1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections

The 1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 6, 1870, and October 6, 1871. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before or after the first session of the 42nd United States Congress convened on March 4, 1871. They occurred in the middle of President Ulysses S. Grant's first term. Elections were held for all 243 seats, representing 37 states.

With Grant's administration rocked by a number of scandals (including a shady deal for gold speculation that led to a crash in the market and several business deals that saw high-ranking governmental officials gain kickbacks) and Reconstruction winding down, his Republican Party lost seats to the opposition Democratic Party but retained an overall majority. Also, since white-supremacist governments controlled by the Democratic Party were reestablishing themselves in some portions of the South, the Democrats were able to make huge gains in this election.

Election summaries


The previous election included 5 Conservatives

Election dates
In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors. 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 1870, there remained 12 States that held elections before Election Day, and 4 that held it after at this time:


 * Early elections:
 * December 1, 1869: Mississippi (Mississippi was a special case, having held elections for both the 41st Congress upon readmission and for the 42nd Congress on the same day)
 * June 6: Oregon
 * August 4: North Carolina
 * September 6: Vermont
 * September 12: Maine
 * October 11: Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania
 * October 25: West Virginia
 * November 1: South Carolina
 * Late elections:
 * March 14, 1871: New Hampshire
 * April 4, 1871: Connecticut
 * August 6, 1871: Montana Territory
 * September 6, 1871: California
 * October 6, 1871: Texas

Special elections
! IA's 2nd congressional district ! MI's 4th congressional district ! SC's 1st congressional district ! WI's 2nd congressional district
 * Benjamin F. Hopkins
 * | Republican
 * 1866
 * | Incumbent died January 1, 1870. New member elected February 15, 1870. Republican hold.
 * nowrap |

✅ David Atwood (Republican) 86.0%

Jared Comstock Gregory (Democratic) 5.6%

George Baldwin Smith (Ind. Democratic) 1.7%

Scattering 6.7%


 * }

Arizona Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

Arkansas
! AR's 1st congressional district
 * Logan Roots
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent defeated. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ James M. Hanks (Democratic) 61.4%

Logan Roots (Republican) 38.7%

! AR's 2nd congressional district
 * Anthony A.C. Rogers
 * | Democratic
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent defeated. New member elected. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Oliver P. Snyder (Republican) 59.1%

Anthony A. C. Rogers (Democratic) 41.0%

! AR's 3rd congressional district
 * Thomas Boles
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent defeated. New member elected. Liberal Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ John Edwards (Liberal Republican) 53.7%

Thomas Boles (Republican) 46.3%


 * }

California
! California's 1st congressional district
 * Samuel Beach Axtell
 * | Democratic
 * 1867
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Sherman O. Houghton (Republican) 51.6%

Lawrence Archer (Democratic) 48.4%

! California's 2nd congressional district
 * Aaron Sargent
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ Aaron Sargent (Republican) 54%

James W. Coffroth (Democratic) 46%

! California's 3rd congressional district
 * James A. Johnson
 * | Democratic
 * 1867
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ John M. Coghlan (Republican) 51.7%

George Pearce (Democratic) 48.3%


 * }

Colorado Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

Dakota Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

District of Columbia
See Non-voting delegates, below.

Florida
! FL At-large
 * Charles M. Hamilton
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
 * nowrap |

✅ Josiah T. Walls (Republican) 51.3%

Silas L. Niblack (Democratic) 48.7%


 * }

Niblack subsequently successfully challenged Walls's election and was seated from Florida's at-large district on January 29, 1873.

Idaho Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

Montana Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

Nebraska
! NE At-large
 * John Taffe
 * | Republican
 * 1866
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ John Taffe (Republican) 60.84%

George B. Lake (Democratic) 42.00%


 * }

New Mexico Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

Ohio
! Ohio's 1st congressional district
 * Peter W. Strader
 * | Democratic
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Aaron F. Perry (Republican) 52.4%

Milton Sayler (Democratic) 47.6%

! Ohio's 2nd congressional district
 * Job E. Stevenson
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ Job E. Stevenson (Republican) 54.5%

Samuel F. Cary (Democratic) 45.5%

! Ohio's 3rd congressional district
 * Robert C. Schenck
 * | Republican
 * 1862
 * | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Lewis D. Campbell (Democratic) 50.1%

Robert C. Schenck (Republican) 49.9%

! Ohio's 4th congressional district
 * William Lawrence
 * | Republican
 * 1864
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ John F. McKinney (Democratic) 50.5%

William B. McClung (Republican) 49.5%

! Ohio's 5th congressional district
 * William Mungen
 * | Democratic
 * 1866
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
 * nowrap | ✅ Charles N. Lamison (Democratic) 57.4%

John B. Clark (Republican) 42.6%

! Ohio's 6th congressional district
 * John Armstrong Smith
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ John Armstrong Smith (Republican) 50.8%

James W. Denver (Democratic) 49.2%

! Ohio's 7th congressional district
 * James J. Winans
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Republican hold.
 * nowrap | ✅ Samuel Shellabarger (Republican) 52.8%

Hugh J. Jewett (Democratic) 47.2%

! Ohio's 8th congressional district
 * John Beatty
 * | Republican
 * 1868 (Special)
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ John Beatty (Republican) 52.9%

James Randolph Hubbell (Democratic) 47.1%

! Ohio's 9th congressional district
 * Edward F. Dickinson
 * | Democratic
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Charles Foster (Republican) 51.5%

Edward F. Dickinson (Democratic) 48.5%

! Ohio's 10th congressional district
 * Erasmus D. Peck
 * | Republican
 * 1870 (Special)
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ Erasmus D. Peck (Republican) 52.5%

William F. Lockwood (Democratic) 47.5%

! Ohio's 11th congressional district
 * John Thomas Wilson
 * | Republican
 * 1866
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ John Thomas Wilson (Republican) 52.4%

Ralph Leete (Democratic) 47.6%

! Ohio's 12th congressional district
 * Philadelph Van Trump
 * | Democratic
 * 1866
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ Philadelph Van Trump (Democratic) 57.9%

Charles Elwood Brown (Republican) 42.1%

! Ohio's 13th congressional district
 * George W. Morgan
 * | Democratic
 * 1868
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ George W. Morgan (Democratic) 54.1%

Charles W. Potwin (Republican) 45.9%

! Ohio's 14th congressional district
 * Martin Welker
 * | Republican
 * 1864
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
 * nowrap | ✅ James Monroe (Republican) 51.5%

Lyman R. Critchfield (Democratic) 48.5%

! Ohio's 15th congressional district
 * Eliakim H. Moore
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
 * nowrap | ✅ William P. Sprague (Republican) 51.6%

John Cartwright (Democratic) 48.4%

! Ohio's 16th congressional district
 * John Bingham
 * | Republican
 * 1864
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ John Bingham (Republican) 52.4%

Robert A. Chambers (Democratic) 47.6%

! Ohio's 17th congressional district
 * Jacob A. Ambler
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ Jacob A. Ambler (Republican) 55.1%

John Ball (Republican) 44.9%

! Ohio's 18th congressional district
 * William H. Upson
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ William H. Upson (Republican) 62.2%

John M. Coffinberry (Democratic) 37.8%

! Ohio's 19th congressional district
 * James A. Garfield
 * | Republican
 * 1862
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ James A. Garfield (Republican) 65.1%

William Howard (Democratic) 34.9%


 * }

Tennessee
! TN's 1st congressional district
 * Roderick R. Butler
 * | Republican
 * 1867
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Roderick R. Butler (Republican) 47.05%

James White (Democratic) 42.72%

Nathaniel G. Taylor (Independent Republican) 10.23%

! TN's 2nd congressional district
 * Horace Maynard
 * | Republican
 * 1865
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Horace Maynard (Republican) 51.49%

A. Blizard (Democratic) 48.51%

! TN's 3rd congressional district
 * William B. Stokes
 * | Republican
 * 1865
 * |Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap |

✅ Abraham E. Garrett (Democratic) 69.73%

William B. Stokes (Republican) 30.27%

! TN's 4th congressional district
 * Lewis Tillman
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * |Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap |

✅ John M. Bright (Democratic) 86.52%

James Mullins (Republican) 13.48%

! TN's 5th congressional district
 * William F. Prosser
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * |Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap |

✅ Edward I. Golladay (Democratic) 47.16%

William F. Prosser (Republican) 32.04%

Balie Peyton (Ind. Democratic) 20.80%

! TN's 6th congressional district
 * Samuel M. Arnell
 * | Republican
 * 1865
 * |Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.

✅ Washington C. Whitthorne (Democratic) 67.78%

T. J. Cypert (Republican) 21.52%

J. B. Frierson (Republican) 10.70%

! TN's 7th congressional district
 * Isaac R. Hawkins
 * | Republican
 * 1865
 * |Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap |

✅ Robert P. Caldwell (Democratic) 81.66%

John Norman (Republican) 18.34%

! TN's 8th congressional district
 * William J. Smith
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * |Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap |

✅ William W. Vaughan (Democratic) 61.83%

William J. Smith (Republican) 23.63%

E. Shaw (Ind. Republican) 14.54%


 * }

Utah Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

Washington Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

West Virginia
! WV's 1st congressional district
 * Isaac H. Duval
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ John J. Davis (Democratic) 52.39%

Nathan Goff Jr. (Republican) 47.61%

! WV's 2nd congressional district
 * James McGrew
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ James McGrew (Republican) 52.67%

O. P. Downey (Democratic) 47.33%

! WV's 3rd congressional district
 * John Witcher
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Frank Hereford (Democratic) 54.85%

John Witcher (Republican) 45.15%


 * }

Wisconsin
Wisconsin elected six members of congress on Election Day, November 8, 1870.

! Wisconsin's 1st congressional district
 * Halbert E. Paine
 * | Republican
 * 1864
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap |

✅ Alexander Mitchell (Democratic) 57.5%

William P. Lyon (Republican) 42.5%

! Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district
 * David Atwood
 * | Republican
 * 1870 (special)
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
 * nowrap |

✅ Gerry Whiting Hazelton (Republican) 54.5%

Amasa G. Cook (Democratic) 45.5%

! Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district
 * Amasa Cobb
 * | Republican
 * 1862
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
 * nowrap |

✅ J. Allen Barber (Republican) 58.5%

John Strachan (Democratic) 41.5%

! Wisconsin's 4th congressional district
 * Charles A. Eldredge
 * | Democratic
 * 1862
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Charles A. Eldredge (Democratic) 62.4%

Jerome Anthony Watrous (Republican) 37.6%

! Wisconsin's 5th congressional district
 * Philetus Sawyer
 * | Republican
 * 1864
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Philetus Sawyer (Republican) 59.3%

Joseph Stringham (Democratic) 40.7%

! Wisconsin's 6th congressional district
 * Cadwallader C. Washburn
 * | Republican
 * 1866
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
 * nowrap |

✅ Jeremiah McLain Rusk (Republican) 61.3%

Alexander Meggett (Democratic) 38.7%


 * }

Wyoming Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.

Non-voting delegates
! Arizona Territory At-large
 * Richard C. McCormick
 * | Republican
 * 1869
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | ✅ Richard C. McCormick (Republican) 100%

! Colorado Territory At-large
 * Allen A. Bradford
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost renomination. New delegate elected. Republican hold.
 * nowrap | ✅ Jerome B. Chaffee (Republican) 56.05%

[FNU] Miller 43.95%

! Dakota Territory At-large
 * Solomon L. Spink
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent lost re-election as a Democrat. New delegate elected. Independent Democratic gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Moses K. Armstrong (Ind. Democratic) 34.27%

Walter A. Burleigh (Republican) 34.09%

Solomon L. Spink (Republican) 31.64%

! District of Columbia At-large
 * colspan=3 | New district
 * | New seat. New delegate elected in 1871. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ Norton P. Chipman (Republican)

! Idaho Territory At-large
 * Jacob K. Shafer
 * | Democratic
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic hold.
 * nowrap | ✅ Samuel A. Merritt (Democratic) 59.24%

T. J. Butler (Republican) 40.74%

J. L. Butler (Independent) 0.02%

! Montana Territory At-large
 * James M. Cavanaugh
 * | Democratic
 * 1859 (Minn.) 1861 (lost) 1868
 * | Incumbent lost renomination. New delegate elected August 7, 1871. Republican gain.
 * nowrap |

✅ William H. Clagett (Republican) 52.04%

Edwin W. Toole (Democratic) 47.96%

! New Mexico Territory At-large
 * José F. Chaves
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
 * nowrap | José M. Gallegos (Democratic) 100%

José F. Chaves (Republican) 0%

! Utah Territory At-large
 * William H. Hooper
 * | Democratic
 * 1864
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap | William H. Hooper (Democratic) 93.75%

George R. Maxwell (Republican) 6.25%

! Washington Territory At-large
 * Selucius Garfielde
 * | Republican
 * 1868
 * Incumbent re-elected June 6, 1870.
 * nowrap | ✅ Selucius Garfielde (Republican) 54.56%

James D. Mix (Democratic) 43.00%

Marshall Blinn (Ind. Republican) 2.44%

! Wyoming Territory At-large
 * Stephen F. Nuckolls
 * | Democratic
 * 1869
 * | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.
 * nowrap | ✅ William T. Jones (Republican) 52.13%

John Wanless (Democratic) 45.03%

[FNU] Murrin (Ind. Democratic) 2.85%


 * }