1872–73 United States House of Representatives elections

Following the 1870 Census, the House was reapportioned, initially adding 40 seats,[1] followed by a subsequent amendment to the apportionment act adding another seat to 9 states,[2] resulting in a total increase of 49 seats. No states lost seats, 10 states had no change, 13 states gained 1 seat each, 9 states gained 2 seats, 3 states gained 3 seats, 1 State gained 4 seats, and 1 State gained 5 seats. Prior to the supplemental act, two states (New Hampshire and Vermont) had each lost 1 seat. This was the first reapportionment after the repeal of the three-fifths compromise by the 14th Amendment.

This would prove the last time until 1966 that a Republican won a House seat in Arkansas.[3]

State	Type	Total seats		Democratic		Republican
		Seats	Change	Seats	Change	Seats	Change
Alabama	District + 2 at-large	8	2	2	1	6[lower-alpha 4]	3
Arkansas	District + at-large	4	1	0	1	4[lower-alpha 4]	2
California	District	4	1	1	1	3
Connecticut[lower-alpha 5]	District	4		1		3
Delaware	At-large	1		0	1	1	1
Florida	At-large	2	1	0		2	1
Georgia	District	9	2	7	3	2	1
Illinois	District	19	5	5	1	14	6
Indiana[lower-alpha 6]	District + 3 at-large	13	2	3	2	10	4
Iowa	District	9	3	0		9	3
Kansas	At-large	3	2	0		3	2
Kentucky	District	10	1	10	1	0
Louisiana	District + 1 at-large	6	1	0		6[lower-alpha 4]	1
Maine[lower-alpha 6]	District	5		0		5
Maryland	District	6	1	4	1	2	2
Massachusetts	District	11	1	0		11	1
Michigan	District	9	3	0	1	9	4
Minnesota	District	3	1	0		3	1
Mississippi	District	6	1	1	1	5
Missouri	District	13	4	9	5	4	1
Nebraska[lower-alpha 6]	At-large	1		0		1
Nevada	At-large	1		1		0
New Hampshire[lower-alpha 5]	District	3		1	2	2	2
New Jersey	District	7	2	1	1	6	3
New York	District + 1 at-large	33	2	9	7	24	9
North Carolina[lower-alpha 6]	District	8	1	5		3	1
Ohio[lower-alpha 6]	District	20	1	6	1	14[lower-alpha 4]
Oregon[lower-alpha 6]	At-large	1		0	1	1	1
Pennsylvania[lower-alpha 6]	District + 3 at-large	27	3	5	6	22	9
Rhode Island	District	2		0		2
South Carolina	District + 1 at-large	5	1	0		5	1
Tennessee	District + 1 at-large	10	2	3	3	7	5
Texas	District + 2 at-large	6	2	6	3	0	1
Vermont[lower-alpha 6]	District	3		0		3
Virginia	District	9	1	5		4	1
West Virginia[lower-alpha 6]	District	3		2[lower-alpha 3]		1
Wisconsin	District	8	2	2		6	2
Total		292	49	89[lower-alpha 3] 30.5%	13	203[lower-alpha 7] 69.5%	62 30.5%

In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors.[4] This law 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 1872–73, there were still 9 states with earlier election dates, and 2 states with later election dates:

• Early elections (1872):
  • June 4 Oregon
  • August 1 North Carolina
  • August 27 West Virginia
  • September 3 Vermont
  • September 9 Maine
  • October 8 Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania
• Late elections (1873):
  • March 11, 1873 New Hampshire
  • April 7, 1873 Connecticut

• Connecticut 1: 1872
• Georgia 8: 1873
• Louisiana 4: 1872
• Louisiana 4: 1873
• Massachusetts 3: 1873
• Oregon at-large: 1873
• Pennsylvania 13: 1872

A new seat was added, following the 1870 U.S. Census, bringing the delegation up from three to four Representatives.

Florida gained a second seat after the 1870 census, but delayed districting until 1874, electing both Representatives at-large for this election.

In the newly-formed at-large district, George A. Sheridan (Liberal Republican) beat P. B. S. Pinchback (Republican), the first black Governor of Louisiana.[5] Pinchback challenged the election and it was settled in February 1875, in Sheridan's favor, only one month before the end of the Congress.

After redistricting and eleven retirements, only four of the nineteen incumbents were re-elected.

Wisconsin elected eight members of congress on Election Day, November 5, 1872. Two seats were newly added in reapportionment after the 1870 census.[27][28]

• 1872 United States elections
  • 1872 United States presidential election
  • 1872–73 United States Senate elections
• 42nd United States Congress
• 43rd United States Congress

• Dubin, Michael J. (March 1, 1998). United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses. McFarland and Company. ISBN 978-0786402830.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (January 1, 1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0029201701.
• Moore, John L., ed. (1994). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (Third ed.). Congressional Quarterly Inc. ISBN 978-0871879967.
• "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015.

• Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)