1998 United States elections
The 1998 United States elections were held on November 3, 1998, in the middle of Democratic President Bill Clinton's second term and during impeachment proceedings against the president as a result of the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal. Though Republicans retained control of both chambers of Congress, the elections were unusual because this is the first midterm since 1934 that the president's party gained seats in the House of Representatives.
| ← 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 → Midterm elections | |
| Election day | November 3 |
|---|---|
| Incumbent president | Bill Clinton (Democratic) |
| Next Congress | 106th |
| Senate elections | |
| Overall control | Republican hold |
| Seats contested | 34 of 100 seats |
| Net seat change | None |
| 1998 Senate election results
Democratic hold Republican hold Democratic gain Republican gain | |
| House elections | |
| Overall control | Republican hold |
| Seats contested | All 435 voting seats |
| Popular vote margin | Republican +1.1% |
| Net seat change | Democratic +5 |
| 1998 House of Representatives results (territorial delegate races not shown) Democratic hold Republican hold Democratic gain Republican gain Independent hold | |
| Gubernatorial elections | |
| Seats contested | 38 (36 states, 2 territories) |
| Net seat change | Reform +1 |
| 1998 gubernatorial election results
Democratic hold Republican hold Democratic gain Republican gain Reform gain Independent hold | |
Several Senate seats changed hands, but neither party made a net gain. In the House of Representatives, Democrats picked up five seats, marking the first time since the 1934 elections in which the incumbent president's party did not suffer losses in either house of congress. This also occurred in 2002. This is the most recent midterm election in which neither chamber of Congress changed partisan control.
The disruption of the six-year itch is attributed to wide opposition to the impeachment investigations against Clinton and his high popularity numbers.