In the 2012 elections, all 435 House seats were contested. According to Ballotpedia, there were 42 incumbents who retired, leaving 393 seats to be contested by incumbents.
13 incumbents were defeated in the primary elections (Ballotpedia).
22 incumbents were defeated in the general election, 10 Democrats and 12 Republicans (Politico).
That makes for 358 incumbents reelected of the 393 who were running (or 35 House incumbent losses, depending on how you want to look at it), making a reelection rate for 2012 of 91%. This is about 2% lower than the historical average since 1954.
Also, a 91% House reelection rate for 2012 is the exact same reelection rate for the Senate this year, where 21 of 23 incumbents were reelected.
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I have heard all the reasons for not having term limits and I’m still not convinced. It’s a travesty that 90%+ of all incumbents are reelected – the founding fathers never envisioned public service as a life-long profession. Money, influence, name-recognition and legislative carved districts make it all but impossible for a credible candidate to take down an incumbent. Congressman Matt Salmon (R-AZ) was elected in 2000 and vowed to only serve three terms – he kept his promise. But, wait a minute, he’s back, and this time there will be no such promise – spent the interim as a paid lobbyist in D.C….ironic? Term limits, though it will never be considered by these entrenched politicians, is our only hope for decent representation.
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