1996 United States House of Representatives elections

The 1996 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives on November 5, 1996, to elect members to serve in the 105th United States Congress. They coincided with the re-election of President Bill Clinton. Democrats won the popular vote by almost 60,000 votes (0.07%) and gained a net of two[3][4] seats from the Republicans, but the Republicans retained an overall majority of seats in the House for the first time since 1928.

1996 United States House of Representatives elections

November 5, 1996
All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives 218 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Newt Gingrich Dick Gephardt Party Republican Democratic Leader since January 3, 1995 January 3, 1995 Leader's seat Georgia 6th Missouri 3rd Last election 230 seats[1] 204 seats[1] Seats won 226[2] 207[2] Seat change 4 3 Popular vote 43,447,962 43,507,586 Percentage 48.15% 48.22% Swing 3.7% 3.4%   Third party   Party Independent Last election 1 seat Seats won 2 Seat change 1 Popular vote 572,746 Percentage 0.6%
Results:      Democratic hold      Democratic gain      Republican hold      Republican gain      Independent hold      Independent gain
Speaker before election Newt Gingrich Republican Elected Speaker Newt Gingrich Republican

Although the Republicans lost 3 seats, 1 of them included an independent who would caucus with them and switch to the Republicans. This resulted in a 227 Republican majority to the Democrats' 208 minority which also included an Independent caucusing with them. A total of 12 freshman Republicans who were elected in the 1994 Republican Revolution were defeated in the election. The election was the second time in the 20th century, after the 1952 elections, in which Republicans won a House majority without winning a majority of votes, a situation that occurred again in 2012.

Although, in terms of the total vote this result remains one of the closest in U.S. history. This remains the last election in which Republicans won a majority of seats in the New Jersey delegation, and was also the first election since Reconstruction in which Republicans won a majority of seats in Mississippi's delegation.