1890 United States House of Representatives elections
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.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.[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.
| House seats by party holding plurality in state | ||
|---|---|---|
|
80+% Democratic
|
80+% Republican
|
|
|
60+% to 80% Democratic
|
60+% to 80% Populist
|
60+% to 80% Republican
|
|
Up to 60% Democratic
|
Up to 60% Republican
|
|
| Net gain in party representation | ||
|---|---|---|
|
6+ Democratic gain
|
6+ Republican gain
|
|
|
3-5 Democratic gain
|
3-5 Populist gain
|
3-5 Republican gain
|
|
1-2 Democratic gain
|
1-2 Populist gain
|
1-2 Republican gain
|
|
no net change
|
||
Sweet
-
50–60%
-
60–70%
Mayhew
-
50–60%
United States House of RepresentativesCharles Frederick CrispThomas Brackett ReedJerry SimpsonDemocraticRepublicanPopulistGeorgia 3rdMaine 1stKansas 7thSpeakerThomas ReedCharles CrispPresidentBenjamin Harrison52nd United States CongressPanic of 1890William McKinleytariffRepublican PartyDemocratic Party1892 United States presidential electionEnglish-onlynativistanti-CatholictemperanceKentucky 6William W. DickersonJohn G. Carlisleelected U.S. senatorCalifornia 1Thomas J. GearyJohn J. De HavenIowa 7Missouri 14James P. WalkerRobert H. WhitelawLabor PartyOregonVermontWyoming51st CongressList of United States representatives from AlabamaList of United States representatives from Arkansas1890 United States House of Representatives elections in CaliforniaList of United States representatives from CaliforniaJohn A. BarhamCalifornia 2Marion BiggsAnthony CaminettiCalifornia 3Joseph McKennaJohn P. IrishCalifornia 4William W. MorrowJohn T. CuttingCalifornia 5Thomas J. ClunieEugene F. LoudCalifornia 6William VandeverWilliam W. BowersList of United States representatives from ColoradoColorado at-largeHosea TownsendList of United States representatives from ConnecticutConnecticut 1William E. SimondsLewis SperryConnecticut 2Washington F. WillcoxConnecticut 3Charles A. RussellConnecticut 4Frederick MilesRobert E. De ForestList of United States representatives from DelawareDelaware at-largeJohn B. PeningtonJohn W. Causey1890 United States House of Representatives elections in FloridaList of United States representatives from FloridaFlorida 1Robert H. M. DavidsonStephen Mallory IIHarrison ReedFlorida 2Robert BullockList of United States representatives from GeorgiaList of United States representatives from IdahoIdaho at-largeWillis SweetJames B. BelfordList of United States representatives from IllinoisList of United States representatives from IndianaList of United States representatives from IowaList of United States representatives from KansasList of United States representatives from KentuckyList of United States representatives from LouisianaList of United States representatives from MaineMaine 1Thomas B. ReedMaine 2Nelson Dingley Jr.1881 (special)Maine 3Seth L. MillikenMaine 4Charles A. BoutelleJosiah CrosbyList of United States representatives from MarylandList of United States representatives from MassachusettsMassachusetts 1Charles S. RandallCharles R. CodmanMassachusetts 2Elijah A. MorseMassachusetts 3John F. AndrewEdward L. PierceMassachusetts 4Joseph H. O'NeilMassachusetts 5Nathaniel P. BanksSherman HoarMassachusetts 6