House elections for the 111th U.S. Congress
The 2008 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 4, 2008, to elect members to the United States House of Representatives to serve in the 111th United States Congress from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. It coincided with the election of Barack Obama as president. All 435 voting seats, as well as all 6 non-voting seats, were up for election. The Democratic Party, which won a majority of seats in the 2006 election, expanded its control in 2008.
The Republican Party, hoping to regain the majority it lost in the 2006 election or at least expand its congressional membership, lost additional seats. With one exception (Louisiana's 2nd district), the only seats to switch from Democratic to Republican had been Republican-held prior to the 2006 elections. Republicans gained five Democratic seats total, while losing 26 of their own, giving the Democrats a net gain of 21 seats, effectively erasing all gains made by the GOP since 1994. In addition, with the defeat of Republican congressman Chris Shays in Connecticut's 4th district, this became the first time since the 1850s that no Republican represented the New England region.
The 10.6% popular vote advantage by the Democrats was the largest by either party since 1982, 26 years earlier, and as of 2024 remains the most recent time that either party won by a double-digit margin in the overall popular vote for the House of Representatives. Turnout increased due to the concurrent presidential election. The presidential election, 2008 Senate elections, and 2008 gubernatorial elections, as well as many other state and local elections, occurred on the same date. This was the first and, as of 2024, the only election since 1980 in which the party of a newly elected president simultaneously gained seats in the House. It is also the most recent, and only time since 1988 that the incumbent president's party lost house seats in a presidential election year. It was the only time since 1994, and the last time until 2018, that Republicans held less than 200 House seats and the last time any party won at least 250 House seats.
As of 2024[ [update]], this remains the last election in which Democrats won House seats in Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota; the last election in which Democrats won more than one seat in Alabama until 2024; and the last election in which Democrats won a majority of seats in Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. It is also the last time Republicans won a seat in Delaware.
 ;templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/ ;A The number of non-voting members also includes the non-voting member-elect from Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, who is a member of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico, but will caucus with the Democrats. The New Progressive Party is affiliated with both the Democratic and Republican Parties and the last representative from Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, caucused with the Republicans. The vote total for the non-voting members also includes the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico, which has ties to the Democratic Party.
 ;templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/ ;B Both non-voting independents, American Samoa's representative Eni Faleomavaega and the Northern Mariana Islands' representative-elect Gregorio Sablan, will caucus with the Democrats. In America Samoa all elections are non-partisan. In the Northern Mariana Islands, Sablan appeared on the ballot as an independent.
Retiring incumbents.
Thirty-three incumbents voluntarily retired.
Democratic incumbents.
All seven seats held by retiring Democrats were won by Democrats.
Republican incumbents.
Twenty-seven Republicans retired. Thirteen of their seats were then won by Democrats (see Open seat gains, below).
Defeated incumbents.
Incumbents defeated in primary election.
One Republican lost in a primary and the seat was eventually won by a Democrat. One Democrat lost the primary as did two Republicans. The three primary winners, however, managed to retain the seat for the same party.
Incumbents defeated in general election.
Fourteen Republicans and five Democrats lost their general elections, thereby losing their seats to the other party.
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Open seat gains.
Twelve seats (and one delegate's seat) held by retiring Republicans were won by Democrats. No Democratic retirements were picked up by Republicans.
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Closest races.
Fifty-two races were decided by 10% or lower.
Special elections.
The thirteen special elections to the 110th United States Congress are listed below by election date.
In 2008 there were eight special elections for vacant seats in the United States House of Representatives, for the 110th United States Congress. In the special elections, Democrats gained three seats while keeping hold of five seats. Republicans held only one of their four seats.
American Samoa.
See Non-voting delegates, below.
District of Columbia.
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Guam.
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Louisiana.
Note: In Louisiana's 2nd and 4th districts, primary runoffs were held November 4, 2008 and the general election for both of these races were held December 6, 2008.
Northern Mariana Islands.
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Puerto Rico.
See Non-voting delegates, below.
U.S. Virgin Islands.
See Non-voting delegates, below.
References.
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