Jump to content

1998 United States House of Representatives elections

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1998 United States House of Representatives elections
← 1996 November 3, 1998 2000 →
All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives
218 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Newt Gingrich
(resigned) 		Dick Gephardt
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since January 3, 1995 January 3, 1995
Leader's seat Georgia 6th Missouri 3rd
Last election 227 seats 206 seats
Seats won 223 211
Seat change Decrease 4 Increase 5
Popular vote 32,237,964 31,490,298
Percentage 48.4% 47.3%
Swing Increase 0.2% Decrease 0.9%
  Third party
 
Party Independent
Last election 2 seats
Seats won 1
Seat change Decrease 1
Popular vote 372,072
Percentage 0.6%
Results:
     Democratic hold      Democratic gain
     Republican hold      Republican gain
     Independent hold
Speaker before election

Newt Gingrich
Republican

Elected Speaker

Dennis Hastert
Republican

The 1998 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 3, 1998, to elect U.S. Representatives to serve in the 106th United States Congress. They were part of the midterm elections held during President Bill Clinton's second term. They were a major disappointment for the Republicans, who were expecting to gain seats due to the embarrassment Clinton suffered during the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the "six-year itch" effect observed in most second-term midterm elections. However, the Republicans lost five seats to the Democrats, although they retained a narrow majority in the House. A wave of Republican discontent with Speaker Newt Gingrich prompted him to resign shortly after the election; he was replaced by Congressman Dennis Hastert of Illinois.

The campaign was marked by Republican attacks on the morality of President Bill Clinton, with independent counsel Kenneth Starr having released his report on the Lewinsky scandal and House leaders having initiated an inquiry into whether impeachable offenses had occurred. However, exit polls indicated that most voters opposed impeaching Clinton, and predictions of high Republican or low Democratic turnout due to the scandal failed to materialize.[1] Some speculate that the losses reflected a backlash against the Republicans for attacking the popular Clinton. With the Republicans having lost four House seats and failing to gain any seats in the Senate, it was the first time since 1934 that the non-presidential party failed to gain congressional seats in a midterm election; this would happen again in 2002. This is the most recent election where no incumbents who served at least 6 terms (12 years) lost re-nomination or re-election.

Overall results

[edit]
Popular vote and seats total by states
↓
211 1 223
Democratic I Republican
Party Seats Seat
percentage 		Vote
percentage 		Popular
vote
1996 Elected Net
change
  Republican Party 227 223 Decrease 4 51.3% 48.4% 32,237,964
  Democratic Party 206 211 Increase 5 48.5% 47.3% 31,490,298
  Libertarian Party 0 0 Steady 0.0% 1.3% 880,024
  Independent 2 1 Decrease 1 0.2% 0.6% 372,072
  Reform Party 0 0 Steady 0.0% 0.4% 239,173
  Natural Law Party 0 0 Steady 0.0% 0.3% 195,015
  U.S. Taxpayers' Party 0 0 Steady 0.0% 0.1% 73,983
  Green Party 0 0 Steady 0.0% 0.1% 70,932
  Conservative Party 0 0 Steady 0.0% 0.1% 57,775
  Right to Life Party 0 0 Steady 0.0% 0.1% 52,356
  Independent American Party 0 0 Steady 0.0% 0.1% 45,206
  Others 0 0 Steady 0.0% 1.3% 890,004
Totals 435 435 Steady 100.0% 100.0% 66,604,802

Source: Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk

Popular vote
Republican
 
 48.40%
Democratic
 
 47.28%
Libertarian
 
 1.32%
Others
 
 3.00%
House seats
Republican
 
 51.26%
Democratic
 
 48.51%
Others
 
 0.23%
House seats by party holding plurality in state
  80%+ Democratic
  80%+ Republican
  60%+ to 80% Democratic
  60%+ to 80% Republican
  Up to 60% Democratic
  Up to 60% Republican
  80%+ Independent
  6+ Democratic gain
  6+ Republican gain
  3-5 Democratic gain
  3-5 Republican gain
  1-2 Democratic gain
  1-2 Republican gain
  no net change

Incumbent retirements

[edit]

Incumbents defeated

[edit]

In primary elections

[edit]

Republicans who lost to a Republican challenger

[edit]
  1. California 41: Jay Kim lost to Gary Miller who later won the general election

In the general election

[edit]

Democrats who lost to a Republican challenger

[edit]
  1. Wisconsin 8: Jay Johnson lost to Mark Green

Republicans who lost to a Democratic challenger

[edit]
  1. Kansas 3: Vince Snowbarger lost to Dennis Moore
  2. New Jersey 12: Mike Pappas lost to Rush Holt Jr.
  3. New Mexico 3: Bill Redmond lost to Tom Udall
  4. Pennsylvania 13: Jon D. Fox lost to Joe Hoeffel
  5. Washington 1: Rick White lost to Jay Inslee

Special elections

[edit]
See also: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
District Incumbent Party First
elected 		Results Candidates
New York 6 Floyd Flake Democratic 1986 Incumbent resigned November 17, 1997 to work at his church full-time.
New member elected February 3, 1998.
Democratic hold.
Winner was re-elected in November, see below.
California 22 Walter Capps Democratic 1996 Incumbent died October 28, 1997.
New member elected March 10, 1998.
Democratic hold.
Winner was re-elected in November, see below.
California 9 Ron Dellums Democratic 1970 Incumbent resigned February 6, 1998.
New member elected April 7, 1998.
Democratic hold.
Winner was re-elected in November, see below.
California 44 Sonny Bono Republican 1994 Incumbent died January 5, 1998.
New member elected April 7, 1998.
Republican hold.
Winner was re-elected in November, see below.
Pennsylvania 1 Thomas M. Foglietta Democratic 1980 Incumbent resigned November 11, 1997, to become U.S. Ambassador to Italy.
New member elected May 19, 1998.
Democratic hold.
Winner was re-elected in November, see below.
New Mexico 1 Steven Schiff Republican 1988 Incumbent died March 25, 1998.
New member elected June 23, 1998.
Republican hold.
Winner was re-elected in November, see below.

Alabama

[edit]
See also: List of United States representatives from Alabama
District Incumbent Candidates
Location 1997 PVI Member Party First
elected		 Status
Alabama 1 R+12 Sonny Callahan Republican 1984 Incumbent re-elected.
Alabama 2 R+14 Terry Everett Republican 1992 Incumbent re-elected.
Alabama 3 R+7 Bob Riley Republican 1996 Incumbent re-elected.
Alabama 4 R+7 Robert Aderholt Republican 1996 Incumbent re-elected.
Alabama 5 R+7 Bud Cramer Democratic 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Alabama 6 R+26 Spencer Bachus Republican 1992 Incumbent re-elected.
Alabama 7 D+19 Earl Hilliard Democratic 1992 Incumbent re-elected.

Alaska

[edit]
Main article: 1998 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska
See also: List of United States representatives from Alaska
District Incumbent Candidates
Location 1997 PVI Member Party First
elected		 Status


Alaska at-large R+14 Don Young Republican 1973 (Special) Incumbent re-elected.

Arizona

[edit]
Main article: 1998 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona
See also: List of United States representatives from Arizona
District Incumbent Candidates
Location 1997 PVI Member Party First
elected		 Status
Arizona 1 R+6 Matt Salmon Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
  • ▌Green tickY Matt Salmon (Republican) 64%
  • ▌David Mendoza (Democratic) 36%
Arizona 2 D+13 Ed Pastor Democratic 1991 (Special) Incumbent re-elected.
  • ▌Green tickY Ed Pastor (Democratic) 67.8%
  • ▌Edward Barron (Republican) 28%
  • ▌Richard Duncan (Libertarian) 3.1%
  • ▌Gregory R. Schultz (Reform) 1.1%
Arizona 3 R+9 Bob Stump Republican 1976[a] Incumbent re-elected.
  • ▌Green tickY Bob Stump (Republican) 67%
  • ▌Stuart Starky (Democratic) 33%
Arizona 4 R+8 John Shadegg Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
  • ▌Green tickY John Shadegg (Republican) 64.7%
  • ▌Eric Ehst (Democratic) 31.2%
  • ▌Ernest Hancock (Libertarian) 2.4%
  • ▌Doug Quelland (Independent) 1.7%
Arizona 5 R+2 Jim Kolbe Republican 1984 Incumbent re-elected.
  • ▌Green tickY Jim Kolbe (Republican) 51.6%
  • ▌Thomas Volgy (Democratic) 45.2%
  • ▌Phillip W. Murphy (Libertarian) 2.5%
  • ▌Robert Connery Sr. (Reform) 0.8%
Arizona 6 R+3 J. D. Hayworth Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.

Arkansas

[edit]
See also: List of United States representatives from Arkansas
District Incumbent Candidates
Location 1997 PVI Member Party First
elected		 Status
Arkansas 1 D+10 Marion Berry Democratic 1996 Incumbent re-elected.
Arkansas 2 D+6 Vic Snyder Democratic 1996 Incumbent re-elected.
Arkansas 3 R+5 Asa Hutchinson Republican 1996 Incumbent re-elected.
Arkansas 4 D+11 Jay Dickey Republican 1992 Incumbent re-elected.
  • ▌Green tickY Jay Dickey (Republican) 57.5%
  • ▌Judy Smith (Democratic) 42.5%

California

[edit]
Main article: 1998 United States House of Representatives elections in California
See also: List of United States representatives from California
District Incumbent Candidates
Location 1997 PVI Member Party First
elected		 Status
California 1 D+4 Frank Riggs Republican 1990
1992 (defeated)
1994 		Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator.
Democratic gain.
  • ▌Green tickY Mike Thompson (Democratic) 61.9%
  • ▌Mark Luce (Republican) 32.8%
  • ▌Emil Rossi (Libertarian) 2.8%
  • ▌Ernest K. Jones Jr. (Peace and Freedom) 2.5%
California 2 R+11 Wally Herger Republican 1988 Incumbent re-elected.
  • ▌Green tickY Wally Herger (Republican) 62.5%
  • ▌Roberts Braden (Democratic) 34.5%
  • ▌Patrice Thiessen (Natural Law) 3%
California 3 R+3 Vic Fazio Democratic 1978 Incumbent retired.
Republican gain.
  • ▌Green tickY Doug Ose (Republican) 52.4%
  • ▌Sandra Dunn (Democratic) 45%
  • ▌Ross Crain (Libertarian) 2.6%
California 4 R+11 John Doolittle Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
  • ▌Green tickY John Doolittle (Republican) 62.6%
  • ▌David Shapiro (Democratic) 34.4%
  • ▌