The 1876âÂÂ77 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 5, 1876, and March 13, 1877. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 45th United States Congress convened on October 15, 1877. The size of the House increased to 293 seats with the addition of the new state of Colorado.
These elections coincided with the (heavily contested) election of President Rutherford B. Hayes and the United States Centennial. Hayes' Republican Party was able to recover from the Democratic Party many of the seats it had lost two years before as the economy improved slightly. However, the Democrats retained a majority and were able to use the people's lack of interest in Republican Reconstruction-led projects to help keep crucial seats. Republican congressional leadership had a difficult time distancing itself from the corruption of the Ulysses S. Grant administration or the legislature's impact on the economy downturn.
The previous election included 4 Independents, in Illinois and Massachusetts.
In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors. 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 1876âÂÂ77, there were still 8 states with earlier election dates, and 1 state with a later election date.
Elections before Election Day (United States):
Standard Election Day:
Election after Election Day:
Alabama redistricted and eliminated its at-large seats, going from 6 districts and 2 at-large seats to 8 districts. The state also elected a full delegation of Democrats, voting out the two Republicans.
|- ! | Charles Hays<br/> | | Republican | 1872 | | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | colspan=3 | New district | | New seat.<br/>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Jeremiah Norman Williams<br/> | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Jeremiah Haralson<br/> | | Republican | 1874 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | colspan=3 | New district | | New seat.<br/>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! rowspan=2 | | Goldsmith W. Hewitt | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | rowspan=2 nowrap |
|- | Burwell Boykin Lewis<br/> | | Democratic | 1874 | | Incumbent lost renomination.<br/>Democratic loss.
|- ! rowspan=3 | | William Henry Forney<br/> | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | rowspan=3 nowrap |
|- | Taul Bradford<br/> | | Democratic | 1874 | | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic loss.
|- | John H. Caldwell<br/> | | Democratic | 1872 | | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic loss.
|- ! | colspan=3 | New district | | New seat.<br/>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Lucien C. Gause | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | William F. Slemons | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | William W. Wilshire | | Democratic | 1872<br/>1874 <br/>1874 | | Incumbent retired.<br/>Independent Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Thomas M. Gunter | | Democratic | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | William Adam Piper | | Democratic | 1875 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Republican gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Horace F. Page | | Republican | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | John K. Luttrell | | Democratic | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Peter D. Wigginton | | Democratic | 1875 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Republican gain. | nowrap |
There were two elections to the new state of Colorado.
|- ! | colspan=3 | New district | | New seat.<br/>Republican gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | James B. Belford | | Republican | 1876 | Incumbent re-elected.<br/>Election was later successfully challenged by the challenger. | nowrap |
Connecticut had been electing is members late in the cycle, even after the terms had begun. But starting in 1876, the state joined the others in electing its members on the November 7, 1876 Election Day. The delegation remained 3 Democrats and 1 Republican.
|- ! | George M. Landers | | Democratic | 1875 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | James Phelps | | Democratic | 1875 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | John T. Wait | | Republican | 1876 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | William Barnum | | Democratic | 1867 | | Incumbent resigned May 18, 1876, when elected U.S. senator.<br/>Democratic hold.<br/>Winner also elected to finish the current term; see above. | nowrap |
|- ! | James Williams | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | William J. Purman | | Republican | 1872 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Jesse J. Finley | | Democratic | 1874 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Republican gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | John H. Burleigh | | Republican | 1872 | | Incumbent lost renomination.<br/>Republican hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | William P. Frye | | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | colspan="3"|Vacant | | Rep. James G. Blaine (R) resigned July 10, 1876.<br/>Republican hold. <br> Concurrent special election held to serve out the unexpired term; the winner did not stand for the regular election. | nowrap |
|- ! | Harris M. Plaisted | | Republican | 1875 | | Incumbent retired.<br/>Republican hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | Eugene Hale | | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | William W. Crapo | | Republican | 1875 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Benjamin W. Harris | | Republican | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Henry L. Pierce | | Republican | 1874 | |Incumbent retired.<br>New member elected after initial result overturned.<br>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Josiah Gardner Abbott | | Democratic | 1874 | |Incumbent retired.<br>Democratic hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | Nathaniel P. Banks | | Republican | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Charles Perkins Thompson | | Democratic | 1874 | |Incumbent lost re-election.<br>Republican gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | John K. Tarbox | | Democratic | 1874 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br>Republican gain. | nowrap | |- ! | John M. S. Williams | | Democratic | 1874 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br>Republican gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | George F. Hoar | | Republican | 1868 | | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senate.<br>Republican hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | Charles A. Stevens | | Republican | 1875 (special) | |Incumbent retired.<br>Republican hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | Chester W. Chapin | | Democratic | 1874 | |Incumbent lost re-election.<br>Republican gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Lucius Q. C. Lamar | | Democratic | 1872 | | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.<br/>Democratic hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | G. Wiley Wells | | Republican | 1874 | | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Hernando Money | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Otho R. Singleton | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Charles E. Hooker | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | John R. Lynch | | Republican | 1872 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Lorenzo Crounse | | Republican | 1872 | | Incumbent retired.<br>Republican hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | William Woodburn | | Republican | 1874 | | Incumbent retired.<br>Republican hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | Joseph Rainey | | Republican | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Edmund W. M. Mackey | | Independent<br/>Republican | 1874 | | Seat declared vacant July 19, 1876, due to contested election.<br/>Republican gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Solomon L. Hoge | | Republican | 1874 | | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Alexander S. Wallace | | Republican | 1868 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Robert Smalls | | Republican | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | William McFarland | | Democratic | 1874 | |Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Republican gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Jacob M. Thornburgh | | Republican | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | George G. Dibrell | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Haywood Y. Riddle | | Democratic | 1875 <small>(special)</small> | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | John M. Bright | | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | John F. House | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Washington C. Whitthorne | | Democratic | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | John D. C. Atkins | | Democratic | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | William P. Caldwell | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Charles H. Joyce | | Republican | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Dudley C. Denison | | Independent<br/>Republican | 1874 | | Incumbent re-elected as a Republican.<br/>Republican gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | George Hendee | | Republican | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Beverly B. Douglas | | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | John Goode | | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | |- ! | Gilbert C. Walker | | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | |- ! | William H. H. Stowell | | 1870 | | Incumbent retired.<br/>Republican hold. | nowrap | |- ! | George Cabell | | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | |- ! | J. Randolph Tucker | | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | |- ! | John T. Harris | | 1870 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | |- ! | Eppa Hunton | | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap | |- ! | William Terry | | 1874 | | Incumbent lost renomination.<br/>Democratic hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | Benjamin Wilson | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Charles J. Faulkner | | Democratic | 1874 | | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.<br>Democratic hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | Frank Hereford | | Democratic | 1870 | | Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.<br>Democratic hold. | nowrap |
Wisconsin elected eight members of congress on Election Day, November 7, 1876.
|- ! | Charles G. Williams | | Republican | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Lucien B. Caswell | | Republican | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Henry S. Magoon | | Republican | 1870 | | Incumbent lost renomination.<br/>Republican hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | William Pitt Lynde | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Samuel D. Burchard | | Democratic | 1874 | | Incumbent lost renomination.<br/>Democratic hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | Alanson M. Kimball | | Republican | 1874 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|- ! | Jeremiah McLain Rusk | | Republican | 1870 | | Incumbent lost renomination.<br/>Republican hold. | nowrap |
|- ! | George W. Cate | | Democratic | 1874 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Republican gain. | nowrap |
|- !
|- ! | Jefferson P. Kidder | | Republican | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Stephen S. Fenn | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- ! | Martin Maginnis | | Democratic | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|- !
|- !
|- ! | William R. Steele | | Democratic | 1872 | | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Republican gain. | nowrap |