“Fewest Votes Wins”: 22 Likely New House Members Effectively Elected with Less Than 50% of the Vote in Safe-Seat Primaries
128 total non-majority winners in congressional & statewide primaries this year – the highest on record
October 13, 2026 – 128 candidates won congressional and statewide primaries with less than 50% of the vote this cycle, according to a new FairVote report. This is the highest number since FairVote began tracking in 2018.
This includes 22 House nominees who were nominated without a majority of their own party’s vote, and are projected to win an uncompetitive seat next month. These 22 incoming House members – effectively elected with just a fraction of a fraction of the electorate – are likely to represent between 25% and 40% of the next House freshman class. This year’s number of plurality primary winners has been exacerbated by both midterm retirements and mid-decade redistricting.
“In states and districts across the country, majority rule has been replaced with ‘fewest votes wins.’ Powerful elected officials are chosen by a fraction of a fraction of the electorate – hurting democratic legitimacy and feeding polarization. Unprecedented mid-decade gerrymandering has only made the situation worse,” said Deb Otis, Senior Director of Research and Policy at FairVote. “Ranked choice voting in primaries would ensure that nominees at least have majority support within their own party.”
A visual of the 50 primary winners with the lowest vote share is available here. The 10 safe-seat congressional candidates who won their primaries with the fewest votes are:
| Candidate | Party | % of votes for winner |
|---|---|---|
| La Shawn Ford (IL-7) | D | 23.7% |
| Dan Green (FL-9)* | R | 25.4% |
| Chuck Gray (WY-AL) | R | 25.4% |
| Adam Hamawy (NJ-12) | D | 28.6% |
| Jim Schwartzel (FL-19)* | R | 29.1% |
| Daniel Biss (IL-9) | D | 29.4% |
| Austin Rogers (FL-2) | R | 30.5% |
| Mark Tedford (OK-1) | R | 32.2% |
| Joe Strada (FL-11)* | R | 33.5% |
| Oliver Gilbert (FL-24)* | D | 34.3% |
Additional key findings in the report include:
- Most gerrymandered seats are “fewest votes wins”: In 10 of 14 seats (71%) where redistricting advantaged the non-incumbent party, that party’s nominee did not win a majority of the vote.
- Most retiring incumbents were replaced by non-majority primary winners: In states with traditional party primaries, 22 of 39 retiring members (56%) were replaced by a non-majority primary winner as their party’s nominee.
Florida, which redrew its map in May 2026, had 17 House primaries with non-majority winners – the most of any state. In all four Florida seats redrawn to favor Republicans, the Republican nominee received only a plurality of votes in the primary.
Republican primary plurality wins in redrawn Florida congressional districts
| Candidate | % of votes for winner | # of votes for winner | District population (2024) | Votes for winner as % of district population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Green (FL-9) | 25.4% | 14,748 | 820,865 | 7.1% |
| Mike Beltran* (FL-14) | 45.6% | 25,866 | 815,745 | 7.0% |
| Casey Askar* (FL-22) | 30.9% | 14,774 | 805,567 | 5.9% |
| Scott Singer* (FL-25) | 31.4% | 11,896 | 770,930 | 4.9% |
Ranked choice voting (RCV) would ensure candidates win with a majority, and send them into the general election with a stronger mandate from their party. RCV is one of the fastest-growing voting reforms in the nation, now used in approximately 50 cities, counties, and states. Surveys show that voters like RCV and find it easy. Ranked choice voting has been approved by voters in 34 of its last 35 city ballot measures.
Looking forward, proportional representation would improve American elections by ensuring nearly all voters can elect someone they support to Congress.
Note: This press release was updated on October 14, 2026.
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FairVote is a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections for all. We research and advance voting reforms that make democracy more functional and representative for every American.
