1994 United States elections: Difference between revisions
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During the |
During the election campaign, the [[United States]] Republican Party released a document that it called the Contract with America. Written by Larry Hunter, who was aided by [[Newt Gingrich]], [[Robert Smith Walker|Robert Walker]], [[Richard Armey]], [[Bill Paxon]], [[Tom DeLay]], [[John Boehner]] and [[Jim Nussle]], and in part using text from former President [[Ronald Reagan]]'s 1985 [[State of the Union Address]], the Contract detailed the actions the Republicans promised to take if they became the majority party in the [[United States House of Representatives]] for the first time in 40 years. Many of the Contract's policy ideas originated at The [[Heritage Foundation]], a conservative [[think tank]]. The Contract with America was signed by all but two of the Republican members of the House and all of the Party's non-incumbent Republican Congressional candidates.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} |
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The Contract with America was introduced six weeks before the 1994 Congressional election, the first mid-term election of President [[Bill Clinton]]'s Administration, and was signed by all but two of the Republican members of the House and all of the Party's non-incumbent Republican Congressional candidates. |
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Proponents say the Contract was revolutionary in its commitment to offering specific legislation for a vote, describing in detail the precise plan of the Congressional Representatives, and marked the first time since 1918 that a Congressional election had been run broadly on a national level. Furthermore, its provisions represented the view of many conservative Republicans on the issues of shrinking the size of government, promoting lower taxes and greater entrepreneurial activity, and both [[tort reform]] and [[welfare reform]]. |
Proponents say the Contract was revolutionary in its commitment to offering specific legislation for a vote, describing in detail the precise plan of the Congressional Representatives, and marked the first time since 1918 that a Congressional election had been run broadly on a national level. Furthermore, its provisions represented the view of many conservative Republicans on the issues of shrinking the size of government, promoting lower taxes and greater entrepreneurial activity, and both [[tort reform]] and [[welfare reform]]. |
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When the Republicans gained a majority of seats in the [[104th Congress]], the Contract was seen as a triumph by Party leaders such as Minority Whip [[Newt Gingrich]], [[Dick Armey]], and the [[American Conservatism|American conservative movement]] in general.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}} |
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In 2014, historian John Steele Gordon, writing in The American, an online magazine published by the [[American Enterprise Institute]], said that "(t)he main reason (for the Republican victory in 1994) was surely the Contract with America..." in part because it "nationalized the election, making it one of reform versus business as usual. The people voted for reform."<ref name=Gordon2014>{{cite news|last1=Gordon|first1=John Steele|authorlink=John Steele Gordon|title=Time for a New Contract with America|url=http://www.aei.org/publication/time-for-a-new-contract-with-america/|accessdate=19 August 2014|work=The American|publisher=American Enterprise Institute|date=May 16, 2014}}</ref> He said that the Contract "turned out to be a brilliant political ploy. The contract tuned in to the American electorate’s deep yearning for reform in Washington, a yearning that had expressed itself in the elections of both (U.S. Presidents) [[Jimmy Carter]] and [[Ronald Reagan]]."<ref name=Gordon2014 /> |
In 2014, historian John Steele Gordon, writing in The American, an online magazine published by the [[American Enterprise Institute]], said that "(t)he main reason (for the Republican victory in 1994) was surely the Contract with America..." in part because it "nationalized the election, making it one of reform versus business as usual. The people voted for reform."<ref name=Gordon2014>{{cite news|last1=Gordon|first1=John Steele|authorlink=John Steele Gordon|title=Time for a New Contract with America|url=http://www.aei.org/publication/time-for-a-new-contract-with-america/|accessdate=19 August 2014|work=The American|publisher=American Enterprise Institute|date=May 16, 2014}}</ref> He said that the Contract "turned out to be a brilliant political ploy. The contract tuned in to the American electorate’s deep yearning for reform in Washington, a yearning that had expressed itself in the elections of both (U.S. Presidents) [[Jimmy Carter]] and [[Ronald Reagan]]."<ref name=Gordon2014 /> |
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Revision as of 22:54, 25 June 2019
| ← 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 → Midterm elections | |
| Election day | November 8 |
|---|---|
| Incumbent president | Bill Clinton (Democratic) |
| Next Congress | 104th |
| Senate elections | |
| Overall control | Republican Gain |
| Seats contested | 35 of 100 seats (33 Class 1 seats + 2 special elections) |
| Net seat change | Republican +8[1] |
 | |
| 1994 Senate election results
Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
| House elections | |
| Overall control | Republican Gain |
| Seats contested | All 435 voting seats |
| Popular vote margin | Republican +6.8% |
| Net seat change | Republican +54 |
 | |
| 1994 House of Representatives election results
Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
| Gubernatorial elections | |
| Seats contested | 38 (36 states, 2 territories) |
| Net seat change | Republican +10 |
 | |
| 1994 gubernatorial election results Territorial races not shown Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
The 1994 United States elections were held on November 8, 1994. The elections occurred in the middle of Democratic President Bill Clinton's first term in office, and elected the members of 104th United States Congress. The elections have been described as the "Republican Revolution" because the Republican Party captured unified control of Congress for the first time since the 1954 elections.
Republicans picked up eight seats in the Senate and won the national popular vote for the House of Representatives by a margin of 6.8 percentage points. They won a net of 54 seats in the House, taking control of the chamber for the first time since the 1954 elections.[2] Republicans also picked up a net of ten governorships and took control of many state legislative chambers.
Republicans were able to nationalize the election by campaigning on a "Contract with America," and the new Republican majorities passed conservative legislation such as the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, and the Defense of Marriage Act.[3] The election was a major defeat for Clinton's health care plan, but Clinton's subsequent move to the center may have helped him win re-election in 1996.[3] George W. Bush's election as Governor of Texas laid the groundwork for his successful campaign for president in 2000.[4]
Contract with America
During the election campaign, the United States Republican Party released a document that it called the Contract with America. Written by Larry Hunter, who was aided by Newt Gingrich, Robert Walker, Richard Armey, Bill Paxon, Tom DeLay, John Boehner and Jim Nussle, and in part using text from former President Ronald Reagan's 1985 State of the Union Address, the Contract detailed the actions the Republicans promised to take if they became the majority party in the United States House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. Many of the Contract's policy ideas originated at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. The Contract with America was signed by all but two of the Republican members of the House and all of the Party's non-incumbent Republican Congressional candidates.[citation needed]
Proponents say the Contract was revolutionary in its commitment to offering specific legislation for a vote, describing in detail the precise plan of the Congressional Representatives, and marked the first time since 1918 that a Congressional election had been run broadly on a national level. Furthermore, its provisions represented the view of many conservative Republicans on the issues of shrinking the size of government, promoting lower taxes and greater entrepreneurial activity, and both tort reform and welfare reform.
In 2014, historian John Steele Gordon, writing in The American, an online magazine published by the American Enterprise Institute, said that "(t)he main reason (for the Republican victory in 1994) was surely the Contract with America..." in part because it "nationalized the election, making it one of reform versus business as usual. The people voted for reform."[5] He said that the Contract "turned out to be a brilliant political ploy. The contract tuned in to the American electorate’s deep yearning for reform in Washington, a yearning that had expressed itself in the elections of both (U.S. Presidents) Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan."[5]
See also
- 1994 United States Senate elections
- 1994 United States House of Representatives elections
- 1994 United States gubernatorial elections
References
- ^ Republicans gained six seats in the regularly-scheduled elections and picked up another two seats via special elections.
- ^ "Election Statistics, 1920 to Present". United States House of Representatives.
- ^ a b Busch, Andrew (1999). Horses in Midstream. University of Pittsburgh Press. pp. 164–172.
- ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1994" (PDF). U.S. House of Reps, Office of the Clerk. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
- ^ a b Gordon, John Steele (May 16, 2014). "Time for a New Contract with America". The American. American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
Further reading
- Ladd, Everett Carll. "The 1994 congressional elections: The postindustrial realignment continues," Political Science Quarterly (1995) 110#1 pp 1–22 in JSTOR