5 Brutal Midterm Losses for US Presidents

1922 - 83 Seats (77 House, 6 Senate)

President Warren G. Harding's Republican Party suffered a split between its conservative and liberal wings, which the Democrats were able to exploit. Some have also blamed Harding for a failure in leadership during the schism.

In total, the GOP lost 77 seats in the House of Representatives and 6 seats in the Senate. However, because the Republicans had such large majorities in Congress at the time, they maintained control of both Houses.

Less than a year after the midterm defeat, Harding died of what many believe to have been a heart attack while staying at a hotel in San Francisco, California.