The 1998 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 3, 1998, to elect U.S. Representatives to serve in the 106th United States Congress. They were part of the midterm elections held during PresidentBill Clinton's second term. They were a major disappointment for the Republicans, who were expecting to gain seats due to the embarrassment Clinton suffered during the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the "six-year itch" effect observed in most second-term midterm elections. However, the Republicans lost five seats to the Democrats, although they retained a narrow majority in the House. A wave of Republican discontent with Speaker Newt Gingrich prompted him to resign shortly after the election; he was replaced by Congressman Dennis Hastert of Illinois.
The campaign was marked by Republican attacks on the morality of President Bill Clinton, with Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr having released his report on the Lewinsky scandal and House leaders having initiated an inquiry into whether impeachable offenses had occurred. However, exit polls indicated that most voters opposed impeaching Clinton, and predictions of high Republican or low Democratic turnout due to the scandal failed to materialize.[1] Some speculate that the losses reflected a backlash against the Republicans for attacking the popular Clinton. With the Republicans having lost four House seats and failing to gain any seats in the Senate, it was the first time since 1934 that the non-presidential party failed to gain congressional seats in a midterm election; this would happen again in 2002.
Incumbent resigned November 17, 1997 to work at his church full-time. New member elected February 3, 1998. Democratic hold. Winner was re-elected in November, see below.
Incumbent resigned November 11, 1997, to become U.S. Ambassador to Italy. New member elected May 19, 1998. Democratic hold. Winner was re-elected in November, see below.
^Stump was originally elected as a Democrat. He switched parties in 1982 and was re-elected as such that year.
^Deal was originally elected as a Democrat. He switched parties in April 1995.
^Tauzin was first elected as a Democrat. He switched to the Republican Party in August 1995.
^Parker was originally elected as a Democrat. He switched parties in November 1995.
^Watkins was originally elected as a Democrat. After his original retirement in 1990, he became an independent, before returning to the House in 1997 as a Republican.
References
Wattenberg, Martin P. (1999). "The Democrats' Decline in the House during the Clinton Presidency: An Analysis of Partisan Swings". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 29 (3): 685–689. doi:10.1111/j.0268-2141.2003.00057.x.
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