1910 United States House of Representatives elections


Elections to the United States House of Representatives in 1910 were held for members of the 62nd Congress, in the middle of President William Howard Taft's term.
The conservative Taft contended with major factional splits within his Republican Party. Instead of using his position as president to bridge compromise, Taft alienated the progressive wing of the party, which had championed his predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt. While conservatives controlled the largest number of elected positions for Republicans, progressive politics had been what brought many voters to the polls. The clash of these units of the Republican Party, combined with the message of unity from the Democratic Party, was enough to allow the Democrats to take control of the House, ending 16 years in opposition. This was the first time that the Socialist Party won a seat.

Issues

Protection was the ideological cement holding the Republican coalition together. High tariffs were used by Republicans to promise higher sales to business, higher wages to industrial workers, and higher demand for their crops to farmers. Progressive insurgents said it promoted monopoly. Democrats said it was a tax on the little man. It had greatest support in the Northeast, and greatest opposition in the South and West. The Midwest was the battle ground. The great battle over the high Payne–Aldrich Tariff Act in 1910 ripped the Republicans apart and set up the realignment in favor of the Democrats.

Election summaries

Election dates

In 1910, two states, with 6 seats between them, held elections early:
Two newly admitted states held elections late: New Mexico and Arizona held their first elections in 1911.

Special elections

California

DistrictIncumbentPartyFirst
elected		ResultCandidates
William F. EnglebrightRepublican1906Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
Duncan E. McKinlayRepublican1904Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
Joseph R. KnowlandRepublican1904Incumbent re-elected.
Julius KahnRepublican1898Incumbent re-elected.
Everis A. HayesRepublican1904Incumbent re-elected.
James C. NeedhamRepublican1898Incumbent re-elected.
James McLachlanRepublican1900Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
Sylvester C. SmithRepublican1904Incumbent re-elected.

Florida

DistrictIncumbentPartyFirst
elected		ResultCandidates
Stephen M. SparkmanDemocratic1894Incumbent re-elected.
Frank ClarkDemocratic1904Incumbent re-elected.
Dannite H. MaysDemocratic1908Incumbent re-elected.

Kansas

Louisiana

Maryland

South Carolina

DistrictIncumbentPartyFirst
elected		ResultCandidates
George Swinton LegaréDemocratic1902Incumbent re-elected.
James O'H. PattersonDemocratic1904Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Democratic hold
Wyatt AikenDemocratic1902Incumbent re-elected.
Joseph T. JohnsonDemocratic1900Incumbent re-elected.
David E. FinleyDemocratic1898Incumbent re-elected.
J. Edwin EllerbeDemocratic1904Incumbent re-elected.
Asbury F. LeverDemocratic1901 Incumbent re-elected.

Virginia

DistrictIncumbentPartyFirst
elected		ResultCandidates
Carter GlassDemocratic1902 Incumbent re-elected.

Non-voting delegates

Alaska Territory

Alaska Territory elected its non-voting delegate August 9, 1910.

Arizona Territory

Arizona Territory elected its non-voting delegate sometime in 1910, but did not serve out the complete term as statehood was granted in 1912.

New Mexico Territory

New Mexico Territory elected its non-voting delegate sometime in 1910, but did not serve out the complete term as statehood was granted in 1912.