The 1962 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives on November 6, 1962, to elect members to serve in the 88th United States Congress. They occurred in the middle of President John F. Kennedy's term. As in most midterm elections, Kennedy's Democratic Party lost seats to the opposition Republican Party, but retained a majority. House Democrats were expected to lose their majority, but the resolution over the Cuban Missile Crisis just a few weeks prior led to a rebound in approval for the Democrats under President Kennedy.
The number of seats up for election went back to 435, in accordance with reapportionment and redistricting resulting from the 1960 census. The membership had been increased temporarily to 437 in 1959, providing 1 seat each for the new states of Alaska and Hawaii, while the other 435 seats continued with the reapportionment resulting from the 1950 census.
This was the last midterm election cycle until 2022 in which a Democratic president experienced net losses for his party in the House while experiencing net gains in the Senate.
This is the earliest House election with elected members who are still alive: Alec G. Olson, D-MN, and Don Fuqua, D-FL.
Overall results 402 incumbent members sought reelection, but 12 were defeated in primaries and 22 defeated in the general election for a total of 368 incumbents winning.
+ ↓ 259 176 Democratic Republican
Parties Seats Popular Vote 1960 1962 Change Strength Vote % Change Democratic Party 262 259 3 59.3% 26,860,184 52.4% 2.4% Republican Party 175 176 1 40.5% 24,160,387 47.1% 2.3% Liberal Party 0 0 0.0% 94,208 0.2% Independent 0 0 0.0% 80,484 0.2% 0.2% Prohibition Party 0 0 0.0% 17,171 <0.1% Conservative Party 0 0 0.0% 6,950 <0.1% Socialist Labor Party 0 0 0.0% 2,611 <0.1% Voters For Peace Party 0 0 0.0% 1,124 <0.1% Socialist Workers Party 0 0 0.0% 730 <0.1% Others 0 0 0.0% 19,139 <0.1% 0.1% Total 437 435 2 100.0% 51,242,988 100.0% —— Source: Election Statistics – Office of the Clerk
Special elections
Elections are listed by date and district.
District Incumbent This race Representative Party First elected Results Candidates Frank N. Ikard Democratic 1951 Incumbent resigned December 15, 1961.New member elected January 27, 1962.Democratic hold; winner was subsequently re-elected. Sam Rayburn Democratic 1912 Incumbent died November 16, 1961.New member elected January 30, 1962.Democratic hold; winner was subsequently re-elected. Louis C. Rabaut Democratic 1934 Incumbent died November 12, 1961.New member elected February 13, 1962.Democratic hold; winner was subsequently re-elected. Lester Holtzman Democratic 1952 Incumbent resigned December 31, 1961.New member elected February 20, 1962.Democratic hold; winner was subsequently re-elected to the redistricted 8th district. John J. Riley Democratic 1944 Incumbent died January 1, 1962.New member elected to finish her husband's term April 10, 1962.Democratic hold.Winner was not a candidate for re-election in November.
Alabama
Alabama lost 1 seat in redistricting and elected all seats at-large as a method of determining which seat to eliminate.
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected George M. Grant Democratic 1938 Incumbent re-elected. George W. Andrews Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Kenneth A. Roberts Democratic 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Albert Rains Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Armistead I. Selden Jr. Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Carl Elliott Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Robert E. Jones Jr. Democratic 1947 Incumbent re-elected. George Huddleston Jr. Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Frank W. Boykin Democratic 1935 Incumbent lost renomination.Democratic loss.
Alaska
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected Ralph Rivers Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected.
Arizona
Arizona gained one seat and formed a new third district out of the northern part of the state.
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected John Jacob Rhodes Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Mo Udall Democratic 1961 Incumbent re-elected. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain.
Arkansas
Arkansas lost two seats and merged the 5th and 6th districts into the other districts. 5th district incumbent Dale Alford chose to run for governor rather than face Wilbur Mills in a primary, and 6th district incumbent Catherine Dorris Norrell retired after serving out the remainder of her husband's term.
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected Ezekiel C. Gathings Democratic 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Wilbur Mills Democratic 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Dale Alford Democratic 1958 Incumbent retired to run for Governor of Arkansas.Democratic loss. James William Trimble Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Oren Harris Democratic 1940 Incumbent re-elected. Catherine Dorris Norrell Democratic 1961 Incumbent retired.Democratic loss.
California
Eight new seats were gained in reapportionment, including 4 additional districts in Greater Los Angeles alone as well as others in San Diego, the Northern Central Valley, Alameda County, and the Central Coast, increasing the delegation from 30 to 38 seats. Seven of the new seats were won by Democrats, one by a Republican. Two Republican incumbents lost re-election to Democrats. Therefore, Democrats increased by 9 seats and Republicans decreased by 1.
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected Clem Miller Democratic 1958 Incumbent died October 7, 1962and re-elected posthumously. Bizz Johnson Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected. John E. Moss Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain. John F. Shelley Democratic 1949 Incumbent re-elected. William S. Mailliard Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Jeffery Cohelan Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected. George P. Miller Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain. Charles Gubser Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. J. Arthur Younger Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. None (new district) New seat.Republican gain. Charles M. Teague Republican 1954 Incumbent re-elected. John F. Baldwin Jr. Republican 1954 Incumbent re-elected. John J. McFall Democratic 1956 Incumbent re-elected. B. F. Sisk Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Cecil R. King Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Harlan Hagen Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Chet Holifield Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. H. Allen Smith Republican 1956 Incumbent re-elected. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain. James C. Corman Democratic 1960 Incumbent re-elected. Clyde Doyle Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Glenard P. Lipscomb Republican 1953 Incumbent re-elected. John H. Rousselot Republican 1960 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. James Roosevelt Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Edgar W. Hiestand Republican 1952 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Alphonzo E. Bell Jr. Republican 1960 Incumbent re-elected. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain. Gordon L. McDonough Republican 1944 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain. Craig Hosmer Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Harry R. Sheppard Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain. James B. Utt Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Bob Wilson Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain. Dalip Singh Saund Democratic 1956 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain.
Colorado
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected Byron G. Rogers Democratic 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Peter H. Dominick Republican 1960 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.Republican hold. John Chenoweth Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Wayne N. Aspinall Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected.
Connecticut
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected Emilio Q. Daddario Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected. Horace Seely-Brown Jr. Republican 1960 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.Democratic gain. Robert Giaimo Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected. Abner W. Sibal Republican 1960 Incumbent re-elected. John S. Monagan Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected. Frank Kowalski Democratic 1958 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.Democratic hold.
Delaware
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected Harris McDowell Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected.
Florida
Florida gained 4 new districts at reapportionment: the 3rd around Miami, the 9th in the Panhandle, the 10th around Tampa, and the 11th in Orlando and the nearby Atlantic coast.
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected Bob Sikes Democratic 19401944 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Charles E. Bennett Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain. Dante Fascell Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Syd Herlong Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Paul Rogers Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected. James A. Haley Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. D. R. Matthews Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain. None (new district) New seat.Republican gain. William C. Cramer Republican 1954 Incumbent re-elected.
Georgia
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected G. Elliott Hagan Democratic 1960 Incumbent re-elected. J. L. Pilcher Democratic 1953 Incumbent re-elected. Tic Forrester Democratic 1950 Incumbent re-elected. John Flynt Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected. James C. Davis Democratic 1946 Incumbent lost renomination.Democratic hold. Carl Vinson Democratic 1914 Incumbent re-elected. John William Davis Democratic 1960 Incumbent re-elected. Iris Faircloth Blitch Democratic 1954 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. Phillip M. Landrum Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Robert Grier Stephens Jr. Democratic 1960 Incumbent re-elected.
Hawaii
Hawaii gained a second seat at reapportionment and elected both seats at-large.
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected Daniel Inouye Democratic 1959 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.Democratic hold. None (new district) New seat.Democratic gain.
Idaho
District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party Firstelected Gracie Pfost Democratic 1952 Incumbent retired to run for U.S. senator.Democratic hold. Ralph R. Harding Democratic 1960 Incumbent re-elected.
Illinois
Illinois lost one seat at reapportionment, merging the existing 21st district into the 20th and 23rd, and the Chicago districts were realigned to give more representation to the suburbs.