1994 United States elections

Even the Speaker lost his seat. Two years into Bill Clinton's presidency, his Democrats lost 54 House seats and a majority they had held for 40 years, and Tom Foley was beaten in his own district in Washington state, the first sitting Speaker to lose re-election since 1862. Newt Gingrich took over with his Contract with America. The Senate fell too, and the day after the election Alabama's Richard Shelby switched parties to join the winners.