Most career popular votes in U.S. House elections
Matthew Merritt has drawn more votes in U.S. House elections than anyone: 12,410,771 across a House record of 5–0. Richard Yates (9,406,708) and George Bender (7,915,045) follow. The top of this list is not where you would expect, and the reason is the at-large seat: several states, New York among them, elected some representatives statewide rather than by district in the 1930s, so those campaigns drew a whole state’s votes at a time when a district cast a fraction as many.
Looking for who is in office right now rather than the all-time record? See Most career popular votes of all time.
Which member of the House has won the most votes?
Matthew Merritt, with 12,410,771 popular votes across their U.S. House elections (House record 5–0). Only House races count here.
Why are House vote totals so much smaller than Senate ones?
A House district holds roughly 760,000 people, while a Senate race is the whole state. A representative needs many terms to accumulate what one statewide campaign in a large state produces in a single night — which is why the leaders here are the members who ran statewide for at-large House seats.
What is an at-large House seat?
A U.S. House seat elected by an entire state rather than by a district. States used them when reapportionment left them without new district maps, and New York elected two representatives at large in the 1930s. Those candidates faced the whole state electorate, so their vote totals dwarf any district race of the period.
Does this include special elections?
Yes. Every U.S. House general election in our dataset counts toward the total, special elections included, which is why some totals cover an odd number of cycles.
| # | Politician | Career House votes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew MerrittD New York | 12,410,7715–0 record |
| 2 | Richard YatesR Illinois | 9,406,7087–1 record |
| 3 | George BenderR Ohio | 7,915,0456–0 record |
| 4 | Stephen YoungD Ohio | 5,190,9414–0 record |
| 5 | George H BenderR Ohio | 4,698,2841–5 record |
| 6 | F. James Sensenbrenner Jr.R Wisconsin | 4,135,42421–0 record |
| 7 | Martin DiesD Texas | 4,090,9237–0 record |
| 8 | William StrattonR Illinois | 3,957,2102–0 record |
| 9 | Nancy PelosiD California | 3,702,41319–0 record |
| 10 | John D. DingellD Michigan | 3,650,84929–0 record |
| 11 | John Conyers Jr.D Michigan | 3,641,12426–0 record |
| 12 | Steny H. HoyerD Maryland | 3,627,25622–0 record |
| 13 | Stephen DayR Illinois | 3,501,4272–0 record |
| 14 | Natalie F CouchR New York | 3,496,0750–3 record |
| 15 | John MarshallR Ohio | 3,474,7610–5 record |
| 16 | Richard E. NealD Massachusetts | 3,455,62719–0 record |
| 17 | Henry RathboneR Illinois | 3,413,2753–0 record |
| 18 | Marcy KapturD Ohio | 3,396,03222–0 record |
| 19 | Harold Hal RogersR Kentucky | 3,360,59023–0 record |
| 20 | E E DayR Illinois | 3,356,5270–5 record |
| 21 | Christopher H. SmithN New Jersey | 3,351,10622–1 record |
| 22 | Peter A. DeFazioD Oregon | 3,347,52418–0 record |
| 23 | James L. OberstarD Minnesota | 3,323,99918–1 record |
| 24 | David E. PriceD North Carolina | 3,285,05017–1 record |
| 25 | Edward J. MarkeyD Massachusetts | 3,257,84219–0 record |
| 26 | Martin BrennanD Illinois | 3,136,1642–0 record |
| 27 | J H YoungD Ohio | 3,133,7670–14 record |
| 28 | Earl BlumenauerD Oregon | 3,123,11514–0 record |
| 29 | Don YoungR Alaska | 3,070,18122–1 record |
| 30 | Perry H Smith Jr.D Illinois | 3,057,3030–20 record |
| 31 | Antoni SadlakR Connecticut | 3,004,4056–0 record |
| 32 | Danny K. DavisD Illinois | 2,940,69115–1 record |
| 33 | Rosa L. DeLauroD Connecticut | 2,909,47818–0 record |
| 34 | Diana DeGetteD Colorado | 2,907,31515–0 record |
| 35 | James P. McGovernD Massachusetts | 2,899,40515–0 record |
| 36 | Jim McDermottD Washington | 2,888,82414–0 record |
| 37 | Lamar S. SmithR Texas | 2,853,53816–0 record |
| 38 | David R. ObeyD Wisconsin | 2,844,07120–0 record |
| 39 | Mary DonlonR New York | 2,830,5170–1 record |
| 40 | Tom PetriR Wisconsin | 2,821,13417–0 record |
| 41 | Mahlon GarlandR Pennsylvania | 2,812,7604–0 record |
| 42 | Messmore KendallR New York | 2,812,0660–1 record |
| 43 | Collin C. PetersonD Minnesota | 2,782,00215–3 record |
| 44 | Barbara LeeD California | 2,778,75413–0 record |
| 45 | Bobby L. RushD Illinois | 2,771,56615–0 record |
| 46 | Anna G. EshooD California | 2,769,81916–1 record |
| 47 | George MillerD California | 2,751,22420–0 record |
| 48 | Robert C. Bobby ScottD Virginia | 2,741,95117–1 record |
| 49 | Stephen F. LynchD Massachusetts | 2,716,05912–0 record |
| 50 | John H. Lewis Sr.D Georgia | 2,696,34617–0 record |
| 51 | Frank R. WolfR Virginia | 2,643,80917–1 record |
| 52 | Michael F Doyle Jr.D Pennsylvania | 2,642,70214–1 record |
| 53 | Sander LevinD Michigan | 2,635,60118–0 record |
| 54 | Robert B. AderholtR Alabama | 2,625,58915–0 record |
| 55 | Barney FrankD Massachusetts | 2,621,28116–0 record |
| 56 | Ike SkeltonD Missouri | 2,612,72617–1 record |
| 57 | Joe PoolD Texas | 2,596,6153–0 record |
| 58 | Frederick S. UptonR Michigan | 2,585,02418–0 record |
| 59 | William MasonR Illinois | 2,577,4485–1 record |
| 60 | Galusha GrowR Pennsylvania | 2,553,6649–0 record |
| 61 | Henry A. WaxmanD California | 2,553,27919–0 record |
| 62 | Jerrold L. NadlerD New York | 2,541,56917–0 record |
| 63 | Mike ThompsonD California | 2,513,64814–0 record |
| 64 | Dale E. KildeeD Michigan | 2,486,63318–0 record |
| 65 | Anderson WaltersR Pennsylvania | 2,483,7074–1 record |
| 66 | Betty McCollumD Minnesota | 2,475,87213–0 record |
| 67 | Dan BurtonR Indiana | 2,460,71815–0 record |
| 68 | Samuel B. Graves Jr.R Missouri | 2,456,59313–0 record |
| 69 | Michael K. SimpsonR Idaho | 2,442,77314–0 record |
| 70 | Rick LarsenD Washington | 2,427,42213–0 record |
| 71 | Ralph S. RegulaR Ohio | 2,411,78618–0 record |
| 72 | Sidney R. YatesD Illinois | 2,408,49023–0 record |
| 73 | Fortney H. Stark Jr.D California | 2,395,50820–1 record |
| 74 | John B. LarsonD Connecticut | 2,371,48514–0 record |
| 75 | Frank D. LucasR Oklahoma | 2,364,96016–0 record |
| 76 | Elmer StudleyD New York | 2,363,6271–0 record |
| 77 | Peter J. ViscloskyD Indiana | 2,345,55818–0 record |
| 78 | Frank Pallone Jr.D New Jersey | 2,345,27819–0 record |
| 79 | James E Jim ClyburnD South Carolina | 2,337,85116–0 record |
| 80 | John FitzgibbonsD New York | 2,333,7871–0 record |
| 81 | Adam SmithD Washington | 2,321,92315–0 record |
| 82 | Quin ObrienD Illinois | 2,319,67815–4 record |
| 83 | Greg WaldenR Oregon | 2,317,45811–0 record |
| 84 | C. W. Bill YoungR Florida | 2,301,54822–0 record |
| 85 | Janice D. SchakowskyD Illinois | 2,293,52913–0 record |
| 86 | Carolyn B. MaloneyD New York | 2,293,24315–0 record |
| 87 | Ron KindD Wisconsin | 2,292,77113–0 record |
| 88 | John J. Duncan Jr.R Tennessee | 2,287,63415–0 record |
| 89 | David ScottD Georgia | 2,279,65812–0 record |
| 90 | Charles TruaxD Ohio | 2,268,4882–0 record |
| 91 | William S. BroomfieldR Michigan | 2,257,94517–0 record |
| 92 | Jerry LewisR California | 2,253,87717–0 record |
| 93 | Charles B. RangelW New York | 2,253,35723–0 record |
| 94 | John P. MurthaD Pennsylvania | 2,239,38518–0 record |
| 95 | Silvio O. ConteR Massachusetts | 2,233,14917–0 record |
| 96 | Gwen S. MooreD Wisconsin | 2,230,93511–0 record |
| 97 | Philip M. CraneR Illinois | 2,230,81817–1 record |
| 98 | Howard CobleR North Carolina | 2,221,37115–0 record |
| 99 | Melvin PriceD Illinois | 2,219,14622–0 record |
| 100 | Kevin BradyR Texas | 2,215,40413–0 record |
