The 1956 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives to elect members to serve in the 85th United States Congress. They were held for the most part on November 6, 1956, while Maine held theirs on September 10. They coincided with the re-election of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

With no major national issues and the economic upswing of the 1950s in full force, voters generally chose to uphold the status quo, keeping the Republican president and the Democratic Congress.

Overall results 410 incumbent members sought reelection, but 6 were defeated in primaries and 15 defeated in the general election for a total of 389 incumbents winning.

+ ↓ 234 201 Democratic Republican

Party Seats Change Seat percentage Vote percentage Popular Vote Democratic 234 2 53.8% 51.2% 30,062,042 Republican 201 2 46.2% 48.7% 28,698,083 Liberal 0 0.0% 0.1% 68,130 Independent 0 0.0% <0.1% 15,848 Prohibition 0 0.0% <0.1% 12,298 Independent Teacher Veteran 0 0.0% <0.1% 5,468 Independent Veteran 0 0.0% <0.1% 4,155 Conservative 0 0.0% <0.1% 4,066 Constitution 0 0.0% <0.1% 3,619 Decency in Government 0 0.0% <0.1% 2,459 Progress Through Freedom 0 0.0% <0.1% 2,246 Socialist Labor 0 0.0% <0.1% 2,217 Socialist 0 0.0% <0.1% 1,743 Free Honest Elections 0 0.0% <0.1% 466 Socialist Workers 0 0.0% <0.1% 303 Social Democratic 0 0.0% <0.1% 260 American Third 0 0.0% <0.1% 146 Others 0 0.0% <0.1% 2,194 Totals 435 100.0% 100.0% 58,885,743Source: Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk

Special elections In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1956 or before January 3, 1957; ordered by election date.

District Incumbent Results Candidates Member Party First elected Vera D. Buchanan Democratic 1950 Incumbent died November 26, 1955.New member elected January 24, 1956.Democratic hold. Sidney A. Fine Democratic 1950 Incumbent resigned January 2, 1956.New member elected February 7, 1956.Democratic hold. William T. Granahan Democratic 19441946 1948 Incumbent died May 25, 1956.New member elected November 6, 1956.Democratic hold.

Alabama District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Frank W. Boykin Democratic 1935 Incumbent re-elected. 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 Selden 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.

Arizona District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected John Jacob Rhodes Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Stewart Udall Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected.

Arkansas District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Ezekiel C. Gathings Democratic 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Wilbur Mills Democratic 1938 Incumbent re-elected. James William Trimble Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Oren Harris Democratic 1940 Incumbent re-elected. Brooks Hays Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. William F. Norrell Democratic 1938 Incumbent re-elected.

California

District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Hubert B. Scudder Republican 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Clair Engle Democratic 1943 Incumbent re-elected. John E. Moss Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. William S. Mailliard Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. John F. Shelley Democratic 1949 Incumbent re-elected. John F. Baldwin Jr. Republican 1954 Incumbent re-elected. John J. Allen Jr. Republican 1946 Incumbent re-elected. George P. Miller Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. J. Arthur Younger Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Charles Gubser Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. J. Leroy Johnson Republican 1942 Incumbent lost re-election.New member elected.Democratic gain. B. F. Sisk Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Charles M. Teague Republican 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Harlan Hagen Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Gordon L. McDonough Republican 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Donald L. Jackson Republican 1946 Incumbent re-elected. Cecil R. King Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Craig Hosmer Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Chet Holifield Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Vacant John Carl Hinshaw (R) died August 5, 1956.New member elected.Republican hold. Edgar W. Hiestand Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Joseph F. Holt Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Clyde Doyle Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Glenard P. Lipscomb Republican 1953 Incumbent re-elected. Patrick J. Hillings Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. James Roosevelt Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Harry R. Sheppard Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected. James B. Utt Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. John Phillips Republican 1942 Incumbent retired.New member elected.Democratic gain. Bob Wilson Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected.

Colorado District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Byron G. Rogers Democratic 1950 Incumbent re-elected. William S. Hill Republican 1940 Incumbent re-elected. John Chenoweth Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Wayne N. Aspinall Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected.

Connecticut District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Thomas J. Dodd Democratic 1952 Retired to run for U. S. Senate.Republican gain. Horace Seely-Brown Jr. Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Albert W. Cretella Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Albert P. Morano Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. James T. Patterson Republican 1946 Incumbent re-elected. Antoni Sadlak Republican 1946 Incumbent re-elected.

Delaware District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Harris McDowell Democratic 1954 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain.

Florida District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected William C. Cramer Republican 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Charles E. Bennett Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Bob Sikes Democratic 19401944 1974 Incumbent re-elected. 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. Donald Ray Matthews Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected.

Georgia District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Prince Preston Democratic 1946 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 re-elected. Carl Vinson Democratic 1914 Incumbent re-elected. Henderson Lovelace Lanham Democratic 1946 Incumbent re-elected. Iris Faircloth Blitch Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Phil Landrum Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Paul Brown Democratic 1933 Incumbent re-elected.

Idaho District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Gracie Pfost Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Hamer H. Budge Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected.

Illinois District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected William L. Dawson Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Barratt O'Hara Democratic 19481950 1952 Incumbent re-elected. James C. Murray Democratic 1954 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. William E. McVey Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. John C. Kluczynski Democratic 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Thomas J. O'Brien Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. James Bowler Democratic 1953 Incumbent re-elected. Thomas S. Gordon Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Sidney R. Yates Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Richard W. Hoffman Republican 1948 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Timothy P. Sheehan Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Charles A. Boyle Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Marguerite S. Church Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Vacant Chauncey W. Reed (R) died February 9, 1956.Republican hold. Noah M. Mason Republican 1936 Incumbent re-elected. Leo E. Allen Republican 1932 Incumbent re-elected. Leslie C. Arends Republican 1934 Incumbent re-elected. Harold H. Velde Republican 1948 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Robert B. Chiperfield Republican 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Sid Simpson Republican 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Peter F. Mack Jr. Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. William L. Springer Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Charles W. Vursell Republican 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Melvin Price Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Kenneth J. Gray Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected.

Indiana District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Ray Madden Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Charles A. Halleck Republican 1935 Incumbent re-elected. Shepard Crumpacker Republican 1950 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. E. Ross Adair Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. John V. Beamer Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Cecil M. Harden Republican 1948 Incumbent re-elected. William G. Bray Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Winfield K. Denton Democratic 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Earl Wilson Republican 1940 Incumbent re-elected. Ralph Harvey Republican 1947 Incumbent re-elected. Charles B. Brownson Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected.

Iowa District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Fred Schwengel Republican 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Henry O. Talle Republican 1938 Incumbent re-elected. H. R. Gross Republican 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Karl M. LeCompte Republican 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Paul Cunningham Republican 1940 Incumbent re-elected. James I. Dolliver Republican 1944 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Ben F. Jensen Republican 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Charles B. Hoeven Republican 1942 Incumbent re-elected.

Kansas District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected William H. Avery Republican 1954 Incumbent re-elected. Errett P. Scrivner Republican 1943 Incumbent re-elected. Myron V. George Republican 1950 Incumbent re-elected. Edward Herbert Rees Republican 1936 Incumbent re-elected. Clifford R. Hope Republican 1926 Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. Wint Smith Republican 1946 Incumbent re-elected.

Kentucky District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Noble Jones Gregory Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected. William Natcher Democratic 1953 Incumbent re-elected. John M. Robsion Jr. Republican 1952 Incumbent re-elected. Frank Chelf Democratic 1944 Incumbent re-elected. Brent Spence Democratic 1930 Incumbent re-elected. John C. Watts Democratic 1951 Incumbent re-elected. Carl D. Perkins Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Eugene Siler Republican 1954 Incumbent re-elected.

Louisiana District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected F. Edward Hébert Democratic 1940 Incumbent re-elected. Hale Boggs Democratic 19401942 1946 Incumbent re-elected. Edwin E. Willis Democratic 1948 Incumbent re-elected. Overton Brooks Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected. Otto Passman Democratic 1946 Incumbent re-elected. James H. Morrison Democratic 1942 Incumbent re-elected. T. Ashton Thompson Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected. George S. Long Democratic 1952 Incumbent re-elected.

Maine District Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party First elected Robert Hale Republican 1942 Incumbent re-elected. Charles P. Nelson Republican 1948 Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. Clifford McIntire Republican 1951 Incumbent re-elected.

Maryland