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{{Short description|Series of wins by the Republican Party in the 1994 United States mid-term elections}}
{{About|the 1994 mid-term elections in the United States|the revolution that led to the establishment of the Republic of China|1911 Revolution}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Original research|date=March 2008}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2007}}
}}
{{Newt Gingrich series}}
{{Bill Clinton series|expanded=Tenure}}
{{conservatism US|history}}

The "'''Republican Revolution'''", "'''Revolution of '94'''", or "'''Gingrich Revolution'''" are political slogans that refer to the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]'s (GOP) success in the [[1994 United States elections|1994 U.S. midterm elections]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030622214418/http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-01-19-gop-revolution-usat_x.htm Republican Revolution Fades] USA Today, January 19, 2003</ref> which resulted in [[1994 United States House of Representatives elections|a net gain of 54 seats]] in the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], and [[1994 United States Senate elections|a pick-up of eight seats]] in the [[United States Senate|Senate]]. It was led by [[Newt Gingrich]]. This was the first time the GOP had taken control of the House in 42 years, since [[1952 United States House of Representatives elections|1952]].

==History==
Rather than campaigning independently in each district, Republican candidates chose to rally behind a single national program and message fronted by Georgia congressman and House Republican whip [[Newt Gingrich]]. They alleged that President [[Bill Clinton]] was not the "[[New Democrats (United States)|New Democrat]]" he claimed to be during his 1992 campaign, but was a "[[tax and spend]]" liberal. The Republicans offered an alternative to Clinton's policies in the form of the [[Contract with America]].<ref name="clinton1">{{Cite web |last=Rothenberg |first=Stuart |author-link=Stuart Rothenberg |date=October 23, 2006 |title=How High the Wave? Don't Just Think 1994; Think 1974, 1958, 1982 |url=http://rothenbergpoliticalreport.com/news/article/how-high-the-wave-dont-just-think-1994-think-1974-1958-1982 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622062347/http://rothenbergpoliticalreport.com/news/article/how-high-the-wave-dont-just-think-1994-think-1974-1958-1982 |archive-date=2011-06-22 |access-date=2015-01-11 |website=RothenbergPoliticalReport.com}}</ref>

The gains in seats in the mid-term election resulted in the Republicans gaining control of both the House and the Senate in January 1995. Republicans had not held the majority in the House for 40 years, since the [[83rd United States Congress|83rd Congress]] (elected in [[1952 United States House of Representatives elections|1952]]). From 1933 to 1995, Republicans had controlled both House and Senate for only four years. From 1933 into the early 1970s, most white conservatives in the South belonged to the Democratic Party, and created the [[Solid South]] bloc in Congress. Most African Americans in the South were [[Disfranchisement after the Reconstruction era|disenfranchised]] in those years, based on [[Jim Crow laws|anti-Black laws]] and [[Black suffrage in the United States|subjective administration]] of voter registration practices.

By the mid-1990s, white conservatives from the South joined Republicans in other parts of the country, leading to the change in Congress. Large Republican gains were made in state houses as well when the GOP picked up twelve gubernatorial seats and 472 legislative seats. In so doing, it took control of 20 state legislatures from the Democrats. Prior to this, Republicans had not held the majority of governorships since 1970. In addition, this was the first time in 50 years that the GOP controlled a majority of state legislatures.

Discontent with Democratic candidates was foreshadowed by a string of elections after 1992, including Republicans winning the mayoralties of [[New York City|New York]] and [[Los Angeles]] in 1993. In that same year, [[Christine Todd Whitman]] [[1993 New Jersey gubernatorial election|won]] the New Jersey governorship. [[Bret Schundler]] became the first Republican mayor of [[Jersey City, New Jersey]], which had been held by the Democratic Party since 1917.

Republican [[George Allen (American politician)|George Allen]] won the [[1993 Virginia gubernatorial election]], and Texas Republican [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]] won a U.S. Senate seat from the Democrats in the [[1993 United States Senate special election in Texas|1993 special election]]. Republicans also picked up three congressional seats from Democrats in [[1994 United States House of Representatives elections#Oklahoma|Oklahoma]] and [[1994 United States House of Representatives elections#Kentucky|Kentucky]] in May 1994.

On November 9, 1994, the day after the election, Senator [[Richard Shelby]] of Alabama, a [[conservative Democrat]], changed parties, becoming a Republican; on March 3, 1995, [[Colorado]] Senator [[Ben Nighthorse Campbell]] switched to the Republican side as well, increasing the GOP Senate majority.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Senate: Senators Who Changed Parties During Senate Service (Since 1890) |url=https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/senators_changed_parties.htm#16 |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Senate.gov |publisher=[[United States Senate]]}}</ref>

== Effect ==
When the [[104th United States Congress]] convened in January 1995, House Republicans voted former [[Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives#Whips|Minority Whip]] [[Newt Gingrich]]—the chief author of the [[Contract with America]]—to become [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]]. The new senatorial Republican majority chose [[Bob Dole]], previously [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Minority Leader]], as [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Majority Leader]]. Republicans pursued an ambitious agenda, but were often forced to compromise with Democratic president [[Bill Clinton]], who wielded [[veto]] power.

The 1994 election also marked the end of the [[conservative coalition]], a bi-partisan coalition of conservative Republicans and Democrats (often referred to as "[[Boll weevil (politics)|boll weevil Democrats]]", for their association with the [[Southern Democrats|South]]). This white conservative coalition had often managed to control Congressional outcomes since the end of the [[New Deal]] era.

== Pick-ups ==
Numerous Republican freshmen entered Congress. Of the 230 Republican [[United States House of Representatives|House]] members of the [[104th Congress]], almost a third were new to the House.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Amer |first=Mildred |date=June 16, 2005 |title=Freshmen in the House of Representatives and Senate by Political Party: 1913–2005 |url=http://www.llsdc.org/sourcebook/docs/CRS-RS20723.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=CRS Report for Congress |publisher=The [[Library of Congress]] |pages=1–6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528191435/http://www.llsdc.org/sourcebook/docs/CRS-RS20723.pdf |archive-date=May 28, 2008 |access-date=May 8, 2008}}</ref> In the Senate, 11 of 54 (20%) Republicans were freshmen.

=== Senate ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=1 | Name
! rowspan=1 | State
! rowspan=1 | Predecessor
! rowspan=1 | Predecessor's fate
|-
| [[Richard Shelby]]
| [[Alabama]]
| Himself as a Democrat
| Switched parties<ref group="lower-alpha">Shelby had been elected in [[1986 United States Senate election in Alabama|1986]] and [[1992 United States Senate election in Alabama|1992]] as a Democrat, but switched parties in 1994.</ref>
|-
| [[Jon Kyl]]
| [[Arizona]]
| [[Dennis DeConcini]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Ben Nighthorse Campbell]]
| [[Colorado]]
| Himself as a Democrat
| Switched parties<ref group="lower-alpha">Campbell was elected in [[1992 United States Senate election in Colorado|1992]] as a Democrat, but switched parties on March 3, 1995.</ref>
|-
| [[Olympia Snowe]]
| [[Maine]]
| [[George J. Mitchell|George Mitchell]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Spencer Abraham]]
| [[Michigan]]
| [[Donald Riegle]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Mike DeWine]]
| [[Ohio]]
| [[Howard Metzenbaum]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Jim Inhofe]]
| [[Oklahoma]]
| [[David Boren]]
| Retired<ref group="lower-alpha">Boren's impending resignation to assume the presidency of the [[University of Oklahoma]] triggered a special election where Inhofe won. Boren resigned a week after the special election, with Inhofe being sworn in 2 days later for the remainder of Boren's term ending in 1997.</ref>
|-
| [[Rick Santorum]]
| [[Pennsylvania]]
| [[Harris Wofford]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Fred Thompson]]
| [[Tennessee]]
| [[Harlan Mathews]]
| Retired<ref group="lower-alpha">Mathews was appointed to the seat as a caretaker following the resignation of [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Al Gore]]; Thompson was elected to serve the remaining two years of the term.</ref>
|-
| [[Bill Frist]]
| [[Tennessee]]
| [[Jim Sasser]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]]
| [[Texas]]
| [[Bob Krueger]]
| Defeated<ref group="lower-alpha">Hutchison won the Senate seat from the Democrats in the [[1993 United States Senate special election in Texas|1993 special election]] to succeed Bob Krueger, who had been appointed to this seat following the resignation of [[Lloyd Bentsen]], who had become the [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury]], seen as a precursor to the Republican Revolution.</ref>
|}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

=== House of Representatives ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=1 | Name
! rowspan=1 | District
! rowspan=1 | Predecessor
! rowspan=1 | Predecessor's fate
|-
| [[Matt Salmon]]
| [[Arizona's 1st congressional district|Arizona-1]]
| [[Sam Coppersmith]]
| Retired; ran for [[U.S. Senate]]
|-
| [[J. D. Hayworth]]
| [[Arizona's 6th congressional district|Arizona-6]]
| [[Karan English]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Frank Riggs]]
| [[California's 1st congressional district|California-1]]
| [[Daniel Hamburg|Dan Hamburg]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[George Radanovich]]
| [[California's 19th congressional district|California-19]]
| [[Richard H. Lehman|Richard Lehman]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Brian Bilbray]]
| [[California's 49th congressional district|California-49]]
| [[Lynn Schenk]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Joe Scarborough]]
| [[Florida's 1st congressional district|Florida-1]]
| [[Earl Hutto]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Dave Weldon]]
| [[Florida's 15th congressional district|Florida-15]]
| [[Jim Bacchus]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Bob Barr]]
| [[Georgia's 7th congressional district|Georgia-7]]
| [[Buddy Darden]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Saxby Chambliss]]
| [[Georgia's 8th congressional district|Georgia-8]]
| [[J. Roy Rowland]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Charlie Norwood]]
| [[Georgia's 10th congressional district|Georgia-10]]
| [[Don Johnson Jr.]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Helen Chenoweth-Hage|Helen Chenoweth]]
| [[Idaho's 1st congressional district|Idaho-1]]
| [[Larry LaRocco]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Michael Flanagan (American politician)|Michael Flanagan]]
| [[Illinois's 5th congressional district|Illinois-5]]
| [[Dan Rostenkowski]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Jerry Weller]]
| [[Illinois's 11th congressional district|Illinois-11]]
| [[George Sangmeister]]
| Retired
|-
| [[David McIntosh (politician)|David McIntosh]]
| [[Indiana's 2nd congressional district|Indiana-2]]
| [[Philip Sharp (politician)|Phil Sharp]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Mark Souder]]
| [[Indiana's 4th congressional district|Indiana-4]]
| [[Jill Long Thompson]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[John Hostettler]]
| [[Indiana's 8th congressional district|Indiana-8]]
| [[Frank McCloskey]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Greg Ganske]]
| [[Iowa's 4th congressional district|Iowa-4]]
| [[Neal Smith (politician)|Neal Smith]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Sam Brownback]]
| [[Kansas's 2nd congressional district|Kansas-2]]
| [[Jim Slattery]]
| Retired; ran for [[Governor of Kansas|Governor]]
|-
| [[Todd Tiahrt]]
| [[Kansas's 4th congressional district|Kansas-4]]
| [[Dan Glickman]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Ed Whitfield]]
| [[Kentucky's 1st congressional district|Kentucky-1]]
| [[Thomas Barlow (Kentucky politician)|Tom Barlow]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[James B. Longley Jr.|Jim Longley]]
| [[Maine's 1st congressional district|Maine-1]]
| [[Thomas Andrews (American politician)|Tom Andrews]]
| Retired; ran for [[U.S. Senate]]
|-
| [[Bob Ehrlich]]
| [[Maryland's 2nd congressional district|Maryland-2]]
| [[Helen Bentley]]
| Retired; ran for [[Governor of Maryland]]
|-
| [[Dick Chrysler]]
| [[Michigan's 8th congressional district|Michigan-8]]
| [[Bob Carr (Michigan politician)|Bob Carr]]
| Retired; ran for [[U.S. Senate]]
|-
| [[Gil Gutknecht]]
| [[Minnesota's 1st congressional district|Minnesota-1]]
| [[Tim Penny]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Roger Wicker]]
| [[Mississippi's 1st congressional district|Mississippi-1]]
| [[Jamie Whitten]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Jon Lynn Christensen|Jon Christensen]]
| [[Nebraska's 2nd congressional district|Nebraska-2]]
| [[Peter Hoagland]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[John Ensign]]
| [[Nevada's 1st congressional district|Nevada-1]]
| [[James Bilbray]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Charles Bass|Charlie Bass]]
| [[New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district|New Hampshire-2]]
| [[Richard Swett|Dick Swett]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Frank LoBiondo]]
| [[New Jersey's 2nd congressional district|New Jersey-2]]
| [[William J. Hughes|Bill Hughes]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Bill Martini]]
| [[New Jersey's 8th congressional district|New Jersey-8]]
| [[Herb Klein (politician)|Herb Klein]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Michael Forbes (politician)|Michael Forbes]]
| [[New York's 1st congressional district|New York-1]]
| [[George J. Hochbrueckner|George Hochbrueckner]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[David Funderburk]]
| [[North Carolina's 2nd congressional district|North Carolina-2]]
| [[Tim Valentine]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Walter B. Jones|Walter Jones]]
| [[North Carolina's 3rd congressional district|North Carolina-3]]
| [[Martin Lancaster]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Fred Heineman]]
| [[North Carolina's 4th congressional district|North Carolina-4]]
| [[David Price (American politician)|David Price]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Richard Burr]]
| [[North Carolina's 5th congressional district|North Carolina-5]]
| [[Stephen L. Neal|Steve Neal]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Steve Chabot]]
| [[Ohio's 1st congressional district|Ohio-1]]
| [[David S. Mann|David Mann]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Frank Cremeans]]
| [[Ohio's 6th congressional district|Ohio-6]]
| [[Ted Strickland]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Bob Ney]]
| [[Ohio's 18th congressional district|Ohio-18]]
| [[Douglas Applegate|Doug Applegate]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Steve LaTourette]]
| [[Ohio's 19th congressional district|Ohio-19]]
| [[Eric Fingerhut]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Tom Coburn]]
| [[Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district|Oklahoma-2]]
| [[Mike Synar]]
| Defeated (in primary)
|-
| [[J. C. Watts]]
| [[Oklahoma's 4th congressional district|Oklahoma-4]]
| [[Dave McCurdy]]
| Retired; ran for [[U.S. Senate]]
|-
| [[Jim Bunn]]
| [[Oregon's 5th congressional district|Oregon-5]]
| [[Mike Kopetski]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Jon D. Fox|Jon Fox]]
| [[Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district|Pennsylvania-13]]
| [[Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Lindsey Graham]]
| [[South Carolina's 3rd congressional district|South Carolina-3]]
| [[Butler Derrick]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Zach Wamp]]
| [[Tennessee's 3rd congressional district|Tennessee-3]]
| [[Marilyn Lloyd]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Van Hilleary]]
| [[Tennessee's 4th congressional district|Tennessee-4]]
| [[Jim Cooper]]
| Retired; ran for [[U.S. Senate]]
|-
| [[Steve Stockman]]
| [[Texas's 9th congressional district|Texas-9]]
| [[Jack Brooks (American politician)|Jack Brooks]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Mac Thornberry]]
| [[Texas's 13th congressional district|Texas-13]]
| [[Bill Sarpalius]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Enid Greene Mickelsen|Enid Greene Waldholtz]]
| [[Utah's 2nd congressional district|Utah-2]]
| [[Karen Shepherd]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Thomas M. Davis|Tom Davis]]
| [[Virginia's 11th congressional district|Virginia-11]]
| [[Leslie Byrne]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Rick White (politician)|Rick White]]
| [[Washington's 1st congressional district|Washington-1]]
| [[Maria Cantwell]]
| Defeated<ref group="lower-alpha">Cantwell eventually elected as Senator in [[2000 United States Senate election in Washington|2000]].</ref>
|-
| [[Jack Metcalf (politician)|Jack Metcalf]]
| [[Washington's 2nd congressional district|Washington-2]]
| [[Al Swift]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Linda Smith (American politician)|Linda Smith]]
| [[Washington's 3rd congressional district|Washington-3]]
| [[Jolene Unsoeld]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Doc Hastings]]
| [[Washington's 4th congressional district|Washington-4]]
| [[Jay Inslee]]
| Defeated<ref group="lower-alpha">Inslee eventually returned to the Congress in 1999 following his victory in the [[1998 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington|1998 House of Representatives elections]].</ref>
|-
| [[George Nethercutt]]
| [[Washington's 5th congressional district|Washington-5]]
| [[Tom Foley]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Randy Tate]]
| [[Washington's 9th congressional district|Washington-9]]
| [[Mike Kreidler]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Mark Neumann]]
| [[Wisconsin's 1st congressional district|Wisconsin-1]]
| [[Peter W. Barca|Peter Barca]]
| Defeated
|-
|}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

=== Governorships ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=1 | Name
! rowspan=1 | State
! rowspan=1 | Predecessor
! rowspan=1 | Predecessor's fate
|-
| [[Fob James]]
| [[Alabama]]
| [[Jim Folsom Jr.]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[John G. Rowland]]
| [[Connecticut]]
| [[Lowell P. Weicker Jr.]]<ref group="lower-alpha">Weicker was a member of [[A Connecticut Party]].</ref>
| Retired
|-
| [[Phil Batt]]
| [[Idaho]]
| [[Cecil D. Andrus]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Bill Graves]]
| [[Kansas]]
| [[Joan Finney]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Gary Johnson]]
| [[New Mexico]]
| [[Bruce King]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[George Pataki]]
| [[New York (state)|New York]]
| [[Mario Cuomo]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Frank Keating]]
| [[Oklahoma]]
| [[David Walters]]
| Retired
|-
| [[Tom Ridge]]
| [[Pennsylvania]]
| [[Bob Casey Sr.]]
| Term-limited
|-
| [[Lincoln Almond]]
| [[Rhode Island]]
| [[Bruce Sundlun]]
| Defeated (in primary)
|-
| [[Don Sundquist]]
| [[Tennessee]]
| [[Ned McWherter]]
| Term-limited
|-
| [[George W. Bush]]
| [[Texas]]
| [[Ann Richards]]
| Defeated
|-
| [[Jim Geringer]]
| [[Wyoming]]
| [[Mike Sullivan (governor)|Mike Sullivan]]
| Term-limited
|-
|}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== See also ==
* [[1998 United States elections]]
* [[2000 United States elections]]
* [[2002 United States elections]]
* [[2004 United States elections]]
* [[2010 United States elections]]
* [[2014 United States elections]]
* [[2016 United States elections]]
* [[2018 United States elections]]
* [[Federal Assault Weapons Ban]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.c-span.org/video/?69485-1/storming-gates ''Booknotes'' interview with Dan Balz on ''Storming the Gates: Protest Politics and the Republican Revival'', February 18, 1996]

{{Newt Gingrich}}
{{Presidency of Bill Clinton}}
{{Conservatism}}
{{Nationalism}}

[[Category:1994 in American politics]]
[[Category:Newt Gingrich]]
[[Category:Political history of the United States]]
[[Category:Politics of the Southern United States]]
[[Category:History of the Republican Party (United States)]]
[[Category:Conservatism in the United States]]
[[Category:Nationalism in the United States]]
[[Category:Presidency of Bill Clinton]]
[[Category:Right-wing politics in the United States]]