These six off-year races featured special elections to the 113th United States Congress to fill vacancies due to resignations in the United States House of Representatives. Two were due to Congressmen taking seats in the United States Senate, one resigned to take jobs in the private sector, one resigned to take a job in the public sector, and one resigned due to an impending federal indictment regarding misuse of campaign funds.
Summary
All six seats were held by the party of the incumbent.
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! | Jesse Jackson Jr. | | 1995 | | Incumbent resigned November 21, 2012.A special election was held April 9, 2013.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
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! | Tim Scott | | 2010 | | Incumbent resigned January 2, 2013.A special election was held May 7, 2013.Republican hold. | nowrap |
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! | Jo Ann Emerson | | 1996 | | Incumbent resigned January 22, 2013.A special election was held June 4, 2013.Republican hold. | nowrap |
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! | Ed Markey | | 1976 | | Incumbent resigned July 15, 2013.A special election was held December 10, 2013.Democratic hold. | nowrap |
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! | Jo Bonner | | 2002 | | Incumbent resigned August 2, 2013.A special election was held December 17, 2013.Republican hold. | nowrap |
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! | Rodney Alexander | | 2002 | | Incumbent resigned September 26, 2013.A special election was held November 16, 2013.Republican hold. | nowrap |
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Illinois's 2nd congressional district
Jesse Jackson, Jr. resigned on November 21, 2012, following a months-long battle with bipolar disorder and due to being subject to a federal investigation over the possible misuse of campaign funds. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn first scheduled the primary elections for February 26, coinciding with municipal primary elections, and initially set the general election for March 19. However, legislation was enacted at Quinn's request to allow the general election to coincide with municipal general elections held on April 9.
Democratic nominee Robin Kelly defeated Republican nominee Paul McKinley on April 9, 2013, taking 71 percent of about 82,000 votes cast. Kelly was sworn into Congress on April 11, 2013.
South Carolina's 1st congressional district
On December 17, 2012, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announced the appointment of incumbent Republican Tim Scott to the United States Senate to replace the resigning Jim DeMint. Scott's resignation from Congress became effective January 2, 2013 and Haley ordered the special election to replace him on the same day, with primary election being held on March 19, with runoffs on April 2 and the general election on May 7. On March 19, 2013, former Gov. Mark Sanford, who held the seat from 1995 to 2001, with 36 percent, and former Charleston County Councilman Curtis Bostic, with 13 percent, placed in the top two of a 16-person field, advanced from the Republican primary to a runoff on April 2, 2013. Sanford defeated Bostic in the runoff with 57 percent of over 46,000 votes cast.
On May 7, 2013, Sanford defeated Democratic nominee Elizabeth Colbert Busch, sister of comedian Stephen Colbert, taking 54 percent of over 140,000 votes cast. Sanford was sworn into Congress on May 15, 2013.
Missouri's 8th congressional district
On December 3, 2012, incumbent Republican Jo Ann Emerson announced her intention to resign from Congress, which became effective on January 22, 2013, to become the CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in March 2013. State law allows the Republican and Democratic parties to select their own nominees without a primary. Gov. Jay Nixon set the date for the special election to be June 4, 2013. Missouri state representative Jason Smith was chosen as the GOP candidate on February 9, 2013. The Missouri Democratic Party chose state representative John Hodges as its nominee on February 16, 2013. Also on the Special General Election Ballot were Libertarian Party nominee Bill Slantz and Constitution Party nominee Doug Enyart. Smith was easily elected on June 4, 2013, taking 68 percent of the vote and was sworn in by House Speaker John Boehner on June 5, 2013 in a ceremony that was attended by most of Missouri's Congressional Delegation, Emerson and Missouri's Republican senator Roy Blunt.