The 2006 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 7, 2006, to elect members to the United States House of Representatives. It took place in the middle of PresidentGeorge W. Bush's second term in office. All 435 seats of the House were up for election. Those elected served in the 110th United States Congress from January 3, 2007, until January 3, 2009. The incumbent majority party, the Republicans, had won majorities in the House consecutively since 1994, and were defeated by the Democrats who won a majority in the chamber, ending 12 years of Republican control in the House.
The Republicans had won a 232-seat majority in 2004, but by the time of the 2006 election, they held 229 seats, while the Democrats held 201, plus 1 Independent (Bernie Sanders) who caucused with the Democrats. There were also four vacancies. Democrats needed to pick up 15 seats to take control of the House, which had been in Republican control since January 1995. Along with the historical "sixth-year itch" that has plagued many incumbent presidents in midterm elections, the public's perception of George W. Bush, the handling of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a series of political scandals involving mostly congressional Republicans took their toll on the party at the ballot box.[1]
The final result was a 31-seat pickup for the Democrats, including the pickup of the Vermont at-large seat, previously held by Independent Bernie Sanders (who ran instead for U.S. Senate), who caucused with the Democrats. Democrats defeated 22 Republican incumbents and won eight open Republican-held seats. For the first time since the party's founding, Republicans won no seats previously held by Democrats and defeated no Democratic incumbents.[2] It was the largest seat gain for the Democrats since the 1974 elections. Among the new Democrats were the first Muslim in Congress (Keith Ellison) and the first two Buddhists (Mazie Hirono and Hank Johnson). As a result of the Democratic victory, Nancy Pelosi became the first female and the first Californian House Speaker.[3]
This is to date the only House election cycle where only one party flipped any seats, and is the last time Republicans won a house race in Connecticut or more than one house seat in New Mexico. This is also the last time Democrats won more than one house seat in either Louisiana and/or Kansas.
Results
Federal
↓
233
202
Democratic
Republican
President Bush met with Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer (then House Minority Leader and Minority Whip, respectively) at the Oval Office in the White House. The President congratulated Pelosi and Hoyer on their newfound majority and vowed to work with them until his presidency was over. Regarding Pelosi's elevation to Speaker of the House, Bush commented, "This is a historic moment".
25 Republican incumbents were defeated by Democrats.
Arizona's 5th congressional district: Early in the cycle, incumbent J. D. Hayworth (R) appeared on his way to an easy reelection. However, his seat may have become more competitive after the Congressional Page scandal broke. Democrats fielded a locally well-known candidate in State Senator Harry Mitchell, a former Mayor of Tempe. Mitchell has been a political force in his home town, one of the largest communities in the district, and Democrats became enthusiastic about his candidacy. The 5th leans Republican, but not overwhelmingly. The district includes, in addition to Tempe, Scottsdale, the prime real estate of the Phoenix area. On election night, Mitchell defeated Hayworth, 50% to 46%.
California's 11th congressional district: Longtime incumbent Richard Pombo (R) won reelection in 2004 by a reasonably comfortable 61% to 39% margin. However, Pombo became associated with the ethical and legal scandals revolving around Jack Abramoff and became the subject of an investigation, which eroded his popular support. In addition, Rolling Stone listed him as one of the ten worst congressmen. The Democratic candidate who garnered the 39% in 2004, Jerry McNerney, joined that race as a write-in candidate two weeks before the primary election. In 2006, McNerney was challenged in the primary by Steve Filson. Filson was backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee but was upset by McNerney in the primary. Pombo was challenged for the Republican nomination by former Representative Pete McCloskey. Pombo won 63% of the primary vote to 32% for McCloskey.[5] McCloskey eventually endorsed McNerney.[6] The eleventh district is largely composed of Oakland suburbs and leans Republican. McNerney defeated Pombo 53% to 47% on election night.
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district: Incumbent Rob Simmons (R), a Vietnam War veteran and former CIA agent, won reelection by 54% to 46% in 2004, in a Democratic-leaning district encompassing eastern Connecticut, including Norwich and New London. The 2002 nominee, former state Representative Joe Courtney, decided to make another run. Even though in the past Simmons had been able to win elections in the Democratic-leaning district by painting himself as a moderate, the seat is perennially competitive. The results were so close on election night that the race was not settled until a week later. A recount was completed on November 14, 2006, with the final results giving Joe Courtney an 83-vote victory over Rob Simmons.[7] It was the closest house race of 2006.
Connecticut's 5th congressional district: Although incumbent Nancy Johnson (R) won with at least 60% of the vote in 2004 and faced a difficult challenge (running against a fellow incumbent in a redrawn district) in 2002, winning with just 54%, she was still a Republican in a swing district. While the 5th is Connecticut's most conservative region, John Kerry won the district by about 1100 votes in 2004 and Al Gore won it when Johnson represented it as the 6th District in 2000. The district is located in Northwestern Connecticut and includes a large portion of Waterbury, Danbury, the wealthy western suburbs of Hartford, and small rural towns. Johnson faced a credible challenge from state Senator Chris Murphy. She was popular in the district, but with Bush's rating in New England at rock bottom, a Democratic victory was possible. Early in the cycle, this race was considered the least competitive of the three Republican-held seats in Connecticut, but Murphy defeated Johnson on election night, winning 56% to 44%.
Florida's 22nd congressional district: Republican E. Clay Shaw had been in Congress since 1981, and had represented the 22nd District since 1993. The district voted for John Kerry over George Bush in 2004, but re-elected Shaw with 63% against a last-minute replacement Democrat. In 2000, Shaw won a close race by 599 votes in a district that Al Gore won by 4%, but in 2002, he was redistricted into a slightly less Democratic district and scored an easy victory. The district includes wealthy areas of Palm Beach County and Broward County including Boca Raton and parts of Fort Lauderdale The revelation that Shaw was being treated for a second time for lung cancer may have affected his re-election chances. This year, Shaw faced a challenge from a well-funded state senator Ron Klein. Klein won on election day by 51% to 47%.
Indiana's 2nd congressional district: Chris Chocola (R) was first elected in 2002 by a 50% to 46% margin. Democrat Joe Donnelly, who lost to Chocola 54% to 45% in 2004, ran again in 2006. Democrats blamed Donnelly's 2004 loss on a lack of funding from the national party that allowed Chocola to outspend Donnelly by a two-to-one margin. President Bush visited the South Bend-centered district seven times between 2000 and 2006, suggesting that Chocola was vulnerable. Chocola's popularity was also affected by the unpopularity of GOP Governor Mitch Daniels; among other things, Daniels decided to lease a toll road that runs through the district to a foreign corporation. Daniels also pushed to move the entire state to daylight saving time, which was opposed by local residents. In the campaign, Chocola attacked Donnelly for being delinquent in paying property taxes. On election night, Donnelly defeated Chocola 54% to 46%.
Indiana's 8th congressional district: John Hostettler (R), who had only a 34% approval rating, was challenged by Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth in this swing district that includes Evansville and Terre Haute. Hostettler had a history of winning tough reelections, but Ellsworth was considered to be his strongest opponent. The district has been nicknamed "The Bloody Eighth" due to its frequent ousting of incumbent congressmen, which has occurred in 1958, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1994, and 2006. Despite the competitive nature of the district, Hostettler was traditionally slow to raise money and lagged far behind his opponent in fundraising totals throughout the election. Rumors circulated in September that Hostettler had essentially given up on his campaign when he failed to hold any events on Labor Day weekend, the traditional kickoff of the campaign season. In the end, Ellsworth defeated Hostettler by a 61%–39% margin, the most lopsided loss for a House incumbent since 1994.
Indiana's 9th congressional district: In 2004, incumbent Mike Sodrel (R) defeated then-incumbent Baron Hill by only 1,425 votes, the smallest winning percentage in any congressional race that year.[8] Hill ran in 2006 to reclaim his seat in this Southeast Indiana district that includes Bloomington and New Albany. He defeated anti-war challenger Gretchen Clearwater in the May 2 primary. Factors cited in the race included Sodrel being a self-described staunch Republican Party loyalist in an evenly divided district, Hill lacking the advantages of incumbency in 2006, and (according to Democrats) Hill's superior constituent service compared to Sodrel's. Hill defeated Sodrel from 50% to 46%.
Iowa's 2nd congressional district: Incumbent Jim Leach (R) received 59% of the vote in 2004. Before the election, this was the most Democratic seat held by a Republican, as measured by presidential candidates' performances in the district. However, Leach had consistently won here since 1976, helped by his reputation for strong integrity. Also helping him was his status as one of the most liberal Republicans in the House. As a result, Leach traditionally won large numbers of crossover votes from Democrats and was expected to do so again. The Democrats nominated David Loebsack, a political science professor at small Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Despite Leach's appeal and seniority, Loebsack prevailed on election night by a 51% to 49% margin. Leach's defeat made him the most senior House member to lose re-election in 2006 and the most senior member to lose re-election since 36-year incumbent Phil Crane lost in 2004 in an upset to Melissa Bean.
Kansas's 2nd congressional district: Incumbent Jim Ryun (R), a leading conservative, won re-election by 56% to 41% in 2004 and had held his seat for five terms. This year, Ryun faced a rematch with Democrat Nancy Boyda, who also ran against him in 2004. The district is home to Topeka, Manhattan (location of Kansas State University), Leavenworth, Pittsburg, and half of the liberal college town of Lawrence, home of the University of Kansas. Despite being held by Ryun, the seat had a history of electing Democrats and before 1994, Democrats held the seat for 20 out of 24 years. However, gerrymandering had made the seat tilt more Republican, and Ryun was thought to be secure. However, Ryun faced controversy over a Washington, D.C. real estate purchase, and in the wake of scandals that rocked Washington, D.C., this had a major effect on local voters, far more than had been expected. Boyda was also helped by the reelection of popular Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius. Boyda defeated the incumbent Ryun 51% to 47%, in one of the most shocking results of the night.
Kentucky's 3rd congressional district: Incumbent Anne Northup (R) had been a target for the Democrats since her election in 1996; in 2004 and 2000, John Kerry and Al Gore both won her Louisville-centered congressional district by two percent, and Bill Clinton won the district by double-digit margins during the 1990s. While Northup had generally run close races, she won 60% of the vote in the 2004 election. Redistricting after the 2000 census added a few more suburban Republicans to the district, according to Congressional Quarterly. The Democratic candidate was John Yarmuth, the founder of the local free publication LEO. In spite of Northup's electoral success, excellent constituent services, and popularity among blue-collar voters in southern Louisville, Democrats saw this race as winnable, calling attention to Northup's 91% lockstep voting record with an unpopular President Bush. Northup led in most polls until October, when Yarmuth began to gain. By election night, the race had become highly competitive. House Majority Leader John Boehner referred to Northup as the Republicans' "canary in the coal mine", meaning that her fortunes would portend the outcome of House elections nationwide. This proved to be a correct assessment, as on election night, Yarmuth defeated Northup 51% to 48% and Republicans lost control of the House.
Minnesota's 1st congressional district: Incumbent Gil Gutknecht (R) was reelected in his Southern Minnesota district with 60% of the vote in 2004. A member of the 1994 Republican Revolution, Gutknecht had promised not to run for a seventh term when first elected. Though not expected to be significant, the broken promise proved to be a factor in his defeat. Geography teacher Tim Walz was the Democratic nominee and ran a much stronger campaign than expected, helped by the massive decline in President George W. Bush's popularity in Minnesota. Walz defeated Gutknecht 53%–47%.[9]
New Hampshire's 1st congressional district: Republican incumbent Jeb Bradley was seeking a third term. Rochester Democratic chair Carol Shea-Porter won the nomination in a major upset against better-funded and party-favored state House Democratic Leader Jim Craig. Although this was the one house district in New England Bush carried in 2004, and Bradley had won it handily in the past, the President was highly unpopular throughout New England, which gave Democrats an opening. Still, most thought that Bradley was the strong favorite to win. Shea-Porter defeated Bradley 52% to 48% in the most shocking upset of the night, along with the victories of David Loebsack and Nancy Boyda.
New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district: Incumbent Charles Bass (R) won reelection in 2004 with 58% percent of the vote, even as his district was won by John Kerry 52% to 47%. Bass, a political moderate, easily defeated primary challenges from Berlin Mayor Bob Danderson and Mary Maxwell. The Democratic nominee, Paul Hodes, an attorney, was also the 2004 Democratic nominee. In late September, a top Bass staffer resigned after news stories that a U.S. Government computer in Bass's DC office had been used to post anonymous concern troll messages to NH blogs. In these messages, "IndyNH" claimed to be a supporter of Paul Hodes who was discouraged by Bass's unbeatable lead. Hodes defeated Bass on election day, 53% to 46%.
New York's 19th congressional district: Incumbent Sue Kelly (R) had rarely faced stiff competition since her initial election in 1994, but the Democratic primary attracted six contenders in 2006, two of whom dropped out before the primary. Former Ulster County Legislator John Hall, who was once a member of the popular rock band, Orleans, won the Democratic nomination with 49% of the vote in a multi-candidate primary. An October 26 Majority-Watch poll had him leading 49% to 47%.[10] Several factors played into Kelly's defeat, including the extremely weak GOP showing in the senatorial and gubernatorial races, her reluctance to answer questions about the Mark Foley Page Scandal (notoriously, she literally ran away from television cameras at one point), and Hall's quirky campaign style, which included an appearance on the satirical Comedy Central program The Colbert Report. Hall defeated Kelly 51% to 49%. Following Hall's election, Stephen Colbert took credit for the victory and attributed it entirely to Hall's appearance on the show. Hall appeared several days later to satirically thank the host for his seat in Congress.
New York's 20th congressional district: Incumbent John E. Sweeney (R) had never faced a particularly competitive election until 2006. His competitive district fueled a strong challenge from attorney Kirsten Gillibrand. In April 2006, Sweeney was allegedly sighted intoxicated at a fraternity party.[11] On October 31, a week before the election, police report surfaced that documented a 911 call from his wife asking for help because her husband was "knocking her around the room". Despite denials from both Sweeney and his wife, the report proved to be a turning point and Gillibrand was victorious on election night, 53% to 47%. (For details, see 2006 New York's 20th congressional district election.)
Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district: Jason Altmire (D) upset incumbent Republican Melissa Hart in a surprise victory for the Democrats in this suburban Pittsburgh district. Altmire's background was in health care policy and legislative relations; he was overseer of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Office of Charitable Giving before leaving to run for office in June 2005. Hart had seemed untouchable only a few months before the election, and was still generally expected to win on Election Day. Hart blamed her defeat on Altmire's campaign ads that tied her with the locally unpopular president.[13] Altmire defeated Hart, 52% to 48%.
Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district: Curt Weldon (R) won reelection with 59% of the vote in 2004, but represents a Democratic-leaning district that incorporates much of Delaware County in suburban Philadelphia. He faced retired NavyVice AdmiralJoe Sestak (D). On October 13, it was reported that Weldon and his daughter were being investigated by the FBI, and two days later the FBI raided his daughter's residence.[14][15] Between Sestak's fundraising abilities,[16] and the investigation of Weldon and his daughter, Sestak defeated Weldon, 56% to 44%.
Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district: Mike Fitzpatrick (R) won election for the first time in 2004 by a wide 56–42 margin over Virginia "Ginny" Schrader, but his district, based in suburban Bucks County, is politically moderate, having voted for Democratic presidents and Republican congressmen since 1992. His Democratic opponent in 2006 was retired Captain Patrick Murphy, an Iraq War veteran of the Army's 82nd Airborne. The Iraq War was the major issue of the campaign. In 2005, Murphy proposed a plan for phased withdrawal; Fitzpatrick stood by President Bush's stay-the-course policy through most of the campaign, before calling for a new plan. Ultimately, Murphy defeated Fitzpatrick by 1,518 votes.
Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district: Don Sherwood (R) had strong backing as a result of redistricting in this heavy GOP district. The Democrats didn't even field a candidate to run against him in 2002 and 2004. But in 2005 details were made public regarding a five-year affair between Sherwood and Cynthia Ore, who sued Sherwood for $5.5 million alleging physical abuse. On November 8, 2005, the two settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Sherwood was expected to win the Republican primary easily over teacher Kathy Scott, as she had very little money or campaign staff, but she polled a surprising 44% of the vote against him. His Democratic opponent was professor and U.S. Naval Reserve officer Chris Carney. Carney led in the polls for most of the fall. Carney defeated Sherwood 53% to 47%.
Texas's 23rd congressional district: In 2004, incumbent Henry Bonilla (R) received nearly 70% of the vote. However, his district, which includes several heavily Republican suburbs of San Antonio, as well as Big Bend National Park and much of Texas' border with Mexico, had to be changed after a mid-2006 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the redistricting efforts of the Texas Legislature violated Voting Rights Act protection of minorities — largely Hispanic Laredo was in the 23rd District until the redistricting. On August 4, a federal court redrew the district and removed the portion of Webb County that was in the district, eliminating the possibility of a rematch with Cuellar, and added a heavily Democratic portion of San Antonio, the home base of liberal former congressman Ciro Rodriguez. Rodriguez ran against Bonilla in the all-candidate primary on November 7.[17] The winner of the now somewhat irrelevant Democratic primary, Vietnam Warcombat veteran Rick Bolanos, also ran in the November 7 election. The realigned district is less Republican than the previous version, but Bonilla was still favored against the crowded field of six Democrats, including Rodriguez and Bolanos, and one Independent candidate. A majority was required in this special election to avoid a runoff between the top two contenders. Bonilla won the November 7 election with 49% of the vote, but failed to get the needed 50% of the vote to avoid the runoff. In that runoff, he faced Rodriguez, who got 20% of the special election vote. Bonilla was seen as being the favorite. He ignored Rodriguez until the final days, then ran TV ads portraying him as politically aligned with some Islamic terror supporters, which backfired. In the special election, however, Rodriguez was able to portray himself as part of an incoming majority, which would help retain federal funding for programs in the district. Rodriguez defeated Bonilla in the runoff 54% to 46%.
Wisconsin's 8th congressional district: Incumbent Mark Green (R) — Green ran for governor, and his seat, in northeastern Wisconsin, was Republican-leaning, although it has elected a Democratic congressman as recently as 1996 and is centered around the cities of Green Bay and Appleton. State Assembly Speaker John Gard won the September 12 Republican primary as expected, in which he faced state Assemblywoman Terri McCormick. The Democratic nominee, Steve Kagen M.D., defeated business consultant Jamie Wall and former De Pere Mayor and Brown County Executive Nancy Nusbaum after a very competitive primary. Kagen defeated Gard 51% to 49%.
Texas's 22nd district was held by Tom DeLay who had resigned. The Democratic Party sued to prevent the Republican Party from replacing Tom DeLay (who was determined to be the candidate in March 2006) with another candidate. The courts agreed with the Democratic Party and the Supreme Court has refused to hear the appeal. On August 8, 2006, Tom DeLay officially withdrew his name as the Republican candidate. (The court decision did not allow the Republican Party from changing its candidate, however it did not prevent Tom DeLay from withdrawing altogether.)[23]
Texas's 23rd district was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States, which ordered the district re-drawn. This affected the 15th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, and 28th districts, which had a blanket primary on Election Day, followed by a runoff on December 6 in District 23, where no candidate got a majority of the vote.
Incumbent lost re-election in run-off (district was declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court in August 2006 and redrawn). New member elected. Democratic gain.
^Incumbent Mark Foley resigned on September 29, 2006, simultaneously withdrawing from the race. Republican leaders in this district chose Joe Negron to replace Foley, but due to Florida election law, Foley's name remained on the ballot, and all votes for Foley counted as votes for Negron.
^Because Bill Jefferson did not win 50% of the vote in the November 7, 2006, election (technically an "open primary" in Louisiana), he faced a runoff election against Louisiana State RepresentativeKaren Carter on December 9, 2006. Jefferson was victorious, earning 57% of the vote to Carter's 43%.
