1994 United States House of Representatives elections

The 1994 United States House of Representatives election (also known as the Republican Revolution) was held on November 8, 1994, in the middle of President Bill Clinton's first term. As a result of a 54-seat swing in membership from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, Republicans gained a majority of seats in the United States House of Representatives for the first time since 1952. It was also the largest seat gain for the party since 1946, and the largest for either party since 1948.

1994 United States House of Representatives elections

November 8, 1994
All 435 seats to the United States House of Representatives 218 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Bob Michel (retired) Tom Foley (lost re-election) Party Republican Democratic Leader since January 3, 1981 January 3, 1987 Leader's seat Illinois 18th Washington 5th Last election 176 seats 258 seats Seats won 230 204 Seat change 54 54 Popular vote 36,325,809 31,542,823 Percentage 51.5% 44.7% Swing 6.4% 5.4%   Third party   Party Independent Last election 1 seat Seats won 1 Seat change Popular vote 497,403 Percentage 0.7% Swing 0.6%
Results:      Democratic hold      Democratic gain      Republican hold      Republican gain      Independent hold
Speaker before election Tom Foley Democratic Elected Speaker Newt Gingrich Republican

Democrats had run the House since 1955, and for all but four years (1947–49 and 1953–55) since 1931. But in 1994 the Republican Party ran against President Clinton's proposed healthcare reform,[1] benefited from impressions of corruption created by the Whitewater investigation, and picked up a majority of voters who had voted for Ross Perot in 1992. The Republicans argued that Clinton had abandoned the centrist New Democrat platform he campaigned on during the 1992 Presidential election and reverted to big government solutions. The GOP ran on Newt Gingrich's Contract with America.

The incumbent Speaker of the House, Democrat Tom Foley, lost reelection in his district, becoming the first sitting Speaker to do so since Galusha Grow in 1863.[2] Other major upsets included the defeat of powerful long-serving Representatives such as Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski and Judiciary Chairman Jack Brooks. In all, 34 incumbents, all Democrats, were defeated. Republicans also won a number of seats held by retiring Democrats. No Republican incumbents lost reelection, but Democrats won four open Republican-held seats.

The incumbent Republican Minority whip, Newt Gingrich, was re-elected in the Republican landslide and became Speaker as the incumbent Republican Minority Leader, Robert H. Michel, retired. The incumbent Democratic Majority Leader, Dick Gephardt, became Minority Leader. The new House leadership, under the Republicans, promised to bring a dozen legislative proposals to a vote in the first 100 days of the session, although the Senate did not always follow suit. A significant realigning election, the South underwent a drastic transformation. Before the election, House Democrats outnumbered House Republicans in the South. Afterwards, with the Republicans having picked up a total of 19 Southern seats, they were able to outnumber Democrats in the South for the first time since Reconstruction.[3] The Republicans would go on to remain the majority party of the House for the following 12 years, until the 2006 elections.