The 1876–77 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 5, 1876, and March 13, 1877. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 45th United States Congress convened on October 15, 1877. The size of the House increased to 293 seats with the addition of the new state of Colorado.
These elections coincided with the (heavily contested) election of President Rutherford B. Hayes and the United States Centennial. Hayes' Republican Party was able to recover from the Democratic Party many of the seats it had lost two years before as the economy improved slightly. However, the Democrats retained a majority and were able to use the disinterest of the people in Republican Reconstruction-led projects to help keep crucial seats. Republican congressional leadership had a difficult time distancing itself from the corruption of the Grant administration or the legislature's impact on the economy downturn.
Election summaries
The previous election included 4 Independents, in Illinois and Massachusetts.
Election dates
In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors. This law did not affect election dates for Congress, which remained within the jurisdiction of State governments, but over time, the states moved their congressional elections to this date as well. In 1876–77, there were still 8 states with earlier election dates, and 1 state with a later election date.
Elections before Election Day (United States): June 5: Oregon September 5: Vermont September 11: Maine October 4:Georgia October 10: Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, West Virginia
Standard Election Day: November 7, 1876
Election after Election Day: March 13, 1877: New Hampshire
Special elections
Alabama
Alabama redistricted and eliminated its at-large seats, going from 6 districts and 2 at-large seats to 8 districts. The state also elected a full delegation of Democrats, voting out the two Republicans.
|-
! | Charles Hays | | Republican | 1872 | | Incumbent retired.New member elected.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|-
! | colspan=3 | New district | | New seat.New member elected.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|-
! | Jeremiah Norman Williams | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|-
! | Jeremiah Haralson | | Republican | 1874 | | Incumbent lost re-election.New member elected.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|-
! | colspan=3 | New district | | New seat.New member elected.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|-
! rowspan=2 |
| Goldsmith W. Hewitt
| | Democratic
| 1874
| Incumbent re-elected. | rowspan=2 nowrap |
|-
| Burwell Boykin Lewis
| | Democratic
| 1874
| | Incumbent lost renomination.Democratic loss.
|-
! rowspan=3 |
| William Henry Forney
| | Democratic
| 1874
| Incumbent re-elected. | rowspan=3 nowrap |
|-
| Taul Bradford
| | Democratic
| 1874
| | Incumbent retired.Democratic loss.
|-
| John H. Caldwell
| | Democratic
| 1872
| | Incumbent retired.Democratic loss.
|-
! | colspan=3 | New district | | New seat.New member elected.Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|}
Arkansas
|-
! | Lucien C. Gause | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|-
! | William F. Slemons | | Democratic | 1874 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|-
! | William W. Wilshire | | Democratic | 18721874 1874 | | Incumbent retired.New member elected.Independent Democratic gain. | nowrap |
|-
! | Thomas M. Gunter | | Democratic | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|}
California
|-
! | William Adam Piper | | Democratic | 1875 | | Incumbent lost re-election.New member elected.Republican gain. | nowrap |
|-
! | Horace F. Page | | Republican | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|-
! | John K. Luttrell | | Democratic | 1872 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|-
! | Peter D. Wigginton | | Democratic | 1875 | | Incumbent lost re-election.New member elected.Republican gain. | nowrap |
|}
Colorado
There were two elections to the new state of Colorado.
44th Congress
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! | colspan=3 | New district | | New seat.New member elected.Republican gain. | nowrap |