The 1938 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives were elections for the United States House of Representatives to elect members to serve in the 76th United States Congress. They were held for the most part on November 8, 1938, while Maine held theirs on September 12. They occurred in the middle of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's second term. Roosevelt's Democratic Party lost a net of 72 seats to the Republican Party, who also picked up seats from minor Progressive and Farmer–Labor Parties.

Multiple factors contributed to the Democratic decline. One main reason was the Recession of 1937. Unemployment soared, undercutting the Democrats' claim that the New Deal had ended the Great Depression. Democrats fought among themselves, especially over Roosevelt's "Court Packing" plan. In addition, there was backlash against Roosevelt's intervention in the Democratic primaries which angered conservative Democrats. The labor unions, which were emerging as a powerful grassroots factor in the New Deal Coalition, split bitterly as the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations fought over membership. The emergence of the National Progressives of America out of the Wisconsin Progressive Party and the formation of the American Labor Party increased competition during the election and contributed to the Democratic decline.

Internal Democratic strains were exacerbated by an effort led by Roosevelt to purge certain conservative senators in Democratic primaries, including Walter George of Georgia, Millard Tydings of Maryland and Ellison Smith of South Carolina, along with the chairman of the House Rules Committee, John J. O'Connor of New York. All but the last were re-elected.

While a number of New Deal supporters won primary elections, such as Sen. Alben Barkley in Kentucky, who defeated Happy Chandler, in Idaho, Sen. James P. Pope, a prominent New Deal supporter, lost his bid for re-nomination, as did California senator William McAdoo. The many seats Democrats won in traditionally Republican districts in the 1930, 1932, 1934 and 1936 elections meant that they had to defend a large number of marginal seats.

Meanwhile, the Republicans were united; they had shed their weakest members in a series of defeats since 1930. Re-energized Republicans focused attention on strong fresh candidates in major states, especially Robert A. Taft, the conservative from Ohio, Earl Warren (future Chief Justice), the moderate who won both the Republican and the Democratic primaries in California, and Thomas Dewey, the crusading prosecutor from New York. The Republican resurgence in 1938 was made possible by carrying 50% of the vote outside the South, giving GOP leaders confidence it had a strong base for the 1940 presidential election.

Effects

Overall, the Democrats lost 72 seats in the House, though with 262 seats, they retained a majority. The defeats were nearly all in the North, as the South resumed its historic role as the Democratic base in Congress. The Republicans gained 81 seats and none of their incumbents lost reelection.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt had faced opposition from conservative Democrats and the Republicans in Congress since the beginning of his presidency. Representatives Edward E. Cox, Howard W. Smith, and other Southern Democrats opposed Roosevelt's policies with the Republicans, but were in the minority. Vice President John Nance Garner pushed for Roosevelt to support more conservative policies. However, after the election the Democratic majority was maintained, but around forty Democratic representatives were unreliable votes for Roosevelt which allowed conservatives to block his policies.

Overall results + ↓ 262 4 169 Democratic Republican

Party Total seats (change) Seat percentage Vote percentage Popular vote Democratic Party 262 72 60.2% 48.7% 17,715,450 Republican Party 169 81 38.9% 47.5% 17,274,585 National Progressives of America 2 6 0.5% 1.0% 350,346 Farmer–Labor Party 1 4 0.2% 0.9% 342,530 American Labor Party 1 1 0.2% 0.7% 250,796 Socialist Party 0 0.0% 0.4% 141,575 Townsend Party 0 0.0% 0.3% 96,489 Independents 0 0.0% 0.2% 81,170 Communist Party 0 0.0% 0.1% 28,781 Royal Oak Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 8,783 Prohibition Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 8,499 Union Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 5,905 Socialist Workers Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 2,641 Liberal Labor Choice Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 2,627 Constitutional Democrat Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 971 Socialist Labor Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 753 Kenney For Congress Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 527 Freedom Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 492 Create Steady Employment Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 489 State Rights Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 314 Pathfinders Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 215 Commonwealth Party 0 0.0% <0.1% 113 Others 0 0.0% 0.1% 45,368 Totals 435 100.0% 100.0% 36,359,419

Source: Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk

Special elections

! | Fred M. Vinson | | 1930 | | Incumbent resigned May 27, 1938 to become justice of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.New member elected June 4, 1938.Democratic hold. | nowrap |

! | J. Lister Hill | | 1923 | | Incumbent resigned January 11, 1938 when appointed U.S. senator.New member elected June 14, 1938.Democratic hold. | nowrap |

! | Allard H. Gasque | | 1922 | | Incumbent died June 17, 1938.New member elected September 13, 1938.Democratic hold. | nowrap |

! | Frank L. Kloeb | | 1932 | | Incumbent resigned August 19, 1937 when appointed judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.New member elected November 8, 1938.Republican gain. | nowrap |

Alabama

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Frank W. Boykin Democratic 1935 Incumbent re-elected. George M. Grant Democratic 1938 Incumbent re-elected. Henry B. Steagall Democratic 1914 Incumbent re-elected. Sam Hobbs Democratic 1934 Incumbent re-elected. Joe Starnes Democratic 1934 Incumbent re-elected. Pete Jarman Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected. William B. Bankhead Democratic 1916 Incumbent re-elected. John Sparkman Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected. Luther Patrick Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected.

Arizona

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates John R. Murdock Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected.

Arkansas

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates William J. Driver Democratic 1920 Incumbent lost renomination.Democratic hold. Vacant 1930 John E. Miller (D) resigned November 14, 1937 when elected U.S. senator.Democratic hold. Claude Fuller Democratic 1928 Incumbent lost renomination.Democratic hold. William B. Cravens Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. David D. Terry Democratic 1933 Incumbent re-elected. John L. McClellan Democratic 1934 Retired to run for U.S. senator.Democratic hold. Wade H. Kitchens Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected.

California

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Clarence F. Lea Democratic 1916 Incumbent re-elected. Harry Lane Englebright Republican 1926 Incumbent re-elected. Frank H. Buck Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. Franck R. Havenner Progressive 1936 Incumbent re-elected as a Democrat.Democratic gain. Richard J. Welch Republican 1926 Incumbent re-elected. Albert E. Carter Republican 1924 Incumbent re-elected. John H. Tolan Democratic 1934 Incumbent re-elected. John J. McGrath Democratic 1932 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. Bertrand W. Gearhart Republican 1934 Incumbent re-elected. Alfred J. Elliott Democratic 1937 Incumbent re-elected. John S. McGroarty Democratic 1934 Retired to run for Secretary of State of California.Republican gain. Jerry Voorhis Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected. Charles Kramer Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. Thomas F. Ford Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. John M. Costello Democratic 1934 Incumbent re-elected. John F. Dockweiler Democratic 1932 Retired to run for Governor of Californiaand then lost re-election as Independent.Republican gain. Charles J. Colden Democratic 1932 Incumbent died.Democratic hold. Byron N. Scott Democratic 1934 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. Harry R. Sheppard Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected. Edouard Izac Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected.

Colorado

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Lawrence Lewis Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. Fred N. Cummings Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. John Andrew Martin Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. Edward T. Taylor Democratic 1908 Incumbent re-elected.

Connecticut

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Herman P. Kopplemann Democratic 1932 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. William J. Fitzgerald Democratic 1936 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. James A. Shanley Democratic 1934 Incumbent re-elected. Alfred N. Phillips Democratic 1936 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. J. Joseph Smith Democratic 1934 Incumbent re-elected. William M. Citron Democratic 1934 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain.

Delaware

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates William F. Allen Democratic 1936 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain.

Florida

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates J. Hardin Peterson Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. Robert A. Green Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. Millard Caldwell Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. J. Mark Wilcox Democratic 1932 Retired to run for U.S. senator.Democratic hold. Joe Hendricks Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected.

Georgia

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Hugh Peterson Democratic 1934 Incumbent re-elected. Edward E. Cox Democratic 1924 Incumbent re-elected. Stephen Pace Democratic 1936 Incumbent re-elected. Emmett Marshall Owen Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. Robert Ramspeck Democratic 1929 Incumbent re-elected. Carl Vinson Democratic 1914 Incumbent re-elected. Malcolm C. Tarver Democratic 1926 Incumbent re-elected. Braswell Deen Democratic 1932 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. B. Frank Whelchel Democratic 1934 Incumbent re-elected. Paul Brown Democratic 1933 Incumbent re-elected.

Idaho

District Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Compton I. White Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. D. Worth Clark Democratic 1934 Retired to run for U.S. senator.Republican gain.

Illinois