The 1908 United States House of Representatives elections were held for the most part on November 3, 1908, with Oregon, Maine, and Vermont holding theirs early in either June or September. They coincided with the 1908 United States presidential election, which William Howard Taft won. Elections were held for all 391 seats of the United States House of Representatives, representing 46 states, to serve in the 61st United States Congress.
Taft was not as popular as his predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, but won with Roosevelt's backing, and his Republican Party lost only a handful of seats to the opposition Democrats. Without any striking national issues, the Republicans were able to remain in control. Regional issues led to some changes in House membership, but new Democrats who were elected by dissatisfied industrial workers were balanced out by new Republicans who gained seats in districts with a strong middle class presence.
Election summaries + ↓ 172 219 Democratic Republican
StateTypeTotalseats Democratic Republican Seats Change Seats Change Alabama District 9 9 0 Arkansas District 7 7 0 California District 8 0 8 Colorado District+at-large 3 3 3 0 3 Connecticut District+at-large 5 0 5 Delaware At-large 1 0 1 Florida District 3 3 0 Georgia District 11 11 0 Idaho At-large 1 0 1 Illinois District 25 6 1 19 1 Indiana District 13 11 7 2 7 Iowa District 11 1 10 Kansas District 8 0 8 Kentucky District 11 8 1 3 1 Louisiana District 7 7 0 Maine District 4 0 4 Maryland District 6 3 3 Massachusetts District 14 3 11 Michigan District 12 0 12 Minnesota District 9 1 8 Mississippi District 8 8 0 Missouri District 16 10 2 6 2 Montana At-large 1 0 1 Nebraska District 6 3 2 3 2 Nevada At-large 1 1 0 New Hampshire District 2 0 2 New Jersey District 10 3 1 7 1 New York District 37 11 26 North Carolina District 10 7 3 3 3 North Dakota District 2 0 2 Ohio District 21 8 3 13 3 Oklahoma District 5 2 2 3 2 Oregon District 2 0 2 Pennsylvania District 32 5 2 27 2 Rhode Island District 2 0 1 2 1 South Carolina District 7 7 0 South Dakota At-large 2 0 2 Tennessee District 10 8 2 Texas District 16 16 0 Utah At-large 1 0 1 Vermont District 2 0 2 Virginia District 10 9 1 Washington District 3 0 3 West Virginia District 5 0 5 Wisconsin District 11 1 1 10 1 Wyoming At-large 1 0 1 Total 391 172 5 219 5
Special elections
There were nine special elections in 1908.
! | George W. Smith | | Republican | 1902 | | Incumbent died November 30, 1907.New member elected February 15, 1908.Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | Ariosto A. Wiley | | Democratic | 1900 | | Incumbent died June 17, 1908.New member elected November 3, 1908 to finish his brother's term.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
! | Abraham L. Brick | | Republican | 1898 | | Incumbent died April 7, 1908.New member elected November 3, 1908.Democratic gain.Winner was also elected the same day to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Adolph Meyer | | Democratic | 1890 | | Incumbent died March 8, 1908.New member elected November 3, 1908.Democratic hold.Winner was also elected the same day to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Charles E. Littlefield | | Republican | 1899 | | Incumbent died September 30, 1908.New member elected November 3, 1908.Republican hold.Winner had already been elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Llewellyn Powers | | Republican | 18761878 1901 | | Incumbent died July 28, 1908.New member elected November 3, 1908.Republican hold.Winner had already been elected to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | Charles T. Dunwell | | Republican | 1902 | | Incumbent died June 12, 1908.New member elected November 3, 1908.Republican hold.Winner was also elected the same day to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
! | William H. Parker | | Republican | 1906 | | Incumbent died June 26, 1908.New member elected November 3, 1908.Republican hold.Winner was also elected the same day to the next term; see below. | nowrap |
Regular election dates All the states held their regular elections November 3, 1908 except for three, which, held elections:
June 1: Oregon September 1: Vermont September 14: Maine
Alabama
! | George W. Taylor | | Democratic | 1896 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Oliver C. Wiley | | Democratic | 1908 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
! | Henry D. Clayton Jr. | | Democratic | 1896 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William Benjamin Craig | | Democratic | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | J. Thomas Heflin | | Democratic | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Richmond P. Hobson | | Democratic | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | John L. Burnett | | Democratic | 1898 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William Richardson | | Democratic | 1900 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Oscar Underwood | | Democratic | 1894 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Alaska Territory See Non-voting delegates, below.
Arizona Territory See Non-voting delegates, below.
Arkansas
! | Robert B. Macon | | Democratic | 1902 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Stephen Brundidge Jr. | | Democratic | 1896 | | Incumbent retired to run for Governor of Arkansas.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
! | John C. Floyd | | Democratic | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William B. Cravens | | Democratic | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Charles C. Reid | | Democratic | 1900 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Joseph T. Robinson | | Democratic | 1902 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Robert M. Wallace | | Democratic | 1902 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
California
! | William F. Englebright | | Republican | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Duncan E. McKinlay | | Republican | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Joseph R. Knowland | | Republican | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Julius Kahn | | Republican | 1898 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Everis A. Hayes | | Republican | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | James C. Needham | | Republican | 1898 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | James McLachlan | | Republican | 1900 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Sylvester C. Smith | | Republican | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Colorado
! | Robert W. Bonynge | | 1902 (contest) | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | Warren A. Haggott | | 1906 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | George W. Cook | | 1906 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
Connecticut
! | E. Stevens Henry | | 1894 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Nehemiah D. Sperry | | 1894 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Edwin W. Higgins | | 1905 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Ebenezer J. Hill | | 1894 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | George L. Lilley | | 1904 | | Incumbent retired to run for governor.Republican hold. | nowrap |
Delaware
! | Hiram R. Burton | | Republican | 1904 | | Incumbent lost renomination.Republican hold. | nowrap |
Florida
! | Stephen M. Sparkman | | Democratic | 1894 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Frank Clark | | Democratic | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William B. Lamar | | Democratic | 1902 | | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.Democratic hold | nowrap |
Georgia
! | Charles G. Edwards | | Democratic | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | James M. Griggs | | Democratic | 1896 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Elijah B. Lewis | | Democratic | 1896 | | Incumbent lost renomination.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
! | William C. Adamson | | Democratic | 1896 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Leonidas F. Livingston | | Democratic | 1890 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Charles L. Bartlett | | Democratic | 1894 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Gordon Lee | | Democratic | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William M. Howard | | Democratic | 1896 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Thomas M. Bell | | Democratic | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Thomas W. Hardwick | | Democratic | 1902 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William G. Brantley | | Democratic | 1896 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Idaho
! | Burton L. French | | Republican | 1902 | | Incumbent lost renomination.Republican hold. | nowrap |
Illinois
! | Martin B. Madden | | Republican | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | James Robert Mann | | Republican | 1896 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William Warfield Wilson | | Republican | 1902 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | James T. McDermott | | Democratic | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Adolph J. Sabath | | Democratic | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William Lorimer | | Republican | 1902 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Philip Knopf | | Republican | 1902 | | Incumbent retired.Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | Charles McGavin | | Republican | 1904 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | Henry Sherman Boutell | | Republican | 1897 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | George E. Foss | | Republican | 1894 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Howard M. Snapp | | Republican | 1902 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Charles Eugene Fuller | | Republican | 1902 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Frank O. Lowden | | Republican | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | James McKinney | | Republican | 1905 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | George W. Prince | | Republican | 1895 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Joseph V. Graff | | Republican | 1894 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | John A. Sterling | | Republican | 1902 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Joseph Gurney Cannon | | Republican | 1892 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | William B. McKinley | | Republican | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Henry T. Rainey | | Democratic | 1902 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Ben F. Caldwell | | Democratic | 1906 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
! | William A. Rodenberg | | Republican | 1902 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Martin D. Foster | | Democratic | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Pleasant T. Chapman | | Republican | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Napoleon B. Thistlewood | | Republican | 1908 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
Indiana
! | John H. Foster | | Republican | 1905 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | John C. Chaney | | Republican | 1904 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | William E. Cox | | Democratic | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Lincoln Dixon | | Democratic | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Elias S. Holliday | | Republican | 1900 | | Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | James E. Watson | | Republican | 1898 | | Incumbent retired to run for Governor of Indiana.Republican hold. | nowrap |
! | Jesse Overstreet | | Republican | 1894 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | John A. M. Adair | | Democratic | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Charles B. Landis | | Republican | 1896 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | Edgar D. Crumpacker | | Republican | 1896 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | George W. Rauch | | Democratic | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Clarence C. Gilhams | | Republican | 1906 | | Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
! | Henry A. Barnhart | | Democratic | 1908 | Incumbent re-elected | nowrap |
Iowa
! | Charles A. Kennedy | | Republican | 1906 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
! | Albert F. Dawson | | Republican | 1904 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
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