Newt Gingrich

Georgia revolutionary who ended 40 years of Democratic House control as speaker.

Overview

A West Georgia history professor elected in 1978, Gingrich built a nationalized, confrontational strategy, the Contract with America in 1994, that swept Republicans to their first House majority since 1954. As Speaker from 1995 to 1999 he enacted welfare reform and balanced budgets with President Clinton after two government shutdowns, but ethics sanctions and 1998 losses ended his tenure. His use of C-SPAN, attack politics, and delegation discipline transformed the institution's culture, with scholars ranking him among the most consequential speakers whether admired or deplored. He remained a polarizing national figure through the Trump years.