Chamber:
	House of Representatives
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	8 November 1988
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats of the House of Representatives and one-third (33) of those of the Senate on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. The U.S. Constitution does not provide for dissolution of Congress or early elections.
Background and outcome of elections:
	At stake in the 1988 Senate elections were 18 seats held by the Democratic Party and 15 by the Republican Party. Among the 33 contests were six for "open seats", where three Republicans and three Democratic Senators were retiring. The Democrats were aiming to raise their majorities in both House of Congress. Despite this situation, the Republican candidate in the simultaneous presidential election, outgoing Vice-President George Bush, was favoured over his Democratic rival, Governor Michael Dukakis. They waged what commentators generally called a negative campaign, directing personal criticism against each other. In television advertisements, speeches, debates and interviews, the two opponents moreover campaigned and disagreed on such emotion-charged issues as crime, drugs, gun control, abortion, the environment and ethics, as well as on the central questions of foreign and economic policy. In 41 of the 50 States, the electorate was also faced with a number of referenda – known as initiatives or propositions – on a variety of issues. Voter turnout (49.1%) was a post-World War II low. Mr. Bush won 40 of the country's 50 States (426 electoral votes to Mr. Dukakis' 112) and 54% of the popular vote to extend the Republican hold on the presidency since 1980, but the Democrats held their own otherwise, gaining one seat overall in the Senate (to arrive at a 55-45 margin) and picking up five more seats in the House of Representatives, where a record 402 of 408 incumbents in the running were re-elected. This non-"presidential coat-tails" outcome – the first since 1960 in which the party losing the White House advanced on both congressional fronts – led many observers to call the elections an endorsement of the status quo. The new (101st) Congress held its first session on 3 January 1989. Mr. Bush was inaugurated as the country's 41st President on 20 January, while former Senator Danforth (Dan) Quayle was sworn in as Vice-President.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (8 November 1988): Elections results
Number of registered electors	125,000,000 (approx.)

Round no 1: Distribution of votes
Political Group	Candidates
Democratic Party	420
Republican Party	380

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total
Democratic Party	260
Republican Party	175

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	410
Women:	25

Distribution of seats according to profession:
Law	184
Business or banking	138
Public service/politics	94
Education	42
Agriculture	19
Journalism	17
Law enforcement	8
Engineering	4
Aeronautics	3
Medicine	4
Professional Sports	4
Clergy	2
Labour officials	2
Actor/entertainer	2

Comments:
	Because some members have more than one occupation, totals are higher than total membership.