The 1996 United States House of Representatives elections were held for the United States House of Representatives on November 5, 1996, to elect members to serve in the 105th United States Congress. They coincided with the re-election of President Bill Clinton. Democrats won the popular vote by almost 60,000 votes (0.07%) and gained a net of two seats from the Republicans, but the Republicans retained an overall majority of seats in the House for the first time since 1928.

Although the Republicans lost three seats, one of them included an independent who would caucus with them and switch to the Republicans, resulting in a nine-seat Republican majority. A total of 12 freshman Republicans who were elected in the 1994 Republican Revolution were defeated in the election, while at least 36 were re-elected.

The election was the fourth and final time in the 20th century in which either party won the House majority without winning the popular vote, with the previous three instances occurring in 1914, 1942, and 1952. In terms of the total vote, the 1996 result remains one of the closest in U.S. history. This remains the last election in which Republicans won a majority of seats in the New Jersey delegation, and it was also the first election since 1872 in which Republicans won a majority of seats in Mississippi's delegation.

Special elections

District Incumbent Party First elected Result Candidates Walter R. Tucker III Democratic 1992 Incumbent resigned December 15, 1995 due to scandals during his past tenure as Mayor of Compton, California.New member elected March 26, 1996.Democratic hold. Kweisi Mfume Democratic 1986 Incumbent resigned February 15, 1996 to become President of the NAACP.New member elected April 16, 1996.Democratic hold. Ron Wyden Democratic 1980 Incumbent resigned February 6, 1996 when elected U.S. Senator.New member elected May 21, 1996.Democratic hold. Sam Brownback Republican 1994 Incumbent resigned November 27, 1996 when elected U.S. Senator.New member elected November 5, 1996.Winner also elected to the next term, see below.Republican hold. Bill Emerson Republican 1980 Incumbent died June 22, 1996.New member elected November 5, 1996.Republican hold.Winner also elected to the next term, see below.

Results summary

+ ↓ 206 2 227 Democratic Republican

Party Seats Seatpercentage Votepercentage Popularvote 1994 Elected Netchange Republican Party 230 227 3 52.4% 48.15% 43,447,962 Democratic Party 204 206 2 47.4% 48.22% 43,507,586 Libertarian Party 0 0 0.0% 0.7% 651,448 Independent 1 2 1 0.2% 0.6% 572,746 Natural Law Party 0 0 0.0% 0.6% 518,413 Reform Party 0 0 0.0% 0.2% 178,475 U.S. Taxpayers' Party 0 0 0.0% 0.1% 54,054 Independence Party 0 0 0.0% 0.1% 48,272 Peace and Freedom Party 0 0 0.0% 0.1% 48,136 Others 0 0 0.0% 1.3% 1,206,375 Totals 435 435 100.0% 100.0% 90,233,467

Source: Election Statistics – Office of the Clerk

Retiring incumbents 50 incumbents retired: 29 Democrats and 21 Republicans, giving the Republicans a net gain of six seats from the Democrats.

Democrats

Democratic hold : Blanche Lincoln : Ray Thornton : Anthony Beilenson : Pat Schroeder : Pete Peterson : Sam Gibbons : Harry Johnston : Cardiss Collins : Andrew Jacobs Jr. : Gerry Studds : Robert Torricelli, to run for U.S. senator : Charlie Rose : Jack Reed, to run for U.S. senator : Harold Ford Sr. : Jim Chapman, to run for U.S. senator : Charlie Wilson : Kika de la Garza : Ron Coleman : Lewis F. Payne Jr.

Republican gain : Glen Browder, to run for U.S. senator : Tom Bevill : Dick Durbin, to run for U.S. senator : Cleo Fields : Sonny Montgomery : Pat Williams : Bill Brewster : Tim Johnson, to run for U.S. senator : John Bryant, to run for U.S. senator : Pete Geren

Republicans

Republican hold : Tim Hutchinson, to run for U.S. senator : Carlos Moorhead : Wayne Allard, to run for U.S. senator : John Myers : Pat Roberts, to run for U.S. senator : Sam Brownback, to run for U.S. senator : Jan Meyers : Mel Hancock : Barbara Vucanovich : Bill Zeliff, to run for governor : Dick Zimmer, to run for U.S. senator : Wes Cooley : William Clinger : Bob Walker : Jimmy Quillen : Jack Fields : Enid Greene

Democratic gain : Jim Ross Lightfoot, to run for U.S. senator : Jimmy Hayes, to run for U.S. senator : Steve Gunderson : Toby Roth

Incumbents defeated

In primary elections

Democrats

: Barbara-Rose Collins lost to Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, who later won the general election.

Republicans : Greg Laughlin lost to Ron Paul, who later won the general election.

In the general elections 21 seats switched parties in the November elections, giving the Democrats a net gain of 15 seats from the Republicans.

Democrats who lost to Republicans : Mike Ward lost to Anne Northup. : Harold Volkmer lost to Kenny Hulshof. : Bill Orton lost to Chris Cannon.

Republicans who lost to Democrats : Bill Baker lost to Ellen Tauscher. : Andrea Seastrand lost to Walter Capps. : Bob Dornan lost to Loretta Sanchez. : Gary Franks lost to James H. Maloney. : Michael Flanagan lost to Rod Blagojevich. : James B. Longley Jr. lost to Tom Allen. : Peter Blute lost to Jim McGovern. : Peter G. Torkildsen lost to John F. Tierney. : Dick Chrysler lost to Debbie Stabenow. : Bill Martini lost to Bill Pascrell. : Dan Frisa lost to Carolyn McCarthy. : David Funderburk lost to Bob Etheridge. : Fred Heineman lost to David Price in a rematch of the 1994 election. : Frank Cremeans lost to Ted Strickland. : Martin Hoke lost to Dennis Kucinich. : Jim Bunn lost to Darlene Hooley. : Steve Stockman lost to Nick Lampson. : Randy Tate lost to Adam Smith.

Closest races Eighty races were decided by 10% or lower.

District Winner Margin data-sort-value=1 0.03% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 0.13% data-sort-value=1 0.36% data-sort-value=0.5 (flip) 0.51% data-sort-value=0.5 (flip) 0.52% data-sort-value=1 0.70% data-sort-value=1 0.75% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 0.96% data-sort-value=-1 0.96% data-sort-value=1 1.10% data-sort-value=1 1.36% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 0.36% data-sort-value=1 1.66% data-sort-value=0.5 (flip) 1.70% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 1.71% data-sort-value=1 1.83% data-sort-value=0.5 (flip) 2.36% data-sort-value=1 2.43% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 2.65% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 2.74% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 2.88% data-sort-value=0.5 (flip) 3.09% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 3.24% data-sort-value=1 3.42% data-sort-value=1 3.45% data-sort-value=1 3.49% data-sort-value=1 3.57% data-sort-value=1 3.80% data-sort-value=1 3.86% data-sort-value=0.5 (flip) 3.87% data-sort-value=-1 3.88% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 4.07% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 4.19% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 4.22% data-sort-value=-1 4.27% data-sort-value=1 4.41% data-sort-value=-1 4.66% data-sort-value=1 4.69% data-sort-value=-1 4.69% data-sort-value=-1 4.82% data-sort-value=1 5.12% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 5.18% data-sort-value=1 5.31% data-sort-value=-1 5.48% data-sort-value=1 5.50% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 5.67% data-sort-value=-1 5.85% data-sort-value=1 5.92% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 6.13% data-sort-value=0.5 (flip) 6.14% data-sort-value=1 6.18% data-sort-value=0.5 (flip) 6.20% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 6.24% data-sort-value=1 6.60% data-sort-value=-1 6.62% data-sort-value=-1 6.64% data-sort-value=-1 6.65% data-sort-value=1 6.72% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 6.87% data-sort-value=1 6.90% data-sort-value=1 7.00% data-sort-value=1 7.03% data-sort-value=-1 7.06% data-sort-value=1 7.10% data-sort-value=1 7.21% data-sort-value=1 7.48% data-sort-value=1 7.56% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 7.59% data-sort-value=-1 7.79% data-sort-value=-1 7.93% data-sort-value=-1 8.11% data-sort-value=-1 8.45% data-sort-value=1 8.52% data-sort-value=-1 8.56% data-sort-value=-1 8.82% data-sort-value=0.5 (flip) 9.26% data-sort-value=1 9.44% data-sort-value=-0.5 (flip) 9.62% data-sort-value=1 9.63% data-sort-value=1 9.85%

Alabama

District Incumbent This race Representative Party First elected Results Candidates Sonny Callahan Republican 1984 Incumbent re-elected. Terry Everett Republican 1992 Incumbent re-elected. Glen Browder Democratic 1989 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.Republican gain. Tom Bevill Democratic 1966 Incumbent retired.Republican gain. Bud Cramer Democratic 1990 Incumbent re-elected. Spencer Bachus Republican 1992 Incumbent re-elected. Earl Hilliard Democratic 1992 Incumbent re-elected.

Alaska

District Incumbent This race Representative Party First elected Results Candidates Don Young Republican 1973 Incumbent re-elected.

Arizona

District Incumbent This race Representative Party First elected Results Candidates Matt Salmon Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected. Ed Pastor Democratic 1991 Incumbent re-elected. Bob Stump Republican 1976 Incumbent re-elected. John Shadegg Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected. Jim Kolbe Republican 1984 Incumbent re-elected. J. D. Hayworth Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.

Arkansas

District Incumbent This race Representative Party First elected Results Candidates Blanche Lincoln Democratic 1992 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. Ray Thornton Democratic 19721978 1990 Incumbent retired to run for Arkansas Supreme Court.Democratic hold. Tim Hutchinson Republican 1992 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.Republican hold. Jay Dickey Republican 1992 Incumbent re-elected.

California