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At a glance

Overview

The 1968 House cycle left the chamber under a Democratic plurality with 192 seats, well short of the 218‑seat majority required for outright control. The Democratic net gain of +42 seats was the largest swing of any party, while the Federalist Party of the United States vaulted into second place with 54 seats after a +29 net gain. The Republican Party fell to 85 seats (‑13), the Farmer‑Labor Party to 57 seats (‑9), the Constitutional Union Party to 41 seats (‑9), and the Conservatives to a marginal 6 seats (‑40).

The Map

The plurality‑map shows nine states that changed party control (the map’s flipCount).

• Vermont flipped from Conservative to Farmer‑Labor, giving the FLP a single‑seat delegation (+1 FLP, –1 Conservative).
• Delaware switched from Democratic to Constitutional Union, adding one CUP seat (‑1 Dem, +1 CUP).
• Maryland turned from Democratic to Constitutional Union, delivering the CUP a seven‑seat bloc (+2 CUP, –2 FLP).
• New Jersey moved from Democratic to Farmer‑Labor, producing a five‑seat FLP gain (+5 FLP, –1 Dem, –2 C, –2 GOP).
• Alabama shifted from Democratic to Constitutional Union, creating a five‑seat CUP delegation (+2 CUP, +3 FLP, –2 Dem, –3 GOP).
• Georgia changed from Democratic to Republican, giving the GOP a five‑seat plurality (+1 Dem, +2 FLP, +1 GOP, –4 CUP).
• Wyoming flipped from Farmer‑Labor to Republican (+1 GOP, –1 FLP).
• Alaska moved from Republican to Farmer‑Labor (+1 FLP, –1 GOP).
• North Dakota and South Dakota remained Democratic, but the map highlights that no other state altered its controlling party.

These flips illustrate the most volatile battlegrounds: the New England and Deep South states where minor parties captured or reclaimed delegations, and the Mountain West where the GOP wrested a seat from the FLP.

The Balance

Across all 435 contested seats the distribution is:

No party reaches the 218‑seat majority, producing a plurality‑hung chamber. The Democrats hold the largest bloc but must negotiate with at least one of the four smaller parties—most notably the Federalists, whose 54 seats make them a kingmaker for any coalition seeking a functional majority (e.g., DEM + FPUSA = 246 seats). The Conservative caucus is now a marginal footnote, having lost 40 seats and retaining only 6 members.

Delegations to Watch

Six delegations were decided by a single seat, yielding a seat margin of 0:

These razor‑thin delegations underscore the competitive nature of the cycle. In NH, the Conservative plurality survived despite a net loss of 40 seats nationwide, while the CT and FL splits illustrate how the Constitutional Union and Republican parties remain entrenched in multi‑member districts. The MA dead‑heat between Democrats and Federalists reflects the massive +6 Democratic gain and +2 Federalist gain recorded in the state’s swing data.

The map’s visual gradients mirror these close calls: states with a 0 % margin appear as a thin line separating party colors, emphasizing that a handful of votes could have reshaped the national balance. Meanwhile, the massive +33 swing in California (DEM +33, FLP ‑11, CUP ‑8, GOP ‑14) and the +16 swing in New York (DEM +1, FPUSA +16, C ‑17) dominate the bar chart, showing where the biggest seat movements occurred.

Overall, the 1968 election produced a fragmented House where the Democratic Party leads but must court the Federalists or other minor parties to pass legislation, and where several states remain poised for future flips given their razor‑thin margins.

Results by state