The 2008 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 4, 2008, to elect members to the United States House of Representatives to serve in the 111th United States Congress from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. It coincided with the election of Barack Obama as president. All 435 voting seats, as well as all 6 non-voting seats, were up for election. The Democratic Party, which won a majority of seats in the 2006 election, expanded its control in 2008.
The Republican Party, hoping to regain the majority it lost in the 2006 election or at least expand its congressional membership, lost additional seats. With one exception (Louisiana's 2nd district), the only seats to switch from Democratic to Republican had been Republican-held prior to the 2006 elections. Republicans gained five Democratic seats total, while losing 26 of their own, giving the Democrats a net gain of 21 seats, effectively erasing all gains made by the GOP since 1994. In addition, with the defeat of Republican congressman Chris Shays in Connecticut's 4th district, this became the first time since the 1850s that no Republican represented the New England region.
The 10.6% popular vote advantage by the Democrats was the largest by either party since 1982, 26 years earlier, and as of 2022 remains the most recent time that either party won by a double-digit margin in the overall popular vote for the House of Representatives. Turnout increased due to the concurrent presidential election. The presidential election, 2008 Senate elections, and 2008 gubernatorial elections, as well as many other state and local elections, occurred on the same date. This was the first and, as of 2022, remains the only election since 1980 in which the party of a newly elected president simultaneously gained seats in the House. It is the only time since 1994 that Republicans held less than 200 House seats.
As of 2022, this remains the last election in which Democrats won congressional seats in Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota, the last election in which Democrats won more than one seat in Alabama, and the last election in which Democrats won a majority of seats in Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. It is also the last time Republicans won a seat in Delaware.
Results summary
Federal
Per state
The number of non-voting members also includes the non-voting member-elect from Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, who is a member of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico, but will caucus with the Democrats. The New Progressive Party is affiliated with both the Democratic and Republican Parties and the last representative from Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, caucused with the Republicans. The vote total for the non-voting members also includes the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico, which has ties to the Democratic Party. Both non-voting independents, American Samoa's representative Eni Faleomavaega and the Northern Mariana Islands' representative-elect Gregorio Sablan, will caucus with the Democrats. In America Samoa all elections are non-partisan. In the Northern Mariana Islands, Sablan appeared on the ballot as an independent.
Maps
Retiring incumbents
Thirty-three incumbents voluntarily retired.
Democratic incumbents
All seven seats held by retiring Democrats were won by Democrats. : Bud Cramer: "[T]o spend more time with my family and begin another chapter in my life" : Tom Lantos: died February 11, 2008, having already announced his planned retirement. : Mark Udall: Ran for and won the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Wayne Allard. : Tom Allen: Ran against and lost to Susan Collins in the U.S. Senate election. : Tom Udall: Ran for and won the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Pete Domenici. : Michael McNulty: "[I]t's not what I want to do for the rest of my life." : Darlene Hooley: Because of the "cumulative effect of arduous travel, the relentless demands of fund-raising and 32 years of public service"
Republican incumbents
Twenty-seven Republicans retired. Thirteen of their seats were then won by Democrats (see Open seat gains, below).