United States House of Representatives elections, 1994

Infobox Election
election_name = United States House of Representatives elections, 1994
country = United States
type = legislative
ongoing = no
previous_election = United States House of Representatives elections, 1992
previous_year = 1992
next_election = United States House of Representatives elections, 1996
next_year = 1996
seats_for_election = All 435 seats to the United States House of Representatives
election_date = November 8, 1994


leader1 = Newt Gingrich
party1 = Republican Party (United States)
leaders_seat1 = Georgia-6th
last_election1 = 176 seats
seats1 = 230
seat_change1 = +54
popular_vote1 =
percentage1 = 47.8
swing1 = +5.1%


leader2 = Tom Foley
party2 = Democratic Party (United States)
leaders_seat2 = Washington-5th
last_election2 = 258 seats
seats2 = 204
seat_change2 = -54
popular_vote2 =
percentage2 = 44.0%
swing2 = -5.9%
title = Speaker
before_election = Tom Foley
before_party = Democratic Party (United States)
after_election = Newt Gingrich
after_party = Republican Party (United States)

The U.S. House election, 1994 was an election for the United States House of Representatives on November 8 1994, in the middle of President Bill Clinton's first term. As a result of a 54-seat swing in membership from Democrats to Republicans, the Republican Party gained a majority of seats in the House for the first time since 1954.

The Democratic Party had run the House for forty years and had been plagued by a series of scandals. The Republican Party, united behind Newt Gingrich's Contract with America, which promised floor votes on various popular and institutional reforms, was able to capitalize on the perception that the House leadership was corrupt, as well as the dissatisfaction of conservative voters with President Clinton's actions (including a failed attempt at universal health care and gun control measures).

In a historic election, House Speaker Tom Foley (D-Washington) was defeated for re-election in his district, becoming the first Speaker of the House to fail to win re-election since the era of the American Civil War. Other major upsets included the defeat of powerful long-serving Representatives such as Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski (D-Illinois) and Judiciary Chairman Jack Brooks (D-Texas). In all, 34 incumbents (all Democrats) were defeated, though several of them (like David Price of North Carolina, Ted Strickland of Ohio, and Jay Inslee of Washington) regained seats in later elections; Maria Cantwell of Washington won a U.S. Senate race in 2000. Republicans also won some seats that were left open by retiring Democrats. Democrats won four Republican-held seats where the incumbents were stepping down (Maine, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island). Democrats who were elected in this situation included current Rhode Island congressman and Kennedy family member Patrick J. Kennedy and current Maine governor John Baldacci. No Republican incumbent lost his or her seat in 1994.

Minority whip Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia), re-elected in the Republican landslide, became Speaker (previous Minority Leader Robert H. Michel having retired). Former Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Missouri) became minority leader. The new Republican leadership in the House promised to bring a dozen legislative proposals to a vote in the first 100 days of the session, although the Senate did not always follow suit.

Voting Patterns

GOP Gains, 1992-94

Wyoming

References

* Jenkins, Shannon, Douglas D. Roscoe, John P. Frendreis and Alan R. Gitelson. 2007. "Ten Years After the Revolution: 1994 and Partisan Control of Government" in Green, John C. and Daniel J. Coffey, eds. The State of the Parties, 5th ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield. [http://books.google.com/books?id=nIPRBXgzSYEC&pg=PA75&dq=jenkins+the+revolution%27s+ten+years&sig=pHykIbqCtYZgooCX4u723CghENE#PPA355,M1]
*
* Steeper, F. "This swing is different: Analysis of 1994 election exit polls". "The Cook Political Report" (Feb 8 1995)
* Teixeira, Ruy A. "The Economics of the 1994 Election and U.S. Politics Today" "Challenge". Volume: 39. Issue: 1. 1996. pp 26+.
* Wattenberg; Martin P. "The Democrats' Decline in the House during the Clinton Presidency: An Analysis of Partisan Swings" "Presidential Studies Quarterly", Vol. 29, 1999

ee also

*104th United States Congress
*United States Senate elections, 1994
*Republican Revolution

sequence
list=U.S. House elections
prev=1992
next=1996