1954 United States House of Representatives elections

The 1954 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives to elect members to serve in the 84th United States Congress. They were held for the most part on November 2, 1954, in the middle of Dwight Eisenhower's first presidential term, while Maine held theirs on September 13. Eisenhower's Republican Party lost eighteen seats in the House, giving the Democratic Party a majority that it would retain in every House election until 1994. This was nonetheless the first occasion when a Republican won a seat from Florida since 1882, and the first when the GOP won a seat from Texas since 1930.

Perhaps the major reason for the Republican defeat was the backlash against the Army–McCarthy Hearings, in which prominent Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy accused countless political and intellectual figures of having communist ties, usually with no evidence. Another issue was the Dixon–Yates contract to supply power to the Atomic Energy Commission. Other factors included a comment made in Detroit by Defense Secretary Charles Wilson, former president of General Motors, equating unemployed auto workers with "lazy kennel dogs who sit... and yell."

However, it has been pointed out that losses in the midterm election were considerably less than the White House party generally faces in the midterm elections, and this has been attributed to the overall popularity of President Eisenhower, who participated in the campaign along with Vice President Richard Nixon and other members of the cabinet.

Sam Rayburn of Texas became Speaker of the House, exchanging places with new Minority Leader Joseph W. Martin Jr. of Massachusetts; they went back to what they had been before the 1952 elections.

Overall results 407 incumbent members sought reelection, but 6 were defeated in primaries and 22 defeated in the general election for a total of 379 incumbents winning.

+ ↓ 232 203 Democratic Republican

Party Totalseats Change Seatpercentage Votepercentage Popularvote Democratic 232 19 53.3% 52.5% 22,366,386 Republican 203 18 46.6% 47.0% 20,016,809 Liberal 0 0.0% 0.2% 79,946 Independent 0  1 0.0% 0.2% 74,486 American Labor 0 0.0% <0.1% 14,560 Prohibition 0 0.0% <0.1% 8,591 Progressive 0 0.0% <0.1% 6,614 Socialist 0 0.0% <0.1% 5,828 Socialist Labor 0 0.0% <0.1% 1,652 Social Democratic 0 0.0% <0.1% 150 Socialist Workers 0 0.0% <0.1% 114 Militant Workers 0 0.0% <0.1% 99 Others 0 0.0% <0.1% 7,692 Totals 435 0 100.0% 100.0% 42,582,927Source: Election Statistics – Office of the Clerk

September elections

Alabama

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Frank W. Boykin Democratic 1935 Incumbent re-elected. Frank W. Boykin (Democratic) Uncontested George M. Grant Democratic 1938 Incumbent re-elected. George M. Grant (Democratic) Uncontested George W. Andrews Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. George W. Andrews (Democratic) Uncontested Kenneth A. Roberts Democratic 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Kenneth A. Roberts (Democratic) Uncontested Albert Rains Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Albert Rains (Democratic) Uncontested Armistead Selden Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Armistead Selden (Democratic) Uncontested Carl Elliott Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Robert E. Jones Jr. Democratic 1947 Incumbent re-elected. Laurie C. Battle Democratic 1946 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator.Democratic hold. George Huddleston Jr. (Democratic) Uncontested

Arizona

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates John Jacob Rhodes Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Harold Patten Democratic 1948 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold.

Arkansas

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Ezekiel C. Gathings Democratic 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Ezekiel C. Gathings (Democratic) Uncontested Wilbur Mills Democratic 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Wilbur Mills (Democratic) Uncontested James William Trimble Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. James William Trimble (Democratic) Uncontested Oren Harris Democratic 1940 Incumbent re-elected. Oren Harris (Democratic) Uncontested Brooks Hays Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Brooks Hays (Democratic) Uncontested William F. Norrell Democratic 1938 Incumbent re-elected. William F. Norrell (Democratic) Uncontested

California

Of the thirty races, two incumbents retired and were replaced by new members from their party; one Republican lost re-election to a Democrat and one Democrat lost re-election to a Republican; and twenty six incumbents were re-elected. District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Hubert B. Scudder Republican 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Clair Engle Democratic 1943 Incumbent re-elected. John E. Moss Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. William S. Mailliard Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. John F. Shelley Democratic 1949 Incumbent re-elected. Robert Condon Democratic 1952 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. John J. Allen Jr. Republican 1946 Incumbent re-elected. George P. Miller Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. J. Arthur Younger Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Charles Gubser Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. J. Leroy Johnson Republican 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Allan O. Hunter Republican 1950 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Ernest K. Bramblett Republican 1946 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Harlan Hagen Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Gordon L. McDonough Republican 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Donald L. Jackson Republican 1946 Incumbent re-elected. Cecil R. King Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Craig Hosmer Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Chet Holifield Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. John Carl Hinshaw Republican 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Edgar W. Hiestand Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Joseph F. Holt Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Clyde Doyle Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Glenard P. Lipscomb Republican 1953 Incumbent re-elected. Patrick J. Hillings Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Sam Yorty Democratic 1950 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator.Democratic hold. Harry R. Sheppard Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected. James B. Utt Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. John Phillips Republican 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Bob Wilson Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected.

Colorado

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Byron G. Rogers Democratic 1950 Incumbent re-elected. William S. Hill Republican 1940 Incumbent re-elected. John Chenoweth Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Wayne N. Aspinall Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected.

Connecticut

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Thomas J. Dodd Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Horace Seely-Brown Jr. Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Albert W. Cretella Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Albert P. Morano Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. James T. Patterson Republican 1946 Incumbent re-elected. Antoni Sadlak Republican 1946 Incumbent re-elected.

Delaware

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Herbert Warburton Republican 1952 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator.Democratic gain.

Florida

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Courtney W. Campbell Democratic 1952 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. Charles E. Bennett Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Charles E. Bennett (Democratic) Uncontested Bob Sikes Democratic 19401944 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Bob Sikes (Democratic) Uncontested Bill Lantaff Democratic 1950 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. Dante Fascell (Democratic) Uncontested Syd Herlong Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Syd Herlong (Democratic) Uncontested Dwight L. Rogers Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Dwight L. Rogers (Democratic) Uncontested James A. Haley Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Donald Ray Matthews Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Donald Ray Matthews (Democratic) Uncontested

Georgia

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Prince Preston Democratic 1946 Incumbent re-elected. Prince Preston (Democratic) 83.7%Others 16.3% J. L. Pilcher Democratic 1953 Incumbent re-elected. J. L. Pilcher (Democratic) Uncontested Tic Forrester Democratic 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Tic Forrester (Democratic) Uncontested Albert Sidney Camp Democratic 1939 Incumbent died July 24, 1954.Democratic hold.Winner also elected to finish the current term; see above. John Flynt (Democratic) Uncontested James C. Davis Democratic 1946 Incumbent re-elected. Carl Vinson Democratic 1914 Incumbent re-elected. Carl Vinson (Democratic) Uncontested Henderson Lanham Democratic 1946 Incumbent re-elected. Henderson Lanham (Democratic) Uncontested William M. Wheeler Democratic 1946 Incumbent lost renomination.Democratic hold. Iris Faircloth Blitch (Democratic) Uncontested Phil Landrum Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Phil Landrum (Democratic) Uncontested Paul Brown Democratic 1933 Incumbent re-elected. Paul Brown (Democratic) Uncontested

Idaho

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Gracie Pfost Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Hamer H. Budge Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected.

Illinois

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates William L. Dawson Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Barratt O'Hara Democratic 19481950 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Fred E. Busbey Republican 1950 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. William E. McVey Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. John C. Kluczynski Democratic 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Thomas J. O'Brien Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. James Bowler Democratic 1953 Incumbent re-elected. Thomas S. Gordon Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Sidney R. Yates Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Richard W. Hoffman Republican 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Timothy P. Sheehan Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Edgar A. Jonas Republican 1948 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Marguerite S. Church Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Chauncey W. Reed Republican 1934 Incumbent re-elected. Noah M. Mason Republican 1936 Incumbent re-elected. Leo E. Allen Republican 1932 Incumbent re-elected. Leslie C. Arends Republican 1934 Incumbent re-elected. Harold H. Velde Republican 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Robert B. Chiperfield Republican 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Sid Simpson Republican 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Peter F. Mack Jr. Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. William L. Springer Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Charles W. Vursell Republican 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Melvin Price Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. C. W. Bishop Republican 1940 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain.

Indiana

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Ray Madden Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Charles A. Halleck Republican 1935 Incumbent re-elected. Shepard Crumpacker Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. E. Ross Adair Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. John V. Beamer Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Cecil M. Harden Republican 1948 Incumbent re-elected. William G. Bray Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. D. Bailey Merrill Republican 1952 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Earl Wilson Republican 1940 Incumbent re-elected. Ralph Harvey Republican 1947 Incumbent re-elected. Charles B. Brownson Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected.

Iowa

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Thomas E. Martin Republican 1938 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.Republican hold. Henry O. Talle Republican 1938 Incumbent re-elected. H. R. Gross Republican 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Karl M. LeCompte Republican 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Paul Cunningham Republican 1940 Incumbent re-elected. James I. Dolliver Republican 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Ben F. Jensen Republican 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Charles B. Hoeven Republican 1942 Incumbent re-elected.

Kansas