Surprising Statistics from Recent Elections
The Center for Voting and Democracy
Years Republican Party
has held U.S. presidency since 1958: 22. Years it has held over 44% of seats in
House of Reps. since 1958: 1. Years it has controlled congressional redistricting
in majority of states since 1958: 0.
Number of Republicans who won House seats
in 1994 previously held by Democrats: 56. Number outspent by Democrats in these
races: 38. Number who won in districts Bill Clinton won with a majority in 1992:
1. Percentage of all House seats won by Republicans in districts that Bill Clinton won
with a majority: 4%.
Number of 1994 House races won by at least
20%: 278. Number of House races won by at least 40%: 149. Voter turnout in
races won by less than 20%: 40%. Voter turnout in contested races won by 40% or
more: 35%.
Number of 56 seats gained by Republicans
in 1994 where winning Republican had more votes than the losing Republican candidate in
that district in 1992: 17
Voter turnout in North Carolina in 1992:
52.0%. North Carolina turnout in 1994 with no statewide race: 27.6%
Percentage of eligible U.S. voters in 1994
who elected a Member of House: 22%. Percent of eligible German voters in 1994 who
elected a member of their parliament: 76%.
Percentage of uncontested seats in
Florida's 1994 House races: 48%. Percentage of seats in state legislative elections
in 1994 in Kentucky with only one major party candidate (effectively uncontested): 68%.
Percentage of elections with only one major party candidate in all state legislative races
around the nation in 1994: 35.8%.
Number of U.S. House seats that political
insiders called competitive in 1994: 105. Percentage of voters thus living in
congressional districts without competitive elections in 1994: 76%.
Percentage of Americans who in 10/94 said
their Member in U.S. House of Representatives deserved re-election: 37%. Percentage
of eligible voters who helped elect a Member of the House in 11/94: 23%. Percentage
of House incumbents re-elected in 11/94: 91%.
Percentage of eligible voters who voted
for Republican House candidates in 1994: 18%. Percentage of Americans who said
after the election that Republicans will do a better job running Congress than Democrats:
31%.
Percentage of Americans in 3/95 supporting
formation of "full-fledged" new party: 54%. Number of 1,935 state senate
seats around U.S. held by third parties: 0. Number of 5,440 state house seats held
by third parties: 3.
Number of states with no women Members of
Congress: 26. Number with no racial minorities in Congress: 26.
Percentage of women in U.S. Congress:
11%. Percentage of women in seats in Germany's parliament that were elected in
single-member districts: 13%. Percent women in Germany in seats elected by PR:
39%. Percentage of women elected in single-member districts in Italy in 1994: 9.1%.
Percentage elected in PR seats: 33.5%
Percentage of vote Mexican president
Ernesto Zedillo received in 1994: 50.1%. Percentage of seats his PRI party won in
the 300 single-member district seats: 92.3%.