Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Obama has lost more House seats than any president since Eisenhower

Midterm elections rarely go in the president’s favor. In fact only three midterms in the past century have seen the president’s party gain seats.

But President Obama has had it especially tough. He’s already lost more House seats than any president since Eisenhower:

Net_loss_2.0.pngStuart Rothenberg/Roll Call

Obama has lost 63 House seats since he took office, taking into account the Democrats' small gain in 2012. The Democrats are expected to lose somewhere between 5 to 12 seats or more this year, in which case Obama would comfortably overtake Eisenhower. But if the loss reaches around 20, then Obama will have lost more seats than any president since FDR, who lost 108 across his three midterms.

Further Reading: Ezra Klein explains how Republicans are heading for a landslide victory despite being less popular.

See More:

More in archives

archives
Ethics and Guidelines at Vox.comEthics and Guidelines at Vox.com
archives
By Vox Staff
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court will decide if the government can ban transgender health careThe Supreme Court will decide if the government can ban transgender health care
Supreme Court

Given the Court’s Republican supermajority, this case is unlikely to end well for trans people.

By Ian Millhiser
archives
On the MoneyOn the Money
archives

Learn about saving, spending, investing, and more in a monthly personal finance advice column written by Nicole Dieker.

By Vox Staff
archives
Total solar eclipse passes over USTotal solar eclipse passes over US
archives
By Vox Staff
archives
The 2024 Iowa caucusesThe 2024 Iowa caucuses
archives

The latest news, analysis, and explainers coming out of the GOP Iowa caucuses.

By Vox Staff
archives
The Big SqueezeThe Big Squeeze
archives

The economy’s stacked against us.

By Vox Staff