216 seats 218 seats 313 117 97 101 Start date November 8, 1932 | 218 seats 1 seat 117 5 101 4 | |
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Winner Henry Thomas | ||
The 1932 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1932 which coincided with the landslide election of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Contents
- Overall results
- Separate elections
- California
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New York
- North Dakota
- References
The inability of Herbert Hoover to cope with the Great Depression was the main issue surrounding this election. The overwhelming unpopularity of Hoover caused his Republican Party to lose over 100 seats to Roosevelt's Democratic Party and the small Farmer-Labor Party. The Democrats retained the majority they had gained through special elections in the last Congress, and expanded it to a commanding level. This round of elections was seen as a referendum on the once popular Republican business practices, which were eschewed for new, more liberal Democratic ideas. This was the first time since 1894 that a party suffered triple-digit losses (in this case the Republicans), and the Democrats posted their largest net seat pick-up in history, before or since the election.
Since no reapportionment (and in nearly all states no redistricting) occurred after the 1920 census, the district boundary changes from the previous election are quite substantial, representing twenty years of population movement from small towns to the more Democratic cities.
Overall results
Source: Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk
Separate elections
Two special elections were held apart from those in November. The elected winner would serve only the remainder of the incumbent Congress.
California
Nine new seats were added in reapportionment, increasing the delegation from 11 to 20 seats. Six of the new seats were won by Democrats, three by Republicans. Three Republican incumbents lost re-election to Democrats. Therefore, Democrats increased by 10 seats and Republicans decreased by 1.
Indiana
Indiana gained one seat in reapportionment. All of the incumbents were redistricted. The new seat was won by a Democrat and all the other incumbent Democrats won re-election. All three incumbent Republicans lost re-election, bringing the state from 8-3 Democratic to 12-0 Democratic.
Kansas
The eighth district was eliminated when the state was reapportioned from eight to seven districts. Two incumbent Republicans lost re-election. One incumbent Republican lost renomination and his seat was won by the incumbent Democrat from the district that was merged into his.
Kentucky
Kentucky, reapportioned from 11 districts down to 9, elected all of its representatives on a statewide at-large ticket. Of the nine incumbent Democratic representatives, seven were re-elected on the general ticket and two retired, while both incumbent Republicans retired.
Louisiana
Louisiana continued to elect its representatives based upon districts adopted in 1912. Those districts did not change until the 1968 elections.
Maine
Maine was redistricted from four seats down to three; of four Republican incumbents, only one was re-elected; one retired and two were defeated by Democratic challengers.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts was redistricted from 16 districts to 15; 10 Republican and 4 Democratic incumbents were re-elected, while 2 Republican incumbents retired in the old 8th and 9th districts; the new 8th containing parts of both elected a Democrat.
Michigan
Michigan was redistricted from 13 to 17 districts, adding four new districts in and around Detroit.
Minnesota
Minnesota, reapportioned from 10 seats down to 9, elected all representatives on a statewide general ticket. Of 10 incumbents, 1 Farmer-Labor and 1 Republican were re-elected, 4 Republicans lost re-election, 3 Republicans lost renomination, and 1 Republican retired.
Mississippi
Redistricted from 8 districts to 7, with most of the 8th district being added to the 7th.
Missouri
Missouri was reapportioned from 16 seats to 13, which were elected on a general ticket. The delegation went from 12 Democrats and 4 Republicans to 13 Democrats, 8 of them previous incumbents.
New York
New York, reapportioned from 43 to 45 seats, left its districts unchanged and elected the two new members at large.
North Dakota
North Dakota was reapportioned from 3 seats to 2, and elected them at large.