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant.

Grant's Republican Party increased its majority greatly at the expense of the opposition Democratic Party. 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,^[1] followed by a subsequent amendment to the apportionment act adding another seat to 9 states,^[2] 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[d]	3
Arkansas	District + at-large	4	1	0	1	4[d]	2
California	District	4	1	1	1	3
Connecticut[e]	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[f]	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[d]	1
Maine[f]	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[f]	At-large	1		0		1
Nevada	At-large	1		1		0
New Hampshire[e]	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[f]	District	8	1	5		3	1
Ohio[f]	District	20	1	6	1	14[d]
Oregon[f]	At-large	1		0	1	1	1
Pennsylvania[f]	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[f]	District	3		0		3
Virginia	District	9	1	5		4	1
West Virginia[f]	District	3		2[c]		1
Wisconsin	District	8	2	2		6	2
Total		292	49	89[c] 30.5%	13	203[g] 69.5%	62 30.5%

Popular vote Republican   52.85% Democratic   41.76% Lib. Republican   4.08% Conservative   1.87% Independent   2.25% Others   0.00%

House seats Republican   67.92% Democratic   29.01% Lib. Republican   1.37% Conservative   1.37% Independent   0.34%

Election dates[]

In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors.^[3] 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[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2019)

• Connecticut 1: 1872
• Georgia 8: 1873
• Louisiana 4: 1872
• Louisiana 4: 1873
• Massachusetts 3: 1873
• Oregon at-large: 1873
• Pennsylvania 13: 1872

Alabama[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Arkansas[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

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.	Y Charles Clayton (Republican) 52.3% William A. Piper (Democratic) 47.7%
California 2	Aaron Augustus Sargent	Republican	1868	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.	Y Horace F. Page (Republican) 51.8% Paschal Coggins (Democratic) 48.2%
California 3	John M. Coghlan	Republican	1871	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.	Y John K. Luttrell (Democratic) 51.7% John M. Coghlan (Republican) 48.3%
California 4	Sherman O. Houghton (Redistricted from the 1st district)	Republican	1871	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Sherman O. Houghton (Republican) 53.6% E. J. C. Kewen (Democratic) 46.4%

Connecticut[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Delaware[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

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.	Y William J. Purman (Republican) 26.3% Josiah T. Walls (Republican) 26.2% Silas L. Niblack (Democratic) 23.8% Charles W. Jones (Democratic) 23.7%
	None (New seat)			New seat. New member elected. Republican gain.

Georgia[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Illinois[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Indiana[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Iowa[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Kansas[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Kentucky[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Louisiana[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

In the newly-formed at-large district, George A. Sheridan (Liberal Republican) beat P. B. S. Pinchback (Republican), the first black Governor of Louisiana.^[4] 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[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Maryland[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Massachusetts[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Michigan[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Minnesota[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

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.	Y Lucius Q. C. Lamar (Democratic) 66.15% R. W. Flournoy (Republican) 33.86%[5]
Mississippi 2	Joseph L. Morphis	Republican	1869	Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Republican hold.	Y Albert R. Howe (Republican) 63.94% William A. Alcorn (Democratic) 35.42% Scattering 0.64%[6]
Mississippi 3	Henry W. Barry	Republican	1869	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Henry W. Barry (Republican) 69.14% W. S. Bolling (Democratic) 29.59% Scattering 1.27%[7]
Mississippi 4	George C. McKee	Republican	1869	Incumbent redistricted to the 5th district. New member elected. Republican hold.	Y Jason Niles (Republican) 83.38% S. T. Oldham (Unknown) 11.87% [FNU] Harmon (Unknown) 4.18% W. B. Shelby (Unknown) 0.57%[8]
Mississippi 5	Legrand W. Perce	Republican	1869	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.	Y George C. McKee (Republican) 64.73% W. B. Shelby (Democratic) 35.27%[9]
	George C. McKee	Republican	1869	Redistricted from the 4th district.
Mississippi 6	None (new district)			New member elected. Republican gain.	Y John R. Lynch (Republican) 64.16% Hiram Cassidy (Democratic) 35.84%[10]

Missouri[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

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.	Y Lorenzo Crounse (Republican) 62.19% Jesse F. Warner (Democratic) 37.81%[11]

Nevada[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

New Hampshire[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

New Jersey[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

New York[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

North Carolina[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

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[12]
Ohio 1	Ozro J. Dodds	Democratic	1872 (Special)	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.	Y Milton Sayler (Democratic) 58.4% Benjamin Eggleston (Republican) 41.6%
Ohio 2	Job E. Stevenson	Republican	1868	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Liberal Republican gain.	Y Henry B. Banning (Liberal Republican) 53.7% Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican) 46.3%
Ohio 3	Lewis D. Campbell	Democratic	1870	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.	Y John Quincy Smith (Republican) 52.1% James W. Sohn (Democratic) 47.9%
Ohio 4	John F. McKinney	Democratic	1870	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.	Y Lewis B. Gunckel (Republican) 53.1% John J. Winans (Democratic) 46.9%
Ohio 5	Charles N. Lamison	Democratic	1870	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Charles N. Lamison (Democratic) 60.3% Samuel Lybrand (Republican) 39.7%
Ohio 6	John Armstrong Smith	Republican	1868	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.	Y Isaac R. Sherwood (Republican) 51.5% Frank H. Hurd (Democratic) 48.5%
Ohio 7	Samuel Shellabarger	Republican	1870	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.	Y Lawrence T. Neal (Democratic) 52.5% John Thomas Wilson (Republican) 47.5%
	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.	Y William Lawrence (Republican) 57.9% John P. Musson (Democratic) 42.1%
Ohio 9	George W. Morgan (Redistricted from the 13th district)	Democratic	1868	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain.	Y James W. Robinson (Republican) 50.8% George W. Morgan (Democratic) 49.2%
Ohio 10	Charles Foster (Redistricted from the 9th district)	Republican	1870	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Charles Foster (Republican) 51.2% Rush R. Sloane (Democratic) 48.8%
	Erasmus D. Peck	Republican	1870 (Special)	Incumbent retired. Republican loss.
Ohio 11	None (New seat)			New district. New member elected. Republican gain.	Y Hezekiah S. Bundy (Republican) 56.2% Samuel P. Nash (Democratic) 43.8%
Ohio 12	Philadelph Van Trump	Democratic	1866	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.	Y Hugh J. Jewett (Democratic) 58.8% James Taylor (Republican) 41.2%
Ohio 13	None (New seat)			New district. New member elected. Democratic gain.	Y Milton I. Southard (Democratic) 54.5% Lucius P. Marsh (Republican) 45.5%
Ohio 14	James Monroe	Republican	1870	Re-districted Democratic gain.	Y John Berry (Democratic) 57.9% Thomas E. Douglas (Republican) 42.1%
Ohio 15	William P. Sprague	Republican	1870	Incumbent re-elected.	Y William P. Sprague (Republican) 52.0% Richard R. Hudson (Democratic) 48.0%
Ohio 16	John Bingham	Republican	1864	Incumbent lost re-nomination. New member elected. Republican hold.	Y Lorenzo Danford (Republican) 56.5% Christian L. Poorman (Democratic) 43.5%
Ohio 17	Jacob A. Ambler	Republican	1868	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.	Y Laurin D. Woodworth (Republican) 54.0% Richard Brown (Democratic) 46.0%
Ohio 18	William H. Upson	Republican	1868	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.	Y James Monroe (Republican) 58.7% Norton Strange Townshend (Democratic) 41.3%
Ohio 19	James A. Garfield	Republican	1862	Incumbent re-elected.	Y James A. Garfield (Republican) 69.9% Milton Sutliff (Democratic) 30.1%
Ohio 20	None (New seat)			New district. New member elected. Republican gain.	Y Richard C. Parsons (Republican) 55.8% Selah Chamberlain (Democratic) 44.2%

Oregon[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Pennsylvania[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Rhode Island[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

South Carolina[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

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.	Y Horace Maynard (Republican) 43.95% Benjamin F. Cheatham (Democratic) 35.45% Andrew Johnson (Independent) 20.61%[13]
Tennessee 1	Roderick R. Butler	Republican	1867	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Roderick R. Butler (Republican) 56.73% William B. Carter (Democratic) 43.27%[14]
Tennessee 2	Horace Maynard	Republican	1865	Incumbent redistricted to the at-large district. New member elected. Republican hold.	Y Jacob M. Thornburgh (Republican) 55.70% Alfred Caldwell (Democratic) 30.05% Abraham E. Garrett (Independent) 14.25%[15]
	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.	Y William Crutchfield (Republican) 52.85% David M. Key (Democratic) 47.16%[16]
Tennessee 4	John M. Bright	Democratic	1870	Incumbent re-elected.	Y John M. Bright (Democratic) 69.81% John P. Steele (Republican) 30.19%[17]
Tennessee 5	Edward I. Golladay	Democratic	1870	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain.	Y Horace Harrison (Republican) 42.07% Edward I. Golladay (Democratic) 34.10% William B. Brien (Independent) 23.83%[18]
Tennessee 6	Washington C. Whitthorne	Democratic	1870	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Washington C. Whitthorne (Democratic) 53.89% Theodore H. Gibbs (Republican) 40.74% Jonathan Morris (Independent) 5.37%[19]
Tennessee 7	Robert P. Caldwell	Democratic	1870	Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic hold.	Y John D. C. Atkins (Democratic) 55.63% W. W. Murray (Republican) 37.70% W. E. Travis (Democratic) 6.67%[20]
Tennessee 8	William W. Vaughan	Democratic	1870	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.	Y David A. Nunn (Republican) 37.90% A. W. Campbell (Democratic) 29.83% William P. Caldwell (Democratic) 22.38% T. H. Bell (Democratic) 9.89%[21]
Tennessee 9	None (new district)			New member elected. Republican gain.	Barbour Lewis (Republican) 56.67% L. C. Haines (Democratic) 43.33%[22]

Texas[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Vermont[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

Virginia[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (December 2017)

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.	Y John J. Davis (Independent Democratic) 50.79% Benjamin Wilson (Democratic) 49.22%[23]
West Virginia 2	James McGrew	Republican	1868	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.	Y John Hagans (Republican) 82.40% Arthur R. Boeteler (Republican) 9.27% W. H. Lanon (Independent) 6.11% J. B. Walker (Independent) 1.89% O. P. Downey (Independent) 0.34%[24]
West Virginia 3	Frank Hereford	Democratic	1870	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Frank Hereford (Democratic) 80.80% J. B. Walker (Republican) 19.20%[25]

Wisconsin[]

Wisconsin elected eight members of congress on Election Day, November 5, 1872. Two seats were newly added in reapportionment after the 1870 census.^[26][27]

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.	Y Charles G. Williams (Republican) 62.5% Ithamar Sloan (Liberal Republican) 37.5%
Wisconsin 2	Gerry Whiting Hazelton	Republican	1870	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Gerry Whiting Hazelton (Republican) 53.2% George Baldwin Smith (Democratic) 46.8%
Wisconsin 3	J. Allen Barber	Republican	1870	Incumbent re-elected.	Y J. Allen Barber (Republican) 58.2% Allen Warden (Liberal Republican) 41.8%
Wisconsin 4	Charles A. Eldredge	Democratic	1862	Incumbent was redistricted to the 5th congressional district. New member elected. Democratic hold.	Y Alexander Mitchell (Democratic) 65.1% Frederick Charles Winkler (Republican) 34.9%
Wisconsin 5	Philetus Sawyer	Republican	1864	Incumbent was redistricted to the 6th congressional district. New member elected. Democratic gain.	Y Charles A. Eldredge (Democratic) 55.5% Henry Baetz (Republican) 44.5%
Wisconsin 6	Jeremiah McLain Rusk	Republican	1870	Incumbent was redistricted to the 7th congressional district. New member elected. Republican hold.	Y Philetus Sawyer (Republican) 56.1% Myron P. Lindsley (Democratic) 43.9%
Wisconsin 7	New district.			New district. New member elected. Republican gain.	Y Jeremiah McLain Rusk (Republican) 65.4% Stephen Marston (Liberal Republican) 34.6%
Wisconsin 8	New district.			New district. New member elected. Republican gain.	Y Alexander S. McDill (Republican) 59.7% William Carson (Democratic) 40.3%

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.	Y Jerome B. Chaffee (Republican) [data unknown/missing][28]

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.	Y Moses K. Armstrong (Democratic) 42.81% Gideon C. Moody (Republican) 34.86% Wilmot Brookings (Republican) 22.33%[29]

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.	Y John Hailey (Democratic) 62% J. W. Houston (Republican) 38%[30]

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.	Y Martin Maginnis (Democratic) 51.83% William H. Clagett (Republican) 48.17%[31]

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.	Y William R. Steele (Democratic) 51.83% William T. Jones (Republican) 46.23%[32]

See also[]

• 1872 United States elections
  • 1872 United States presidential election
  • 1872 and 1873 United States Senate elections
• 42nd United States Congress
• 43rd United States Congress

Notes[]

References[]

Bibliography[]

• 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)