The 1940 United States House of Representatives elections were elections for the United States House of Representatives to elect members to serve in the 77th United States Congress. They were held for the most part on November 5, 1940, while Maine held theirs on September 9. They coincided with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's re-election to an unprecedented third term. His Democratic Party narrowly gained seats from the opposition Republican Party, cementing their majority. However, the election gave firm control of the US House of Representatives and Senate to the New Dealers once again, as Progressives dominated the election.CONGRESS: New Houses
The upswing in the economy that occurred following the Recession of 1937–38 encouraged voters that the New Deal plan had been working. This allowed the Democrats to stabilize their support.
As of 2026, this was the last time the House of Representatives was made up of six parties.
Overall results + ↓ 267 6 162 Democratic Republican
Party Total seats (change) Seat percentage Vote percentage Popular vote Democratic Party 267 5 61.3% 51.4% 24,227,821 Republican Party 162 7 37.2% 45.6% 21,490,392 Progressive Party 3 1 0.6% 1.0% 477,435 American Labor Party 1 0.2% 0.7% 338,770 Farmer–Labor Party 1 0.2% 0.6% 298,250 Independents 1 1 0.2% 0.2% 113,497 Communist Party 0 0.0% 0.2% 95,173 Prohibition Party 0 0.0% 0.1% 62,504 Socialist Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 19,782 Socialist Labor Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 6,403 Union Party 0 0.8% <0.1% 6,401 Liberal Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 2,256 Fusion Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 2,014 No Wage Tax Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 864 Workers Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 411 Buono Food Plan Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 375 Peace Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 341 States' Rights Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 270 Keep America Neutral Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 128 Roosevelt New Deal Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 98 The American Way Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 65 Others 0 0.0% <0.1% 5,578 Totals 435 100.0% 100.0% 47,144,845
Source: Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk
Special elections Many special elections were held. The elected winner would serve only the remainder of the incumbent Congress. Sorted by election date.
! | William I. Sirovich | | Democratic | 1926 | | Incumbent died December 17, 1939.New member elected February 6, 1940.Democratic hold.Winner was later re-elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Wallace E. Pierce | | Republican | 1938 | | Incumbent died January 3, 1940.New member elected February 13, 1940.Republican hold.Winner was later re-elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Walter Chandler | | Democratic | 1934 | | Incumbent resigned January 2, 1940.New member elected February 15, 1940.Democratic hold.Winner was later re-elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Carl Mapes | | Republican | 1912 | | Incumbent died December 12, 1939.New member elected February 19, 1940.Republican hold.Winner was later re-elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Edward W. Curley | | Democratic | 1934 | | Incumbent died January 6, 1940.New member elected February 20, 1940.Democratic hold.Winner was later re-elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | William A. Ashbrook | | Democratic | 19061920 1934 | | Incumbent died January 1, 1940.New member elected February 27, 1940.Republican gain.Winner was later re-elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Chester C. Bolton | | Republican | 19281936 1938 | | Incumbent died October 29, 1939.New member elected February 27, 1940.Republican hold.Winner was later re-elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Cassius C. Dowell | | Republican | 1936 | | Incumbent died February 4, 1940.New member elected March 5, 1940.Republican hold.Winner was later re-elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | George H. Heinke | | Republican | 1938 | | Incumbent died January 2, 1940.New member elected April 19, 1940.Republican hold.Winner did not run for election to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Clyde H. Smith | | Republican | 1936 | | Incumbent died April 8, 1940.New member elected June 3, 1940.Republican hold.Winner was later re-elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | W. Benjamin Gibbs | | Democratic | 1938 | | Incumbent died August 7, 1940.New member elected October 1, 1940.Democratic hold.Winner did not run for election to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | William B. Bankhead | | Democratic | 1916 | | Incumbent died September 15, 1940.New member elected November 5, 1940.Democratic hold.Winner did not run for election to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | John Andrew Martin | | Democratic | 19081912 1932 | | Incumbent died December 23, 1939.New member elected November 5, 1940.Democratic hold.Winner did not run for election to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
Alabama
! | Frank W. Boykin | | Democratic | 1935 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | George M. Grant | | Democratic | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Henry B. Steagall | | Democratic | 1914 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Sam Hobbs | | Democratic | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Joe Starnes | | Democratic | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Pete Jarman | | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William B. Bankhead | | Democratic | 1916 | | Incumbent died September 15, 1940.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
! | John Sparkman | | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Luther Patrick | | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Arizona
! | John R. Murdock | | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Arkansas
! | Ezekiel C. Gathings | | Democratic | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Wilbur Mills | | Democratic | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Clyde T. Ellis | | Democratic | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William Fadjo Cravens | | Democratic | 1939 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | David D. Terry | | Democratic | 1933 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William F. Norrell | | Democratic | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Wade H. Kitchens | | Democratic | 1936 | | Incumbent lost renomination.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
California
! | Clarence F. Lea | | Democratic | 1916 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Harry Lane Englebright | | Republican | 1926 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Frank H. Buck | | Democratic | 1932 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Franck R. Havenner | | Democratic | 1936 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. | nowrap |
! | Richard J. Welch | | Republican | 1926 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Albert E. Carter | | Republican | 1924 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | John H. Tolan | | Democratic | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Jack Z. Anderson | | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Bertrand W. Gearhart | | Republican | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Alfred J. Elliott | | Democratic | 1937 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | John Carl Hinshaw | | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Jerry Voorhis | | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Charles Kramer | | Democratic | 1932 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Thomas F. Ford | | Democratic | 1932 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | John M. Costello | | Democratic | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Leland M. Ford | | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Lee E. Geyer | | Democratic | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Thomas M. Eaton | | Republican | 1938 | | Incumbent died September 16, 1939.Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | Harry R. Sheppard | | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Edouard Izac | | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Colorado
! | Lawrence Lewis | | Democratic | 1932 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Fred N. Cummings | | Democratic | 1932 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. | nowrap |
! | John Andrew Martin | | Democratic | 1932 | | Incumbent died December 23, 1939.Republican gain.Winner did not run to finish the current term. | nowrap |
! | Edward T. Taylor | | Democratic | 1908 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Connecticut
! | William J. Miller | | Republican | 1938 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | Thomas R. Ball | | Republican | 1938 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | James A. Shanley | | Democratic | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Albert E. Austin | | Republican | 1938 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | J. Joseph Smith | | Democratic | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | B. J. Monkiewicz | | Republican | 1938 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
Delaware
! | George S. Williams | | Republican | 1938 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
Florida
! | J. Hardin Peterson | | Democratic | 1932 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Robert A. Green | | Democratic | 1932 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Millard Caldwell | | Democratic | 1932 | | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
! | Pat Cannon | | Democratic | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Joe Hendricks | | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Georgia
! | Hugh Peterson | | Democratic | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Edward E. Cox | | Democratic | 1924 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Stephen Pace | | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Albert Sidney Camp | | Democratic | 1939 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Robert Ramspeck | | Democratic | 1929 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Carl Vinson | | Democratic | 1914 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Malcolm C. Tarver | | Democratic | 1926 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Florence Reville Gibbs | | Democratic | 1940 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
! | B. Frank Whelchel | | Democratic | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Paul Brown | | Democratic | 1933 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Idaho
! | Compton I. White | | Democratic | 1932 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Henry Dworshak | | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Illinois
! | Arthur Wergs Mitchell | | Democratic | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Raymond S. McKeough | | Democratic | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Edward A. Kelly | | Democratic | 1930 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Harry P. Beam | | Democratic | 1930 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Adolph J. Sabath | | Democratic | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | A. F. Maciejewski | | Democratic | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Leonard W. Schuetz | | Democratic | 1930 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Leo Kocialkowski | | Democratic | 1932 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | James McAndrews | | Democratic | 1934 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. | nowrap |
! | Ralph E. Church | | Republican | 1934 | | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | Chauncey W. Reed | | Republican | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Noah M. Mason | | Republican | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Leo E. Allen | | Republican | 1932 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Anton J. Johnson | | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Robert B. Chiperfield | | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Everett Dirksen | | Republican | 1932 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Leslie C. Arends | | Republican | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Jessie Sumner