# 1902 Midterm Elections [[Theodore Roosevelt]] administration midterm — Roosevelt had been President for just over a year (since [[William McKinley]]'s September 1901 assassination). The first congressional election under the **1900 Census apportionment** (House membership increased from 357 to 386 seats). Republicans gained seats overall — an unusual sitting-president-party midterm gain, attributed to Roosevelt's high popularity in his first year. ## Result - **House:** Republicans gained ~9 seats; expanded majority (~208 of 386 Republicans vs. ~178 Democrats in the 58th Congress) - **Senate:** Republicans held substantial majority (~57 of 90) - **Chambers flipped:** None - **Net change:** Modest Republican gains — anomalous for sitting-president-party midterm ## Notable - The **Anthracite Coal Strike** of May-October 1902 — Roosevelt mediated a settlement between miners and operators; substantially boosted Roosevelt's labor-friendly progressive reputation - The [[Northern Securities]] antitrust case had been filed in February 1902; the Supreme Court would rule against the railroad combination in 1904 - The 58th Congress (1903-1905) passed the **Elkins Act** (railroad regulation) and the **Department of Commerce and Labor Act** ## Connections - [[Theodore Roosevelt]] — Sitting president.