The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 6, 2018. The 2018 House elections were midterm elections that occurred during President Donald Trump's first term in office. Early voting took place in some states in the weeks preceding Election Day. Voters chose representatives from all 435 congressional districts across each of the 50 U.S. states to serve in the 116th United States Congress.

Led by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Party won control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 elections. The Democrats gained a net total of 41 seats. The 41-seat gain was the Democrats' largest gain of House seats since the post-Watergate 1974 elections, when they picked up 49 seats. Democrats also won the popular vote by an 8.6% margin, the largest margin of victory on record for a minority party.

Results summary and analysis The Democratic Party won control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections. The Democrats gained a net total of 41 seats from the total number of seats they had won in the 2016 elections. This was their largest gain of House seats in an election since the 1974 elections, when the Democrats gained 49 House seats.Multiple sources: Democrats won the popular vote by more than 9.7 million votes, or 8.6%, the largest margin of victory on record for a minority party.

Prior to the 2018 elections, the Republican Party had held the House majority since January 2011. According to the Associated Press' statistical analysis, gerrymandering may have cost the Democrats 16 seats in the 2018 House elections. Voter turnout in these elections was 50.3%, the highest turnout in a U.S. midterm election since 1914.

The House Republicans' passage of the widely unpopular American Health Care Act of 2017 to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as well as opposition to Trump's policies, his low approval ratings, and questions about his personal stamina for office, are credited for the Democratic takeover of the House.

(Note that the results summary does not include blank and over/under votes which were included in the official results or votes cast in the voided election in North Carolina's 9th congressional district.)

+ ↓ 235 199 Democratic Republican

Parties Seats Popular vote 2016 2018 +/− Strength Vote % Change   Democratic Party 194 235 41 54.0% 60,572,245 53.4% +5.4%   Republican Party 241 199 42 45.7% 50,861,970 44.8% –4.3%   Libertarian Party — — — —758,492 0.7% –0.6%   Independent — — — — 569,502 0.5% –0.2%   Green Party — — — — 247,231 0.2% –0.2%   Constitution Party — — — — 59,972 0.1% –   Others — — — — 343,577 0.3% –0.1% Totals 435 435 0 100.0% 113,412,989 100.0% — Source:

Partisan shifts by state State Totalseats Democratic Republican Seats Change Seats Change Alabama 7 1 6 Alaska 1 0 1 Arizona 9 5 1 4 1 Arkansas 4 0 4 California 53 46 7 7 7 Colorado 7 4 1 3 1 Connecticut 5 5 0 Delaware 1 1 0 Florida 27 13 2 14 2 Georgia 14 5 1 9 1 Hawaii 2 2 0 Idaho 2 0 2 Illinois 18 13 2 5 2 Indiana 9 2 7 Iowa 4 3 2 1 2 Kansas 4 1 1 3 1 Kentucky 6 1 5 Louisiana 6 1 5 Maine 2 2 1 0 1 Maryland 8 7 1 Massachusetts 9 9 0 Michigan 14 7 2 7 2 Minnesota 8 5 3 Mississippi 4 1 3 Missouri 8 2 6 Montana 1 0 1 Nebraska 3 0 3 Nevada 4 3 1 New Hampshire 2 2 0 New Jersey 12 11 4 1 4 New Mexico 3 3 1 0 1 New York 27 21 3 6 3 North Carolina 13 3 9 1 North Dakota 1 0 1 Ohio 16 4 12 Oklahoma 5 1 1 4 1 Oregon 5 4 1 Pennsylvania 18 9 4 9 4 Rhode Island 2 2 0 South Carolina 7 2 1 5 1 South Dakota 1 0 1 Tennessee 9 2 7 Texas 36 13 2 23 2 Utah 4 1 1 3 1 Vermont 1 1 0 Virginia 11 7 3 4 3 Washington 10 7 1 3 1 West Virginia 3 0 3 Wisconsin 8 3 5 Wyoming 1 0 1 Total 435 235 41 199 42

Maps

Veteran candidate recruitment The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee actively recruited military veterans and candidates with national security backgrounds for competitive districts in 2018. Political analysts noted that candidates with military experience could appeal to moderate and independent voters in swing districts. Of the 24 Republicans unseated by Democrats, eight were defeated by veterans or former national security officials, including Jason Crow (Colorado), Elissa Slotkin (Michigan), Mikie Sherrill (New Jersey), Chrissy Houlahan (Pennsylvania), and Elaine Luria (Virginia).

Retirements

In the November general elections, 55 incumbents did not seek re-election. This election cycle saw the third most retirements in an election cycle in history behind 1992 and 2026.

Democrats Eighteen Democrats did not seek re-election. : Kyrsten Sinema retired to run for the U.S. Senate. : Jared Polis retired to run for governor of Colorado. : Elizabeth Esty retired after involvement in sexual harassment allegations against an employee. : Colleen Hanabusa retired to run for governor of Hawaii. : Luis Gutiérrez retired. : John Delaney retired to run for U.S. president. : Niki Tsongas retired. : Sander Levin retired. : Tim Walz retired to run for governor of Minnesota. : Keith Ellison retired to run for Minnesota attorney general. : Rick Nolan retired to run for lieutenant governor of Minnesota. : Jacky Rosen retired to run for the U.S. Senate. : Rubén Kihuen retired due to sexual harassment allegations. : Carol Shea-Porter retired. : Michelle Lujan Grisham retired to run for governor of New Mexico. : Bob Brady retired after being redistricted from the 1st district. : Beto O'Rourke retired to run for the U.S. Senate. : Gene Green retired.

Republicans Thirty-seven Republicans did not seek re-election.

: Martha McSally retired to run for the U.S. Senate. : Ed Royce retired. : Darrell Issa retired, nominated by President Donald Trump to be the director of the United States Trade and Development Agency. : Ron DeSantis announced his retirement to run for governor of Florida, then resigned on September 10, 2018. : Dennis Ross retired. : Tom Rooney retired. : Ileana Ros-Lehtinen retired. : Raúl Labrador retired to run for governor of Idaho. : Todd Rokita retired to run for the U.S. Senate. : Luke Messer retired to run for the U.S. Senate. : Lynn Jenkins retired. : Dave Trott retired. : Gregg Harper retired. : Frank LoBiondo retired "due to the increased political polarization of Congress." : Rodney Frelinghuysen retired. : Steve Pearce retired to run for governor of New Mexico. : Kevin Cramer retired to run for the U.S. Senate. : Jim Renacci retired to run for the U.S. Senate. : Jim Bridenstine announced his retirement November 10, 2017. He resigned April 23, 2018, after being confirmed as administrator of NASA; his replacement was seated November 6, 2018. : Ryan Costello retired due to "family, the political environment and redistricting." : Lou Barletta, redistricted from the 11th district, retired to run for U.S. senator. : Bill Shuster retired when redistricted from the 9th district. : Trey Gowdy retired to "return to the justice system." : Kristi Noem retired to run for governor of South Dakota. : Jimmy Duncan retired. : Diane Black retired to run for governor of Tennessee. : Marsha Blackburn retired to run for the U.S. Senate. : Ted Poe retired. : Sam Johnson retired. : Jeb Hensarling retired. : Joe Barton retired. : Lamar Smith retired. : Tom Garrett retired due to alcoholism. : Bob Goodlatte retired. : Dave Reichert retired. : Evan Jenkins announced his retirement to run for the U.S. Senate, then resigned on September 30, 2018, to become a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. : Paul Ryan retired.

Incumbents defeated

In primary elections

Democrats Three Democrats (including one non-voting delegate) lost renomination.

: Delegate Madeleine Bordallo lost renomination to Michael San Nicolas, who went on to win the general election. : Mike Capuano lost renomination to Ayanna Pressley, who went on to win the general election. : Joe Crowley lost renomination to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who went on to win the general election.

Republicans Two Republicans lost renomination.

: Robert Pittenger lost renomination to Mark Harris. A new special election was ordered due to electoral fraud conducted by associates of Republican Harris's campaign. : Mark Sanford lost renomination to Katie Arrington, who lost the general election to Joe Cunningham (D).

In the general election

Democrats No Democrats lost re-election to Republicans.

Republicans Thirty Republicans lost re-election to Democrats.

: Jeff Denham (first elected in 2010) lost to Josh Harder. : David Valadao (first elected in 2012) lost to TJ Cox. : Steve Knight (first elected in 2014) lost to Katie Hill. : Mimi Walters (first elected in 2014) lost to Katie Porter. : Dana Rohrabacher (first elected in 1988) lost to Harley Rouda. : Mike Coffman (first elected in 2008) lost to Jason Crow. : Carlos Curbelo (first elected in 2014) lost to Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. : Karen Handel (first elected in 2017) lost to Lucy McBath. : Peter Roskam (first elected in 2006) lost to Sean Casten. : Randy Hultgren (first elected in 2010) lost to Lauren Underwood. : Rod Blum (first elected in 2014) lost to Abby Finkenauer. : David Young (first elected in 2014) lost to Cindy Axne. : Kevin Yoder (first elected in 2010) lost to Sharice Davids. : Bruce Poliquin (first elected in 2014) lost to Jared Golden. : Mike Bishop (first elected in 2014) lost to Elissa Slotkin. : Jason Lewis (first elected in 2016) lost to Angie Craig. : Erik Paulsen (first elected in 2008) lost to Dean Phillips. : Tom MacArthur (first elected in 2014) lost to Andy Kim. : Leonard Lance (first elected in 2008) lost to Tom Malinowski. : Dan Donovan (first elected in 2015) lost to Max Rose. : John Faso (first elected in 2016) lost to Antonio Delgado. : Claudia Tenney (first elected in 2016) lost to Anthony Brindisi. : Steve Russell (first elected in 2014) lost to Kendra Horn. : Keith Rothfus (first elected in 2012) lost a redistricting race to Conor Lamb. : John Culberson (first elected in 2000) lost to Lizzie Fletcher. : Pete Sessions (first elected in 1996) lost to Colin Allred. : Mia Love (first elected in 2014) lost to Ben McAdams. : Scott Taylor (first elected in 2016) lost to Elaine Luria. : Dave Brat (first elected in 2014) lost to Abigail Spanberger. : Barbara Comstock (first elected in 2014) lost to Jennifer Wexton.

Open seats that changed parties

Democratic seats won by Republicans Three open Democratic seats were won by Republicans. : won by Jim Hagedorn. : won by Pete Stauber. : Conor Lamb instead ran in the 17th district; won by Guy Reschenthaler.

Republican seats won by Democrats

Thirteen open Republican seats were won by Democrats. : won by Ann Kirkpatrick. : won by Gil Cisneros. : won by Mike Levin. : won by Donna Shalala. : won by Haley Stevens. : won by Jeff Van Drew, who later became a Republican on December 19, 2019. : won by Mikie Sherrill. : won by Xochitl Torres Small. : won by Mary Gay Scanlon. : won by Chrissy Houlahan. : won by Susan Wild. : won by Joe Cunningham. : won by Kim Schrier.

Vacancies during the 115th Congress that did not result in special elections Three Republicans, all of whom had already announced their retirement, resigned early.

Florida 6: Ron DeSantis resigned on September 10, 2018, retroactive to September 1, to focus on his campaign for Governor of Florida. This seat was then left vacant until the 116th Congress was sworn in on January 3, 2019. Oklahoma 1: Jim Bridenstine resigned on April 23, 2018, to become head of NASA. This seat was then left vacant until Kevin Hern was sworn in early on November 13, 2018, having won the regularly scheduled November 6, 2018 election for the next full term. : Evan Jenkins announced his retirement May 8, 2017, to run for U.S. Senator. He lost the nomination and then resigned September 30, 2018, when appointed to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. This seat was then left vacant until the 116th Congress was sworn in on January 3, 2019.