United States House election, 1868

United States House of Representatives elections, 1868

← 1866 June 1, 1868 - August 2, 1869 1870 →
All 243 seats to the United States House of Representatives 122 seats were needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader James Blaine Michael Kerr Lewis McKenzie Party Republican Democratic Conservative Leader's seat Maine-3rd Indiana-3rd Virginia-7th Last election 175 seats 47 seats 2 seats Seats won 171 67 5 Seat change 4 20 3
Speaker before election Theodore M. Pomeroy Republican Elected Speaker James Blaine Republican Party (United States) Map of U.S. House elections results from 1868 elections for 41st Congress

Theodore M. Pomeroy
Republican

James Blaine
Republican Party (United States)

Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held in 1868 to elect Representatives to the 41st United States Congress. The election coincided with the presidential election of 1868, which was won by Ulysses S. Grant.

The Democrats gained 20 seats, but Grant's Republican Party retained a commanding majority in the Reconstruction era following the American Civil War, holding onto a firm legitimacy through an association with victory. As more Southern states exited Reconstruction, more Democratic seats appeared in the South. However, Democratic gains in the South were limited, as the Republican power-brokers of Reconstruction held a great deal of influence. The small Conservative Party of Virginia also picked up several seats in Virginia, as it had support among wealthy Southern leaders who wanted to increase the region's power.

Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia were readmitted during this Congress, leaving Congress without vacant State delegations for the first time since 1860. Georgia had been partially readmitted in the previous Congress, but was not initially admitted to the 41st Congress. With Georgia's final readmission in 1870, all former Confederate states were once more represented in Congress.