The 1888 United States House of Representatives elections were held for the most part on November 6, 1888, with three states holding theirs early between June and September. They occurred at the same time as the election of President Benjamin Harrison. Elections were initially held for 325 seats of the United States House of Representatives, representing 38 states, to serve in the 51st United States Congress. Six new states would later join the union and increase the House to 332 seats. Special elections were also held throughout the year. Harrison's Republican Party gained a majority in the House at the expense of the Democratic Party, even though incumbent President Grover Cleveland actually received more votes counted than Harrison. However, as in other elections in the period, widespread vote suppression and electoral fraud was common on behalf of Democrats and against black Republicans in the Southern United States. The Republican House majority in uncontested elections unseated a number of initially reported as victorious Democratic candidates in favor of Republican candidates who contested their election loss. The issue of tariffs played a key role in this election. The Democrats, with the support of farmers and laborers, wanted to lower tariffs in order to promote free trade, while the Republicans, backed by industry and big business, believed that higher tariffs were necessary to protect American manufacturing. Especially in industrializing regions, voters chose the Republican view on tariffs, as they gave the party a slim majority in the House. Hamilton D. Coleman’s win in the Second District would prove the last time until 1972 that a Republican won any House seat in Louisiana, for the disenfrachisement of almost all blacks in the 1890s would leave that state completely devoid of Republican support until after the Dixiecrat bolt.

Election summaries

Seven seats were added, for the six new states of, in order of admission (number of House seats for each new state listed in parentheses): North Dakota (1), South Dakota (2), Montana (1), Washington (1), Idaho (1), and Wyoming (1). The previous election had 4 third-party candidates, 2 Labor, 1 Greenback, and 1 Independent.

Election dates

All states elected their members November 6, 1888 except, three states, with 7 seats among them:

Alabama

Arizona Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Arkansas

! Arkansas's 1st congressional district Lewis P. Featherstone (Labor) 47.4% Others 0.6% ! Arkansas's 2nd congressional district John M. Clayton (Republican) 48.8% ! Arkansas's 3rd congressional district John Ansley (Labor) 40.3% ! Arkansas's 4th congressional district Isaac McCacken (Independent) 42.2% ! Arkansas's 5th congressional district Edward P. Watson (Independent) 22.0% John Gates (Republican) 9.1% In the AR's 1st congressional district, initial returns showed William H. Cate (Democratic) winning the election, but the election was contested by Lewis P. Featherstone (Labor), and on May 5, 1890, he was declared the winner. In the AR's 2nd congressional district, Clifton R. Breckinridge (Democratic) was initially declared re-elected. John M. Clayton successfully contested the election, but was assassinated before the contest was complete, so the House declared the seat vacant. Breckinridge was subsequently re-elected November 4, 1890 to finish the term.

California

! California's 1st congressional district Thomas L. Thompson (Democratic) 49% W. D. Reynolds (Independent) 1.1% ! California's 2nd congressional district John A. Eagon (Republican) 46.6% S. M. McLean (Prohibition) 2.4% J. F. McSwain (Independent) 0.4% ! California's 3rd congressional district Ben Morgan (Democratic) 41.2% W. W. Smith (Prohibition) 1.9% S. Solon Holl (Independent) 1.0% ! California's 4th congressional district Robert Ferral (Democratic) 48.6% Frank M. Pixley (Socialist) 0.6% ! California's 5th congressional district Timothy G. Phelps (Republican) 49.2% Henry French (Independent) ! California's 6th congressional district Reel B. Terry (Democratic) 43.7% J. G. Miller (Prohibition) 3.5% Alfred Daggett (Know Nothing) 0.2%

Colorado

Connecticut

! CT's 1st congressional district Robert J. Vance (Democratic) 47.5% Frederick G. Platt (Prohibition) 2.7% Horace S. Frye (Labor) 0.1% ! CT's 2nd congressional district H. Wales Lines (Republican) 48.1% Edwin P. Augur (Prohibition) 2.3% [FNU] Ventres (Labor) 0.0% ! CT's 3rd congressional district Stephen H. Hall (Democratic) 46.6% John A. Rockwell (Prohibition) 3.6% ! CT's 4th congressional district Morris W. Seymour (Democratic) Elisha Z. Ellis (Prohibition)

Delaware

Florida

! FL's 1st congressional district H. R. Benjamin (Republican) 32.9% ! FL's 2nd congressional district Frederick S. Goodrich (Republican) 46.5%

Idaho Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

! ME's 1st congressional district William Emery (Democratic) 45.33% Timothy B. Hussey (Prohibition) 2.37% ! ME's 2nd congressional district Charles E. Allen (Democratic) 40.87% Ebenezer A. Howard (Union Labor) 2.05% William T. Eustis (Prohibition) 1.91% ! ME's 3rd congressional district Simon S. Brown (Democratic) 39.54% Binsley S. Kelley (Prohibition) 1.51% Frank A. Howard (Union Labor) 0.99% ! ME's 4th congressional district Thomas S. Stewart (Democratic) 42.67% John Barker (Prohibition) 2.68%

Maryland

Massachusetts

! Massachusetts's 1st congressional district John W. Cummings (Democratic) 21.29% George Delano (Prohibition) 14.47% William Miller (Labor) 3.38% ! Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district Josiah Quincy VI (Democratic) 42.94% William H. Phillips (Prohibition) 3.31% ! Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district Alanson W. Beard (Republican) 47.07% Henry H. Shugg (Prohibition) 0.89% ! Massachusetts's 4th congressional district Peter Morrison (Republican) 31.02% Frederic G. Whitcomb (Prohibition) 0.86% ! Massachusetts's 5th congressional district Thomas Wentworth Higginson (Republican) 46.72% Edward Kendall (Prohibition) 1.47% ! Massachusetts's 6th congressional district Roland G. Usher (Democratic) 41.12% George A. Crossman (Prohibition) 2.54% ! Massachusetts's 7th congressional district Samuel Roads Jr. (Democratic) 41.09% James J. Gregory (Prohibition) 1.84% ! Massachusetts's 8th congressional district John J. Donovan (Democratic) 42.99% Nathaniel A. Glidden (Prohibition) 1.74% ! Massachusetts's 9th congressional district Edward Burnett (Democratic) 45.43% John C. Park (Prohibition) 2.39% ! Massachusetts's 10th congressional district Irving B. Sayles (Democratic) 44.88% Charles G. Allen (Prohibition) 3.11% ! Massachusetts's 11th congressional district William Skinner (Democratic) 39.75% Hervey S. Cowell (Prohibition) 3.89% ! Massachusetts's 12th congressional district Henry W. Ely (Democratic) 45.02% Henry Cutler (Prohibition) 2.85%

Michigan

Minnesota

! MN's 1st congressional district Thomas Wilson (Democratic) 45.4% Robert Taylor (Prohibition) 4.2% ! MN's 2nd congressional district Morton S. Wilkinson (Democratic) 36.5% David W. Edwards (Prohibition) 6.5% ! MN's 3rd congressional district John L. MacDonald (Democratic) 43.7% Christopher A. Fosness (Prohibition) 4.9% ! MN's 4th congressional district Edmund Rice (Democratic) 41.7% James P. Pinkham (Prohibition) 4.5% ! MN's 5th congressional district Charles Canning (Democratic) 40.1% Zar Scott (Prohibition) 7.2%

Mississippi

! MS's 1st congressional district ✅ John M. Allen (Democratic) 86.76% Joseph M. Bynum (Republican) 13.24% ! MS's 2nd congressional district James R. Chalmers (Republican) 29.39% ! MS's 3rd congressional district James Hill (Republican) 28.23% James Witherspoon (Independent) 0.66% ! MS's 4th congressional district Matthew K. Mister (Republican) 15.71% ! MS's 5th congressional district ✅ Chapman L. Anderson (Democratic) 80.29% F. M. Cook (Republican) 19.72% ! MS's 6th congressional district Leon C. Duchesne (Republican) 29.67% ! MS's 7th congressional district Henry Kernaghan (Republican) 24.50%

Missouri

Nebraska

! NE's 1st congressional district Julius S. Morton (Democratic) 44.69% Edwin B. Graham (Prohibition) 4.48% J. W. Edgerton (Labor) 0.98% ! NE's 2nd congressional district W. G. Hastings (Democratic) 36.55% George Scott (Prohibition) 7.12% R. H. Rohr (Labor) 2.96% ! NE's 3rd congressional district E. P. Weatherby (Democratic) 39.95% A. M. Walling (Prohibition) 3.85% I. O. Jones (Labor) 1.91% Scattering 0.13%

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

Montana Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

New Mexico Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

! Ohio's 1st congressional district Otway Cosgrove (Democratic) 47.4% ! Ohio's 2nd congressional district Clinton W. Gerard (Democratic) 48.1% ! Ohio's 3rd congressional district George W. Houk (Democratic) 49.5% ! Ohio's 4th congressional district Robert L. Mattingly (Republican) 39.4% ! Ohio's 5th congressional district Wilson Vance (Republican) 42.1% ! Ohio's 6th congressional district Gaylord M. Saltzgaber (Democratic) 49.9% ! Ohio's 7th congressional district John M. Pattison (Democratic) 48.8% ! Ohio's 8th congressional district Andrew R. Bohn (Democratic) 45.8% ! Ohio's 9th congressional district John S. Braddock (Republican) 47.0% ! Ohio's 10th congressional district Jacob Romeis (Republican) 48.5% ! Ohio's 11th congressional district Joseph W. Shinn (Democratic) 43.2% ! Ohio's 12th congressional district Lawrence T. Neal (Democratic) 49.1% ! Ohio's 13th congressional district John B. Neil (Republican) 47.3% ! Ohio's 14th congressional district David L. Wadsworth (Democratic) 48.5% ! Ohio's 15th congressional district John P. Spriggs (Democratic) 46.5% ! Ohio's 16th congressional district Edwin L. Lybarger (Republican) 44.8% ! Ohio's 17th congressional district William Lawrence (Democratic) 43.1% ! Ohio's 18th congressional district George P. Ikirt (Democratic) 45.6% ! Ohio's 19th congressional district Henry Apthorp (Democratic) 32.5% ! Ohio's 20th congressional district Calvin P. Humphrey (Democratic) 47.1% ! Ohio's 21st congressional district Tom L. Johnson (Democratic) 49.2%

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

! SC's 1st congressional district S. W. McKinlay (Republican) 13.1% Others 0.2% ! SC's 2nd congressional district Seymour E. Smith (Republican) 11.4% Others 1.8% ! SC's 3rd congressional district Others 0.2% ! SC's 4th congressional district Others 0.1% ! SC's 5th congressional district Others 0.3% ! SC's 6th congressional district Others 4.3% ! SC's 7th congressional district Thomas E. Miller (Republican) 45.4% Others 0.5% In the SC's 7th congressional district, Elliott was initially declared re-elected, but Miller successfully challenged the election and was seated in his place in September 1890.

Tennessee

! TN's 1st congressional district ✅ Alfred A. Taylor (Republican) 60.33% David P. Wilcox (Democratic) 38.20% James M. Pierce (Prohibition) 1.47% ! TN's 2nd congressional district ✅ Leonidas C. Houk (Republican) 68.80% Samuel G. Heiskell (Democratic) 28.98% James A. Ruble (Prohibition) 2.22% ! TN's 3rd congressional district ✅ Henry C. Evans (Republican) 49.99% Creed F. Bates (Democratic) 49.22% M. D. Cone (Prohibition) 0.79% ! TN's 4th congressional district ✅ Benton McMillin (Democratic) 61.62% Jonathan S. Wooten (Republican) 38.38% ! TN's 5th congressional district C. H. Shoffner (Republican) 32.19% ! TN's 6th congressional district ✅ Joseph E. Washington (Democratic) 57.20% William H. Young (Republican) 38.26% Louis G. Mumford (Prohibition) 4.54% ! TN's 7th congressional district ✅ Washington C. Whitthorne (Democratic) 57.75% Robert A. Haggard (Republican) 42.25% ! TN's 8th congressional district ✅ Benjamin A. Enloe (Democratic) 54.72% Warren Smith (Republican) 45.28% ! TN's 9th congressional district ✅ Rice A. Pierce (Democratic) 62.96% J. W. Brown (Republican) 37.04% ! TN's 10th congressional district L. B. Eaton (Republican) 36.80%

Texas

Utah Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Vermont

! VT's 1st congressional district Azro Meacham (Democratic) 28.6% Peter Dakin (Prohibition) 1.1% ! VT's 2nd congressional district George W. Smith (Democratic) 27.6% Cyrus W. Wyman (Prohibition) 1.2%

Virginia

! VA's 1st congressional district Gilmer S. Kendall (Democratic) 49.3% ! VA's 2nd congressional district Richard C. Marshall (Democratic) 40.6% Andrew Williams (Republican) 0.7% ! VA's 3rd congressional district Edmund Waddill Jr. (Republican) 49.6% ! VA's 4th congressional district Edward C. Venable (Democratic) 43.1% R. W. Arnold (Republican) 11.3% ! VA's 5th congressional district John Blackwell (Republican) 47.5% ! VA's 6th congressional district Patrick H. Caull (Republican) 43.8% Samuel T. Hopkins (Democratic) 0.6% ! VA's 7th congressional district John E. Roller (Republican) 45.0% John C. Rivercombe (Prohibition) 0.7% ! VA's 8th congressional district Park Agnew (Republican) 48.0% Daniel J. Hoge (Independent) 0.2% ! VA's 9th congressional district Henry Bowen (Republican) 49.3% ! VA's 10th congressional district Jacob Yost (Republican) 49.0%

Washington Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

West Virginia

! rowspan=2 | WV's 1st congressional district George W. Atkinson (Republican) 49.49% Others B. F. Meyers (Prohibition) 0.54% John E. Stealey (Independent) 0.43% John O. Pendleton (Democratic) 49.94% ! WV's 2nd congressional district W. H. Flick (Republican) 49.19% Others Frank Burt (Prohibition) 0.46% S. W. Sturm (Labor) 0.24% ! WV's 3rd congressional district James H. McGinnis (Republican) 46.44% W. D. Sanford (Independent) 2.24% C. W. Henson (Prohibition) 0.80% ! rowspan=2 |WV's 4th congressional district Charles B. Smith (Republican) 49.64% Others W. M. Weekley (Independent) 0.56% G. W. Hays (Independent) 0.15%

Wisconsin

Wisconsin elected nine members of congress on Election Day, November 6, 1888. ! WI's 1st congressional district ✅ Lucien B. Caswell (Republican) 53.4% Joseph Doe (Democratic) 41.5% Stephen Faville (Prohibition) 5.0% ! WI's 2nd congressional district Democratic gain. ✅ Charles Barwig (Democratic) 53.2% Edward C. McFetridge (Republican) 43.8% O. H. Crowl (Prohibition) 2.6% Clark Hewitt (Labor) 0.3% ! WI's 3rd congressional district ✅ Robert M. La Follette (Republican) 50.0% John B. Parkinson (Democratic) 42.3% Thomas C. Richmond (Prohibition) 7.0% C. D. Wooster (Labor) 0.8% ! WI's 4th congressional district ✅ Isaac W. Van Schaick (Republican) 50.8% Henry Smith (Dem.-Labor) 47.3% Others John Schuler (Socialist) 1.2% George M. Heckendorn (Prohibition) 0.7% ! WI's 5th congressional district ✅ George H. Brickner (Democratic) 55.2% Gustav Küstermann (Republican) 41.5% Charles Hatch (Labor) 2.8% E. M. Dick (Prohibition) 0.6% ! WI's 6th congressional district ✅ Charles B. Clark (Republican) 52.5% Charles W. Felger (Democratic) 41.5% W. S. Sweet (Prohibition) 3.6% Peter A. Griffith (Labor) 2.4% ! WI's 7th congressional district ✅ Ormsby B. Thomas (Republican) 53.5% Frank P. Coburn (Democratic) 41.5% J. H. Mosely (Prohibition) 5.0% ! WI's 8th congressional district ✅ Nils P. Haugen (Republican) 57.0% Samuel C. Johnson (Dem.-Labor) 34.9% Charles Alexander (Prohibition) 7.8% Dan C. Johnson (Write-in) 0.2% ! WI's 9th congressional district ✅ Myron H. McCord (Republican) 50.5% H. W. Early (Democratic) 45.4% A. C. Merryman (Prohibition) 2.7% Others John F. Moore (Labor) 1.1% F. H. Moore (Write-in) 0.2%

Wyoming Territory

See Non-voting delegates, below.

Non-voting delegates

! Arizona Territory At-large ! Idaho Territory At-large James H. Hawley (Democratic) 39.89% Norman Buck (North Idaho Annexation) 9.08% ! Montana Territory At-large William A. Clark (Democratic) 43.39% ! New Mexico Territory At-large ! Utah Territory At-large ! Washington Territory At-large ! Wyoming Territory At-large Caleb P. Organ (Democratic) 41.97%