United States House of Representatives elections, 1996

United States House of Representatives elections, 1996

1994 ← November 5, 1996 → 1998

All 435 seats to the United States House of Representatives 218 seats were needed for a majority   Majority party Minority party   Leader Newt Gingrich Dick Gephardt Party Republican Democratic Leader's seat Georgia-6th Missouri-3rd Last election 230 seats 204 seats Seats won 227 206 Seat change 3 2 Popular vote 43,447,962 43,507,586 Percentage 48.2% 48.2% Swing 3.7% 3.4%

Results:   Democratic hold   Democratic pickup   Republican hold   Republican pickup   Independent hold   Independent pickup

Speaker before election Newt Gingrich Republican Elected Speaker Newt Gingrich Republican

Newt Gingrich
Republican

Newt Gingrich
Republican

The 1996 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 5, 1996, which coincided with the re-election of Bill Clinton as President of the United States. Clinton's Democratic Party won by almost 60,000 votes (0.07%) and gained a net of two seats from the Republican Party, but the Republicans retained an overall majority of seats in the House for the first time since 1928. The election is similar to the 1952 midterm elections, although, in terms of the total vote this result remains one of the closest in U.S. history.

40 incumbents retired: 29 Democrats and 21 Republicans, giving the Republicans a net gain of 6 seats from the Democrats.

21 seats switched parties in the November elections, giving the Democrats a net gain of 15 seats from the Republicans.