1876–77 United States House of Representatives elections

The 1876–77 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 5, 1876, and March 13, 1877. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 45th United States Congress convened on October 15, 1877. The size of the House increased to 293 seats with the addition of the new state of Colorado.

These elections coincided with the (heavily contested) election of President Rutherford B. Hayes and the United States Centennial. Hayes' Republican Party was able to recover from the Democratic Party many of the seats it had lost two years before as the economy improved slightly. However, the Democrats retained a majority and were able to use the people's lack of interest in Republican Reconstruction-led projects to help keep crucial seats. Republican congressional leadership had a difficult time distancing itself from the corruption of the Ulysses S. Grant administration or the legislature's impact on the economy downturn.

Election summaries + ↓ 157 136 Democratic Republican

State Type Totalseats Democratic Republican Seats Change Seats Change Alabama District 8 8 2 0 2 Arkansas District 4 4 0 California District 4 2 1 2 1 Colorado At-large 1 1 1 0 1 Connecticut District 4 3 1 Delaware At-large 1 1 0 Florida District 2 2 1 0 1 Georgia District 9 9 0 Illinois District 19 8 2 11 4 Indiana District 13 4 4 9 4 Iowa District 9 0 1 9 1 Kansas District 3 0 1 3 1 Kentucky District 10 10 1 0 1 Louisiana District 6 5 1 1 1 Maine District 5 0 5 Maryland District 6 6 0 Massachusetts District 11 2 1 9 4 Michigan District 9 1 2 8 2 Minnesota District 3 0 3 Mississippi District 6 6 2 0 2 Missouri District 13 9 4 4 4 Nebraska At-large 1 0 1 Nevada At-large 1 0 1 New Hampshire District 3 1 1 2 1 New Jersey District 7 4 1 3 1 New York District 33 16 1 17 1 North Carolina District 8 7 1 Ohio District 20 8 5 12 5 Oregon At-large 1 0 1 1 1 Pennsylvania District 27 10 7 17 7 Rhode Island District 2 0 2 South Carolina District 5 2 2 3 2 Tennessee District 10 8 1 2 1 Texas District 6 6 0 Vermont District 3 0 3 Virginia District 9 8 1 West Virginia District 3 3 0 Wisconsin District 8 3 5 Total 293 157 27 136 31

The previous election included 4 Independents, in Illinois and Massachusetts.

Election dates

In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors.Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721. 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 1876–77, there were still 8 states with earlier election dates, and 1 state with a later election date.

Elections before Election Day (United States): June 5: Oregon September 5: Vermont September 11: Maine October 4:Georgia October 10: Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, West Virginia

Standard Election Day: November 7, 1876

Election after Election Day: March 13, 1877: New Hampshire

Special elections

District Incumbent This race Member Party First elected Results Candidates Henry H. Starkweather Republican 1867 Incumbent died January 28, 1876.New member elected April 12, 1876.Republican hold.Winner later re-elected to the next term; see below. William Barnum Democratic 1867 Incumbent resigned May 18, 1876, when elected U.S. senator.New member elected November 7, 1876.Democratic hold.Winner also elected to the next term; see below. James G. Blaine Republican 1862 Incumbent resigned July 10, 1876.New member elected September 11, 1876.Republican hold.Winner retired after serving out the remainder of the term.

Alabama

Alabama redistricted and eliminated its at-large seats, going from 6 districts and 2 at-large seats to 8 districts. The state also elected a full delegation of Democrats, voting out the two Republicans.

Arkansas

California

Colorado

There were two elections to the new state of Colorado.

44th Congress

45th Congress

Connecticut

Connecticut had been electing is members late in the cycle, even after the terms had begun. But starting in 1876, the state joined the others in electing its members on the November 7, 1876 Election Day. The delegation remained 3 Democrats and 1 Republican.

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

! | William Ripley Brown | | Republican | 1874

1876–77 United States House of Representatives elections

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