1878 and 1879 United States House of Representatives elections

Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held in 1878 and 1879 for Representatives to the 46th United States Congress. These elections occurred in the middle of President Rutherford B. Hayes's term.
With a sour economy as the nation's pressing issue, both major parties lost seats to the new Greenback Party, which was established to promote the long-term use of paper money as a solution to stop enormous economic fluctuations. The Democratic Party remained the largest party, but lost its majority. However, it allied with several independent politicians and was able to remain in power. Notable freshmen included James B. Weaver, who would later run for president as the Greenback candidate in 1880 and the Populist candidate in 1892. This was the fourth and last recorded House election where both major parties lost seats at the same time.

Election summaries

Election dates

In 1845, Congress set a uniform nationwide date for choosing presidential electors. This Act of Congress 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 1878–79, there were still 7 states with earlier election dates, and 1 state with a later election date:

Early elections :
* June 3 [|Oregon]
* September 3 [|Vermont]
* September 9 [|Maine]
* October 7 [|Indiana]
* October 8 [|Iowa], [|Ohio], [|West Virginia]
Late election :
* September 3, 1879 [|California]

California's elections were the last time a state held congressional general elections after November.

Alabama

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	James T. Jones	Democratic	1876	Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	Hilary A. Herbert	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Jeremiah N. Williams	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	Charles M. Shelley	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Robert F. Ligon	Democratic	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	Goldsmith W. Hewitt	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	William H. Forney	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	William W. Garth	Democratic	1874	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Greenback gain.

Arkansas

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Lucien C. Gause	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	William F. Slemons	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Jordan E. Cravens	Independent Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected. as a Democrat Democratic gain.
	Thomas M. Gunter	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.

California

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Horace Davis	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Horace F. Page	Republican	1872	Incumbent re-elected.
	John K. Luttrell	Democratic	1872	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	Romualdo Pacheco	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.

Colorado

Patterson successfully contested the election and was seated March 4, 1877.

Connecticut

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	George M. Landers	Democratic	1874	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain.
	James Phelps	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	John T. Wait	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Levi Warner	Democratic	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.

Delaware

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	James Williams	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.

Florida

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Robert H. M. Davidson	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Horatio Bisbee, Jr.	Republican	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.

In the the difference between the two candidates, in the initial returns, was just 22 votes. Bisbee challenged Hull's election, and Bisbee challenged Hull's electionwas eventually awarded the seat on January 22, 1881.

Georgia

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Julian Hartridge	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	William E. Smith	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Philip Cook	Democratic	1872	Incumbent re-elected.
	Henry R. Harris	Democratic	1872	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Independent Democratic gain.
	Milton A. Candler	Democratic	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	James H. Blount	Democratic	1872	Incumbent re-elected.
	William H. Felton	Independent Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Alexander H. Stephens	Democratic	1872	Incumbent re-elected.
	Hiram P. Bell	Democratic	1876	Lost re-nomination Independent Democratic gain.

Illinois

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	William Aldrich	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Carter Harrison, Sr.	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. to run for Mayor Republican gain.
	Lorenzo Brentano	Republican	1876	Lost re-nomination Republican hold.
	William Lathrop	Republican	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
	Horatio C. Burchard	Republican	1869	Lost re-nomination Republican hold.
	Thomas J. Henderson	Republican	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Philip C. Hayes	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Greenbury L. Fort	Republican	1872	Incumbent re-elected.
	Thomas A. Boyd	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Benjamin F. Marsh	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Robert M. Knapp	Democratic	1876	Lost re-nomination Democratic hold.
	William M. Springer	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Thomas F. Tipton	Republican	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	Joseph G. Cannon	Republican	1872	Incumbent re-elected.
	John R. Eden	Democratic	1872	Lost re-nomination Greenback gain.
	William A. J. Sparks	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	William R. Morrison	Democratic	1862	Incumbent re-elected.
	William Hartzell	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain'''.
	Richard W. Townshend	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.

Indiana

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Benoni S. Fuller	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.
	Thomas R. Cobb	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	George A. Bicknell	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Leonidas Sexton	Republican	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	Thomas M. Browne	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Milton S. Robinson	Republican	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	John Hanna	Republican	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Greenback gain.
	Morton C. Hunter	Republican	1872	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	Michael D. White	Republican	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
	William H. Calkins	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	James L. Evans	Republican	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
	Andrew H. Hamilton	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	John H. Baker	Republican	1874	Incumbent re-elected.

In the, Gilbert De La Matyr was also endorsed by the state Democratic Party.

Iowa

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Joseph C. Stone	Republican	1876	Lost re-nomination Republican hold.
	Hiram Price	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Theodore W. Burdick	Republican	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
	Nathaniel C. Deering	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Rush Clark	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Ezekiel S. Sampson	Republican	1874	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Greenback gain.
	Henry J. B. Cummings	Republican	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Greenback gain.
	William F. Sapp	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	S. Addison Oliver	Republican	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.

In the, James B. Weaver was also endorsed by the state Democratic Party.
In the, Edward H. Gillette was also endorsed by the state Democratic Party.

Kansas

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	William A. Phillips	Republican	1872	Lost re-nomination Republican hold.
	Dudley C. Haskell	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Thomas Ryan	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.

Kentucky

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Andrew Boone	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Independent Democratic gain.
	James A. McKenzie	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	John W. Caldwell	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	J. Proctor Knott	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Albert S. Willis	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	John G. Carlisle	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Joseph C. S. Blackburn	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Milton J. Durham	Democratic	1872	Lost re-nomination Democratic hold.
	Thomas Turner	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	John B. Clarke	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.

Louisiana

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Randall L. Gibson	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	E. John Ellis	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Joseph H. Acklen	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Joseph B. Elam	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	J. Smith Young	Democratic	1878	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	Edward W. Robertson	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.

Maine

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Thomas B. Reed	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	William P. Frye	Republican	1870	Incumbent re-elected.
	Stephen Lindsey	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Llewellyn Powers	Republican	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Greenback gain.
	Eugene Hale	Republican	1868	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Greenback gain.

In the, George W. Ladd was also endorsed by the state Democratic Party.

Maryland

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Daniel M. Henry	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Charles B. Roberts	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	William Kimmel	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Thomas Swann	Democratic	1868	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	Eli J. Henkle	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	William Walsh	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.

In the, William Quigley was also endorsed by the state Greenback Party.

Massachusetts

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	William W. Crapo	Republican	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Benjamin W. Harris	Republican	1872	Incumbent re-elected.
	Benjamin Dean	Democratic	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain.
	Leopold Morse	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Nathaniel P. Banks	Republican	1874	Lost re-nomination Republican hold.
	George B. Loring	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Benjamin Butler	Republican	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. to run for Governor Republican hold.
	William Claflin	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	William W. Rice	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Amasa Norcross	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	George D. Robinson	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.

In the, Nathan Clark was also endorsed by the state Greenback Party.
In the, Edward H. Lathrop was also endorsed by the state Greenback Party.

Michigan

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Alpheus S. Williams	Democratic	1874	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain.
	Edwin Willits	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Jonas H. McGowan	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Edwin W. Keightley	Republican	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
	John W. Stone	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Mark S. Brewer	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Omar D. Conger	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Charles C. Ellsworth	Republican	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
	Jay A. Hubbell	Republican	1872	Incumbent re-elected.

Minnesota

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Mark H. Dunnell	Republican	1870	Incumbent re-elected.
	Horace B. Strait	Republican	1872	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	Jacob H. Stewart	Republican	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.

In the, William Meighan was also endorsed by the state Greenback Party.
In the, Ignatius L. Donnelly was also endorsed by the state Greenback Party.

Mississippi

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Henry L. Muldrow	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Van H. Manning	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Hernando Money	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Otho R. Singleton	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Charles E. Hooker	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	James R. Chalmers	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.

Missouri

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Anthony F. Ittner	Republican	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	Nathan Cole	Republican	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	Lyne Metcalfe	Republican	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	Robert A. Hatcher	Democratic	1872	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	Richard P. Bland	Democratic	1872	Incumbent re-elected.
	Charles H. Morgan	Democratic	1874	Lost re-nomination Democratic hold.
	Thomas T. Crittenden	Democratic	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold.
	Benjamin J. Franklin	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Independent Democratic gain.
	David Rea	Democratic	1874	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Greenback gain.
	Henry M. Pollard	Republican	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	John B. Clark, Jr.	Democratic	1872	Incumbent re-elected.
	John M. Glover	Democratic	1872	Lost re-nomination Democratic hold.
	Aylett H. Buckner	Democratic	1872	Lost re-nomination Democratic hold.

In the, T. J. Fagg was also endorsed by the state Republican Party.

Nebraska

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Frank Welch	Republican	1876	Died September 4, 1878 Republican hold.

In the District, J. W. Davis was also endorsed by the state Greenback Party.

Nevada

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Thomas Wren	Republican	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.

New Hampshire

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Frank Jones	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.
	James F. Briggs	Republican	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Henry W. Blair	Republican	1874	Elected to the U.S. Senate Republican hold.

New Jersey

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Clement H. Sinnickson	Republican	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
	John H. Pugh	Republican	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	Miles Ross	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected.
	Alvah A. Clark	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Augustus W. Cutler	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.
	Thomas B. Peddie	Republican	1876	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.
	Augustus A. Hardenbergh	Democratic	1874	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.

In the, Hezekiah B. Smith was also endorsed by the state Greenback Party.

New York

In the, Daniel O'Reilly was also endorsed by the state Republican Party.
In the, Thomas Burke was also endorsed by the "Anti-Tammany" faction of the state Democratic Party.
In the, Samuel S. Cox was endorsed by the state Greenback Party, and Maurice S. D'Vries was endorsed by the "Anti-Tammany" faction of the state Democratic Party.
In the, Lawrence Jerome was also endorsed by the state Greenback Party.
In the, James O'Brien was also endorsed by the state Republican Party. For the purposes of simplicity he is listed as having been elected an Independent Democrat.
In the, John Spriggs was also endorsed by the state Greenback Party.
In the, John Weiting was also endorsed by the state Greenback Party.
In the, David Pierpont was also endorsed by the state Greenback Party.

South Carolina

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
	Joseph Rainey	Republican	1870	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	Richard H. Cain	Republican	1876	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.
	D. Wyatt Aiken	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	John H. Evins	Democratic	1876	Incumbent re-elected.
	Robert Smalls	Republican	1874	Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain.

South Carolina was one state rampant with voter fraud, particularly through the use of tissue ballots, thin ballots hidden in the normal ballot, typically 10 to 20 at a time. The almost statewide exclusion of Republicans as Commissioners of Elections, and the ensuing appointment of nearly all Democratic Managers of Elections, allowed to Democratic Managers to perpetrate this scheme. When the votes were counted and more votes than voters were found, the Managers removed and destroyed the Republican ballots resulting in the complete takeover of the state.

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