This is a list of notable performances of third-party and independent candidates in elections to the United States House of Representatives.
It is rare for candidates, other than those of the six parties which have succeeded as major parties (Federalist Party, Democratic-Republican Party, National Republican Party, Democratic Party, Whig Party, Republican Party), to take large shares of the vote in elections.
In some of the listed cases a faction or factions of a state's major party ran against each other, often making it difficult to ascertain which was the mainline candidate and which was the bolter; in such cases, those candidates which are not listed on a standard major party line are still listed, but are not considered traditional third-party victories as often these candidates sat in Congress as affiliated party members (barring cases like Joe Lieberman who, upon winning re-election in 2006 as a third-party candidate, sat as an Independent Democrat).
Listed below are House elections in which a third-party or independent candidate won at least 5.0% of the vote. Winners are shown in bold and marked "elected" or "re-elected". To be included a candidate must not run on one of the major parties tickets along with being on the minor party. In other words, they must solely be a minor party candidate.
1828–1829 + Notable third-party House performances (1828–1829) – 67 entries - 5 victoriesYearDistrictPartyCandidate# Votes% VotesPlace1828Alabama MiddleIndependentSeth Barron3,3462ndAlabama SouthernIndependentSamuel W. Oliver3,3542ndIndependentFrancis Armstrong2,9293rdKentucky 3rdIndependentMatthews Flournoy1,0452ndKentucky 6thIndependentThomas P. Wilson3,2222ndKentucky 7thIndependentWilliam B. Booker2,8722ndMaine 1IndependentSimon Nowall3372ndIndependentNathaniel Appleton3193rdIndependentSamuel A. Bradley2604thMaine 2IndependentJohn Adams8472ndMaine 6 - First TrialIndependentJoshua Hall3583rdIndependentSamuel Upton3214thMaine 6 - Second TrialIndependentSamuel Upton6273rdMaine 7IndependentWilliam Emerson1,5642ndMassachusetts 2IndependentEzra Mudge2843rdMassachusetts 3IndependentSamuel Phillips1493rdMassachusetts 8IndependentJonas Sibley1842ndNew York 7Anti-MasonicJohn Bogardus7313rdNew York 24Anti-MasonicMoses Dixon9013rdNew York 26Anti-MasonicRobert S. Rose8,444ElectedIsrael J. Richardson4,8865thNew York 27Anti-MasonicTimothy Childs6,520ElectedNew York 29Anti-MasonicPhineas L. Tracy6,924Re-elected as Anti-MasonicNew York 30Anti-MasonicEbenezer F. Norton5,226ElectedAnti-MasonicDaniel G. Garnsey1,560Lost re-election as Anti-Masonic4thOhio's 12IndependentGeorge M. Cook7793rdOhio's 13IndependentEli Baldwin1,4052ndPennsylvania 13IndependentWilliam Piper2,7222ndSouth Carolina 6IndependentCobb7552ndVermont 5 - First TrialAnti-MasonicWilliam Cahoon1,6713rdVermont 5 - Second TrialAnti-MasonicWilliam Cahoon1,3663rd1829Maine 4 (special) – first trialIndependentReuel Williams1,857ElectedIndependentJesse Robinson6743rdMaine 4 (special) – second trialIndependentReuel Williams2,2382ndMaine 6 - Third TrialIndependentJohn G. Deane9092ndIndependentSamuel Upton7514thMaine 6 - Fourth TrialIndependentJohn G. Deane1,4082ndIndependentSamuel Upton8724thMaine 6 - Fifth TrialIndependentJohn G. Deane8892ndIndependentSamuel Upton5443rdIndependentSamuel Williamson4124thNorth Carolina 2IndependentGeorge E. Spruill1032ndPennsylvania 16 (special)Anti-MasonicHarmar Denny4,208ElectedTennessee 1IndependentJohn A. Rogers1,1952ndIndependentWilliam Priestly1,1793rdTennessee 2IndependentThomas Dickens Arnold4,4962ndTennessee 3IndependentJohn Lowry1,8022ndTennessee 5IndependentWilliam Trousdale2,5472ndTennessee 8IndependentJohn Hartwell Marable3,085Lost re-election2ndVermont 5 - Third TrialAnti-MasonicWilliam Cahoon1,2133rdVermont 5 - Fourth TrialAnti-MasonicWilliam Cahoon1,7013rdVermont 5 - Fifth TrialAnti-MasonicWilliam Cahoon2,0502ndVermont 5 - Sixth TrialAnti-MasonicWilliam Cahoon2,858ElectedVermont 5 - Seventh TrialIndependentSamuel Prentiss3,834ElectedAnti-MasonicWilliam Cahoon3,7122ndVermont 5 - Eighth TrialAnti-MasonicWilliam Cahoon3,912ElectedVirginia 5IndependentGeorge William Crump4682ndVirginia 8IndependentBurwell Bassett468Lost re-election as an Independent2ndIndependentCarter M. Braxton3233rdVirginia 10 (special)IndependentArchibald Byrce2452ndIndependentHugh Nelson1843rdVirginia 13IndependentWilloughby Newton4272ndVirginia 14IndependentJohn Gibson1462ndVirginia 17IndependentSamuel Kerceval5742ndVirginia 20IndependentFleming Bowyer Miller1,1892ndVirginia 21IndependentJoseph Lowell1,5712ndIndependentWilliam Smith7993rd
1850–1851 + Notable third-party House performances (1850–1851) – 113 entries - 34 victoriesYearDateStateDistrictPartyCandidate# Votes% VotesPlace1850January 21Massachusetts4thSeventhTrialFree SoilJohn G. Palfrey4,9472ndMarch 4Massachusetts4thEighth TrialFree SoilJohn G. Palfrey3,9272ndMay 27Massachusetts4thNinth TrialFree SoilJohn G. Palfrey4,970ElectedAugust 5Missouri1stBenton DemocratFermin A. Rosier5,6002ndAnti-Benton DemocratJames B. Bowlin5,3173rd3rdAnti-Benton DemocratJames S. Green6,5542ndBenton DemocratJohn G. Miller2,4113rd4thAnti-Benton DemocratWillard Preble Hall5,606Re-electedBenton DemocratJames B. Gardenshire3,8263rd5thBenton DemocratJohn S. Phelps8,325ElectedAnti-Benton DemocratWilliam Shields2,0503rdAugust 19Massachusetts1stSpecial ElectionFree SoilCharles Sumner4732nd2ndSpecial ElectionFree SoilJohn Pierpont1,1913rd4thTenth TrialFree SoilJohn G. Palfrey3,010ElectedSeptember 3Vermont1stFree Soil DemocraticMerritt Clark1,2104th3rdFree Soil DemocraticHeman R. Beardsley2,9602nd4thFree Soil DemocraticThomas Bartlett Jr.7,009ElectedSeptember 9Maine1stFree SoilM. Sweat5303rd3rdFree SoilSeth May1,2723rd7thFree SoilStephen C. Foster7163rdMassachusetts2ndSpecial ElectionSecond TrialFree SoilJohn Pierpont1,4463rdOctober 8Ohio16thIndependent DemocratJohn Johnson5,458Elected20thFree SoilJoshua Reed Giddings6,896Re-elected21stFree SoilJoseph M. Root1,1203rdPennsylvania1stAmericanLewis Charles Levin4,164Lost re-election2nd21stAmericanIsrael Cullen5393rd22ndFree SoilSupported by WhigsJohn W. Howe6,284Re-electedNovember 5New Jersey1stNative AmericanJoseph Franklin1,0843rdNew York3rdIndependentJohn F. Rodman2,1642nd4thIndependent DemocratDominick McGrath5413rdWisconsin1stFree SoilSupported by WhigsCharles Durkee7,512Re-elected3rdIndependentJames Duane Doty11,159Re-electedNovember 11Massachusetts1stFree SoilBenjamin B. Mufsey1,1673rd2ndFree SoilSamuel E. Sewall2,9793rd2ndSpecial ElectionThird TrialFree SoilSamuel E. Sewall2,9843rd3rdFree SoilThomas W. Higginson2,4763rd4thFree SoilJohn G. Palfrey4,7832nd4thEleventh TrialFree SoilJohn G. Palfrey4,9322nd5thFree SoilCharles Allen4,0952nd6thFree SoilCharles P. Huntington2,1013rd7thFree SoilJoel Hayden8043rd8thFree SoilHorace Mann6,697Re-elected10thFree SoilSampson Hart1,0543rdDecember 31Pennsylvania11thSpecial ElectionIndependentEdmund L. Dana3,2832nd1851January 20Massachusetts2ndSecond TrialFree SoilSamuel E. Sewall1,6303rd2ndSpecial ElectionFourth TrialFree SoilSamuel E. Sewall1,6303rd3rdSecond TrialFree SoilThomas W. Higginson1,2253rd4thSecond TrialFree SoilJohn G. Palfrey2,9862nd4thTwelfth TrialFree SoilJohn G. Palfrey3,0012nd5thSecond TrialFree SoilCharles Allen4,166Elected6thSecond TrialFree SoilSamuel Williston1,4603rd7thSecond TrialFree SoilJoel Hayden5793rd10thSecond TrialFree SoilSampson Hart4293rdUnknownDaniel Bishop2394thMarch 11New Hampshire1stFree SoilSupported by WhigsAmos Tuck7,791Re-elected2ndFree SoilAsa Fowler2,0603rd4thFree SoilJohn H. White1,1183rdApril 7Massachusetts2ndThird TrialFree SoilSamuel E. Sewall1,7733rd4thThird TrialFree SoilJohn G. Palfrey3,5192nd5thThird TrialFree SoilCharles Allen4,166Elected7thSecond TrialFree SoilJoel Hayden5863rdApril 7Massachusetts4thFourth TrialFree SoilJohn G. Palfrey6,2932ndAugust 4Alabama1stSouthern RightsJohn Bragg6,073ElectedUnionCharles C. Langdon4,2542nd2ndUnionJames Abercrombie7,598ElectedSouthern RightsJohn Cochran5,9112nd3rdSouthern RightsSampson Willis Harris5,677Re-electedUnionWilliam S. Mudd5,0852nd4thUnionWilliam Russell Smith4,164ElectedSouthern RightsJohn Erwin4,1142nd5thUnionGeorge S. Houston4,729ElectedSouthern RightsDavid Hubbard4,2402nd6thUnionWilliamson Robert Winfield Cobb3,708Re-electedSouthern RightsRobert Murphy1,3032nd7thUnionAlexander White5,744ElectedSouthern RightsSamuel F. Rice5,3712ndIndiana4thFree SoilGeorge Washington Julian4,540Lost re-election2ndKentucky2ndIndependent WhigJeff Jennings3,3012ndTexas1stUnknownB. Bush Wallace1,1483rd2ndUnknownHugh McLeod2,9352ndUnknownHenry N. Potter1,2314thAugust 6Tennessee6thIndependent DemocratWilliam Hawkins Polk5,830ElectedAugust 14North Carolina2ndSecessionist WhigThomas Lanier Clingman6,600Re-elected as Secessionist Whig5thSecessionist DemocratAbraham Watkins Venable4,057Re-elected as Secessionist DemocratUnionist DemocratCalvin Graves2,7102ndOctober 1Maryland1stIndependent WhigThomas Fielder Bowie2,1142nd3rdIndependentAndrew A. Lynch2,8942nd6thIndependent WhigJoseph Stewart Cottman2,837ElectedOctober 6Georgia1stSouthern RightsJoseph Webber Jackson4,283Re-elected as Southern RightsUnionJoseph Webber Jackson4,0072nd2ndUnionJames Johnson8,107ElectedSouthern RightsHenry L. Benning6,9852nd3rdSouthern RightsDavid Jackson Bailey6,011ElectedUnionAbsalom Harris Chappell5,8532nd4thUnionCharles Murphey7,750ElectedSouthern RightsJohn P. Stell5,6012nd5thUnionElijah Webb Chastain13,882ElectedSouthern RightsWilliam Henry Stiles7,4812nd6thUnionJunius Hillyer6,937ElectedSouthern RightsThomas F. Jones2,8192nd7thUnionAlexander H. Stephens4,744Re-elected as UnionistSouthern RightsDavid W. Lewis1,9552nd8thUnionRobert Toombs4,704Re-elected as UnionistSouthern RightsRobert McMillan2,5382ndOctober 23Virginia8thUnknownRobert W. Carter292ndNovember 4Mississippi1stUnionBenjamin D. Nabers9,659ElectedSouthern RightsJacob Thompson7,051Lost re-election as Southern Rights2nd2ndUnionJohn Allen Wilcox6,927ElectedSouthern RightsWinfield S. Featherston6,201Lost re-election as Southern Rights2nd3rdUnionJohn D. Freeman7,732ElectedSouthern RightsWilliam McWillie7,485Lost re-election as Southern Rights2nd4thSouthern RightsAlbert G. Brown7,304Re-elected as Southern RightsUnionA. B. Dawson5,4332nd
1852–1853