The 1978 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives on November 7, 1978, to elect members to serve in the 96th United States Congress. They occurred in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term, amidst an energy crisis and rapid inflation. The Democratic Party lost a net of 15 seats to the Republican Party, and thus lost their two-thirds supermajority, but still maintained a large 277-seat majority.

, this was the last midterm election where the Democrats managed to win a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives under a Democratic president, the last midterm election in which a registered third party member was elected, and the last time overall in which any party won at least 270 House seats.

Overall results 382 incumbent members sought reelection, but 5 were defeated in primaries and 19 defeated in the general election for a total of 358 incumbents winning.

+ ↓ 277 1 157 Democratic C Republican

Parties Seats Popular vote Previouselection Thiselection +/- Strength Vote % Change Democratic 292 277 15 63.7% 29,317,222 53.7% 2.2% Republican 143 157 14 36.1% 24,464,665 44.8% 2.5% Independents 350,898 0.6% 0.2% American Independent 74,765 0.1% Conservative 0 1 1 0.2% 74,531 0.1% Libertarian 64,310 0.1% U.S. Labor 45,866 0.1% Liberal 44,807 0.1% Peace and Freedom 39,017 0.1% 0.1% American 34,110 0.1% 0.1% Socialist Workers 19,530 <0.1% Prohibition 9,992 <0.1% Communist 9,261 <0.1% La Raza Unida 7,185 <0.1% Liberty Union 6,505 <0.1% Peoples Independent Coalition 5,396 <0.1% Workers 2,709 <0.1% Socialist Labor 2,434 <0.1% Aloha Democratic 2,095 <0.1% Betsy Ross 1,629 <0.1% Socialist 978 <0.1% United Labor 712 <0.1% Others 5,305 <0.1% 0.3% Total 435 435 0 100.0% 54,583,922 100.0% -

Source: Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk

Special elections

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Ed Koch Democratic 1968 Incumbent resigned December 31, 1977 to become Mayor of New York City.New member elected February 14, 1978.Winner was subsequently re-elected in November.Republican gain. Herman Badillo Democratic 1970 Incumbent resigned December 31, 1977 to become deputy mayor of New York City.New member elected February 14, 1978.Democratic hold.

Alabama

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Jack Edwards Republican 1964 Incumbent re-elected. William L. Dickinson Republican 1964 Incumbent re-elected. Bill Nichols Democratic 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Tom Bevill Democratic 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Ronnie Flippo Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected. John H. Buchanan Jr. Republican 1964 Incumbent re-elected. Walter Flowers Democratic 1968 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator.Democratic hold.

Alaska

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Don Young Republican 1973 Incumbent re-elected.

Arizona

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates John Jacob Rhodes Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Mo Udall Democratic 1961 Incumbent re-elected. Bob Stump Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Eldon Rudd Republican 1976 Incumbent re-elected.

Arkansas

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Bill Alexander Democratic 1968 Incumbent re-elected. Jim Guy Tucker Democratic 1976 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator.Republican gain. John Paul Hammerschmidt Republican 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Ray Thornton Democratic 1972 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator.Democratic hold.

California

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Bizz Johnson Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected. Don Clausen Republican 1963 Incumbent re-elected. John E. Moss Democratic 1952 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. Robert Leggett Democratic 1962 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. John Burton Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Phillip Burton Democratic 1964 Incumbent re-elected. George Miller Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Ron Dellums Democratic 1970 Incumbent re-elected. Pete Stark Democratic 1972 Incumbent re-elected. Don Edwards Democratic 1962 Incumbent re-elected. Leo Ryan Democratic 1972 Incumbent re-elected, Following the election, Ryan was murdered while investigating the Peoples Temple in Guyana Pete McCloskey Republican 1967 Incumbent re-elected. Norman Mineta Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. John J. McFall Democratic 1956 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. B. F. Sisk Democratic 1954 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. Leon Panetta Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected. John Hans Krebs Democratic 1974 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. Vacant William M. Ketchum (Republican) died June 24, 1978Republican hold. Robert Lagomarsino Republican 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Barry Goldwater Jr. Republican 1969 Incumbent re-elected. James C. Corman Democratic 1960 Incumbent re-elected. Carlos Moorhead Republican 1972 Incumbent re-elected. Anthony Beilenson Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Henry Waxman Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Edward R. Roybal Democratic 1962 Incumbent re-elected. John H. Rousselot Republican 19601962 1970 Incumbent re-elected. Bob Dornan Republican 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Yvonne Brathwaite Burke Democratic 1972 Incumbent retired to run for Attorney General of California.Democratic hold. Augustus Hawkins Democratic 1962 Incumbent re-elected. George E. Danielson Democratic 1970 Incumbent re-elected. Charles H. Wilson Democratic 1962 Incumbent re-elected. Glenn M. Anderson Democratic 1968 Incumbent re-elected. Del M. Clawson Republican 1963 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Mark W. Hannaford Democratic 1974 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. James F. Lloyd Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. George Brown Jr. Democratic 19621970 1972 Incumbent re-elected. Shirley Neil Pettis Republican 1975 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Jerry M. Patterson Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Charles E. Wiggins Republican 1966 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Robert Badham Republican 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Bob Wilson Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Lionel Van Deerlin Democratic 1962 Incumbent re-elected. Clair Burgener Republican 1972 Incumbent re-elected.

Colorado

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Pat Schroeder Democratic 1972 Incumbent re-elected. Tim Wirth Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Frank Evans Democratic 1964 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. James Paul Johnson Republican 1972 Incumbent re-elected. William L. Armstrong Republican 1972 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator.Republican hold.

Connecticut

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates William R. Cotter Democratic 1970 Incumbent re-elected. Chris Dodd Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Robert Giaimo Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected. Stewart McKinney Republican 1970 Incumbent re-elected. Ronald A. Sarasin Republican 1972 Incumbent retired to run for Governor of Connecticut.Democratic gain. Toby Moffett Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected.

Delaware

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Thomas B. Evans Jr. Republican 1976 Incumbent re-elected.

Florida

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Bob Sikes Democratic 19401944 1944 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. Don Fuqua Democratic 1962 Incumbent re-elected. Charles E. Bennett Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Bill Chappell Democratic 1968 Incumbent re-elected. Richard Kelly Republican 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Bill Young Republican 1970 Incumbent re-elected. Sam Gibbons Democratic 1962 Incumbent re-elected. Andy Ireland Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Louis Frey Jr. Republican 1968 Incumbent retired to run for Governor of Florida.Democratic gain. Skip Bafalis Republican 1972 Incumbent re-elected. Paul Rogers Democratic 1954 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. J. Herbert Burke Republican 1966 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. William Lehman Democratic 1972 Incumbent re-elected. Claude Pepper Democratic 1962 Incumbent re-elected. Dante Fascell Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected.

Georgia

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Bo Ginn Democratic 1972 Incumbent re-elected. Dawson Mathis Democratic 1970 Incumbent re-elected. Jack Brinkley Democratic 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Elliott H. Levitas Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Wyche Fowler Democratic 1977 Incumbent re-elected. John Flynt Democratic 1954 Incumbent retired.Republican gain. Larry McDonald Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Billy Lee Evans Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Ed Jenkins Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Doug Barnard Jr. Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected.

Hawaii

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Cecil Heftel Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Daniel Akaka Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected.

Idaho

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Steve Symms Republican 1972 Incumbent re-elected. George V. Hansen Republican 19641968 1974 Incumbent re-elected.

Illinois

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Ralph Metcalfe Democratic 1970 Incumbent died.Democratic hold. Morgan F. Murphy Democratic 1970 Incumbent re-elected. Marty Russo Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Ed Derwinski Republican 1958 Incumbent re-elected. John G. Fary Democratic 1975 Incumbent re-elected. Henry Hyde Republican 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Cardiss Collins Democratic 1973 Incumbent re-elected. Dan Rostenkowski Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected. Sidney R. Yates Democratic 19481962 1964 Incumbent re-elected. Abner Mikva Democratic 19681972 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Frank Annunzio Democratic 1964 Incumbent re-elected. Phil Crane Republican 1969 Incumbent re-elected. Robert McClory Republican 1962 Incumbent re-elected. John N. Erlenborn Republican 1964 Incumbent re-elected. Tom Corcoran Republican 1976 Incumbent re-elected. John B. Anderson Republican 1960 Incumbent re-elected. George M. O'Brien Republican 1972 Incumbent re-elected. Robert H. Michel Republican 1956 Incumbent re-elected. Tom Railsback Republican 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Paul Findley Republican 1960 Incumbent re-elected. Ed Madigan Republican 1972 Incumbent re-elected. George E. Shipley Democratic 1958 Incumbent retired.Republican gain. Melvin Price Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Paul Simon Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected.

Indiana

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Adam Benjamin Jr. Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Floyd Fithian Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. John Brademas Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected. Dan Quayle Republican 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Elwood Hillis Republican 1970 Incumbent re-elected. David W. Evans Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. John T. Myers Republican 1966 Incumbent re-elected. David L. Cornwell Democratic 1976 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. Lee H. Hamilton Democratic 1964 Incumbent re-elected. Philip Sharp Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Andrew Jacobs Jr. Democratic 19641972 1974 Incumbent re-elected.

Iowa

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Jim Leach Republican 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Mike Blouin Democratic 1974 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. Chuck Grassley Republican 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Neal Smith Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected. Tom Harkin Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Berkley Bedell Democratic 1974 Incumbent re-elected.

Kansas

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Keith Sebelius Republican 1968 Incumbent re-elected. Martha Keys Democratic 1974 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. Larry Winn Republican 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Dan Glickman Democratic 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Joe Skubitz Republican 1962 Incumbent retired.Republican hold.

Kentucky