1984 United States House of Representatives elections

The 1984 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives on November 6, 1984, to elect members to serve in the 99th United States Congress. They coincided with the re-election of President Ronald Reagan in a landslide. This victory also yielded gains for Reagan's Republican Party in the House, where they picked up a net of sixteen seats from the Democratic Party. Despite Reagan's extremely large electoral victory, the Democrats nonetheless retained a commanding majority in the House and actually gained seats in the Senate. These elections were the last until 2020 when a member of a political party other than the Democrats, Republicans, or an independent had one or more seats in the chamber.

This would be the last time for eight years that the Democrats experienced a net loss of seats in the House.

Retiring incumbents
Twenty-two representatives retired. Sixteen of those seats were held by the same party, six seats changed party.

Democrats
Nine Democrats retired. Four of those seats were held by Democrats and five were won by Republicans.

Democratic held

 * 1) IL's 22nd congressional district: Paul Simon: to run for U.S. Senate. Was succeeded by Kenneth J. Gray.
 * 2) MA's 5th congressional district: James Shannon: to run for U.S. Senate. Was succeeded by Chester G. Atkins.
 * 3) NY's 9th congressional district: Geraldine Ferraro: to run for Vice President. Was succeeded by Thomas Manton.
 * 4) TN's 6th congressional district: Al Gore: to run for U.S. Senate. Was succeeded by Bart Gordon.

Republican gain

 * 1) CO's 3rd congressional district: Ray Kogovsek. Was succeeded by Michael L. Strang.
 * 2) IA's 5th congressional district: Tom Harkin: to run for U.S. Senate. Was succeeded by Jim Ross Lightfoot.
 * 3) NH's 1st congressional district: Norman D'Amours: to run for U.S. Senate. Was succeeded by Bob Smith.
 * 4) NY's 20th congressional district: Richard Ottinger. Was succeeded by Joe DioGuardi.
 * 5) TX's 19th congressional district: Kent Hance: to run for U.S. Senate. Was succeeded by Larry Combest.

Republicans
Twelve Republicans retired. Eleven of those seats were held by Republicans and one was won by a Democrat.

Republican held

 * 1) AL's 1st congressional district: Jack Edwards. Was succeeded by Sonny Callahan.
 * 2) IL's 13th congressional district: John N. Erlenborn. Was succeeded by Harris Fawell.
 * 3) IL's 14th congressional district: Tom Corcoran: to run for U.S. Senate. Was succeeded by John E. Grotberg.
 * 4) KS's 3rd congressional district: Larry Winn. Was succeeded by Jan Meyers.
 * 5) MI's 5th congressional district: Harold S. Sawyer. Was succeeded by Paul B. Henry.
 * 6) NY's 30th congressional district: Barber Conable. Was succeeded by Fred J. Eckert.
 * 7) NC's 9th congressional district: James G. Martin: to run for Governor of North Carolina. Was succeeded by Alex McMillan.
 * 8) TX's 6th congressional district: Phil Gramm: to run for U.S. Senate. Was succeeded by Joe Barton.
 * 9) TX's 22nd congressional district: Ron Paul: to run for U.S. Senate. Was succeeded by Tom DeLay.
 * 10) UT's 2nd congressional district: David Daniel Marriott: to run for Governor of Utah. Was succeeded by David Smith Monson.
 * 11) VA's 7th congressional district: J. Kenneth Robinson. Was succeeded by D. French Slaughter Jr.
 * 12) WA's 1st congressional district: Joel Pritchard. Was succeeded by John Miller.

Democratic gain

 * 1) AR's 2nd congressional district: Ed Bethune: to run for U.S. Senate. Was succeeded by Tommy F. Robinson.

Democrats
Three Democrats lost renomination.


 * 1) IN's 1st congressional district: Katie Hall lost to challenger Pete Visclosky.
 * 2) PA's 11th congressional district: Frank Harrison lost to challenger Paul Kanjorski.
 * 3) TX's 23rd congressional district: Abraham Kazen lost to challenger Albert Bustamante.

Democrats
Thirteen Democrats lost re-election.


 * 1) AZ's 5th congressional district: James F. McNulty Jr. lost to Jim Kolbe.
 * 2) CA's 38th congressional district: Jerry M. Patterson lost to Bob Dornan.
 * 3) CT's 5th congressional district: William R. Ratchford lost to John G. Rowland.
 * 4) GA's 4th congressional district: Elliott H. Levitas lost to Pat Swindall.
 * 5) MD's 2nd congressional district: Clarence Long lost to Helen Delich Bentley.
 * 6) MI's 10th congressional district: Donald J. Albosta lost to Bill Schuette.
 * 7) NJ's 11th congressional district: Joseph Minish lost to Dean Gallo.
 * 8) NC's 4th congressional district: Ike Franklin Andrews lost to Bill Cobey.
 * 9) NC's 6th congressional district: Charles Robin Britt lost to Howard Coble.
 * 10) NC's 11th congressional district: James M. Clarke lost to Bill Hendon.
 * 11) TX's 13th congressional district: Jack Hightower lost to Beau Boulter.
 * 12) TX's 14th congressional district: Bill Patman lost to Mac Sweeney.
 * 13) TX's 26th congressional district: Tom Vandergriff lost to Dick Armey.

Republicans
Three Republicans lost re-election.


 * 1) ID's 2nd congressional district: George V. Hansen lost to Richard H. Stallings.
 * 2) IL's 19th congressional district: Dan Crane lost to Terry L. Bruce.
 * 3) OH's 17th congressional district: Lyle Williams lost to Jim Traficant.

Special elections
There were three special elections to the 98th Congress in 1984, two of which were held on the same day as the general election for the next term.

Elections are sorted here by date then district.

Wisconsin
! Wisconsin's 1st congressional district
 * Les Aspin
 * | Democratic
 * 1970
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Les Aspin (Democratic) 56.2%

Peter Jansson (Republican) 43.8%

! Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district
 * Robert Kastenmeier
 * | Democratic
 * 1958
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Robert Kastenmeier (Democratic) 63.7%

Albert Lee Wiley Jr. (Republican) 36.3%

! Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district
 * Steve Gunderson
 * | Republican
 * 1980
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Steve Gunderson (Republican) 68.4%

Charles F. Dahl (Democratic) 31.6%

! Wisconsin's 4th congressional district
 * Jerry Kleczka
 * | Democratic
 * 1984
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Jerry Kleczka (Democratic) 66.6%

Robert V. Nolan (Republican) 32.8%

K. Rick Kissell (Labor) 0.6%

! Wisconsin's 5th congressional district
 * Jim Moody
 * | Democratic
 * 1982
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Jim Moody (Democratic) 98.1%

William C. Breihan (Socialist Workers) 1.9%

! Wisconsin's 6th congressional district
 * Tom Petri
 * | Republican
 * 1979 (special)
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Tom Petri (Republican) 75.8%

David L. Iaquinta (Democratic) 24.2%

! Wisconsin's 7th congressional district
 * Dave Obey
 * | Democratic
 * 1969 (special)
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Dave Obey (Democratic) 61.2%

Mark G. Michaelsen (Republican) 38.8%

! Wisconsin's 8th congressional district
 * Toby Roth
 * | Republican
 * 1978
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Toby Roth (Republican) 67.9%

Paul Willems (Democratic) 30.8%

Gary L. Barnes (Libertarian) 0.8%

Cornelius D. Van Handel (Labor) 0.4%

! Wisconsin's 9th congressional district
 * Jim Sensenbrenner
 * | Republican
 * 1978
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |

✅ Jim Sensenbrenner (Republican) 73.4%

John Krause (Democratic) 26.1%

Stephen K. Hauser (Constitution) 0.5%


 * }

Non-voting delegates
! American Samoa at-large
 * Fofō Iosefa Fiti Sunia
 * 1980
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |
 * nowrap |

✅ Fofō Iosefa Fiti Sunia (Democratic) 65.2%

Soli Lumoelogo (Independent) 34.8%

! District of Columbia at-large
 * Walter Fauntroy
 * 1970
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |
 * nowrap |

✅ Walter Fauntroy (Democratic) 95.6%

! Guam at-large
 * Antonio Borja Won Pat
 * 1972
 * | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain.
 * nowrap |
 * nowrap |

✅ Ben Blaz (Republican) 50.3%

Antonio Borja Won Pat (Democratic) 49.2%

! Puerto Rico at-large
 * Baltasar Corrada del Río
 * | New Progressive/ Democratic
 * 1976
 * | Incumbent retired to run for mayor of San Juan. New resident commissioner elected. PPD gain.
 * nowrap |

✅ Jaime Fuster (PPD/Democratic) 48.5%

Nelson Famadas (PNP/Democratic) 45.4%

Francisco Catalá (PIP) 3.8%

Angel Viera Martinez (PRP) 2.3%

! U.S. Virgin Islands at-large
 * Ron de Lugo
 * 1972 1978 (retired) 1980
 * Incumbent re-elected.
 * nowrap |
 * nowrap |

✅ Ron de Lugo (Democratic) 73.6%

Janet Watlington (Independent) 25.6%


 * }