1890 United States House of Representatives elections
House elections for the 52nd U.S. Congress
The 1890 United States House of Representatives elections were held for the most part on November 4, 1890, with five states holding theirs early in between June and October. They occurred in the middle of PresidentBenjamin Harrison's term. Elections were held for 332 seats of the United States House of Representatives, representing 44 states, to serve in the 52nd United States Congress. Special elections were also held throughout the year.
A stagnant economy which became worse after the Panic of 1890, combined with a lack of support for then-Representative William McKinley's (defeated in the election) steep tariff act, which favored large industries at the expense of consumers, led to a sharp defeat for Harrison's Republican Party, giving a large majority to the Democratic Party and presaging Harrison's defeat in the 1892 United States presidential election. The Republican-controlled Congress was highly criticized for its lavish spending, and it earned the unflattering nickname of The Billion Dollar Congress. Democrats promised to cut the outlandish budget.
Furthermore, aggressive Republican promotion of controversial English-only education laws enacted by Wisconsin and Illinois in 1889, accompanied by a surge in nativist and anti-Catholic sentiment within the state parties, had greatly hollowed out the party's support base in these former strongholds. A rare multi-confessional alliance of mainly German clergy rallied their flocks in defense of language and faith to the Democratic Party, which tore through incumbent Republican majorities in both states, capturing a total of 11 formerly Republican seats between them alone.[2] Bitterly divisive struggles over temperance laws had also been alienating immigrants from the increasingly prohibitionist Republican Party across the Midwest more broadly. Dramatic losses in the previous year's gubernatorial elections in Iowa and Ohio (which would lose another 14 Republican congressional seats between them during this election) were due in no small part to wet immigrant communities, especially Germans, expressing their resentment toward Republican efforts to ban or otherwise curtail alcohol consumption by throwing their support behind the Democratic candidates.[3]
This election also saw the Populist Party, a coalition of farmers and laborers who wanted to overhaul the nation's financial system, make a small mark on Congress.
Idaho and Wyoming held elections for both the outgoing 51st Congress and the incoming 52nd Congress in 1890, having been admitted that year, and held future elections on the standard election day.
Alabama
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Results by county:
Sweet
50–60%
60–70%
Mayhew
50–60%
There were two elections to the new state of Idaho.
51st Congress
52nd Congress
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nebraska's results
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
The Ohio Legislature redistricted the state between censuses. Coupled with other Democratic gains, this redistricting gave the Democrats a nine-seat net gain.
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
See Non-voting delegates below.
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wisconsin elected nine members of congress on Election Day, November 4, 1890.[37][38]
Wyoming
Republican Clarence D. Clark was elected over Democrat George T. Beck in a single ballot both to finish the current term (ending 1891) and the next term (beginning 1891).[39]
^ a b c Dubin (pp. 293–94) counts 235 Democrats, 88 Republicans, and 8 Populists at the opening of the 52nd Congress.
^ One Labor Party member had been elected in 1888.
^ a b c d e Elections held early.
^ After disputed election.
References
^ a b cMartis, p. 144–145.
^Jensen, Richard J. (1971). "5: The Winning of the Midwest: Social and Political Conflict, 1888-1896". Education, the Tariff, and the Melting Pot. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 122–153. ISBN 9780226398259.
^Jensen, p. ch. 4: Iowa, Wet or Dry?. pp. 89-121.
^"Our Campaigns - KY - District 06 Special Election Race - Jun 21, 1890". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
^ a b cMartis.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n oKalb, Deborah, ed. (2010). Guide to U.S. Elections. Washington, DC: CQ Press. pp. 1086–1089. ISBN 978-1-60426-536-1.
^"ID At Large - Initial Election". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
^"ID - At Large". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
^"MS - District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
^"MS - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
^"MS - District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
^"MS - District 04". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
^"MS - District 05". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
^"MS - District 06". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
^"MS - District 07". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
^"MT - At Large". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
^"Our Campaigns - NE - District 01 Race - Nov 4, 1890". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
^"Our Campaigns - NE - District 02 Race - Nov 4, 1890". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
^"Our Campaigns - NE - District 03 Race - Nov 4, 1890". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
^"ND At Large". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
^Smith, Joseph P, ed. (1898). History of the Republican Party in Ohio. Vol. I. Chicago: the Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 592, 593.
^"SD At Large". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
^"TN - District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^"TN - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^"TN - District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^"TN - District 04". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^"TN - District 05". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^"TN - District 06". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^"TN - District 07". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^"TN - District 08". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^"TN - District 09". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^"TN - District 10". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^"WV District 01". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
^"WV District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
^"WV District 03". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
^"WV District 04". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
^"Wisconsin U.S. House Election Results" (PDF). Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2021 – via Wayback Machine.
^Cunningham, Thomas J., ed. (1891). "Biographical" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. pp. 572–574. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
^"Our Campaigns - OK Territorial Delegate - Initial Election Race - Nov 04, 1890".
^"Our Campaigns - OK Territorial Delegate Race - Nov 04, 1890".
^"CAINE, John Thomas (1829-1911)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
Bibliography
Dubin, Michael J. (March 1, 1998). United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses. McFarland and Company. ISBN 978-0786402830.
Martis, Kenneth C. (January 1, 1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0029201701.
Moore, John L., ed. (1994). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (Third ed.). Congressional Quarterly Inc. ISBN 978-0871879967.
"Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
External links
Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)