The United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as "the House," is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate.
Click on the map below to find your state's congressional delegation.
Following the 2016 general election, the Democratic Party gained a total of six seats, resulting in a Republican majority of 241-194.[1] Since the election, vacancies have occurred. For more information on vacancies and special elections, click here
Throughout the course of the 115th Congress, we will be curating statements and reactions by members of Congress on a variety of different policy areas and topics. Click on a tile below to read about what members of the 115th Congress have said about the following issues.
Special elections will be held during the 115th Congress to replace members of Congress who leave office for any reason. The table below displays a running list of special elections to the 115th United States Congress as they are announced.
Speaker of the House: The Speaker is the presiding officer elected by the members of the House. The Speaker performs a number of functions, including: Administering the Oath of Office to House members, chairing and nominating chairs or certain committees, and appointing select members of various committees and House staff.
Majority and Minority Leaders: The party with the most members elects the majority leader and the other party elects a minority leader. The majority leader customarily schedules legislative business on the House floor, while the minority leader serves as a spokesperson for the minority party. The two leaders are selected at their respective party conference or caucus.
Majority and Minority Whips: Each party also elects a Whip, who acts as a middleman for communication between party leaders and normal members. The parties will also often create other similar positions to help with various communication duties.[4]
Representatives
Members in the House are called representatives. Each state receives representation in the House in proportion to the size of its population but is entitled to at least one representative. There are currently 435 representatives, a number fixed by law since 1911. The most populous state, California, currently has 53 representatives. There are seven states with only one representative: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.[5]
Each representative serves for a two-year term. There are no term limits.
Qualifications
According to the U.S. Constitution, representatives must meet the following requirements:[6]
At least 25 years old
A U.S. citizen for at least seven years
A resident of the state he or she represents
Additionally, all 50 states maintain requirements related to running for election. These filing requirements vary and can include:
A filing fee
A petition with a minimum number of valid signatures
“
Section 2: Clause 1 : The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. Clause 2 : No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. Clause 3 : Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three. Clause 4: When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies. Clause 5: The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.[7]
The Clerk of the House: The clerk is essentially the House record keeper.
The Sergeant at Arms: The Sergeant is the chief law enforcement officer for the House and is responsible for maintaining security and order in the House Chamber, the House wing of the U.S. Capitol, and House office buildings.
The Chief Administrative Officer: The Chief Administrative Officer is responsible for the administrative functions of the House, such as operating budget, procurement, payroll, and information technology
The Chaplain: The Chaplain customarily opens each meeting of Congress with a formal prayer. They also provide spiritual services and counseling to house members, family, and staff.[4]
Besides the representative from each state, there are a small number of Delegates and a Resident Commission.
Delegates are representatives from Washington D.C., as well as American Samoa, Guam, The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands. Delegates are able to perform many of the functions of a full representative, such as serve on committees. However, they are not able to vote during business as the Committee of the Whole or on final passage of legislation. Delegates serve twoyear terms.
The resident commissioner's functions are similar to the delegates, but the title is specifically for a representative from Puerto Rico. The resident commissioner serves a four year term. The Philippines also had a resident commissioner before its independence from the U.S. in 1946.[4]
Committees
There are 21 regular standing committees and one permanent select committee in the U.S. House. There are also several joint committees with the U.S. Senate. The committees are permanent panels governed by House chamber rules, with responsibility to consider bills and issues and to have general oversight relating to their areas of jurisdiction.[8][9][5]
Since 1934, the party of a newly elected president has suffered an average loss of 23 seats in the House in the following midterm. The party of a newly elected president has gained seats in the House in the following midterm only twice since then; Democrats gained nine seats in 1934 following Franklin D. Roosevelt's first presidential election in 1932, and Republicans gained eight seats in 2002 following George W. Bush's election to the presidency in 2000. More House seats that are currently held by Republican incumbents are expected to be in play than in an average congressional election. On the other hand, Democratic seats that were won by Donald Trump in 2016 will also be among top targets in 2018.[10]
The following map identifies those races that are considered battleground elections. Mouse over a district for more detailed information. You can also zoom in for a closer look.
Prior to the election, The Republican Party had the majority in the U.S. House. Republicans held 246 seats compared to Democrats' 186 seats, while three seats were vacant. The Republican Party's majority was slightly reduced in 2016, as Democrats picked up six seats.
All 435 of the seats in the U.S. House were up for election in 2014. To regain control of the House, Democrats needed a pick-up of 15 seats. Instead, Republicans saw a net gain in seats. According to original analysis by Ballotpedia, only 26 congressional districts were predicted to be competitive in 2014.
Elections to the U.S. House were held on November 6, 2012. All 435 seats were up for election. In a year where Barack Obama won re-election by 126 electoral votes, the Republican Party maintained their control of the U.S. House, winning 234 seats. The Democrats did make some gains, winning 201 seats. This was up from the 193 seats they held prior to the election. This election marked only the fourth time in 100 years that the party that pulled the most total popular votes nationwide did not win control of the House.[11]
The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?
Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.
Applying this definition to four different election groups (U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governorships and state legislatures) yields specific numbers of seats that Republicans would need to lose for 2018 to qualify as a wave election. Those are:
Apportionment is the process by which seats in the House of Representatives are divided up among the states.[12]
The latest census and apportionment data (2010):[13]
State
Population
Number of House Seats from 2010
Change from 2000
Alabama
4,802,982
7
0
Alaska
721,523
1
0
Arizona
6,412,700
9
1
Arkansas
2,926,229
4
0
California
37,341,989
53
0
Colorado
5,044,930
7
0
Connecticut
3,581,628
5
0
Delaware
900,877
1
0
Florida
18,900,773
27
2
Georgia
9,727,566
14
1
Hawaii
1,366,862
2
0
Idaho
1,573,499
2
0
Illinois
12,864,380
18
-1
Indiana
6,501,582
9
0
Iowa
3,053,787
4
-1
Kansas
2,863,813
4
0
Kentucky
4,350,606
6
0
Louisiana
4,553,962
6
-1
Maine
1,333,074
2
0
Maryland
5,789,929
8
0
Massachusetts
6,559,644
9
-1
Michigan
9,911,626
14
-1
Minnesota
5,314,879
8
0
Mississippi
2,978,240
4
0
Missouri
6,011,478
8
-1
Montana
994,416
1
0
Nebraska
1,831,825
3
0
Nevada
2,709,432
4
1
New Hampshire
1,321,445
2
0
New Jersey
8,807,501
12
-1
New Mexico
2,067,273
3
0
New York
19,421,055
27
-2
North Carolina
9,565,781
13
0
North Dakota
675,905
1
0
Ohio
11,568,495
16
-2
Oklahoma
3,764,882
5
0
Oregon
3,848,606
5
0
Pennsylvania
12,734,905
18
-1
Rhode Island
1,055,247
2
0
South Carolina
4,645,975
7
1
South Dakota
819,761
1
0
Tennessee
6,375,431
9
0
Texas
25,268,418
36
4
Utah
2,770,765
4
1
Vermont
630,337
1
0
Virginia
8,037,736
11
0
Washington
6,753,369
10
1
West Virginia
1,859,815
3
0
Wisconsin
5,698,230
8
0
Wyoming
568,300
1
0
TOTAL
309,183,463
435
The U.S. Census and the Amazing Apportionment Machine
Salary
As of 2018, most representatives are paid $174,000 per year. Majority and minority leaders receive $193,400, while the Speaker of the House receives $223,500.[14]
Some historical facts about the salary of U.S. House members:
In 1789, members of Congress received $6 per diem.[14]
In 1874, members of Congress earned $5,000 per year.[14]
In 1990, members of Congress earned $96,600 per year.[14]
From 2000-2006, the salary of a member of the U.S. House increased every year, going from $141,300 to $165,200.[14]
Voting with the party
The following data comes from OpenCongress, a website that tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of their party caucus.
The average net worth of members of the Senate, based on data from OpenSecrets.org, is as follows:[17]
Year
# in House Reports
House Average
House Std Dev
2010
525
$5,992,869
$31,436,123
2009
536
$5,106,476
$22,809,386
2008
490
$4,719,554
$20,389,871
2007
497
$5,661,643
$27,941,584
2006
487
$5,071,549
$25,944,515
2005
441
$4,511,705
$23,266,505
2004
475
$4,243,935
$17,715,187
Note: Report numbers may reflect incoming and outgoing members of Congress.
115th Congress: Demographics
The 115th Congress surpassed the 114th Congress as the most diverse Congress in the nation's history.
There are three African American, four Hispanic, and three Asian senators. There are also 21 women and one openly LGBTQ member of the Senate. Overall, 26 percent of the Senate is made up of women or minorities, and the remaining 74 percent is white men. There are 94 racial or ethnic minorities in the House and 83 women, as well as six openly LGBTQ members. Overall, 34 percent of the House is made up of women or minorities, and the remaining 66 percent is white men.[18]
Over 90 percent of Congress identify as Christians, while roughly six percent of members are Jewish. There are also three Buddhists, three Hindus, two Muslims, and one Unitarian Universalist. Only one member of Congress, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-9), describes herself as unaffiliated with any religion.[19]
CONGRESS.GOV Text archive of all congressional legislation.
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↑While technically a general election, the April 18 election was functionally a top-two primary because no candidate received the 50 percent of the vote required to win the race outright.
Ballotpedia includes 272,842 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. To contact our editorial staff, click here. To report an error, click here. For media inquiries, you can reach us here. To support our continued expansion, please donate here.
Danny O'Connor
Troy Balderson
Jonathan Veley
Daniel Tinus
Republican
Democratic
