# 1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections

The 1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 6, 1870, and October 6, 1871. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before or after the first session of the 42nd United States Congress convened on March 4, 1871. They occurred in the middle of President Ulysses S. Grant's first term. Elections were held for all 243 seats, representing 37 states.
With Grant's administration rocked by a number of scandals (including a shady deal for gold speculation that led to a crash in the market and several business deals that saw highranking governmental officials gain kickbacks) and Reconstruction winding down, his Republican Party lost seats to the opposition Democratic Party but retained an overall majority. Also, since white-supremacist governments controlled by the Democratic Party were reestablishing themselves in some portions of the Southern United States, the Democrats were able to make huge gains in this election.

## Election summaries

| 104 | 139 |
| Democratic | Republican |
| State | Type | Total seats | Democratic | Democratic | Republican | Republican |
| State | Type | Total seats | Seats | Change | Seats | Change |
| Mississippi | District | 5 | 0 | | 5 | |
| Alabama | District | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Arkansas | District | 3 | 1 | | 2 | |
| California | District | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Connecticut | District | 4 | 1 | | 3 | |
| Delaware | At-large | 1 | 1 | | 0 | |
| Florida | At-large | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Georgia | District | 7 | 4 | | 3 | |
| Illinois | District + 1 at-large | 14 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
| Indiana | District | 11 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Iowa | District | 6 | 0 | | 6 | |
| Kansas | At-large | 1 | 0 | | 1 | |
| Kentucky | District | 9 | 9 | | 0 | |
| Louisiana | District | 5 | 0 | | 5 | |
| Maine | District | 5 | 0 | | 5 | |
| Maryland | District | 5 | 5 | | 0 | |
| Massachusetts | District | 10 | 0 | | 10 | |
| Michigan | District | 6 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Minnesota | District | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Missouri | District | 9 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Nebraska | At-large | 1 | 0 | | 1 | |
| Nevada | At-large | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New Hampshire | District | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| New Jersey | District | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| New York | District | 31 | 16 | 3 | 15 | 3 |
| North Carolina | District | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Ohio | District | 19 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| Oregon | At-large | 1 | 1 | | 0 | |
| Pennsylvania | District | 24 | 11 | 3 | 13 | 3 |
| Rhode Island | District | 2 | 0 | | 2 | |
| South Carolina | District | 4 | 0 | | 4 | |
| Tennessee | District | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| Texas | District | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Vermont | District | 3 | 0 | | 3 | |
| Virginia | District | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | |
| West Virginia | District | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Wisconsin | District | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 243 | 104 42.8% | 37 | 139 57.2% | 32 |
Popular vote
Conservative
2.92%
Democratic
44.53%
Independent
1.80%
Lib. Republican
1.01%
Republican
49.59%
Others
0.15% :
House seats
Conservative
4.08%
Democratic
38.37%
Independent
0.41%
Lib. Republican
0.82%
Republican
56.33% :
The previous election included 5 Conservatives

## Election dates

In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors. 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 1870, there remained 12 States that held elections before Election Day, and 4 that held it after at this time:
* Early elections:
** December 1, 1869: Mississippi (Mississippi was a special case, having held elections for both the 41st Congress upon readmission and for the 42nd Congress on the same day)
** June 6: Oregon
** August 4: North Carolina
** September 6: Vermont
** September 12: Maine
** October 11: Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania
** October 25: West Virginia
** November 1: South Carolina
* Late elections:
** March 14, 1871: New Hampshire
** April 4, 1871: Connecticut
** August 6, 1871: Montana Territory
** September 6, 1871: California
** October 6, 1871: Texas

## Special elections

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Iowa 2 |
| Michigan 4 |
| South Carolina 1 |
| Wisconsin 2 | Benjamin F. Hopkins | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent died January 1, 1870. New member elected February 15, 1870. Republican hold. | ▌Y David Atwood (Republican) 86.0% ▌Jared Comstock Gregory (Democratic) 5.6% ▌George Baldwin Smith (Ind. Democratic) 1.7% Scattering 6.7% |

## Arizona Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## Arkansas

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Arkansas 1 | Logan Roots | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. | ▌Y James M. Hanks (Democratic) 61.4% ▌Logan Roots (Republican) 38.7% |
| Arkansas 2 | Anthony A. C. Rogers | Democratic | 1868 | Incumbent lost re-election. Republican gain. | ▌Y Oliver P. Snyder (Republican) 59.1% ▌Anthony A. C. Rogers (Democratic) 41.0% |
| Arkansas 3 | Thomas Boles | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent lost re-election. Liberal Republican gain. | ▌Y John Edwards (Liberal Republican) 53.7% ▌Thomas Boles (Republican) 46.3% |

## California

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| California 1 | Samuel Beach Axtell | Democratic | 1867 | Incumbent retired. Republican gain. | ▌Y Sherman O. Houghton (Republican) 51.6% ▌Lawrence Archer (Democratic) 48.4% |
| California 2 | Aaron A. Sargent | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Aaron A. Sargent (Republican) 54% ▌James W. Coffroth (Democratic) 46% |
| California 3 | James A. Johnson | Democratic | 1867 | Incumbent retired. Republican gain. | ▌Y John M. Coghlan (Republican) 51.7% ▌George Pearce (Democratic) 48.3% |

## Colorado Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## Connecticut

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Connecticut 1 | Julius L. Strong | Republican | 1869 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Julius L. Strong (Republican) 50.4% ▌Alfred R. Goodrich (Democratic) 49.4% |
| Connecticut 2 | Stephen Kellogg | Republican | 1869 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Stephen Kellogg (Republican) 49.9% ▌John Kendrick (Democratic) 49.8% |
| Connecticut 3 | Henry H. Starkweather | Republican | 1867 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Henry H. Starkweather (Republican) 54.6% ▌John W. Stedman (Democratic) 45.4% |
| Connecticut 4 | William Barnum | Democratic | 1867 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y William Barnum (Democratic) 52.2% ▌George Coffing (Republican) 47.8% |

## Dakota Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## District of Columbia

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## Florida

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Florida at-large | Charles M. Hamilton | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. Republican hold. | ▌Y Josiah T. Walls (Republican) 51.3% ▌Silas L. Niblack (Democratic) 48.7% |
Niblack subsequently successfully challenged Walls's election and was seated from Florida's at-large district on January 29, 1873.

## Idaho Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## Montana Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## Nebraska

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Nebraska at-large | John Taffe | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y John Taffe (Republican) 60.84% ▌George B. Lake (Democratic) 42.00% |

## New Mexico Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## Ohio

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Ohio 1 | Peter W. Strader | Democratic | 1868 | Incumbent retired. Republican gain. | ▌Y Aaron F. Perry (Republican) 52.4% ▌Milton Sayler (Democratic) 47.6% |
| Ohio 2 | Job E. Stevenson | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Job E. Stevenson (Republican) 54.5% ▌Samuel F. Cary (Democratic) 45.5% |
| Ohio 3 | Robert C. Schenck | Republican | 1862 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Lewis D. Campbell (Democratic) 50.1% ▌Robert C. Schenck (Republican) 49.9% |
| Ohio 4 | William Lawrence | Republican | 1864 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. | ▌Y John F. McKinney (Democratic) 50.5% ▌William B. McClung (Republican) 49.5% |
| Ohio 5 | William Mungen | Democratic | 1866 | Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Charles N. Lamison (Democratic) 57.4% ▌John B. Clark (Republican) 42.6% |
| Ohio 6 | John Armstrong Smith | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y John Armstrong Smith (Republican) 50.8% ▌James W. Denver (Democratic) 49.2% |
| Ohio 7 | James J. Winans | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent lost renomination. Republican hold. | ▌Y Samuel Shellabarger (Republican) 52.8% ▌Hugh J. Jewett (Democratic) 47.2% |
| Ohio 8 | John Beatty | Republican | 1868 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y John Beatty (Republican) 52.9% ▌James Randolph Hubbell (Democratic) 47.1% |
| Ohio 9 | Edward F. Dickinson | Democratic | 1868 | Incumbent lost re-election. Republican gain. | ▌Y Charles Foster (Republican) 51.5% ▌Edward F. Dickinson (Democratic) 48.5% |
| Ohio 10 | Erasmus D. Peck | Republican | 1870 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Erasmus D. Peck (Republican) 52.5% ▌William F. Lockwood (Democratic) 47.5% |
| Ohio 11 | John Thomas Wilson | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y John Thomas Wilson (Republican) 52.4% ▌Ralph Leete (Democratic) 47.6% |
| Ohio 12 | Philadelph Van Trump | Democratic | 1866 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Philadelph Van Trump (Democratic) 57.9% ▌Charles Elwood Brown (Republican) 42.1% |
| Ohio 13 | George W. Morgan | Democratic | 1868 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y George W. Morgan (Democratic) 54.1% ▌Charles W. Potwin (Republican) 45.9% |
| Ohio 14 | Martin Welker | Republican | 1864 | Incumbent retired. Republican hold. | ▌Y James Monroe (Republican) 51.5% ▌Lyman R. Critchfield (Democratic) 48.5% |
| Ohio 15 | Eliakim H. Moore | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. Republican hold. | ▌Y William P. Sprague (Republican) 51.6% ▌John Cartwright (Democratic) 48.4% |
| Ohio 16 | John Bingham | Republican | 1864 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y John Bingham (Republican) 52.4% ▌Robert A. Chambers (Democratic) 47.6% |
| Ohio 17 | Jacob A. Ambler | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Jacob A. Ambler (Republican) 55.1% ▌John Ball (Republican) 44.9% |
| Ohio 18 | William H. Upson | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y William H. Upson (Republican) 62.2% ▌John M. Coffinberry (Democratic) 37.8% |
| Ohio 19 | James A. Garfield | Republican | 1862 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y James A. Garfield (Republican) 65.1% ▌William Howard (Democratic) 34.9% |

## Tennessee

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Tennessee 1 | Roderick R. Butler | Republican | 1867 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Roderick R. Butler (Republican) 47.05% ▌James White (Democratic) 42.72% ▌Nathaniel G. Taylor (Independent Republican) 10.23% |
| Tennessee 2 | Horace Maynard | Republican | 1865 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Horace Maynard (Republican) 51.49% ▌A. Blizard (Democratic) 48.51% |
| Tennessee 3 | William B. Stokes | Republican | 1865 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Abraham E. Garrett (Democratic) 69.73% ▌William B. Stokes (Republican) 30.27% |
| Tennessee 4 | Lewis Tillman | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. | ▌Y John M. Bright (Democratic) 86.52% ▌James Mullins (Republican) 13.48% |
| Tennessee 5 | William F. Prosser | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Edward I. Golladay (Democratic) 47.16% ▌William F. Prosser (Republican) 32.04% ▌Balie Peyton (Ind. Democratic) 20.80% |
| Tennessee 6 | Samuel M. Arnell | Republican | 1865 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Washington C. Whitthorne (Democratic) 67.78% ▌T. J. Cypert (Republican) 21.52% ▌J. B. Frierson (Republican) 10.70% |
| Tennessee 7 | Isaac R. Hawkins | Republican | 1865 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Robert P. Caldwell (Democratic) 81.66% ▌John Norman (Republican) 18.34% |
| Tennessee 8 | William J. Smith | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. | ▌Y William W. Vaughan (Democratic) 61.83% ▌William J. Smith (Republican) 23.63% ▌E. Shaw (Ind. Republican) 14.54% |

## Utah Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## Vermont

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Vermont 1 | Charles W. Willard | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Charles W. Willard (Republican) 66.1% ▌John Cain (Democratic) 23.9% ▌Ahiman S. Miner (Republican) 9.7% ▌Frederick E. Woodbridge (Republican) 1.0% ▌Loyal C. Kellogg (Republican) 0.6% |
| Vermont 2 | Luke P. Poland | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent re-elected | ▌Y Luke P. Poland (Republican) 76.4% ▌Lewis L. Partridge (Democratic) 23.4% |
| Vermont 3 | Worthington C. Smith | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Worthington C. Smith (Republican) 74.8% ▌Henry Gillett (Democratic) 25.0% |

## Virginia

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Virginia 1 | Richard S. Ayer | Republican | 1869 | Incumbent retired. Conservative gain. | ▌Y John Critcher (Conservative) 100% |
| Virginia 2 | James H. Platt Jr. | Republican | 1869 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y James H. Platt Jr. (Republican) 100% |
| Virginia 3 | Charles H. Porter | Republican | 1869 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Charles H. Porter (Republican) 100% |
| Virginia 4 | George Booker | Conservative | 1869 | Incumbent retired. Republican gain. | ▌Y William H. H. Stowell (Republican) 100% |
| Virginia 5 | Richard T. W. Duke | Conservative | 1870 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Richard T. W. Duke (Conservative) 100% |
| Virginia 6 | William Milnes Jr. | Conservative | 1869 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. | ▌Y John T. Harris (Democratic) 100% |
| Virginia 7 | Lewis McKenzie | Conservative | 1869 | Incumbent lost re-election as a Republican. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Elliott M. Braxton (Democratic) 100% ▌Lewis McKenzie (Republican) 0% |
| Virginia 8 | James K. Gibson | Conservative | 1869 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. | ▌Y William Terry (Democratic) 100% |

## Washington Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## West Virginia

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| West Virginia 1 | Isaac H. Duval | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. | ▌Y John J. Davis (Democratic) 52.39% ▌Nathan Goff Jr. (Republican) 47.61% |
| West Virginia 2 | James McGrew | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y James McGrew (Republican) 52.67% ▌O. P. Downey (Democratic) 47.33% |
| West Virginia 3 | John Witcher | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Frank Hereford (Democratic) 54.85% ▌John Witcher (Republican) 45.15% |

## Wisconsin

Wisconsin elected six members of congress on Election Day, November 8, 1870.
| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Wisconsin 1 | Halbert E. Paine | Republican | 1864 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Alexander Mitchell (Democratic) 57.5% ▌William P. Lyon (Republican) 42.5% |
| Wisconsin 2 | David Atwood | Republican | 1870 (special) | Incumbent retired. Republican hold. | ▌Y Gerry Whiting Hazelton (Republican) 54.5% ▌Amasa G. Cook (Democratic) 45.5% |
| Wisconsin 3 | Amasa Cobb | Republican | 1862 | Incumbent retired. Republican hold. | ▌Y J. Allen Barber (Republican) 58.5% ▌John Strachan (Democratic) 41.5% |
| Wisconsin 4 | Charles A. Eldredge | Democratic | 1862 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Charles A. Eldredge (Democratic) 62.4% ▌Jerome Anthony Watrous (Republican) 37.6% |
| Wisconsin 5 | Philetus Sawyer | Republican | 1864 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Philetus Sawyer (Republican) 59.3% ▌Joseph Stringham (Democratic) 40.7% |
| Wisconsin 6 | Cadwallader C. Washburn | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent retired. Republican hold. | ▌Y Jeremiah McLain Rusk (Republican) 61.3% ▌Alexander Meggett (Democratic) 38.7% |

## Wyoming Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

## Non-voting delegates

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race |
| District | Delegate | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates |
| Arizona Territory at-large | Richard C. McCormick | Republican | 1869 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌Y Richard C. McCormick (Republican) 100% |
| Colorado Territory at-large | Allen A. Bradford | Republican | 1868 | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost renomination. Republican hold. | ▌Y Jerome B. Chaffee (Republican) 56.05% ▌[FNU] Miller (Unknown) 43.95% |
| Dakota Territory at-large | Solomon L. Spink | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent lost re-election as a Democrat. Independent Democratic gain. | ▌Y Moses K. Armstrong (Ind. Democratic) 34.27% ▌Walter A. Burleigh (Republican) 34.09% ▌Solomon L. Spink (Republican) 31.64% |
| District of Columbia at-large | New district | New district | New district | New seat. New delegate elected in 1871. Republican gain. | ▌Y Norton P. Chipman (Republican) [data missing] |
| Idaho Territory at-large | Jacob K. Shafer | Democratic | 1868 | Incumbent lost renomination. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Samuel A. Merritt (Democratic) 59.24% ▌T. J. Butler (Republican) 40.74% ▌J. L. Butler (Independent) 0.02% |
| Montana Territory at-large | James M. Cavanaugh | Democratic | 1859 (Minn.) 1861 (lost) 1868 | Incumbent lost renomination. New delegate elected August 7, 1871. Republican gain. | ▌Y William H. Clagett (Republican) 52.04% ▌Edwin W. Toole (Democratic) 47.96% |
| New Mexico Territory at-large | José F. Chaves | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. | ▌José M. Gallegos (Democratic) 100% ▌José F. Chaves (Republican) 0% |
| Utah Territory at-large | William H. Hooper | Democratic | 1864 | Incumbent re-elected. | ▌William H. Hooper (Democratic) 93.75% ▌George R. Maxwell (Republican) 6.25% |
| Washington Territory at-large | Selucius Garfielde | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent re-elected June 6, 1870. | ▌Y Selucius Garfielde (Republican) 54.56% ▌James D. Mix (Democratic) 43.00% ▌Marshall Blinn (Ind. Republican) 2.44% |
| Wyoming Territory at-large | Stephen F. Nuckolls | Democratic | 1869 | Incumbent retired. Republican gain. | ▌Y William T. Jones (Republican) 52.13% ▌John Wanless (Democratic) 45.03% ▌[FNU] Murrin (Ind. Democratic) 2.85% |