The Republican Revolution refers to the success of Republican Party in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate. The day after the election, Democratic Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama changed parties, becoming a Republican. // The Republican Party (often referred to as the GOP, for Grand Old Party) is one of the two major political organizations in the United States two party system; the Democratic Party is the other. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... United States is the current Good Article Collaboration of the week! Please help to improve this article to the highest of standards. ... The U.S. House election, 1994 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1994 which occurred in the middle of President Bill Clintons first term. ... Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. ... Republican holds in light red, Republican pickup in dark red, Democratic holds in light blue. ... Seal of the U.S. Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Richard Craig Dick Shelby (born May 6, 1934) is an American politician. ...

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 forty years, since the 83rd Congress (elected in 1952) under Republican Speaker Joseph William Martin, Jr.. The Eighty-third United States Congress was in session from 1953 to 1955. ... The U.S. House election, 1952 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1952 which coincided with the election of President Dwight Eisenhower. ... Joseph William Martin, Jr (November 3, 1884 - March 6, 1968) was an American politician from North Attleborough, Massachusetts. ...

Large Republican gains were made in statehouses as well when the GOP picked up twelve governor seats and 472 legislative seats. In so doing, it took control of 20 state legislatures from the Democrats. Prior to this, Republican had not held the majority of governorships since 1972. In addition, this was the first time in 50 years that the GOP controlled a majority of state legislatures.

Discontent against the Democrats was foreshadowed by a string of elections after 1992, the more notable among them being the capture of the mayoralties of New York and Los Angeles by the Republicans in 1993. In that same year, Christine Todd Whitman captured the New Jersey governorship from the Democrats and Brett Schundler became the mayor of overwhelmingly Democratic Jersey City. The pace of Republican victories in off-year elections gained momentum. Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison took a senate seat from the Democrats in Texas. Republican Ron Lewis picked up a congressional seat from Democrats in Kentucky in May 1994. Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Christine Todd Christie Whitman (born September 26, 1946) is an American Republican politician and author, who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush. ... Bret Schundler (born 1960) is a Republican Party politician from the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, usually known as Kay Bailey Hutchison (born July 22, 1943, in Galveston, Texas), is the senior United States Senator from Texas. ... Ron Lewis (born September 14, 1946), an American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1994, representing the 2nd Congressional District of Kentucky. ...

Democratic President Bill Clinton said in his January 1996 State of the Union Address, "The era of big government is over." Later in 1996, Republicans would fail to defeat Clinton's re-election bid, suggesting to some at the time that Americans were simply wary of entrusting a single party with the reins of power. William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... 2003 State of the Union address given by U.S. President George W. Bush The State of the Union Address is an annual event in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the U.S. Congress (the...

Freshmen of 1994

Many current leaders in the Republican Party and other notables were first elected to national or state office as part of the Republican Revolution:

• George W. Bush - Now President of the United States, Bush defeated incumbent Texas Governor Ann Richards, a Democrat. He was re-elected as Governor in 1998, and was elected President in 2000.

• Bill Frist - Senate Majority Leader, Frist was the senior Senator from Tennessee, first elected in 1994 when he defeated incumbent Democrat Jim Sasser. He will retire in 2007, after deciding not to seek reelection.

• John Shadegg - Former chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, Shadegg was first elected to the house in 1994 to represent Arizona's fourth district, replacing Republican Jon Kyl, who was elected to the Senate in 1994 to replace retiring Democrat Dennis DeConcini. Shadegg is the only member of the 1994 freshman class currently in the House Republican leadership.

• Saxby Chambliss - Now the senior Senator from Georgia, Chambliss was first elected to the House in 1994 to represent Georgia's eighth district, replacing retiring Democrat J. Roy Rowland.

• Sam Brownback - Now the senior Senator from Kansas, Brownback was first elected to the House in 1994 to represent Kansas' second district, replacing Democrat Jim Slattery, who was running for Governor.

• Robert Ehrlich - Now the outgoing Governor of Maryland, Ehrlich was first elected to the House in 1994 to represent Maryland's second district, replacing retiring Republican Helen Delich Bentley.

• John Ensign - Now the junior Senator from Nevada, Ensign was first elected to the House in 1994 to represent Nevada's first district, defeating three-term incumbent Democrat James Bilbray.

• George Pataki - Pataki was elected Governor of New York in 1994, defeating three-term incumbent Mario Cuomo. He is currently the longest-serving Governor in the United States; he decided not to run for reelection in 2006 in order to prepare for a potential White House run.

• Tom Coburn - Now the junior Senator from Oklahoma, Coburn was first elected to the House in 1994 to represent Oklahoma's second district, replacing Democrat Mike Synar (who was defeated in the Democratic primary). Coburn's Senate companion, James Inhofe, was first elected to the Senate in 1994, replacing resigned Democrat David L. Boren.

• Mark Sanford - Now Governor of South Carolina, Sanford was first elected to the House in 1994 to represent South Carolina's first district, replacing outgoing Republican Arthur Ravenel, Jr.

• Lindsey Graham - Now the senior Senator from South Carolina, Graham was first elected to the House in 1994 to represent South Carolina's third district, replacing outgoing Democrat Butler Derrick.

• Joe Scarborough - Now the host of Scarborough Country on MSNBC, Scarborough was first elected to the House in 1994 to represent Florida's first district. Scarborough served in the House for three terms before retiring.

George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1969 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Dorothy Ann Willis Richards (September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006) was an American politician and teacher from Texas. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... William Harrison Bill Frist (born February 22, 1952 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American physician and politician from Tennessee. ... The Senate Majority Leader is a member of the United States Senate who is elected by his or her party conference to serve as the chief Senate spokesman for his or her party and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. ... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Largest metro area Nashville Area  Ranked 36th  - Total 42,169 sq mi (109,247 km²)  - Width 120 miles (195 km)  - Length 440 miles (710 km)  - % water 2. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... John Shadegg John Barden Shadegg (born October 22, 1949), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995, representing the 3rd District of Arizona (map). ... This page is about the current Arizona Senator; for his father, a U.S. Representative from Iowa, see John Kyl; for a U.S. Representative from Mississippi with a similar name, see John Kyle. ... Dennis DeConcini Credited to the United States Senate Historical Office Dennis Webster DeConcini (born May 8, 1937, in Tucson) is a former Democratic U.S. Senator from Arizona. ... Clarence Saxby Chambliss (born November 10, 1943) is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. ... J. Roy Rowland (born February 3, 1926 in Wrightsville, Georgia) is an American politician from Georgia. ... Samuel Dale Brownback (born September 12, 1956) is a Senator from Kansas. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... James Charles Slattery Born in Atchison, Kansas in 1948, Jim Slattery is an American politician. ... Robert Leroy Ehrlich, Jr. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley, R-Maryland, in an undated photo Helen Delich Bentley (in the Serbian language Helena Delić-Bentli) was born on November 28, 1923. ... John Eric Ensign (born March 25, 1958) is the junior United States Senator from Nevada. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... James Hubert Bilbray (born May 19, 1938) is a U.S. Democratic politician, who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 1995. ... George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is the current Governor of New York State, USA serving since January 1995, and as of late 2006 is the longest-serving of all current U.S. governors. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Mario Matthew Cuomo (born June 15, 1932) is an American lawyer and New York State Democratic Party politician. ... Thomas Allen Coburn, M.D. (born March 14, 1948) is a medical doctor and a Republican U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area  Ranked 20th  - Total 69,960 sq mi (181,196 km²)  - Width 230 miles (370 km)  - Length 298 miles (fBlack Mesa Mountain]][2] km)  - % water 1. ... Congressman Mike Synar represented Oklahomas 2nd district in Congress until he was defeated in 1994 Primary by Vigil Hastings, a retired high-school principal, whose campaign was funded in large party by the tobacco industry. ... James Mountain Inhofe, usually known as Jim Inhofe (born November 17, 1934) is an American politician from Oklahoma. ... credited to the United States Senate Historical Office David Lyle Boren (born April 21, 1941) was a Democratic United States Senator from Oklahoma from 1979 until 1994. ... Marshall Mark Clement Sanford, Jr. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1670-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35... Arthur Ravenel, Jr. ... Lindsey Olin Graham (born July 9, 1955) is an American politician from South Carolina. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1670-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35... Butler Carson Derrick, Jr. ... Joe Scarborough Charles Joseph Scarborough (born April 9, 1963) is the host of the program Scarborough Country on MSNBC and has served in the United States House of Representatives, from 1995 to 2001, as a Republican from Florida. ... Scarborough Country is an opinion/analysis show broadcasted on MSNBC Monday - Thursday at 9 P.M. ET. It is hosted by former congressman (R - Fla. ... MSNBC, a combination of Microsoft and NBC, is a 24-hour cable news channel in the United States and Canada, and a news Website. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Ramifications

When the 104th United States Congress convened in January 1995, House Republicans voted former Minority Whip Newt Gingrich – the chief architect of their victory and author of the Contract with America – Speaker of the House, while the new senatorial Republican majority chose Bob Dole, previously Minority Leader, as Majority Leader. With their newfound power, Republicans pursued an ambitious agenda but were often forced to compromise with President Clinton, who wielded veto power. Members of the 104th United States Congress: // States Alabama Senators Howell T. Heflin (D) Richard C. Shelby (R) Representatives 1. ... In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ... Newton Leroy Gingrich (born June 17, 1943) is an American politician who is best known as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. ... The Contract with America was a document released by the Republican Party of the United States during the 1994 Congressional election campaign. ... The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a legislative body. ... Robert Joseph Bob Dole (born July 22, 1923) is best known as a former Republican presidential nominee in the 1996 presidential election, in which he was defeated by then-incumbent President Bill Clinton. ... The Senate Minority Leader is a member of the United States Senate who is elected by his or her party conference to serve as the chief Senate spokesmen for his or her party and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. ... The Senate Majority Leader is a member of the United States Senate who is elected by his or her party conference to serve as the chief Senate spokesman for his or her party and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. ... The word veto comes from Latin and literally means I forbid. ...

In the House, the Republican takeover was accompanied by significant structural changes in House rules. The relative power of once-powerful committee and subcommittee chairs was weakened, centralizing power within the Republican House delegation under the party leadership. For example, a six-year term limit was imposed on committee chairmanships, and a "subcommittee bill of rights" passed in the 1970s was repealed. Speaker Gingrich also bypassed the seniority system in appointing conservative loyalists to lead key committees such as Appropriations, Judiciary, and Commerce. In the Senate, changes were less substantial. A committee is a (relatively) small group that can serve one of several functions: Governance: in organizations too large for all the members to participate in decisions affecting the organization as a whole, a committee (such as a Board of Directors) is given the power to make decisions. ... A committee comprises a mechanism of bureaucracy or of proto-bureaucracy whereby a limited number of people receive delegated functions of government or administration. ... A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... The Committee on Appropriations, or Appropriations Committee (often referred to as simply Appropriations, as in Hes on Appropriations) is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. ... U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, or (more commonly) the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. ... The U.S. House Commerce Committee on Energy and Commerce residing at 2125 Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC is the oldest (208 years) legislative standing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. ...

The 1994 election also marked the end of the Conservative Coalition, a bipartisan coalition of conservative Republicans and Democrats (often referred to as "boll weevil Democrats" for their association with the U.S. South), which had often managed to control Congressional outcomes since the New Deal era. The Conservative coalition was a coalition in American politics bringing together Republicans (most of whom were conservatives) and the minority of conservative Democrats, most of them from the South. ... Boll weevils was an American political term used in the mid- and late-20th century to describe conservative Southern Democrats. ... The U.S. Southern states or The South, known during the American Civil War era as Dixie, is a distinctive region of the United States with its own unique historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: New Deal For other uses of New Deal and The New Deal, see New Deal (disambiguation). ...

Subsequent events

In the 1996 and 1998 elections, Republicans lost Congressional seats but still retained control of the House and, more narrowly, the Senate. After the 2000 election, the Senate was divided evenly between the parties, with Republicans retaining the right to organize the Senate due to the election of Dick Cheney as Vice President and ex officio presiding officer of the Senate. The Senate shifted to control by the Democrats after GOP senator Jim Jeffords changed party registration to "Independent" in June 2001, but later returned to Republican control after the November 2002 elections. The Republican Revolution era is thought to be coming to an end in January 2007, following the results of the 2006 elections, when Democrats won back both the House of Representatives and the Senate (49 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and 2 Independents caucusing with Democrats) as well as the majority of state governorships (28-22).[1] James Merrill Jim Jeffords (born May 11, 1934 in Rutland, Vermont) is currently the junior U.S. Senator from Vermont and the only Independent in the United States Senate. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries â€¢ Politics Portal      The 2006 United States midterm elections were held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. ...