1974 United States House of Representatives elections
District Incumbent Party First elected Result Candidates
Illinois 1 Ralph H. Metcalfe Democratic 1970 Incumbent re-elected Y Ralph H. Metcalfe ( Democratic ) 93.7% Oscar H. Haynes ( Republican ) 5.5% Willie Mae Reid ( Socialist Workers ) 0.8%
Illinois 2 Morgan F. Murphy Democratic 1970 Incumbent re-elected Y Morgan F. Murphy ( Democratic ) 87.5% James J. Ginderske ( Republican ) 12.5%
Illinois 3 Robert P. Hanrahan Republican 1972 Incumbent lost re-election . New member elected . Democratic gain Y Marty Russo ( Democratic ) 52.6% Robert P. Hanrahan ( Republican ) 47.4%
Illinois 4 Ed Derwinski Republican 1958 Incumbent re-elected Y Ed Derwinski ( Republican ) 59.2% Ronald A. Rodger ( Democratic ) 40.8%
Illinois 5 John C. Kluczynski Democratic 1950 Incumbent re-elected Y John C. Kluczynski ( Democratic ) 86.0% William H. G. Toms ( Republican ) 14.0%
Illinois 6 Harold R. Collier Republican 1956 Incumbent retired . New member elected . Republican hold Y Henry Hyde ( Republican ) 53.4% Edward V. Hanrahan ( Democratic ) 46.6%
Illinois 7 Cardiss Collins Democratic 1973 Incumbent re-elected Y Cardiss Collins ( Democratic ) 87.9% Donald L. Metzger ( Republican ) 12.1%
Illinois 8 Dan Rostenkowski Democratic 1958 Incumbent re-elected Y Dan Rostenkowski ( Democratic ) 86.5% Salvatore E. Oddo ( Republican ) 13.5%
Illinois 9 Sidney R. Yates Democratic 1964 Incumbent re-elected Y Sidney R. Yates ( Democratic ) Unopposed
Illinois 10 Samuel H. Young Republican 1972 Incumbent lost re-election . New member elected . Democratic gain Y Abner J. Mikva ( Democratic ) 50.9% Samuel H. Young ( Republican ) 49.1%
Illinois 11 Frank Annunzio Democratic 1964 Incumbent re-elected Y Frank Annunzio ( Democratic ) 72.4% Mitchell G. Zadrozny ( Republican ) 27.6%
Illinois 12 Phil Crane Republican 1969 Incumbent re-elected Y Phil Crane ( Republican ) 61.1% Betty C. Spence ( Democratic ) 38.9%
Illinois 13 Robert McClory Republican 1962 Incumbent re-elected Y Robert McClory ( Republican ) 54.5% Stanley W. Beetham ( Democratic ) 45.5%
Illinois 14 John N. Erlenborn Republican 1964 Incumbent re-elected Y John N. Erlenborn ( Republican ) 66.6% Robert H. Renshaw ( Democratic ) 33.4%
Illinois 15 Leslie C. Arends Republican 1934 Incumbent retired . New member elected . Democratic gain Y Tim Lee Hall ( Democratic ) 52.0% Cliffard D. Carlson ( Republican ) 45.6% K. Douglas Lassiter ( Independent ) 2.4%
Illinois 16 John B. Anderson Republican 1960 Incumbent re-elected Y John B. Anderson ( Republican ) 55.5% Marshall Hungness ( Democratic ) 28.7% W. John Schade Jr. ( Independent ) 15.8%
Illinois 17 George M. O'Brien Republican 1972 Incumbent re-elected Y George M. O'Brien ( Republican ) 51.5% John J. Houlihan ( Democratic ) 48.5%
Illinois 18 Robert H. Michel Republican 1956 Incumbent re-elected Y Robert H. Michel ( Republican ) 54.8% Steven L. Nordvall ( Democratic ) 45.2%
Illinois 19 Tom Railsback Republican 1966 Incumbent re-elected Y Tom Railsback ( Republican ) 65.3% Jim Gende ( Democratic ) 34.7%
Illinois 20 Paul Findley Republican 1960 Incumbent re-elected Y Paul Findley ( Republican ) 54.8% Peter F. Mack ( Democratic ) 45.2%
Illinois
See also : List of United States Representatives from Illinois
The 1974 United States House of Representatives elections were elections for the United States House of Representatives in 1974 that occurred in the wake of the Watergate scandal, which had forced President Richard Nixon to resign in favor of Gerald Ford. This scandal, along with high inflation, allowed the Democrats to make large gains in the midterm elections, taking 49 seats from the Republicans and increasing their majority above the two-thirds mark. Altogether, there were 93 freshmen representatives in the 94th Congress when it convened on January 3, 1975 (76 of them Democrats). Those elected to office that year later came to be known collectively as Watergate Babies.