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All 435 seats to the United States House of Representatives 218 seats needed for a majority |
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Elections to the United States House of Representatives in 1912 were held for members of the 63rd Congress, coinciding with the election of President Woodrow Wilson.
Wilson's victory was partly due to the division of the opposition Republican Party into conservative and progressive factions. While many progressives stayed within the party framework, they maintained lukewarm relationships with Republican leadership. Others formed a third party known as the Progressives and several switched allegiance to the Democrats. A message of unity was portrayed by the Democrats, allowing this group to present themselves as above the bickering and corruption that had become associated with the Republican internal feud. Many of the new seats that were added after the prior census ended up in Democratic hands. In addition, William Kent, who had been elected to the House as a Republican in 1908, was elected to California's 1st congressional district as an Independent.
The number of representatives was increased for this election to 435, where it currently stands (aside from 1959 when Alaska and Hawaii were admitted as states).