262 seats 169 seats 267 162 7 1 Start date November 5, 1940 | 169 seats 2 seats 162 3 24,227,821 21,490,392 | |
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Winner Sam Rayburn | ||
The 1940 United States House of Representatives elections coincided with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's re-election to an unprecedented third term. His Democratic Party narrowly gained seats from the opposition Republican Party, cementing their majority. However, the election gave firm control of the US House of Representatives and Senate to the New Dealers once again, as Progressives dominated the election.
Contents
The upswing in the economy that occurred following the Recession of 1937-38 encouraged voters that the New Deal plan had been working. This allowed the Democrats to stabilize their support.
Overall results
Source: Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk
Separate elections
Three special elections were held apart from those in November. The elected winner would serve only the remainder of the incumbent Congress.
Louisiana
Several close allies of former governor Huey Long were defeated in primaries by reform candidates.