The 1923 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election was held from December 3 to 5, 1923, at the opening of the 68th United States Congress. The House re-elected Republican incumbent Frederick H. Gillett of Massachusetts as speaker after nine ballots. Gillett defeated Democratic nominee Finis J. Garrett of Tennessee after a bloc of progressive Republicans withheld support from Gillett for the first eight ballots in order to force consideration of changes to the rules of the House.[1][2]
It was the only multi-ballot speaker election between the protracted 1859–60 speaker election and the January 2023 speaker election.[1] The contest occurred after the 1922 elections sharply reduced the Republican majority in the House.[3] At the beginning of the 68th Congress, the House had 225 Republicans, 207 Democrats, two Farmer–Labor members, and one Socialist, according to the House Historian's party division totals.[4]
Background
Gillett had first been elected speaker in 1919, after Republicans regained control of the House, and was re-elected in 1921. He had served in the House since 1893 and, according to the House Historian, was the first Dean of the House to be elected speaker since Linn Boyd in 1851. Gillett's final election as speaker required three days and nine ballots.[5]
The reduced Republican majority in the 68th Congress gave leverage to a small group of progressive Republicans, many of them from the Upper Midwest and closely associated with the political movement around Wisconsin Senator Robert M. La Follette.[6] These progressives, often called insurgents in contemporary press accounts, objected less to Gillett personally than to the House rules and the control exercised by the Republican organization and the Rules Committee. The Congressional Research Service later summarized the dispute by stating that progressive and Progressive Party members agreed to vote for Gillett only after Republican leaders accepted several procedural reforms favored by the dissidents.[1]
Political scientist Eric Schickler places the episode within the institutional conflicts of the 1919–1932 period, when cross-party coalitions of progressive Republicans and Democrats challenged Republican leadership over House rules, discharge procedure, and the power of committee chairs.[7]: 105–109, 122–123 Contemporary newspapers similarly described the speakership fight as an effort to secure changes in the rules rather than an attempt to elect a Democrat or a permanent alternative Republican speaker.[8]
Election proceedings
Nominations
The 68th Congress convened at noon on December 3, 1923. Because the House could not swear in members or conduct ordinary legislative business until it elected a speaker, the proceedings were presided over by William Tyler Page, Clerk of the House.[9]
Republicans nominated Gillett for another term as speaker, while Democrats nominated Garrett, the Democratic floor leader. Progressive Republicans placed in nomination Representative Henry A. Cooper of Wisconsin. In nominating Cooper, Representative Edward E. Browne of Wisconsin said that Cooper would "stand for a reformation of the rules" and argued that the existing rules allowed a small minority and the Rules Committee to prevent legislation from reaching the floor.[9] Representative Frank R. Reid of Illinois nominated Martin B. Madden of Illinois, although Madden immediately stated that he was not a candidate for speaker.[9]
First day: December 3
On the first ballot, Gillett received 197 votes, Garrett 195, Cooper 17, and Madden 5, with four members answering present. No candidate received a majority of votes cast for a person by name.[1] Newspaper reports described the result as a successful demonstration of power by the progressive bloc. The Bergen Evening Record reported that the bloc had "made good its threat" to throw the House into a deadlock, while the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle headlined that the bloc had shown its power at the opening of Congress.[10][11]
Three additional ballots were taken on December 3. The results changed little: Gillett and Garrett remained nearly tied, while Cooper retained 17 votes and Madden retained a small protest vote. After the fourth ballot, Republican floor leader Nicholas Longworth moved to adjourn until noon the following day, saying that "no good purpose" could be served by another ballot that night. The House adjourned at 3:46 p.m.[1][2]
Second day: December 4
Balloting resumed on December 4. Four more ballots were taken without a candidate receiving a majority. The final ballot of the day, the eighth overall, gave Garrett 198, Gillett 197, Cooper 17, and Madden 5, with three members answering present.[1][2]
Contemporary reports emphasized that the second day showed no break in the deadlock. The Houston Chronicle reported that the insurgent bloc "militantly carried forward" its campaign of opposition and that the division of votes remained much the same as on the first day.[12] The South Bend Tribune reported that regular Republicans refused to deal with the insurgents as a recognized bloc, although Republican leaders indicated they would listen to individual requests about rules and committee assignments.[13]
The deadlock also delayed the organization of the House and affected the rest of Congress. Newspapers reported that the Senate was ready to proceed with business but was impeded because the House had not organized, and President Calvin Coolidge's first annual message to Congress was expected to be delayed if the stalemate continued.[14][15]
Compromise and final ballot
Before the ninth ballot on December 5, Representative John M. Nelson of Wisconsin announced that he, Fiorello La Guardia of New York, and Roy O. Woodruff of Michigan had met with Longworth and reached an understanding on the procedure for considering rules changes. According to the statement printed in Cannon's Precedents, the agreement provided that the rules of the 67th Congress would be adopted for only 30 days; during that period, any member could offer amendments to the rules; the Rules Committee would report on proposed amendments; the House would have an opportunity for debate, amendments, and record votes; and one motion to recommit would be in order.[2]
After the agreement, most of the insurgent Republicans shifted to Gillett. On the ninth ballot, Gillett received 215 votes, Garrett 197, Madden 2, and four members answered present. Cooper received no votes. Gillett was declared elected speaker and addressed the House.[1][2] Contemporary newspapers described Gillett's election as the result of the insurgent bloc abandoning Cooper after securing the opportunity to press rules amendments.[16]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frederick H. Gillett (MA 2) | 215 | 51.94% | |
| Democratic | Finis J. Garrett (TN 9) | 197 | 47.58% | |
| Republican | Martin B. Madden (IL 1) | 2 | 0.48% | |
| Total votes | 414 | 100% | ||
| Votes necessary | 208 | >50% | ||
Summary
| Date | December 3 | December 4 | December 5 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
| Frederick H. Gillett | 197 | 194 | 195 | 197 | 195 | 196 | 197 | 215 | |
| Finis J. Garrett | 195 | 194 | 196 | 197 | 198 | 197 | |||
| Henry Allen Cooper | 17 | ||||||||
| Martin B. Madden | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 414 | 411 | 413 | 415 | 416 | 414 | 416 | 417 | 414 |
| Majority | 208 | 206 | 207 | 208 | 209 | 208 | 209 | 208 | |
| present | 4 | 3 | 4 | ||||||
| Not voting | 17 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 17 |
Votes cast by members
| Member | Party | District | Ballot vote cast[9][2] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 3 | December 4 | December 5 | |||||||||||
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | |||||
| Joseph D. Beck | Republican | WI 7 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| Edward E. Browne | Republican | WI 8 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| Frank Clague | Republican | MN 2 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| Charles Russell Davis | Republican | MN 3 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| James A. Frear | Republican | WI 10 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| Oscar Keller | Republican | MN 4 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| Harold Knutson | Republican | MN 6 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| Ole J. Kvale | Farmer-Labor | MN 7 | Cooper | present | |||||||||
| Fiorello La Guardia | Republican | NY 20 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| Florian Lampert | Republican | WI 6 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| John M. Nelson | Republican | WI 3 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| Hubert H. Peavey | Republican | WI 11 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| John C. Schafer | Republican | WI 4 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| George J. Schneider | Republican | WI 9 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| James H. Sinclair | Republican | ND 3 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| Edward Voigt | Republican | WI 2 | Cooper | Gillett | |||||||||
| Knud Wefald | Farmer-Labor | MN 9 | Cooper | present | |||||||||
| W. Frank James | Republican | MI 12 | Madden | ||||||||||
| Edward John King | Republican | IL 15 | Madden | Gillett | |||||||||
| M. Alfred Michaelson | Republican | IL 7 | Madden | Gillett | |||||||||
| Frank R. Reid | Republican | IL 11 | Madden | ||||||||||
| Roy O. Woodruff | Republican | MI 10 | Madden | Gillett | |||||||||
| Richard Yates Jr. | Republican | IL at-large | Gillett | Madden | Gillett | ||||||||
| Victor Berger | Socialist | WI 5 | present | ||||||||||
| Finis Garrett | Democratic | TN 9 | present | ||||||||||
| Henry Allen Cooper | Republican | WI 1 | present | Gillett | |||||||||
| Frederick H. Gillett | Republican | MA 2 | present | [data missing] | |||||||||
Aftermath
The immediate outcome of the election was not the replacement of Gillett, but the opening of the House rules to revision. Schickler argues that the 1924 rules changes that followed the episode became the first major move since the Cannon Revolt to protect rank-and-file members from obstruction by party leaders and committee chairs. Among the changes he identifies were reforms to the consent calendar process, a ban on "pocket vetoes" by the Rules Committee chairman, and a one-day waiting period for votes on special rules.[7]: 105–109
The speakership fight also became an early test for Longworth as Republican floor leader. The House Historian describes the 1923 deadlock as a formative episode in Longworth's rise; when he became speaker in 1925, he worked to strengthen the speakership after the comparatively weak leadership of Gillett and his Democratic predecessor Champ Clark.[6] Schickler similarly argues that Longworth's later leadership marked a partial return toward speaker-led governance, although within a House whose authority structure had become more decentralized since the Cannon revolt.[7]: 122–128
The contest remained the last speaker election to require more than one ballot until January 2023, when Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected speaker on the fifteenth ballot.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Heitshusen, Valerie (November 6, 2023). Speakers of the House: Elections, 1913–2023 (PDF) (Report). Congressional Research Service. pp. 1–2, 11. RL30857. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Chapter 153: The Officers of the House and Their Election". Cannon's Precedents of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 6. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
- ↑ "Republicans Will Control Both Houses of Congress". Lead Daily Call. Lead, South Dakota. November 9, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
- ↑ "68th Congress (1923–1925)". History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
- ↑ "Gillett, Frederick Huntington". History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
- 1 2 "Velvet on Iron: The Rise of Speaker Longworth". History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. United States House of Representatives. October 16, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Schickler, Eric (2001). Disjointed Pluralism: Institutional Innovation and the Development of the U.S. Congress. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691049250. JSTOR j.ctt7rr34.
- ↑ "Drive of Insurgents Against House Leadership". The Springfield Daily Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts. December 6, 1923. p. 10.
- 1 2 3 4 "Congressional Record" (PDF). Congressional Record. 65. Government Printing Office: H8–H15. December 3–5, 1923. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
- ↑ "Gavels Fall Promptly on the Minute at Noon". Bergen Evening Record. Hackensack, New Jersey. December 3, 1923. p. 1.
- ↑ "Bloc Forces Show Power in Opening of Congress". Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle. Clarksville, Tennessee. December 3, 1923. p. 1.
- ↑ "Insurgents Continue To Block Speaker's Election". The Houston Chronicle. Houston, Texas. December 4, 1923. p. 1.
- ↑ "Compromise Is To Be Refused In House Vote". The South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. December 4, 1923. p. 1.
- ↑ "House Is Still Deadlocked Over Speaker's Election". The Daily Argus. White Plains, New York. December 4, 1923. pp. 1, 16.
- ↑ "House Progressives Continue Battle on Speaker Election". Daily Gazette-Martinez. Martinez, California. December 4, 1923. p. 1.
- ↑ "Gillett Elected Speaker, Bloc Voting For Him". The Davenport Democrat and Leader. Davenport, Iowa. December 5, 1923. p. 4.