Election results, 2021
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This page is a hub for reporting the results of elections held onNovember 2, 2021.
Two states heldgubernatorial andlieutenant gubernatorial elections:New Jersey andVirginia. Virginia held an election forattorney general, and Pennsylvania for a seat on itsstate supreme court.
Three of the country's 99state legislative chambers—two in New Jersey and one in Virginia—held regularly-scheduled elections in 2021. Elections in those three chambers represented 220 of the country's 7,383 state legislative seats (2.9%).
Two special elections and one special primary are being held for U.S. House seats inFlorida's 20th,Ohio's 11th, andOhio's 15th congressional districts.
Other elections across the country include 15state judicial races, 24statewide ballot measures,local ballot measures in 15 states, andmunicipal races.
On this page, you will find:
- Election updates: A timeline of elections results updated beginning November 2.
- State election results: Results from the gubernatorial, lieutenant gubernatorial, attorney general, and state supreme court elections.
- State legislative results: Results from state legislative races.
- U.S. House results: Results from the U.S. House special elections and primaries.
- Ballot measures: Results from statewide ballot measures.
- Local election results: Results from mayoral, school board, and other local elections.
- Elections by state: A clickable map with links to state-by-state election coverage.
- How we decide when to call an election: A summary of Ballotpedia's policy on calling an election.
Election updates
Nov. 5, 2021
- 12:30 p.m.:Bruce Harrell won theSeattle, Washington, mayoral election. Additionally,Ann Davison won thegeneral election for city attorney of Seattle. Davison andNicole Thomas-Kennedy advanced from a top-two primary in which incumbentPete Holmes placed third.
Nov. 4, 2021
- 1:45 p.m.:Edward R. Durr (R) defeatedNew Jersey State Senate PresidentStephen Sweeney (D) 52% to 48%. Durr, who had not previously held political office, reported raising $153 for his campaign.
Nov. 3, 2021
- 8:45 p.m.: IncumbentPhil Murphy (D) defeatedJack Ciattarelli (R) and three other candidates to win re-election asgovernor of New Jersey. Murphy is the first Democrat to win re-election as governor of New Jersey since Brendan Byrne in 1977.
- 5:30 p.m.Jason Miyares (R) defeated incumbentMark Herring (D) to win election asVirginia attorney general. Herring was first elected in2013. Miyares' win, along withGlenn Youngkin's (R) win in thegubernatorial election, means Virginia will have aRepublican triplex after the election.
- 5:00 p.m.:Danielle Varda,Paula Reed, andMary Parker won election to theJeffco Public Schools school board in Colorado. The three ran together as theJeffCo Kids Slate with the endorsement of the local teachers' union.
- 4:15 p.m.: Democrats lost their majority in theVirginia House of Delegates, based on unofficial results with four races still uncalled. Democrats have lost at least five seats inthis year's elections. The 100-seat chamber will either be split 50-50 or Republicans will have a majority at the start of the 2022 legislative session. To read what happens in the event of a 50-50 split,click here.
- 3:30 p.m.: IncumbentJacob Frey (D) won theMinneapolis, Minnesota, mayoral election. The city usedranked-choice voting in the election.
- 1:40 p.m.: TheMinneapolis, Minnesota, mayoral election remains uncalled. The city usedranked-choice voting in the election. Voters could rank up to three candidates on their ballot. Initial election results showing voters' first-choice candidates are available, but will be re-tabulated as no candidate received a majority of first-preference votes.
- 12:30 p.m.: Nopartisan changes in mayor's offices in the 100 largest cities had occurred as a result of the Nov. 2 elections. Election results were pending in six of those cities, all of which had Democratic incumbents. New Orleans, Louisiana, will hold a mayoral election on Nov. 13, with a possible second election on Dec. 11.
- 11:30 a.m.: New York voters rejected Proposal 1 (Redistricting Changes Amendment), Proposal 3 (Remove 10-Day-Advance Voter Registration Requirement Amendment), and Proposal 4 (Allow for No-Excuse Absentee Voting Amendment).
- 11:20 a.m.: Republicans picked up a seat in the Texas House of Representatives. In theDistrict 118 special general runoff election,John Lujan (R) defeatedFrank Ramirez (D) 51.2% to 48.8%.Joe Biden (D) won the San Antonio-area district by 14 percentage points in 2020.
- 9:45 a.m.: With 11 uncalled races in theVirginia House of Delegates, Democrats will hold at least 44 seats in the chamber and Republicans will hold at least 45. Democrats had a 55-seat majority heading into the election. Some media outlets, like theVirginia Public Access Project, have projected a 51-seat Republican majority.[1]
- 9:30 a.m.: Voters in Minneapolis and St. Paul approved ballot measures related to rent control.Minneapolis Question 3, the Allow for Rent Control Amendment, will allow the city council to enact a rent control ordinance, if it passes one.St. Paul Question 3, the Limits on Rent Increases Initiative was designed to limit rent increases to no more than 3% per year.
- 2:50 a.m.:Kevin Brobson (R) defeatedMaria McLaughlin (D) to win election to thePennsylvania Supreme Court. IncumbentThomas Saylor (R) had reached the mandatory retirement age. Brobson's win preserves the court's existing 5-2 Democratic majority.
- 1:30 a.m.:Paula Jones-Watson,Younass Mohamed Barkouch, andNatalia Ioffe won election to the three at-large open seats on theJersey City Public Schools school board. As a result, candidates backed by the New Jersey Education Association will maintain their 7-2 majority on the board.
- 1:30 a.m.:Politico reported that theDemocratic primary in Florida's 20th Congressional District special election would go to a recount.Florida law requires an automatic recount if a candidate or measure is defeated by less than 0.5% of the total votes cast.[2]
- 1:15 a.m.:Winsome Earle-Sears (R) won theelection for lieutenant governor of Virginia, defeatingHala Ayala (D). Sears will succeedJustin Fairfax (D).
- 1:00 a.m.: Texas voters approved alleight statewide ballot measures on the Nov. 2 ballot.
- 12:45 a.m.:Glenn Youngkin (R) won theelection for governor of Virginia, defeating former Gov.Terry McAuliffe (D). Youngkin will succeed term-limited incumbentRalph Northam (D). Youngkin's victory will change Virginia'strifecta status from a Democratic trifecta to divided government.
- Youngkin completed Ballotpedia'sCandidate Connection survey.Click here to read his responses.
- 12:15 a.m.:Justin Bibb won theCleveland, Ohio, mayoral election. Though the election was nonpartisan, Bibb is a Democrat and will succeed incumbent DemocratFrank Jackson.
Nov. 2, 2021
- 11:05 p.m.:Michelle Wu won theBoston, Massachusetts, mayoral election. Though the election was nonpartisan, Wu is a Democrat and will succeed Democrat Acting MayorKim Janey.
- Wu completed Ballotpedia'sCandidate Connection survey.Click here to read her responses.
- 11:00 p.m.:Cleveland, Ohio voters approvedIssue 24, the Community Police Commission and Police Oversight Initiative. The initiative amends the city charter to make changes related to police oversight, discipline, and policies, including by creating the Community Police Commission to oversee police conduct investigations.
- 10:45 p.m.:Mike Carey (R) won the special election inOhio's 15th Congressional District. Carey will fill the seat vacated by former Rep.Steve Stivers (R).
- 10:30 p.m.:Aftab Pureval won theCincinnati, Ohio, mayoral election. Though the election was nonpartisan, Pureval is a Democrat and will succeed DemocratJohn Cranley.
- 10:00 p.m.:Minneapolis, Minnesota voters rejectedQuestion 2, the Replace Police Department with Department of Public Safety Initiative. If approved, the charter amendment would have replaced the Minneapolis Police Department with a Department of Public Safety (DPS).
- 9:30 p.m.:Eric Adams (D) won theNew York City, New York, mayoral election.
- 9:10 p.m.: InMiami, Florida, MayorFrancis Suarez won re-election. Though the election was nonpartisan, Suarez is affiliated with the Republican Party.Christine King defeated incumbentJeffrey Watson for the District 5 seat on the City Commission, and incumbentJoe Carollo won re-election to the District 3 seat.
- 8:35 p.m.:Esteban "Steve" Bovo won theHialeah, Florida, mayoral election. With 88 percent of precincts reporting, Bovo received 59 percent of the vote. If no candidate had received a majority, the top-two candidates would have competed in a Nov. 16 general election. Though the election was nonpartisan, Bovo is affiliated with the Republican Party and will succeed RepublicanCarlos Hernandez.
- 8:25 p.m.:Shontel Brown (D) won the special election inOhio's 11th Congressional District. Brown will fill the seat vacated by Housing and Urban Development SecretaryMarcia Fudge (D).
- 8:00 p.m.: Pollsclosed in New Jersey.
- 7:50 p.m.:Ken Welch won theSt. Petersburg, Florida, mayoral election. Though the election was nonpartisan, Welch is a registered Democrat and will succeed DemocratRick Kriseman.
- 7:00 p.m.: Pollsclosed in Virginia.
Number of votes cast in 2021 relative to previous elections
Statewide elections
Both New Jersey and Virginia recorded more votes cast in the 2021 gubernatorial election than in the 2017 gubernatorial election, although neither state recorded more votes cast in 2021 than in the 2020 or 2016 presidential elections.
Mayoral elections
This chart compares the overall number of votes cast in nine mayoral battleground elections in 2021 with the number of votes cast in the same cities' 2017 mayoral elections.
The largest turnout increase was in Hialeah, Florida, with 48.1% more votes cast in 2021 than in 2017. Three other cities had an increase in votes cast of 30% or more—Minneapolis (37.4%), Buffalo (32.8%), and Boston (32.3%).
Four cities had a similar number of votes cast in 2021 relative to 2017. St. Petersburg, Florida, registered a 1.3% increase. In Atlanta, the number of votes was down 0.7%, with a 5.5% decrease in Cleveland and a 5.6% decrease in Seattle.
The only city with a decrease in turnout above 5% was Cincinnati, where 17.7% fewer votes were cast in 2021 relative to 2017.
Gubernatorial election results by locality
This section compares the number of votes cast for major party candidates for governor of New Jersey and Virginia in 2021 to the same elections in 2017. In both states, Democratic candidates received more votes in 2021 than in 2017 in the majority of localities, while Republican candidates received more votes in 2021 than in 2017 in every locality.
New Jersey
The three counties with the largest increase in Democratic votes cast were Hunterdon County (26.2%), Ocean County (18.72%), and Morris County (18.58%). The counties with the largest decrease were Salem County (14.4%), Cumberland County (13.6%), and Atlantic County (8.0%).
The three counties with the largest increase in Republican votes cast were Gloucester County (66.0%), Atlantic County (52.6%), and Hudson County (51.7%). The counties with the smallest increase were Mercer County (7.1%), Somerset County (16.7%), and Middlesex County (18.7%).
Virginia
The three localities with the largest increase in Democratic vote totals between 2017 and 2021 were Spotsylvania County (33.9%), Frederick County (33.1%), and Stafford County (32.8%). The three with the largest decrease were Lee County (32.4%), Williamsburg City (15.2%), and Buchanan County (15.0%).
The three localities with the largest increase in Republican vote totals between 2017 and 2021 were Warren County (67.9%), Caroline County (66.9%), and King George County (65.4%). The three with the smallest increase in Republican vote totals were Emporia City (2.9%), Martinsville City (12.5%), and Williamsburg City (13.6%).
State government trifectas
Virginia was the only state whose trifecta status changed as a result of the 2021 elections. Republicans gained control of the governorship and broke the Democratic state House majority, ending a Democratic trifecta that had been in place since the 2019 elections.
State government triplexes
Virginia was the only state whose triplex status changed as a result of the 2021 elections. RepublicansGlenn Youngkin (R) andJason Miyares (R) won the gubernatorial and attorney general elections, respectively, replacing the state's Democratic triplex with a Republican triplex. In Virginia, the secretary of state is appointed by the governor.
State elections
Control of one governorship changed as a result of the November 2, 2021 elections, leaving Republicans with 28 governorships nationwide and Democrats with 22.
In Virginia,Glenn Youngkin (R) defeatedTerry McAuliffe (D), flipping partisan control of the state's governorship. Youngkin is the first Republican to win election as governor of Virginia since Bob McDonnell (R) in 2009.
In New Jersey, incumbentPhil Murphy (D) defeatedJack Ciattarelli (R) and three other candidates to win re-election. Murphy is the first Democrat to win re-election as governor of New Jersey since Brendan Byrne (D) in 1977.Statewide offices up for election on Nov. 2 includedgubernatorial seats,lieutenant gubernatorial seats, anattorney general seat, and astate supreme court seat.
New Jersey governor and lieutenant governor
General election
General election for Governor of New Jersey
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Phil Murphy (D) | 51.2 | 1,339,471 |
 | Jack Ciattarelli (R) | 48.0 | 1,255,185 | |
 | Madelyn Hoffman (G)  | 0.3 | 8,450 | |
 | Gregg Mele (L) | 0.3 | 7,768 | |
| Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party) | 0.2 | 4,012 | ||
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 2,614,886 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Robert Edward Forchion Jr. (Legalize Marihuana Party)
- Justin Maldonado (Independent)
- David Winkler (Independent)
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
General election
General election for Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kevin Brobson (R) | 50.4 | 1,397,100 |
 | Maria McLaughlin (D) | 49.6 | 1,372,182 | |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 2,769,282 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Virginia governor
General election
General election for Governor of Virginia
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Glenn Youngkin (R) | 50.6 | 1,663,596 |
 | Terry McAuliffe (D) | 48.6 | 1,600,116 | |
 | Princess Blanding (Liberation Party) | 0.7 | 23,125 | |
 | Paul Davis (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 2,593 | ||
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 3,289,430 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Brad Froman (Independent)
Virginia lieutenant governor
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Winsome Earle-Sears (R) | 50.7 | 1,658,767 |
 | Hala Ayala (D) | 49.2 | 1,608,691 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 3,808 | ||
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 3,271,266 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Bobby Junes (Independent)
Virginia attorney general
General election
General election for Attorney General of Virginia
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jason Miyares (R) | 50.4 | 1,647,534 |
 | Mark Herring (D) | 49.6 | 1,621,227 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 2,996 | ||
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 3,271,757 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
State legislative elections
- See also:State legislative elections, 2021
Three of the country's 99 state legislative chambers held regularly-scheduled elections on Nov. 2, 2021. Elections in those three chambers represented 220 of the country's 7,383 state legislative seats (2.9%).
Battlegrounds
Virginia House of Delegates
Virginia's state representatives are elected to a two-year term that begins on the second Wednesday in January after the election. In 2019, Democrats won control of the chamber with a 55-45 majority. Republicans needed togain six seats to take control of the chamber in 2021. Democrats needed tohold at least 51 seats to maintain their majority.
- Click here to see election results.
Democratic
Republican
Other state legislative elections
U.S. House special elections
Two special elections and one special primary were held for U.S. House seats inFlorida's 20th,Ohio's 11th, andOhio's 15th congressional districts.
Battlegrounds
Florida's 20th Congressional District special Democratic primary
Democratic primary election
Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 20
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick | 23.8 | 11,662 |
 | Dale Holness | 23.8 | 11,657 | |
 | Barbara Sharief | 17.7 | 8,684 | |
 | Perry Thurston | 14.8 | 7,283 | |
 | Bobby DuBose | 7.0 | 3,458 | |
 | Omari Hardy | 5.9 | 2,902 | |
| Priscilla Taylor | 3.4 | 1,677 | ||
 | Elvin Dowling | 1.3 | 646 | |
 | Emmanuel Morel | 0.9 | 454 | |
 | Phil Jackson | 0.7 | 343 | |
| Imran Siddiqui | 0.6 | 316 | ||
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 49,082 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Dwight Anderson (D)
- Krystal Jordan (D)
- Matt Boswell (D)
- Pradel Vilme (D)
- Natalia Allen (D)
Other U.S. House elections
- Florida's 20th Congressional District special election, 2022 (November 2, 2021, Republican primary)
- Ohio's 11th Congressional District special election, 2021
- Ohio's 15th Congressional District special election, 2021
Ballot measures
- See also:2021 ballot measure election results
Twenty-four statewide ballot measures across Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington were certified for the Nov. 2 ballot.
- New York Proposal 4, Allow for No-Excuse Absentee Voting Amendment (2021)
d - New York Proposal 3, Remove 10-Day-Advance Voter Registration Requirement Amendment (2021) d
- New York Proposal 2, Environmental Rights Amendment (2021)
a - New York Proposal 5, NYC Civil Court Jurisdiction Amendment (2021) a
- New York Proposal 1, Redistricting Changes Amendment (2021) d
- Texas Proposition 2, Authorize Counties to Issue Infrastructure Bonds in Blighted Areas Amendment (2021) a
- Maine Question 3, Right to Produce, Harvest, and Consume Food Amendment (2021) a
- Texas Proposition 5, State Commission on Judicial Conduct Authority Over Candidates for Judicial Office Amendment (2021) a
- Maine Question 2, Transportation Infrastructure Bond Issue (2021) a
- Maine Question 1, Electric Transmission Line Restrictions and Legislative Approval Initiative (2021) a
- Colorado Proposition 120, Reduce Property Tax Rates and Retain $25 Million in TABOR Surplus Revenue Initiative (2021) d
- Colorado Proposition 119, Creation of Out-of-School Education Program and Marijuana Sales Tax Increase Initiative (2021) d
- Colorado Amendment 78, Custodial Fund Appropriations Initiative (2021) d
Local elections
Elections on Nov. 2, 2021, did not result in mayoral offices changing partisan control in any of the100 largest U.S. cities by population.
Seventeen top-100 cities held general elections for mayor on Nov. 2. The election inAtlanta, Georgia, advanced to a runoff. Additionally, one Nov. 2 mayoral primary resulted in a mayor being elected outright inHialeah, Florida.
Heading into the Nov. 2 election, 64 of the 100 largest cities' mayors were Democrats, 27 were Republicans, eight were either nonpartisan or independent, and one mayor's partisan affiliation was unknown. Two partisan changes had occurred earlier in 2021:
- MayorJohn J. Lee ofNorth Las Vegas, Nevada, announced that he was changing his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican on April 6, 2021.[3]
- David Bronson (R) assumed office as mayor ofAnchorage, Alaska, on July 1, 2021, replacing nonpartisan Acting MayorAustin Quinn-Davidson, who assumed office following the resignation ofEthan Berkowitz (D).[4]
In cities where mayoral elections are nonpartisan, Ballotpedia uses one or more of the following sources to identify each officeholder’s partisan affiliation: (1) direct communication from the officeholder, (2) current or previous candidacy for partisan office, or (3) identification of partisan affiliation by multiple media outlets.
Additionally, on Nov. 2, Ballotpedia covered elections for 202 school board seats in 60 school districts.
We also tracked 88 school districts that held elections on Nov. 2 where we found race in education, responses to the coronavirus pandemic, or sex and gender in schools have been brought up as campaign issues.Click here for the list of elections.
Battlegrounds
Other local elections
Elections by state
Select your state from the dropdown menu or map below to navigate to relevant election results.
How we decide when to call an election
As of 2021, Ballotpedia uses two standard criteria when deciding whether to project the outcome of an election:
1.) Type of office
2.) Battleground status
For the first criteria, we make a distinction between top-ballot offices and down-ballot offices. Top-ballot offices include U.S. President, U.S. Congress, and state governor. Down-ballot offices include all other elected state, local, and territorial positions.
For the second criteria, we make a distinction between battleground elections and standard elections. We define abattleground election as one that is particularly competitive or that may have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in government. All other elections receive the standard status.
Click here to read Ballotpedia's full policy on calling an election.
Footnotes
- ↑Twitter, "Virginia Public Access Projects," November 3, 2021, 1:23a.m.
- ↑Politico, "With no clear winner, the Democratic primary for Florida's 20th Congressional District will go to a recount.," accessed November 3, 2021, 1:25 a.m.
- ↑Las Vegas Review-Journal, "North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee says he’s becoming a Republican," April 6, 2021
- ↑Anchorage Daily News, "Dave Bronson sworn in as mayor of Anchorage," July 1, 2021
See also
- Elections
- Elections calendar
- 2021 ballot measure election results
- Election results:2020 •2019 •2018 •2017 •2016 •2015 •2014 •2013 •2012 •2011 •2010
- Elections by state and year
- State Poll Opening and Closing Times
