The 1942 United States House of Representatives elections were elections for the United States House of Representatives to elect members to serve in the 78th United States Congress. They were held for the most part on November 3, 1942, while Maine held theirs on September 14. This was the first election after the congressional reapportionment based on the 1940 census, and was held in the middle of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third term. With involvement in World War II, it was the first wartime election in the United States since 1918.
Roosevelt's Democratic Party lost 45 seats to the Republican Party, retaining only a slender majority even though they lost the popular vote by over 1 million votes (3.9%). The election was the second of four times in the 20th century in which either party won the House majority without winning the popular vote, with the other three instances occurring in 1914, 1952, and 1996; Democrats won the House majority without winning the popular vote in the former election, while Republicans did so in the latter two.
This was the most successful congressional election for Republicans since 1930, and the first time since that election cycle that the House GOP actually won the popular vote. The main factor that led to the Republican gains during this election cycle was dissatisfaction with the conduct of America's war effort in World War II.
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| J. Harold Flannery
| | Democratic
| 1936
| | Incumbent resigned January 3, 1942.<br/>New member <!--elected-->elected May 19, 1942.<br/>Republican gain.<br/>Winner was subsequently re-elected in November.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Joseph A. McArdle
| | Democratic
| 1938
| | Incumbent resigned January 5, 1942.<br/>New member <!--elected-->elected May 19, 1942.<br/>Democratic hold.<br/>Winner redistricted to the and retired; see below.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Lee E. Geyer
| | Democratic
| 1938
| | Incumbent died October 11, 1941.<br/>New member <!--elected-->elected August 25, 1942.<br/>Democratic hold.<br/>Winner was subsequently re-elected in November.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Vincent F. Harrington
|
| 1936
| | Incumbent resigned September 5, 1942, to serve in the U.S. Army.<br>New member <!--elected-->elected November 3, 1942.<br>Republican gain.<br>Winner redistricted to the and retired; see below.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Patrick J. Boland
|
| 1930
| | Incumbent died May 18, 1942.<br>New member <!--elected-->elected November 3, 1942.<br>Democratic hold<br>Winner was not a candidate for the full term; see below.
| nowrap |
|}
See also
- 1942 United States elections
- 1942 United States Senate elections
- 77th United States Congress
- 78th United States Congress
Notes
References
Sources
- Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk