- The term can also refer to the 1911 Xinhai Revolution that led
to the establishment of the Republic of China. ||This article
may contain original research. (March 2008)| ||This article
needs additional citations for verification. (July 2007)| The
Republican Revolution, Revolution of '94 or Gingrich Revolution
is what the media dubbed the Republican Party (GOP) success in
the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of
54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight
seats in the Senate. The clear leader of the so-called
revolution was Republican congressman Newt Gingrich, who became
Speaker of the House as a result of the victory. The day after
the election, Democratic Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama
changed parties, becoming a Republican. The gains in seats in
the mid-term election resulted in the Republicans gaining
control of both the House and the Senate in January 1995.
Republicans had not held the majority in the House for forty
years, since the 83rd Congress (elected