Six-year itch

The term is derived from the phrase "seven-year itch", referring to a supposed pattern that relationships often sour after seven years of marriage, and the 1955 film of the same name.

One of the earliest uses of the term in politics was by Republican strategist Kevin Phillips in a nationally-syndicated 1973 column which looked ahead to the 1974 midterms.

On only three occasions has the six-year itch caused the president's party to lose control of Congress completely: Grover Cleveland in 1894, Woodrow Wilson in 1918, and George W. Bush in 2006.

Conversely, only two presidents saw their parties maintain control of Congress even after the six-year itch: Democrats Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 and Harry S. Truman in 1950.

[2] Since Reconstruction, only five presidents have ever seen their party gain seats in a midterm election: Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1934, Bill Clinton in 1998, George W. Bush in 2002, Donald Trump in 2018, and Joe Biden in 2022.

Thomas Jefferson is the only two-term president in American history whose party gained seats in both houses in the sixth year of his presidency.
Bill Clinton is the only two-term president since Reconstruction whose party did not lose seats due to the six-year itch.