State legislative elections, 2020
- Presidential election
- Congress elections
- State elections
- Local elections
- Voter information
| 2020 State Legislative Elections | |
|---|---|
2021» «2019 | |
 | |
| 2020 Elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
Updated January 11, 2021
In the 50 states, there are99 state legislative chambers altogether.Eighty-six of those chambers held legislative elections in 2020. The general election for state legislative races took place onNovember 3, 2020.
Republicanswon new majorities in two chambers: theNew Hampshire State Senate andNew Hampshire House of Representatives. There were no chambers where Democrats won new majorities in 2020. In one other chamber, theAlaska House of Representatives, aminority coalition remained in control.
Heading into the 2020 elections, Republicans held a majority in more chambers than Democrats. There was a Republican majority in59 chambers and a Democratic majority in39 chambers. In the Alaska House, there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties as part of a coalition.
A state government trifecta is a term to describe single-party government when one political party holds three positions in a state's government. Heading into the 2020 elections, there were36 trifectas: 15 Democratic and 21 Republican. The other 14 states were under divided government, meaning they had neither a Democratic nor a Republican trifecta. As a result of the elections, Republicans gained trifectas in Montana and New Hampshire, which both entered the election under divided government.
Ballotpedia identified24 state legislative battleground chambers in 2020. Heading into the 2020 elections, Democrats controlled eight battleground chambers and Republicans controlled 15. The other battleground chamber was theAlaska House, which was split under apower-sharing agreement, although Republicans had a 22-15 majority.
Ballotpedia identified 16 states with vulnerable trifectas and seven states where new trifectas could form ahead of the 2020 elections. Clickhere for more.
The 2020 elections came after the Democratic Party gained chambers and trifectas in 2018. As a result of the 2018 elections, Democrats gained majorities infive chambers and a power-sharing agreement in the Alaska House. Democrats alsogained trifectas in six states. Democrats continued that momentum in 2019, where they won majorities in the Virginia Senate and Virginia House, gained a trifecta in Virginia, and broke the Republican trifecta in Kentucky.
On this page, you will find:
- Thepartisan balance of all state legislative seats
- Chambers thatchanged party control in the 2020 elections
- Alist of incumbent defeated by election
- Information ontrifectas
- A list ofelections by state
- Information onbattleground chambers
- Information onspecial elections in 2020
- An overview ofcompetitiveness in 2020
- Historicalcompetitiveness data
- Analysis ofmargins of victory in 2018
- Howterm limits impacted the 2020 elections
- Political context surrounding the 2020 elections
Partisan balance
As ofNovember 25th, 2025, Republicans controlled55.29% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held43.53%. Republicans held a majority in57 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in39 chambers.Two chambers (Alaska House andAlaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions.One chamber (Minnesota House of Representatives) was split evenly between both parties.
| Partisan balance of all 7,386 state legislative seats | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative chamber |  |  |  Other | Vacant | ||||
| State senates | 829 | 1,118 | 6 | 20 | ||||
| State houses | 2,386 | 2,966 | 20 | 41 | ||||
| Total: | 3,215 | 4,084 | 26 | 61 | ||||
On Election Day 2010, Democrats held 4,031 state legislative seats nationwide to Republicans' 3,246. Republicans gained seats in every even-numbered election year through 2016. On Election Day 2016, Republicans held 4,102 state legislative seats to Democrats' 3,150.
States where one party gained seats in both chambers
There were 19 states where either Democrats, Republicans, or both had a net gain of state legislative seats in both state legislative chambers.[1] Democrats had a net gain in both legislative chambers of six states. Republicans had a net gain in both legislative chambers of 15 states.[2] This analysis includes seats vacant at the time of the election as its own category. This means a party may be recorded as gaining a seat that was most recently held by a member of the same party if that seat was vacant at the time of the election.
The table below shows these states and the net gains made by each party in both state legislative chambers. Democratic gains are shown on the left. Republican gains are shown on the right.
| States where one party gained seats in both chambers, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | |||||
| State | Net House gains | Net Senate gains | State | Net House gains | Net Senate gains | |
| Connecticut | +6 | +2 | Arkansas | +3 | +2 | |
| Georgia | +5 | +1 | Florida | +7 | +1 | |
| Massachusetts | +2 | +1 | Kentucky | +13 | +2 | |
| Missouri | +1 | +2 | Missouri | +1 | +1 | |
| New York | +3 | +3 | Montana | +9 | +1 | |
| Vermont | +4 | +1 | Nevada | +3 | +1 | |
| New Hampshire | +57 | +4 | ||||
| North Dakota | +1 | +3 | ||||
| Ohio | +3 | +1 | ||||
| Oregon | +1 | +1 | ||||
| South Carolina | +3 | +3 | ||||
| South Dakota | +3 | +2 | ||||
| Vermont | +3 | +1 | ||||
| West Virginia | +17 | +3 | ||||
| Wyoming | +2 | +3 | ||||
Election results, 2020: State legislative chambers that changed party control
Updated February 21, 2021
Eighty-six of 99 state legislative chambers across 44 states held general elections on November 3, 2020.Partisan control flipped in two chambers—Republicans gained majorities in theNew Hampshire House of Representatives and theNew Hampshire State Senate.
Heading into the 2020 elections, Republicans had majorities in 59 chambers and Democrats had majorities in 39 chambers. In the Alaska House, there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties as part of a coalition.
The National Conference of State Legislatures' Tim Storey and Wendy Underhill wrote, "With just two chamber flips so far, it looks like 2020 will see the least party control changes on Election Day since at least 1944 when only four chambers changed hands. In the 1926 and 1928 elections, only one chamber changed hands."[3]
As a result of the 2020 elections, Republicans gainedtrifectas—single-party control of the governorship and both state legislative chambers—in two states: New Hampshire and Montana. In New Hampshire, Gov.Chris Sununu (R) won re-election. In Montana, Republicans maintained majorities in both legislative chambers andGreg Gianforte (R) won the gubernatorial race.
In2018, when 87 chambers held elections, six chambers changed partisan control. Democrats captured theColorado State Senate,Maine State Senate,Minnesota House of Representatives,New Hampshire House of Representatives,New Hampshire State Senate, andNew York State Senate.
| State legislative chamber control before and after 2020 elections | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-election majority | Post-election majority | Change? | ||||||
| State | State Senate | State House | State Senate | State House | Y/N | |||
| Alabama | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | N/A[4] | |||
| Alaska | Republican | Split | Republican | Split | No | |||
| Arizona | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Arkansas | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| California | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| Colorado | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| Connecticut | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| Delaware | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| Florida | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Georgia | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Hawaii | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| Idaho | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Illinois | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| Indiana | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Iowa | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Kansas | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Kentucky | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Louisiana | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | N/A[4] | |||
| Maine | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| Maryland | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | N/A[4] | |||
| Massachusetts | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| Michigan | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Minnesota | Republican | Democratic | Republican | Democratic | No | |||
| Mississippi | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | N/A[4] | |||
| Missouri | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Montana | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Nebraska | Republican | Republican | No | |||||
| Nevada | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| New Hampshire | Democratic | Democratic | Republican | Republican | Yes | |||
| New Jersey | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | N/A[4] | |||
| New Mexico | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| New York | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| North Carolina | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| North Dakota | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Ohio | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Oklahoma | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Oregon | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| Pennsylvania | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Rhode Island | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| South Carolina | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| South Dakota | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Tennessee | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Texas | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Utah | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Vermont | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| Virginia | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | N/A[4] | |||
| Washington | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | No | |||
| West Virginia | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Wisconsin | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
| Wyoming | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | No | |||
Margin of victory
Across all 5,875 seats up for election, the average margin of victory was27.0%. An electoralmargin of victory (MOV) is the difference between the share of votes cast for the winning candidate and the second-place candidate in an election. Only races with more than one candidate were included in this average. The chart below displays the breakdown of races by the winner's partisan affiliation and margin of victory for each state legislative chamber with single-member districts which held elections in 2021. A darker shade of red or blue indicates a larger margin for that party.
The chart below displays the breakdown of races by the winner's partisan affiliation and margin of victory for each state legislative chamber with single-member districts which held elections in 2020. A darker shade of red or blue indicates a larger margin for that party.The table below displays how many seats were up for election in each chamber and how many seats each party won. It also includes a breakdown of how many seats Democrats and Republicans won by 10% or less and without opposition in each chamber, as well as the average margin of victory for each party. Click on a particular header to sort the table.
| Average MOV for state legislative elections, 2020 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Seats up for election | Seats won by Democrats | Seats won by Democrats by margins of 10% or less | Seats won by unopposed Democrats | Average margin of victory for Democrats | Seats won by Republicans | Seats won by Republicans by margins of 10% or less | Seats won by unopposed Republicans | Average margin of victory for Republicans | Seats won by independent and minor-party candidates |
| Alaska House of Representatives | 40 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 17.6% | 21 | 3 | 4 | 30.5% | 4 |
| Alaska State Senate | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 23.7% | 7 | 1 | 1 | 30.4% | 0 |
| Arizona House of Representatives | 60 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 14.5% | 17 | 10 | 1 | 9.4% | 0 |
| Arizona State Senate | 30 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 26.6% | 16 | 4 | 1 | 39.9% | 0 |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | 100 | 22 | 14 | 2 | 17.3% | 78 | 5 | 43 | 33.8% | 0 |
| Arkansas State Senate | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 29.8% | 15 | 1 | 8 | 27.0% | 0 |
| California State Assembly | 80 | 60 | 2 | 3 | 33.1% | 19 | 6 | 2 | 17.8% | 1 |
| California State Senate | 20 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 27.1% | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8.7% | 0 |
| Colorado House of Representatives | 65 | 41 | 5 | 2 | 28.7% | 24 | 3 | 1 | 27.2% | 0 |
| Colorado State Senate | 18 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 37.4% | 7 | 2 | 0 | 14.2% | 0 |
| Connecticut House of Representatives | 151 | 97 | 21 | 24 | 28.5% | 54 | 19 | 7 | 15.2% | 0 |
| Connecticut State Senate | 36 | 24 | 3 | 6 | 22.6% | 12 | 8 | 1 | 7.6% | 0 |
| Delaware House of Representatives | 41 | 26 | 14 | 0 | 35.3% | 15 | 2 | 6 | 28.0% | 0 |
| Delaware State Senate | 11 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 26.5% | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10.7% | 0 |
| Florida House of Representatives | 120 | 42 | 23 | 5 | 21.8% | 78 | 17 | 1 | 21.9% | 0 |
| Florida State Senate | 20 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 31.1% | 11 | 2 | 0 | 20.2% | 0 |
| Georgia House of Representatives | 180 | 77 | 55 | 7 | 22.0% | 103 | 13 | 38 | 33.9% | 0 |
| Georgia State Senate | 56 | 22 | 14 | 1 | 34.9% | 34 | 2 | 13 | 34.1% | 0 |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | 51 | 47 | 17 | 2 | 40.9% | 4 | 1 | 0 | 20.6% | 0 |
| Hawaii State Senate | 13 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 36.1% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16.7% | 0 |
| Idaho House of Representatives | 70 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 30.1% | 58 | 2 | 24 | 40.9% | 0 |
| Idaho State Senate | 35 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 20.5% | 28 | 1 | 15 | 40.5% | 0 |
| Illinois House of Representatives | 118 | 73 | 40 | 9 | 35.9% | 45 | 10 | 7 | 30.1% | 0 |
| Illinois State Senate | 20 | 17 | 8 | 3 | 15.9% | 3 | 0 | 1 | 76.4% | 0 |
| Indiana House of Representatives | 100 | 29 | 14 | 2 | 24.7% | 71 | 7 | 17 | 30.8% | 0 |
| Indiana State Senate | 25 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 5.1% | 18 | 1 | 3 | 30.8% | 0 |
| Iowa House of Representatives | 100 | 41 | 18 | 7 | 17.2% | 59 | 11 | 9 | 26.8% | 0 |
| Iowa State Senate | 25 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 18.6% | 19 | 2 | 3 | 24.6% | 0 |
| Kansas House of Representatives | 125 | 39 | 11 | 10 | 21.1% | 86 | 13 | 34 | 27.7% | 0 |
| Kansas State Senate | 40 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 18.6% | 29 | 7 | 10 | 24.2% | 0 |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | 100 | 25 | 15 | 4 | 17.6% | 75 | 9 | 18 | 36.7% | 0 |
| Kentucky State Senate | 19 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 99.7% | 14 | 2 | 3 | 42.5% | 0 |
| Maine House of Representatives | 151 | 80 | 23 | 13 | 20.2% | 67 | 16 | 10 | 21.5% | 4 |
| Maine State Senate | 35 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 15.8% | 13 | 0 | 0 | 25.8% | 0 |
| Massachusetts House of Representatives | 160 | 129 | 102 | 5 | 29.4% | 30 | 7 | 15 | 12.7% | 1 |
| Massachusetts State Senate | 40 | 37 | 29 | 2 | 38.2% | 3 | 0 | 1 | 15.5% | 0 |
| Michigan House of Representatives | 110 | 52 | 1 | 9 | 36.6% | 58 | 5 | 0 | 26.7% | 0 |
| Minnesota House of Representatives | 134 | 70 | 2 | 14 | 31.1% | 64 | 11 | 0 | 28.9% | 0 |
| Minnesota State Senate | 67 | 33 | 0 | 6 | 31.8% | 34 | 8 | 0 | 27.0% | 0 |
| Missouri House of Representatives | 163 | 49 | 27 | 7 | 27.4% | 114 | 5 | 51 | 35.0% | 0 |
| Missouri State Senate | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 49.3% | 10 | 2 | 3 | 35.6% | 0 |
| Montana House of Representatives | 100 | 33 | 6 | 5 | 25.5% | 67 | 9 | 23 | 32.3% | 0 |
| Montana State Senate | 25 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 17.9% | 17 | 2 | 7 | 29.9% | 0 |
| Nevada State Assembly | 42 | 26 | 4 | 5 | 25.1% | 16 | 3 | 7 | 19.3% | 0 |
| Nevada State Senate | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 22.9% | 4 | 2 | 0 | 18.3% | 0 |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | 400 | 105 | 9 | 66 | 10.3% | 99 | 71 | 1 | 7.9% | 0 |
| New Hampshire State Senate | 24 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 19.1% | 14 | 4 | 0 | 13.2% | 0 |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | 70 | 44 | 7 | 12 | 25.1% | 25 | 5 | 13 | 18.0% | 1 |
| New Mexico State Senate | 42 | 27 | 1 | 5 | 28.0% | 15 | 3 | 8 | 16.7% | 0 |
| New York State Assembly | 150 | 106 | 39 | 8 | 43.3% | 43 | 3 | 8 | 23.1% | 1 |
| New York State Senate | 63 | 42 | 11 | 7 | 39.1% | 21 | 6 | 5 | 18.7% | 0 |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | 120 | 51 | 7 | 10 | 27.8% | 69 | 12 | 4 | 26.2% | 0 |
| North Carolina State Senate | 50 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 27.2% | 28 | 4 | 0 | 27.3% | 0 |
| North Dakota House of Representatives | 46 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2.0% | 21 | 5 | 3 | 16.1% | 0 |
| North Dakota State Senate | 23 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8.4% | 22 | 6 | 7 | 25.8% | 0 |
| Ohio House of Representatives | 99 | 35 | 7 | 8 | 26.7% | 64 | 5 | 4 | 39.8% | 0 |
| Ohio State Senate | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19.7% | 15 | 4 | 0 | 26.1% | 0 |
| Oklahoma House of Representatives | 101 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 17.3% | 82 | 3 | 58 | 31.7% | 0 |
| Oklahoma State Senate | 24 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.8% | 22 | 1 | 10 | 36.9% | 0 |
| Oregon House of Representatives | 60 | 37 | 6 | 8 | 26.2% | 23 | 2 | 0 | 30.2% | 0 |
| Oregon State Senate | 15 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 21.1% | 9 | 2 | 0 | 28.6% | 0 |
| Pennsylvania House of Representatives | 203 | 90 | 33 | 11 | 27.3% | 113 | 14 | 34 | 26.5% | 0 |
| Pennsylvania State Senate | 25 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 13.5% | 15 | 2 | 1 | 31.3% | 0 |
| Rhode Island House of Representatives | 75 | 65 | 40 | 7 | 25.7% | 10 | 2 | 4 | 18.2% | 0 |
| Rhode Island State Senate | 38 | 33 | 19 | 2 | 28.8% | 5 | 1 | 2 | 20.1% | 0 |
| South Carolina House of Representatives | 124 | 43 | 19 | 6 | 32.6% | 81 | 3 | 47 | 31.1% | 0 |
| South Carolina State Senate | 46 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 14.4% | 30 | 2 | 9 | 28.9% | 0 |
| South Dakota House of Representatives | 70 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 4.5% | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12.7% | 0 |
| South Dakota State Senate | 35 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9.2% | 32 | 1 | 10 | 34.7% | 0 |
| Tennessee House of Representatives | 99 | 26 | 18 | 3 | 29.0% | 73 | 4 | 34 | 41.9% | 0 |
| Tennessee State Senate | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3.5% | 14 | 1 | 3 | 43.4% | 0 |
| Texas House of Representatives | 150 | 67 | 26 | 10 | 27.8% | 83 | 16 | 22 | 29.8% | 0 |
| Texas State Senate | 16 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 36.7% | 8 | 0 | 1 | 34.5% | 0 |
| Utah House of Representatives | 75 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 24.0% | 58 | 5 | 11 | 38.8% | 0 |
| Utah State Senate | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21.3% | 13 | 0 | 5 | 47.0% | 0 |
| Vermont House of Representatives | 150 | 70 | 23 | 17 | 17.9% | 29 | 10 | 10 | 12.2% | 5 |
| Vermont State Senate | 30 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 9.8% | 6 | 3 | 2 | 13.4% | 0 |
| Washington House of Representatives | 98 | 57 | 6 | 6 | 30.6% | 41 | 9 | 4 | 23.6% | 0 |
| Washington State Senate | 25 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 22.4% | 13 | 3 | 3 | 17.9% | 0 |
| West Virginia House of Delegates | 100 | 18 | 1 | 11 | 8.6% | 49 | 10 | 10 | 26.5% | 0 |
| West Virginia State Senate | 17 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10.4% | 14 | 4 | 2 | 22.2% | 0 |
| Wisconsin State Assembly | 99 | 38 | 6 | 8 | 30.9% | 61 | 8 | 10 | 24.8% | 0 |
| Wisconsin State Senate | 16 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 56.3% | 10 | 2 | 2 | 18.7% | 0 |
| Wyoming House of Representatives | 60 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3.0% | 51 | 3 | 33 | 33.7% | 2 |
| Wyoming State Senate | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | 9 | 33.9% | 0 |
| Totals | 5,875 | 2,503 | 827 | 444 | 26.7% | 2,950 | 484 | 788 | 27.3% | 44 |
In 2020, there were56 races decided by margins of 0.5% or smaller.
Incumbents defeated in 2020 elections
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
In 2020, 155 incumbents were defeated in primary elections.
- 60 Democratic incumbents were defeated. In other words, 87.9% of all Democratic incumbents who ran in a primary won.[5]
- 94 Republican incumbents were defeated. In other words, 82.1% of all Republican incumbents who ran in a primary won.[6]
Click [show] below to see a full list of incumbents defeated in primary elections.
Incumbents defeated in general elections
Two-hundred and twenty seven incumbent state legislators lost re-election in general elections onNov. 3, 2020. This represents 4.7% of all state legislative incumbents who ran in general elections.
- 165 Democrats
- 52 Republicans
10 Independent/minor party[13]
This was the fewest number of state legislators defeatedsince 2010. It marked a 29.5% decrease from the 322 defeated in2018 and was 54.8% lower than the decade-high 502 incumbents defeated in the2010 general election. Since 2010, an average of 307 incumbents have been defeated in even-year general elections.
Click [show] on the header below to view the full list of incumbents defeated in regularly-scheduled general elections in 2020.
Historical overview of incumbent losses
Overall
During the 2020 election cycle, 381 incumbents lost re-election, 154 in primaries and 227 in general elections. Compared to previous election cycles since 2010, the overall defeat of 381 incumbents was the second-lowest behind the2016 elections, when 356 incumbents lost in both primaries and general elections.
The defeat of 227 incumbents in general elections was the lowest number in the past decade. The number defeated in 2020 represented a 29.5% decrease from the 322 defeated in2018 and was 54.8% lower than the decade-high 502 incumbents defeated in the2010 general election.
The defeat of 154 incumbent in primaries was the second-highest, exceeded only by the2012 elections, when 194 incumbents lost to primary challengers.
Over the past decade, an average of 127 incumbents lost in primaries and 307 lost in general elections. With both combined, an overall average of 451 incumbents lost in each election cycle.
The graph below shows a comparison between incumbent losses from 2010 to 2020 broken down by the type of defeat.
Partisan analysis
Between 2010 and 2020, there were three even-year cycles when more Democratic incumbents lost re-election than Republicans, and three cycles where more Republican incumbents lost re-election than Democrats.
In primaries, Republican incumbents have been defeated at higher numbers than Democratic incumbents in the previous five election cycles. In 2010, both parties saw 56 incumbents defeated in primaries.
In general elections, the number of Democratic incumbent losses has exceeded that of Republican incumbents in four election cycles. The number of Republican losses has exceeded Democratic losses in two.
On average, over the past decade, more Republican incumbents lost in primaries than did Democrats (87 versus 57). More Democratic incumbents lost in general elections than did Republicans (186 versus 114). Overall, Democratic incumbents had a higher overall number of defeated incumbents than Republicans (243 versus 201).
The graph below shows a partisan breakdown of incumbent losses from 2010 to 2020. Use the buttons to view partisan data broken down by primary or general election.
Click [show] on the chart below to view a breakdown of state legislative incumbent losses in primaries and general elections used in the analysis above.
| State legislative incumbents losses, 2010-2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Party | Primary election defeats | General election defeats | Total incumbent defeats | ||
| 2020 | ||||||
| Democrats | 60[17] | 165[18] | 225 | |||
| Republicans | 94[19] | 52 | 146 | |||
| Other | N/A | 10 | 10 | |||
| Total | 154 | 227 | 381 | |||
| 2018 | ||||||
| Democrats | 70 | 49 | 119 | |||
| Republicans | 77 | 253 | 330 | |||
| Other | N/A | 20 | 20 | |||
| Total | 147 | 322 | 469 | |||
| 2016 | ||||||
| Democrats | 39 | 126 | 165 | |||
| Republicans | 84 | 103 | 187 | |||
| Other | N/A | 4 | 4 | |||
| Total | 123 | 233 | 356 | |||
| 2014 | ||||||
| Democrats | 46 | 226 | 272 | |||
| Republicans | 85 | 40 | 125 | |||
| Total | 131 | 266 | 397 | |||
| 2012 | ||||||
| Democrats | 71 | 66 | 137 | |||
| Republicans | 123 | 224 | 347 | |||
| Other | N/A | 4 | 4 | |||
| Total | 194 | 294 | 488 | |||
| 2010 | ||||||
| Democrats | 56 | 482 | 538 | |||
| Republicans | 56 | 14 | 70 | |||
| Other | N/A | 6 | 6 | |||
| Total | 112 | 502 | 614 | |||
| Decade Avg. | ||||||
| Democrats | 57 | 186 | 243 | |||
| Republicans | 87 | 114 | 201 | |||
| Other | N/A | 7 | 7 | |||
| Total | 127 | 307 | 451 | |||
Trifectas
- See also:State government trifectas
Updated February 12, 2021
Republicans gained trifecta control in Montana and New Hampshire. Republicans have23 trifectas (a net gain of two), Democrats have15 trifectas, and12 states have divided governments (a net loss of two).
Heading into the 2020 elections, there were 36 state government trifectas—the most since 2013. Republicans had 21 trifectas, and Democrats had 15. The other 14 states haddivided government, meaning neither party had a trifecta.
In the November 3, 2020, elections, 44 states held elections for one or more trifecta offices. Astate government trifecta occurs when one party holds the governorship and a majority in both chambers of a state's legislature. We identified 16vulnerable trifectas: eight Democratic and eight Republican. We also identified seven states where one or both parties had the potential to gain a trifecta.
The states under divided government included eight with a Democratic governor and Republican legislature and four with a Republican governor and Democratic legislature. The final two states were Alaska (with a Republican governor and state Senate majority, but a minority coalition in the state House) and Minnesota (with a Democratic governor and state House majority, but a Republican state Senate majority).
Though Republicans won a plurality of seats in theAlaska House, Republicans were unable to organize a majority, resulting in a minority coalition comprised of 16 Democrats, three independents, and two Republicans.Click here to read more.
The Republican flips from divided power to trifecta control in 2020 were in:
- Montana: Republicans won control of the governorship.
- New Hampshire: Republicans won control of the state Senate and House.
Vulnerable trifectas in 2020
Gubernatorial or state legislative elections took place in 42 states in 2020. Trifecta status was at stake in all 42 states. A trifecta exists when one party holds thegovernorship, a majority in thestate senate, and a majority in thestate house.
 | |
At the time of the 2020 elections, there were 36trifectas: 21 Republican trifectas and 15 Democratic trifectas. The remaining 14 states had a divided government where neither party had a trifecta. Elections for one or more trifecta offices took place in 19 of the 21 states with Republican trifectas, 13 of the 15 states with Democratic trifectas, and 10 of the 14 states with divided government. On this page, we assessed the likelihood of each existing state government trifecta breaking, and of new state government trifectas forming, as a result of the 2020 elections.
The basis for ratings in gubernatorial races arerace ratings from theCook Political Report,Sabato's Crystal Ball, andInside Elections. Legislative races are assessed based on the absolute number of seats and the proportion of seats that would need to be flipped. Both chambers in a state's legislature are evaluated individually. Clickhere for more on how these ratings were calculated.
The 2020 elections resulted in Republicans gaining two trifectas in the states ofMontana andNew Hampshire, both of which had divided government at the time of the election. Democrats neither gained nor lost any trifectas in 2020.
Changes in a state government's policy priorities often follow changes in trifecta status, astrifecta control affords a political party the opportunity to advance its agenda. Gaining or breaking trifectas—or in some cases, maintaining divided government—thus often becomes a major priority for a party heading into each election cycle. "Few ever pay attention to [gubernatorial and state legislative] races, but they’re important for [redistricting] and waves can be leveraged for major gains," according toNBC News reporter Alex Seitz-Wald.[20] Between 2010 and 2019, 70 state government trifectas werebroken or gained.
Election results, 2020: Veto-proof majorities
- See also:State government trifectas
Two state legislatures saw changes in their veto-proof majority status—typically when one partycontrols either three-fifths or two-thirds of both chambers—as a result of the 2020 elections. Democrats gained veto-proof majorities inDelaware andNew York, bringing the number of state legislatures with a veto-proof majority in both chambers to 24:16 held by Republicans andeight held by Democrats.
Forty-four states held regularly-scheduled state legislative elections on November 3. Heading into the election, there were 22 state legislatures where one party had a veto-proof majority in both chambers; 16 held by Republicans and six held by Democrats. Twenty of those states held legislative elections in 2020.
The veto override power can play a role in conflicts between state legislatures and governors. Conflict can occur when legislatures vote to override gubernatorial vetoes or in court cases related to vetoes and the override power.
Heading into the election, there werefour states where the governor was a member of a different political party than the veto-proof majority: Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Maryland. All but Maryland held legislative elections in 2020, and no veto-proof majority status changes occurred. Ballotpedia identifiedfive states with state legislative elections in 2020 that had the potential to gain a veto-proof majority of the party opposite the governor: Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Vermont, and Wisconsin. To find out what happened in those states,click here.
Although it has the potential to create conflict, the veto override power is rarely used. According to political scientists Peverill Squire and Gary Moncrief in 2010, only about five percent of vetoes are overridden.[21]
| Changes in state legislative veto-proof majorites | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Before | After | ||||
| Delaware | Democratic veto-proof majority in state House | Democratic veto-proof majority in state legislature | ||||
| New York | Democratic veto-proof majority in state Assembly | Democratic veto-proof majority in state legislature | ||||
| Changes in state legislative chamber veto-proof majorities | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Before | After | ||||
| Connecticut State Senate | No veto-proof majority | Democratic veto-proof majority | ||||
| Delaware State Senate | No veto-proof majority | Democratic veto-proof majority | ||||
| Montana House of Representatives | No veto-proof majority | Republican veto-proof majority | ||||
| Nevada State Assembly | Democratic veto-proof majority | No veto-proof majority | ||||
| New York State Senate | No veto-proof majority | Democratic veto-proof majority | ||||
Veto-proof majorities and opposing-party governors
Veto-proof majorities are most important when the other party controls the governorship. This creates more opportunities for legislatures to override gubernatorial vetoes. Heading into 2020, the 22 state legislatures where one party had a veto-proof majority in both chambers included four states where the governor was a member of a different political party than the veto-proof majority: Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Maryland. All but Maryland held legislative elections in 2020. As a result of the 2020 elections, Republicans maintained veto-proof majorities in Kansas and Kentucky, and Democrats maintained their veto-proof majority in Massachusetts. No governorships in these states were up for election in 2020.
Elections by state
Click a tab below to read about 2020 state legislative elections in that state.
Alabama
Alabama did not hold any regularstate legislative elections in 2020.
Alaska
Alaska's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Alaska legislators assume office on the third Tuesday of January following their election.[22][23]
| Alaska State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 7 | 7 | |
| Republican Party | 13 | 13 | |
| Total | 20 | 20 | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 15 | 15 | |
| Republican Party | 22 | 21 | |
| Independent | 2 | 3 | |
| Nonpartisan | 0 | 1 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | 40 | |
Arizona
Arizona's state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. Arizona legislators assume office on the first day of the session after they are elected. Each regular session begins on the second Monday in January.[24] Members arelimited to four consecutive terms, or a total of eight years in each chamber.
| Arizona State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 13 | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 17 | 16 | |
| Total | 40 | 40 | |
| Arizona House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 29 | 29 | |
| Republican Party | 31 | 31 | |
| Total | 60 | 60 | |
Arkansas
Arkansas' state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Arkansas legislators assume office on the second Monday of January following their election.[25] Members arelimited to 16 years in the general assembly.
| Arkansas State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 9 | 7 | |
| Republican Party | 26 | 28 | |
| Total | 35 | 35 | |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 23 | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 75 | 78 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
California
California's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. California legislators assume office the first Monday in the December following their election.[26] Members arelimited to 12 years in the state legislature.
| California State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 28 | 30 | |
| Republican Party | 11 | 9 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 40 | 40 | |
| California State Assembly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 61 | 60 | |
| Republican Party | 17 | 19 | |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 80 | 80 | |
Colorado
Colorado's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Colorado legislators assume office on the first day of the legislative session after their election. The legislative session must begin no later than 10:00 AM on the second Wednesday of January.[27] The state constitution requires the newly elected governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, and secretary of state to take office on the second Tuesday of January.[28] In the year after those offices are elected, the legislative session must begin before the second Tuesday of January to declare the winners of those races.[29][30] Senators arelimited to two consecutive terms and representatives arelimited to four consecutive terms, or a total of eight years in each chamber.
| Colorado State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 19 | 20 | |
| Republican Party | 16 | 15 | |
| Total | 35 | 35 | |
| Colorado House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 41 | 41 | |
| Republican Party | 24 | 24 | |
| Total | 65 | 65 | |
Connecticut
Connecticut's state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. Connecticut legislators assume office the Wednesday following the first Monday of January after their election.[31]
| Connecticut State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 22 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 14 | 12 | |
| Total | 36 | 36 | |
| Connecticut House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 91 | 97 | |
| Republican Party | 60 | 54 | |
| Total | 151 | 151 | |
Delaware
Delaware's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Delaware legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November (the day after election day).[32][33]
| Delaware State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 12 | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 9 | 7 | |
| Total | 21 | 21 | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 26 | 26 | |
| Republican Party | 15 | 15 | |
| Total | 41 | 41 | |
Florida
Florida's state senators are elected to two or four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Florida legislators assume office on the day they are elected in the general election.[34] Senators arelimited to two consecutive terms and representatives arelimited to four consecutive terms, or a total of eight years in each chamber.
| Florida State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 17 | 16 | |
| Republican Party | 23 | 24 | |
| Total | 40 | 40 | |
| Florida House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 46 | 42 | |
| Republican Party | 71 | 78 | |
| Vacancy | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 120 | 120 | |
Georgia
Georgia's state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. Georgia legislators assume office the second Monday in January.[35]
| Georgia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 21 | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 35 | 34 | |
| Total | 56 | 56 | |
| Georgia House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 75 | 76 | |
| Republican Party | 104 | 103 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 180 | 180 | |
Hawaii
Hawaii's state senators are elected to two or four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Hawaii legislators assume office on the day they are elected in the general election.[36]
| Hawaii State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 24 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 25 | 25 | |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 46 | 47 | |
| Republican Party | 5 | 4 | |
| Total | 51 | 51 | |
Idaho
Idaho's state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. Idaho legislators assume office on the first day in December following the general election.[37]
| Idaho State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 7 | 7 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | 28 | |
| Total | 35 | 35 | |
| Idaho House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 14 | 12 | |
| Republican Party | 56 | 58 | |
| Total | 70 | 70 | |
Illinois
Illinois' state senators are elected to two or four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Illinois legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January.[38]
| Illinois State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 40 | 41 | |
| Republican Party | 19 | 18 | |
| Total | 59 | 59 | |
| Illinois House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 74 | 73 | |
| Republican Party | 44 | 45 | |
| Total | 118 | 118 | |
Indiana
Indiana's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Indiana legislators assume office the day after their general election.[39]
| Indiana State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 10 | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 40 | 39[40] | |
| Total | 50 | 50 | |
| Indiana House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 33 | 29 | |
| Republican Party | 67 | 71 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
Iowa
Iowa's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Iowa state senators assume office on the first day of January which is not a Sunday or legal holiday.[41][42] Iowa state representatives always assume office the first day of January after their election.[43]
| Iowa State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 18 | 18 | |
| Republican Party | 32 | 32 | |
| Total | 50 | 50 | |
| Iowa House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 47 | 41 | |
| Republican Party | 53 | 59 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
Kansas
Kansas' state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Kansas legislators assume office the second Monday of January after their election.[44]
| Kansas State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 11 | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 29 | 29 | |
| Total | 40 | 40 | |
| Kansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 41 | 39 | |
| Republican Party | 84 | 86 | |
| Total | 125 | 125 | |
Kentucky
Kentucky's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Kentucky legislators assume office the first day of January after their election.[45]
| Kentucky State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 10 | 8 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | 30 | |
| Total | 38 | 38 | |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 37 | 25 | |
| Republican Party | 62 | 75 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
Louisiana
Louisiana did not hold any regularstate legislative elections in 2020.
Maine
Maine's state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. Maine legislators assume office the day before the first Wednesday of December following the general election.[46][47] Members arelimited to four consecutive terms, or a total of eight years in each chamber.
| Maine State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 21 | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 14 | 13 | |
| Total | 35 | 35 | |
| Maine House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 87 | 80 | |
| Republican Party | 56 | 67 | |
| Independent | 5 | 4 | |
| Common Sense Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 151 | 151 | |
Maryland
Maryland did not hold any regularstate legislative elections in 2020.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts' state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. Massachusetts legislators assume office the first Wednesday in January after the election.[48]
| Massachusetts State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 36 | 37 | |
| Republican Party | 4 | 3 | |
| Total | 40 | 40 | |
| Massachusetts House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 126 | 129 | |
| Republican Party | 31 | 30 | |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 160 | 160 | |
Michigan
Michigan did not hold any regularstate senate elections in 2020. Michigan's state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Michigan legislators assume office at noon on the first day of January.[49] Representatives arelimited to three terms, or a total of six years in the chamber.
| Michigan House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 51 | 52 | |
| Republican Party | 58 | 58 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 110 | 110 | |
Minnesota
Minnesota's state senators are elected to two or four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Minnesota legislators assume office on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January after the election. When the first Monday in January falls on January 1, legislators assume office on the first Wednesday after the first Monday.[50][51]
| Minnesota State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 32 | 33 | |
| Republican Party | 35 | 34 | |
| Total | 67 | 67 | |
| Minnesota House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 75 | 70 | |
| Republican Party | 59 | 64 | |
| Total | 134 | 134 | |
Mississippi
Mississippi did not hold any regularstate legislative elections in 2020.
Missouri
Missouri's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Missouri legislators assume office the first day of the legislative session, which is the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January at 12:00pm.[52] Senators arelimited to two consecutive terms and representatives arelimited to four consecutive terms, or a total of eight years in each chamber.
| Missouri State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 8 | 10 | |
| Republican Party | 23 | 24 | |
| Vacancy | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 34 | 34 | |
| Missouri House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 48 | 49 | |
| Republican Party | 113 | 114 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 163 | 163 | |
Montana
Montana's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Montana legislators assume office the first Monday of January following the election. If January 1 is a Monday, legislators assume office on the first Wednesday.[53] Senators arelimited to two terms and representatives arelimited to four terms, or a total of eight years in each chamber.
| Montana State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 20 | 19 | |
| Republican Party | 30 | 31 | |
| Total | 50 | 50 | |
| Montana House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 42 | 33 | |
| Republican Party | 58 | 67 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
Nebraska
Nebraska's state senators are elected to four-year terms. Nebraska legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January.[54] Members arelimited to two consecutive terms, or a total of eight years in the chamber.
| Nebraska State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 18 | 17 | |
| Republican Party | 30 | 32 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 49 | 49 | |
Nevada
Nevada's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Nevada legislators assume office on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November (the day after election day).[55] Senators arelimited to three terms and representatives arelimited to six terms, or a total of 12 years in each chamber.
| Nevada State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 13 | 12 | |
| Republican Party | 8 | 9 | |
| Total | 21 | 21 | |
| Nevada State Assembly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 29 | 26 | |
| Republican Party | 13 | 16 | |
| Total | 42 | 42 | |
New Hampshire
New Hampshire's state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. New Hampshire legislators assume office on the first Wednesday of December following the general election.[56]
| New Hampshire State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 14 | 10 | |
| Republican Party | 10 | 14 | |
| Total | 24 | 24 | |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 230 | 187 | |
| Republican Party | 156 | 213 | |
| Libertarian Party | 1 | 0 | |
| Vacancy | 13 | 0 | |
| Total | 400 | 400 | |
New Jersey
New Jersey did not hold any regularstate legislative elections in 2020.
New Mexico
New Mexico's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. New Mexico legislators assume office on the first day of January after a general election.[57]
| New Mexico State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 26 | 27 | |
| Republican Party | 16 | 15 | |
| Total | 42 | 42 | |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 46 | 44 | |
| Republican Party | 24 | 25 | |
| Independent | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 70 | 70 | |
New York
New York's state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. New York legislators assume office the first day of January after a general election.[58]
| New York State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 40 | 43 | |
| Republican Party | 20 | 20 | |
| Vacancy | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 63 | 63 | |
| New York State Assembly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 103 | 106 | |
| Republican Party | 42 | 43 | |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | |
| Vacancy | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 150 | 150 | |
North Carolina
North Carolina's state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. North Carolina legislators assume office on January 1 the year after their election.[59]
| North Carolina State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 21 | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 29 | 28 | |
| Total | 50 | 50 | |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 55 | 51 | |
| Republican Party | 65 | 69 | |
| Total | 120 | 120 | |
North Dakota
North Dakota's state senators and representatives are elected to four-year terms. North Dakota legislators assume office December 1st.[60]
| North Dakota State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 10 | 7 | |
| Republican Party | 37 | 40 | |
| Total | 47 | 47 | |
| North Dakota House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 15 | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 79 | 80 | |
| Total | 94 | 94 | |
Ohio
Ohio's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Ohio legislators assume office the first day of January after a general election.[61][62] Senators arelimited to two consecutive terms and representatives arelimited to four consecutive terms, or a total of eight years in each chamber.
| Ohio State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 9 | 8 | |
| Republican Party | 24 | 25 | |
| Total | 33 | 33 | |
| Ohio House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 38 | 35 | |
| Republican Party | 61 | 64 | |
| Total | 99 | 99 | |
Oklahoma
Oklahoma's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Oklahoma legislators assume office 15 days following the general election.[63][64] Members arelimited to 12 years in the state legislature.
| Oklahoma State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 9 | 9 | |
| Republican Party | 39 | 39 | |
| Total | 48 | 48 | |
| Oklahoma House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 23 | 19 | |
| Republican Party | 76 | 82 | |
| Total | 101 | 101 | |
Oregon
Oregon's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Oregon legislators assume office the second Monday in January following the election.[65]
| Oregon State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 18 | 18 | |
| Republican Party | 12 | 12 | |
| Total | 30 | 30 | |
| Oregon House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 38 | 37 | |
| Republican Party | 22 | 23 | |
| Total | 60 | 60 | |
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Pennsylvania legislators assume office on the first day of December after a general election.[66]
| Pennsylvania State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 21 | 21 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | 28 | |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 50 | 50 | |
| Pennsylvania House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 93 | 90 | |
| Republican Party | 109 | 113 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 203 | 203 | |
Rhode Island
Rhode Island's state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. Rhode Island legislators assume office the first Tuesday in January.[67]
| Rhode Island State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 33 | 33 | |
| Republican Party | 5 | 5 | |
| Total | 38 | 38 | |
| Rhode Island House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 66 | 65 | |
| Republican Party | 8 | 10 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 75 | 75 | |
South Carolina
South Carolina's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. South Carolina legislators assume office the Monday after the election.[68]
| South Carolina State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 19 | 16 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | 30 | |
| Total | 46 | 46 | |
| South Carolina State House | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 45 | 43 | |
| Republican Party | 78 | 81 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 124 | 124 | |
South Dakota
South Dakota's state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. South Dakota legislators assume office the second Tuesday in January after the general election.[69] Members arelimited to four consecutive terms, or a total of eight years in each chamber.
| South Dakota State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 5 | 3 | |
| Republican Party | 30 | 32 | |
| Total | 35 | 35 | |
| South Dakota House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 11 | 8 | |
| Republican Party | 59 | 62 | |
| Total | 70 | 70 | |
Tennessee
Tennessee's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Tennessee legislators assume office on the day they are elected in the general election.[70]
| Tennessee State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 5 | 6 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | 27 | |
| Total | 33 | 33 | |
| Tennessee House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 26 | 26 | |
| Republican Party | 73 | 73 | |
| Total | 99 | 99 | |
Texas
Texas' state senators are elected to two or four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session, which starts at noon on the second Tuesday in January in the year after the election.[71][72]
| Texas State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 12 | 13 | |
| Republican Party | 19 | 18 | |
| Total | 31 | 31 | |
| Texas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 67 | 67 | |
| Republican Party | 83 | 83 | |
| Total | 150 | 150 | |
Utah
Utah's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Utah legislators assume office the first day in January.[73][74]
| Utah State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 6 | 6 | |
| Republican Party | 23 | 23 | |
| Total | 29 | 29 | |
| Utah House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 16 | 17 | |
| Republican Party | 59 | 58 | |
| Total | 75 | 75 | |
Vermont
Vermont's state senators and representatives are elected to two-year terms. Vermont legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January after the election.[75]
| Vermont State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 22 | 21 | |
| Republican Party | 6 | 7 | |
| Vermont Progressive Party | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 30 | 30 | |
| Vermont House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 95 | 92 | |
| Republican Party | 43 | 46 | |
| Vermont Progressive Party | 7 | 7 | |
| Independent | 5 | 5 | |
| Total | 150 | 150 | |
Virginia
Virginia did not hold any regularstate legislative elections in 2020.
Washington
Washington's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Washington legislators assume office the second Monday of January.[76]
| Washington State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 29 | 29 | |
| Republican Party | 20 | 20 | |
| Total | 49 | 49 | |
| Washington House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 57 | 57 | |
| Republican Party | 41 | 41 | |
| Total | 98 | 98 | |
West Virginia
West Virginia's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. West Virginia legislators assume office on the first day of December following their election.[77]
| West Virginia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 14 | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 20 | 23 | |
| Total | 34 | 34 | |
| West Virginia House of Delegates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 41 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 58 | 76 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
Wisconsin
Wisconsin's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Wisconsin legislators assume office the first Monday in January following the election, unless the first Monday of January falls on January 1 or 2. In those cases, legislators assume office on January 3.[78]
| Wisconsin State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 13 | 12 | |
| Republican Party | 18 | 21 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | 33 | |
| Wisconsin State Assembly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 34 | 38 | |
| Republican Party | 63 | 61 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 99 | 99 | |
Wyoming
Wyoming's state senators are elected to four-year terms and state representatives are elected to two-year terms. Wyoming legislators assume office the first Monday in January in odd-numbered years.[79]
| Wyoming State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 3 | 2 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | 28 | |
| Total | 30 | 30 | |
| Wyoming House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 9 | 7 | |
| Republican Party | 49 | 51 | |
| Libertarian Party | 0 | 1 | |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 60 | 60 | |
Change in seats
The tables below show the total changes in state legislative seats, state Senate seats, and state House seats, respectively. Totals shown below include partisan data only from the 86 chambers that held regularly-scheduled elections in 2020.[80]
| Change in state legislative partisan composition, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before | After | Net | ||||
| Democratic | 2,986 | 2,872 | -114 | |||
| Republican | 3,320 | 3,495 | +175 | |||
| Other[81] | 83 | 69 | -14 | |||
| Vacant | 50 | 3 | -47 | |||
| Total | 6,439 | 6,439 | - | |||
| State-specific data | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Total seats | Pre-election | Post-election | Net change | |||||||||||||||
| Dem. | Rep. | Oth. | Vac. | Dem. | Rep. | Oth. | Vac. | Dem. | Rep. | Oth. | |||||||||
| Alaska | 60 | 22 | 35 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +2 | |||||||
| Arizona | 90 | 42 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 47 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Arkansas | 135 | 32 | 101 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 106 | 0 | 0 | -3 | +5 | 0 | |||||||
| California | 120 | 89 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 90 | 28 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Colorado | 100 | 60 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 39 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Connecticut | 187 | 113 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 121 | 66 | 0 | 0 | +8 | -8 | 0 | |||||||
| Delaware | 62 | 38 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 22 | 0 | 0 | +2 | -2 | 0 | |||||||
| Florida | 160 | 63 | 94 | 0 | 3 | 58 | 102 | 0 | 0 | -5 | +8 | 0 | |||||||
| Georgia | 236 | 93 | 141 | 1 | 1 | 99 | 137 | 0 | 0 | +6 | -4 | -1 | |||||||
| Hawaii | 76 | 70 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 5 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Idaho | 105 | 21 | 84 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 86 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +2 | 0 | |||||||
| Illinois | 177 | 114 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 114 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Indiana | 150 | 43 | 107 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 110 | 0 | 0 | -3 | +3 | 0 | |||||||
| Iowa | 150 | 65 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 91 | 0 | 0 | -6 | +6 | 0 | |||||||
| Kansas | 165 | 52 | 113 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 115 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +2 | 0 | |||||||
| Kentucky | 138 | 47 | 90 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 105 | 0 | 0 | -14 | +15 | 0 | |||||||
| Maine | 186 | 108 | 69 | 7 | 2 | 102 | 80 | 4 | 0 | -6 | +11 | -3 | |||||||
| Massachusetts | 200 | 163 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 166 | 33 | 1 | 0 | +3 | -2 | 0 | |||||||
| Michigan[82] | 110 | 51 | 58 | 0 | 1 | 52 | 58 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Minnesota | 201 | 105 | 94 | 2 | 0 | 103 | 98 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +4 | -2 | |||||||
| Missouri | 197 | 56 | 136 | 0 | 5 | 59 | 138 | 0 | 0 | +3 | +2 | 0 | |||||||
| Montana | 150 | 61 | 88 | 0 | 1 | 51 | 98 | 0 | 1 | -10 | +10 | 0 | |||||||
| Nebraska[83] | 49 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Nevada | 63 | 42 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 25 | 0 | 0 | -4 | +4 | 0 | |||||||
| New Hampshire | 424 | 244 | 166 | 1 | 13 | 197 | 227 | 0 | 0 | -47 | +61 | -1 | |||||||
| New Mexico | 112 | 72 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 40 | 1 | 0 | -1 | 0 | +1 | |||||||
| New York | 213 | 143 | 62 | 1 | 7 | 149 | 63 | 1 | 0 | +6 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| North Carolina | 170 | 76 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 97 | 0 | 0 | -3 | +3 | 0 | |||||||
| North Dakota | 141 | 25 | 115 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 119 | 0 | 1 | -4 | +4 | 0 | |||||||
| Ohio | 132 | 47 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 89 | 0 | 0 | -4 | +4 | 0 | |||||||
| Oklahoma | 149 | 32 | 115 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 121 | 0 | 0 | -4 | +6 | 0 | |||||||
| Oregon | 90 | 56 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 36 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +2 | 0 | |||||||
| Pennsylvania | 253 | 114 | 137 | 1 | 1 | 111 | 141 | 1 | 0 | -3 | +4 | 0 | |||||||
| Rhode Island | 113 | 99 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 98 | 15 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +2 | -1 | |||||||
| South Carolina | 170 | 64 | 105 | 0 | 1 | 59 | 111 | 0 | 0 | -5 | +6 | 0 | |||||||
| South Dakota | 105 | 16 | 89 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 94 | 0 | 0 | -5 | +5 | 0 | |||||||
| Tennessee | 132 | 31 | 101 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 100 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Texas | 181 | 79 | 102 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 101 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Utah | 104 | 22 | 82 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 81 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Vermont | 180 | 117 | 49 | 14 | 0 | 122 | 53 | 5 | 0 | +5 | +4 | -9 | |||||||
| Washington | 147 | 86 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| West Virginia | 134 | 54 | 79 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 99 | 0 | 0 | -19 | +20 | -1 | |||||||
| Wisconsin | 132 | 47 | 81 | 0 | 4 | 50 | 82 | 0 | 0 | +3 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| Wyoming | 90 | 12 | 76 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 79 | 2 | 0 | -3 | +3 | +1 | |||||||
| Total | 6,439 | 2,986 | 3,320 | 83 | 50 | 2,872 | 3,495 | 69 | 3 | -114 | +175 | -14 | |||||||
| Change in state Senate partisan composition, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before | After | Net | ||||
| Democratic | 724 | 724 | 0 | |||
| Republican | 893 | 905 | +12 | |||
| Other[81] | 54 | 50 | -4 | |||
| Vacant | 10 | 2 | -8 | |||
| Total | 1,681 | 1,681 | - | |||
| State-specific data | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Total seats | Pre-election | Post-election | Net change | |||||||||||||||
| Dem. | Rep. | Oth. | Vac. | Dem. | Rep. | Oth. | Vac. | Dem. | Rep. | Oth. | |||||||||
| Alaska | 20 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Arizona | 30 | 13 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 16 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Arkansas | 35 | 9 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 28 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +2 | 0 | |||||||
| California | 40 | 28 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 9 | 0 | 1 | +2 | -2 | 0 | |||||||
| Colorado | 35 | 19 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 15 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Connecticut | 36 | 22 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 12 | 0 | 0 | +2 | -2 | 0 | |||||||
| Delaware | 21 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | +2 | -2 | 0 | |||||||
| Florida | 40 | 17 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 24 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| Georgia | 56 | 21 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 34 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Hawaii | 25 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Idaho | 35 | 7 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Illinois | 59 | 40 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 18 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Indiana | 50 | 10 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 39 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Iowa | 50 | 18 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Kansas | 40 | 11 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Kentucky | 38 | 10 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 30 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +2 | 0 | |||||||
| Maine | 35 | 21 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 13 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Massachusetts | 40 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 3 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Minnesota | 67 | 30 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 34 | 0 | 0 | +3 | -1 | -2 | |||||||
| Missouri | 34 | 8 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 0 | 0 | +2 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| Montana | 50 | 19 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 31 | 0 | 1 | -1 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| Nebraska[84] | 49 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Nevada | 21 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| New Hampshire | 24 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | -4 | +4 | 0 | |||||||
| New Mexico | 42 | 26 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 15 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| New York | 63 | 40 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 20 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| North Carolina | 50 | 21 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 28 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| North Dakota | 47 | 10 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 40 | 0 | 0 | -3 | +3 | 0 | |||||||
| Ohio | 33 | 9 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 25 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| Oklahoma | 48 | 9 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Oregon | 30 | 18 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 13 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| Pennsylvania | 50 | 21 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Rhode Island | 38 | 33 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| South Carolina | 46 | 19 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 30 | 0 | 0 | -3 | +3 | 0 | |||||||
| South Dakota | 35 | 5 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 32 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +2 | 0 | |||||||
| Tennessee | 33 | 5 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 27 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Texas | 31 | 12 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 18 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Utah | 29 | 6 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Vermont | 30 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 7 | 0 | 0 | +1 | +1 | -2 | |||||||
| Washington | 49 | 29 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| West Virginia | 34 | 14 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 0 | -3 | +3 | 0 | |||||||
| Wisconsin | 33 | 13 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 21 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +3 | 0 | |||||||
| Wyoming | 30 | 3 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 1,681 | 724 | 893 | 54 | 10 | 724 | 905 | 50 | 2 | 0 | +12 | -4 | |||||||
| Change in state House partisan composition, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before | After | Net | ||||
| Democratic | 2,262 | 2,148 | -114 | |||
| Republican | 2,427 | 2,590 | +163 | |||
| Other | 29 | 19 | -10 | |||
| Vacant | 40 | 1 | -39 | |||
| Total | 4,758 | 4,758 | - | |||
| State-specific data | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Total seats | Pre-election | Post-election | Net change | |||||||||||||||
| Dem. | Rep. | Oth. | Vac. | Dem. | Rep. | Oth. | Vac. | Dem. | Rep. | Oth. | |||||||||
| Alaska | 40 | 15 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +2 | |||||||
| Arizona | 60 | 29 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Arkansas | 100 | 23 | 75 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 78 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +3 | 0 | |||||||
| California | 80 | 61 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 60 | 19 | 1 | 0 | -1 | +2 | 0 | |||||||
| Colorado | 65 | 41 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Connecticut | 151 | 91 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 97 | 54 | 0 | 0 | +6 | -6 | 0 | |||||||
| Delaware | 41 | 26 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Florida | 120 | 46 | 71 | 0 | 3 | 42 | 78 | 0 | 0 | -4 | +7 | 0 | |||||||
| Georgia | 180 | 72 | 106 | 1 | 1 | 77 | 103 | 0 | 0 | +5 | -3 | -1 | |||||||
| Hawaii | 51 | 46 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Idaho | 70 | 14 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 58 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +2 | 0 | |||||||
| Illinois | 118 | 74 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 45 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| Indiana | 100 | 33 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 71 | 0 | 0 | -4 | +4 | 0 | |||||||
| Iowa | 100 | 47 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 59 | 0 | 0 | -6 | +6 | 0 | |||||||
| Kansas | 125 | 41 | 84 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 86 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +2 | 0 | |||||||
| Kentucky | 100 | 37 | 62 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 75 | 0 | 0 | -12 | +13 | 0 | |||||||
| Maine | 151 | 87 | 55 | 7 | 2 | 80 | 67 | 4 | 0 | -7 | +12 | -3 | |||||||
| Massachusetts | 160 | 127 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 129 | 30 | 1 | 0 | +2 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Michigan[85] | 110 | 51 | 58 | 0 | 1 | 52 | 58 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Minnesota | 134 | 75 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 64 | 0 | 0 | -5 | +5 | 0 | |||||||
| Missouri | 163 | 48 | 113 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 114 | 0 | 0 | +1 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| Montana | 100 | 42 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 67 | 0 | 0 | -9 | +9 | 0 | |||||||
| Nevada | 42 | 29 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 16 | 0 | 0 | -3 | +3 | 0 | |||||||
| New Hampshire | 400 | 230 | 156 | 1 | 13 | 187 | 213 | 0 | 0 | -43 | +57 | -1 | |||||||
| New Mexico | 70 | 46 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 25 | 1 | 0 | -2 | +1 | +1 | |||||||
| New York | 150 | 103 | 42 | 1 | 4 | 106 | 43 | 1 | 0 | +3 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| North Carolina | 120 | 55 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 69 | 0 | 0 | -4 | +4 | 0 | |||||||
| North Dakota | 94 | 15 | 78 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 79 | 0 | 1 | -1 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| Ohio | 99 | 38 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 64 | 0 | 0 | -3 | +3 | 0 | |||||||
| Oklahoma | 101 | 23 | 76 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 82 | 0 | 0 | -4 | +6 | 0 | |||||||
| Oregon | 60 | 38 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 23 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +1 | 0 | |||||||
| Pennsylvania | 203 | 93 | 109 | 0 | 1 | 90 | 113 | 0 | 0 | -3 | +4 | 0 | |||||||
| Rhode Island | 75 | 66 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 65 | 10 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +2 | -1 | |||||||
| South Carolina | 124 | 45 | 78 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 81 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +3 | 0 | |||||||
| South Dakota | 70 | 11 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 62 | 0 | 0 | -3 | +3 | 0 | |||||||
| Tennessee | 99 | 26 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Texas | 150 | 67 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Utah | 75 | 16 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 58 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | |||||||
| Vermont | 150 | 95 | 43 | 12 | 0 | 99 | 46 | 5 | 0 | +4 | +3 | -7 | |||||||
| Washington | 98 | 57 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| West Virginia | 100 | 40 | 59 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 76 | 0 | 0 | -16 | +17 | -1 | |||||||
| Wisconsin | 99 | 34 | 63 | 0 | 2 | 38 | 61 | 0 | 0 | +4 | -2 | 0 | |||||||
| Wyoming | 60 | 9 | 49 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 51 | 2 | 0 | -2 | +2 | +1 | |||||||
| Total | 4,758 | 2,262 | 2,427 | 29 | 40 | 2,148 | 2,590 | 19 | 1 | -114 | +163 | -100 | |||||||
Flipped seats
The map below contains a state-by-state breakdown of state legislative seats that changed party control in the November 2020 elections. Hover over a state to view how many seats each party flipped.
Battleground chambers
Of the 86 chambers that held regularly-scheduled elections in 2020, Ballotpedia identified24 battleground chambers in17 states. We anticipated that these chambers would be more competitive overall and had the potential to see major shifts in party control. Four of those chambers (theArizona House of Representatives,Georgia State Senate,Georgia House of Representatives, andNebraska State Senate) were not battleground chambers at any point in the preceding decade.
The columns in the chart below list the following:
- Seats up in 2020: This was the number of seats that were up for election in 2020.
- Margin: This was the difference in seats between the majority and minority parties.
- Majority share of seats: This was the percentage of the chamber's seats controlled by the majority party.
- Last time party control changed: This was the election where the majority at the time of the 2020 elections took control of the chamber.
*The Alaska House was under a power sharing agreement, although Republicans held more seats.
Special elections
In 2020, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:
- 23 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
- 5 due to a resignation related to criminal charges[87]
- 18 due to retirement
- 13 due to the death of the incumbent
Impact of special elections on partisan composition
The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:
- 21Democratic seats
- 38Republican seats
Competitiveness in 2020 elections
Incumbents not seeking re-election
Click[show] on the table header below for complete, state-by-state information on open seats and guaranteed newcomers.
| Open state legislative seats, 2020 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Chamber | Seats up | Open Democratic seats | % of seats up | Open Republican seats | % of seats up | Total open seats | % of open seats | ||
| Alaska | ||||||||||
| Senate | 10 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | |||
| House | 40 | 1 | 2.5% | 2 | 5.0% | 3 | 7.5% | |||
| Total | 50 | 1 | 2.0% | 2 | 4.0% | 3 | 6.0% | |||
| Arizona[88] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 30 | 2 | 6.7% | 3 | 10.0% | 5 | 16.7% | |||
| House | 60 | 3 | 5.0% | 9 | 15.0% | 12 | 20.0% | |||
| Total | 90 | 5 | 5.6% | 12 | 13.3% | 17 | 18.9% | |||
| Arkansas[89] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 17 | 1 | 5.9% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 5.9% | |||
| House | 100 | 0 | 0.0% | 9 | 9.0% | 9 | 9.0% | |||
| Total | 117 | 1 | 0.9% | 9 | 7.7% | 10 | 8.5% | |||
| California[90] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 20 | 5 | 25.0% | 1 | 5.0% | 6 | 30.0% | |||
| House | 80 | 6 | 7.5% | 2 | 2.5% | 8 | 10.0% | |||
| Total | 100 | 11 | 11.0% | 3 | 3.0% | 14 | 14.0% | |||
| Colorado[91] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 18 | 3 | 16.7% | 4 | 22.2% | 7 | 38.9% | |||
| House | 65 | 7 | 10.8% | 6 | 9.2% | 13 | 20.0% | |||
| Total | 83 | 10 | 12.0% | 10 | 12.0% | 20 | 24.1% | |||
| Connecticut | ||||||||||
| Senate | 36 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 2.8% | 1 | 2.8% | |||
| House | 151 | 8 | 5.3% | 7 | 4.6% | 15 | 9.9% | |||
| Total | 187 | 8 | 4.3% | 8 | 4.3% | 16 | 8.6% | |||
| Delaware | ||||||||||
| Senate | 11 | 1 | 9.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 9.1% | |||
| House | 41 | 1 | 2.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 2.4% | |||
| Total | 52 | 2 | 3.8% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 3.8% | |||
| Florida[92] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 20 | 3 | 15.0% | 5 | 25.0% | 8 | 40.0% | |||
| House | 120 | 16 | 13.3% | 16 | 13.3% | 32 | 26.7% | |||
| Total | 140 | 19 | 13.6% | 21 | 15.0% | 40 | 28.6% | |||
| Georgia | ||||||||||
| Senate | 56 | 2 | 3.6% | 7 | 12.5% | 9 | 16.1% | |||
| House | 180 | 5 | 2.8% | 12 | 6.7% | 17 | 9.4% | |||
| Total | 236 | 7 | 3.0% | 19 | 8.1% | 26 | 11.0% | |||
| Hawaii | ||||||||||
| Senate | 13 | 2 | 15.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 15.4% | |||
| House | 51 | 5 | 9.8% | 1 | 2.0% | 6 | 11.8% | |||
| Total | 64 | 7 | 10.9% | 1 | 1.6% | 8 | 12.5% | |||
| Idaho | ||||||||||
| Senate | 35 | 2 | 5.7% | 4 | 11.4% | 6 | 17.1% | |||
| House | 70 | 3 | 4.3% | 9 | 12.9% | 12 | 17.1% | |||
| Total | 105 | 5 | 4.8% | 13 | 12.4% | 18 | 17.1% | |||
| Illinois | ||||||||||
| Senate | 20 | 3 | 15.0% | 3 | 15.0% | 6 | 30.0% | |||
| House | 118 | 4 | 3.4% | 6 | 5.1% | 10 | 8.5% | |||
| Total | 138 | 7 | 5.1% | 9 | 6.5% | 15 | 11.6% | |||
| Indiana | ||||||||||
| Senate | 25 | 1 | 4.0% | 1 | 4.0% | 2 | 8.0% | |||
| House | 100 | 4 | 4.0% | 4 | 4.0% | 8 | 8.0% | |||
| Total | 125 | 5 | 4.0% | 5 | 4.0% | 10 | 8.0% | |||
| Iowa | ||||||||||
| Senate | 25 | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 28.0% | 7 | 28.0% | |||
| House | 100 | 2 | 2.0% | 8 | 8.0% | 10 | 10.0% | |||
| Total | 125 | 2 | 1.6% | 15 | 12.0% | 17 | 13.6% | |||
| Kansas | ||||||||||
| Senate | 40 | 2 | 5.0% | 2 | 5.0% | 4 | 10.0% | |||
| House | 125 | 7 | 5.6% | 12 | 9.6% | 19 | 15.2% | |||
| Total | 165 | 9 | 5.5% | 14 | 8.5% | 23 | 13.9% | |||
| Kentucky | ||||||||||
| Senate | 19 | 2 | 10.5% | 1 | 5.3% | 3 | 15.8% | |||
| House | 100 | 8 | 8.0% | 6 | 6.0% | 14 | 14.0% | |||
| Total | 119 | 10 | 8.4% | 7 | 5.9% | 17 | 14.3% | |||
| Maine[93] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 35 | 5 | 14.3% | 2 | 5.7% | 7 | 20.0% | |||
| House | 151 | 23 | 15.2% | 7 | 4.6% | 31 | 20.5% | |||
| Total | 186 | 28 | 15.1% | 9 | 4.8% | 38[94] | 20.4% | |||
| Massachusetts | ||||||||||
| Senate | 40 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | |||
| House | 160 | 13 | 8.1% | 2 | 1.3% | 15 | 9.4% | |||
| Total | 200 | 13 | 6.5% | 2 | 1.0% | 15 | 7.5% | |||
| Michigan[95] | ||||||||||
| Senate | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
| House | 110 | 13 | 11.8% | 13 | 11.8% | 26 | 23.6% | |||
| Total | 110 | 13 | 11.8% | 13 | 11.8% | 26 | 23.6% | |||
| Minnesota | ||||||||||
| Senate | 67 | 2 | 3.0% | 2 | 3.0% | 4 | 6.0% | |||
| House | 134 | 9 | 6.7% | 6 | 4.5% | 15 | 11.2% | |||
| Total | 201 | 11 | 5.5% | 8 | 4.0% | 19 | 9.5% | |||
| Missouri[96] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 17 | 5 | 29.4% | 6 | 35.3% | 11 | 64.7% | |||
| House | 163 | 14 | 8.6% | 32 | 19.6% | 46 | 28.2% | |||
| Total | 180 | 19 | 10.6% | 38 | 21.1% | 57 | 31.7% | |||
| Montana[97] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 25 | 6 | 24.0% | 6 | 24.0% | 12 | 48.0% | |||
| House | 100 | 14 | 14.0% | 15 | 15.0% | 29 | 29.0% | |||
| Total | 125 | 20 | 16.0% | 21 | 16.8% | 41 | 32.8% | |||
| Nebraska[98] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 25 | 4 | 16.0% | 1 | 4.0% | 6 | 24.0% | |||
| Total | 25 | 4 | 16.0% | 1 | 4.0% | 6[99] | 24.0% | |||
| Nevada[100] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 10 | 3 | 30.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 30.0% | |||
| House | 42 | 8 | 19.0% | 2 | 4.8% | 10 | 23.8% | |||
| Total | 52 | 11 | 21.2% | 2 | 3.8% | 13 | 25.0% | |||
| New Hampshire | ||||||||||
| Senate | 24 | 3 | 12.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 12.5% | |||
| House | 400 | 37 | 9.3% | 42 | 10.5% | 79 | 19.8% | |||
| Total | 424 | 40 | 9.4% | 42 | 9.9% | 82 | 19.3% | |||
| New Mexico | ||||||||||
| Senate | 42 | 1 | 2.4% | 1 | 2.4% | 2 | 4.8% | |||
| House | 70 | 6 | 8.6% | 3 | 4.3% | 9 | 12.9% | |||
| Total | 112 | 7 | 6.3% | 4 | 3.6% | 11 | 9.8% | |||
| New York | ||||||||||
| Senate | 63 | 2 | 3.2% | 10 | 15.9% | 12 | 19.0% | |||
| House | 150 | 11 | 7.3% | 10 | 6.7% | 21 | 14.0% | |||
| Total | 213 | 13 | 6.1% | 20 | 9.4% | 33 | 15.5% | |||
| North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Senate | 50 | 3 | 6.0% | 7 | 14.0% | 10 | 20.0% | |||
| House | 120 | 4 | 3.3% | 13 | 10.8% | 17 | 14.2% | |||
| Total | 170 | 7 | 4.1% | 20 | 11.8% | 27 | 15.9% | |||
| North Dakota | ||||||||||
| Senate | 23 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 8.7% | 2 | 8.7% | |||
| House | 46 | 1 | 2.2% | 3 | 6.5% | 4 | 8.7% | |||
| Total | 69 | 1 | 1.4% | 5 | 7.2% | 6 | 8.7% | |||
| Ohio[101] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 16 | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 31.3% | 5 | 31.3% | |||
| House | 99 | 5 | 5.1% | 13 | 13.1% | 18 | 18.2% | |||
| Total | 115 | 5 | 4.3% | 18 | 15.7% | 23 | 20.0% | |||
| Oklahoma[102] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 24 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 8.3% | 2 | 8.3% | |||
| House | 101 | 3 | 3.0% | 6 | 5.9% | 9 | 8.9% | |||
| Total | 125 | 3 | 2.4% | 8 | 6.4% | 11 | 8.8% | |||
| Oregon | ||||||||||
| Senate | 15 | 3 | 20.0% | 1 | 6.7% | 4 | 26.7% | |||
| House | 60 | 8 | 13.3% | 3 | 5.0% | 11 | 18.3% | |||
| Total | 75 | 11 | 14.7% | 4 | 5.3% | 15 | 20.0% | |||
| Pennsylvania | ||||||||||
| Senate | 25 | 1 | 4.0% | 1 | 4.0% | 2 | 8.0% | |||
| House | 203 | 6 | 3.0% | 11 | 5.4% | 17 | 8.4% | |||
| Total | 228 | 7 | 3.1% | 12 | 5.3% | 19 | 8.3% | |||
| Rhode Island | ||||||||||
| Senate | 38 | 4 | 10.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 4 | 10.5% | |||
| House | 75 | 5 | 6.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 6.7% | |||
| Total | 113 | 9 | 8.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 9 | 8.0% | |||
| South Carolina | ||||||||||
| Senate | 46 | 1 | 2.2% | 2 | 4.3% | 3 | 6.5% | |||
| House | 124 | 3 | 2.4% | 8 | 6.5% | 11 | 8.9% | |||
| Total | 170 | 4 | 2.4% | 10 | 5.9% | 14 | 8.2% | |||
| South Dakota[103] | ||||||||||
| Senate | 35 | 1 | 2.9% | 11 | 31.4% | 12 | 34.3% | |||
| House | 70 | 1 | 1.4% | 15 | 21.4% | 16 | 22.9% | |||
| Total | 105 | 2 | 1.9% | 26 | 24.8% | 28 | 26.7% | |||
| Tennessee | ||||||||||
| Senate | 16 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 6.3% | 1 | 6.3% | |||
| House | 99 | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 5.1% | 5 | 5.1% | |||
| Total | 115 | 0 | 0.0% | 6 | 5.2% | 6 | 5.2% | |||
| Texas | ||||||||||
| Senate | 16 | 1 | 6.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 6.3% | |||
| House | 150 | 3 | 2.0% | 7 | 4.7% | 10 | 6.7% | |||
| Total | 166 | 4 | 2.4% | 7 | 4.2% | 11 | 6.6% | |||
| Utah | ||||||||||
| Senate | 15 | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 20.0% | 3 | 20.0% | |||
| House | 75 | 3 | 4.0% | 7 | 9.3% | 10 | 13.3% | |||
| Total | 90 | 3 | 3.3% | 10 | 11.1% | 13 | 14.4% | |||
| Vermont | ||||||||||
| Senate | 30 | 2 | 6.7% | 1 | 3.3% | 3 | 10.0% | |||
| House | 150 | 13 | 8.7% | 3 | 2.0% | 19 | 12.7% | |||
| Total | 180 | 15 | 8.3% | 4 | 2.2% | 22[104] | 12.2% | |||
| Washington | ||||||||||
| Senate | 25 | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 12.0% | 3 | 12.0% | |||
| House | 98 | 7 | 7.1% | 6 | 6.1% | 13 | 13.3% | |||
| Total | 123 | 7 | 5.7% | 9 | 7.3% | 16 | 13.0% | |||
| West Virginia | ||||||||||
| Senate | 17 | 3 | 17.6% | 1 | 5.9% | 4 | 23.5% | |||
| House | 100 | 11 | 11.0% | 8 | 8.0% | 20 | 20.0% | |||
| Total | 117 | 14 | 12.0% | 9 | 7.7% | 24[105] | 20.5% | |||
| Wisconsin | ||||||||||
| Senate | 16 | 4 | 25.0% | 3 | 18.8% | 7 | 43.8% | |||
| House | 99 | 7 | 7.1% | 6 | 6.1% | 13 | 13.1% | |||
| Total | 115 | 11 | 9.6% | 9 | 7.8% | 20 | 17.4% | |||
| Wyoming | ||||||||||
| Senate | 15 | 0 | 0.0% | 4 | 26.7% | 4 | 26.7% | |||
| House | 60 | 3 | 5.0% | 8 | 13.3% | 11 | 18.3% | |||
| Total | 75 | 3 | 4.0% | 12 | 16.0% | 15 | 20.0% | |||
| Overall total | 5,875 | 394 | 6.7% | 477 | 8.1% | 877[106] | 15.0% | |||
Competitiveness in primary elections
As the charts below show, there were 1,135 fewer primary candidates in 2020 than in 2018, reaching levels similar to 2016 and 2014. 2020 saw the lowest number of open seats, meaning more incumbents seeking re-election, compared to the previous three even-year elections. The number of incumbents facing primaries was roughly similar to 2016 and 2014, but less than 2018. There were fewer total primaries in 2020 compared to 2018 and 2016, but more than there were in 2014.
To read more about the competitiveness of state legislative primary elections in 2020,click here.
Incumbents in contested primaries
Click[show] on the table below to see details regarding incumbents in contested primaries in each state.
| Incumbents in contested primaries, 2020[107][108] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Chamber | Seats up | Democratic incumbents with primary challenges | % of Democratic incumbents seeking re-election | Republican incumbents with primary challenges | % of Republican incumbents seeking re-election | Total incumbents with primary challenges | % of total incumbents seeking re-election | ||
| Alaska | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 10 | 0 | 0.0% | 6 | 85.7% | 6 | 60.0% | |||
| State House | 40 | 3 | 21.4% | 11 | 52.4% | 14 | 37.8% | |||
| Total | 50 | 3 | 17.6% | 17 | 60.7% | 20 | 42.6% | |||
| Arizona | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 30 | 2 | 18.2% | 5 | 35.7% | 7 | 28.0% | |||
| State House | 60 | 11 | 42.3% | 9 | 40.9% | 20 | 41.7% | |||
| Total | 90 | 13 | 35.1% | 14 | 38.9% | 27 | 37.0% | |||
| Arkansas | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 17 | 1 | 33.3% | 2 | 15.4% | 3 | 18.8% | |||
| State House | 100 | 2 | 8.7% | 6 | 9.0% | 8 | 8.9% | |||
| Total | 117 | 3 | 11.5% | 8 | 10.0% | 11 | 10.4% | |||
| California | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 20 | 5 | 50.0% | 4 | 100.0% | 9 | 64.3% | |||
| State House | 80 | 20 | 36.4% | 7 | 43.8% | 28 | 38.9% | |||
| Total | 100 | 25 | 38.5% | 11 | 55.0% | 37 | 43.0% | |||
| Colorado | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 18 | 1 | 14.3% | 1 | 25.0% | 2 | 18.2% | |||
| State House | 65 | 2 | 5.9% | 1 | 5.6% | 3 | 5.8% | |||
| Total | 83 | 3 | 7.3% | 2 | 9.1% | 5 | 7.9% | |||
| Connecticut | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 36 | 1 | 4.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 2.9% | |||
| State House | 151 | 4 | 4.9% | 1 | 1.9% | 5 | 3.7% | |||
| Total | 187 | 5 | 4.8% | 1 | 1.5% | 6 | 3.6% | |||
| Delaware | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 11 | 2 | 40.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 20.0% | |||
| State House | 41 | 6 | 24.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 6 | 15.0% | |||
| Total | 52 | 8 | 26.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 8 | 16.0% | |||
| Florida | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 20 | 1 | 14.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 8.3% | |||
| State House | 120 | 7 | 22.6% | 9 | 15.8% | 16 | 18.2% | |||
| Total | 140 | 8 | 21.1% | 9 | 14.5% | 17 | 17.0% | |||
| Georgia | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 56 | 8 | 42.1% | 5 | 17.9% | 13 | 27.7% | |||
| State House | 180 | 20 | 28.6% | 9 | 9.7% | 29 | 17.8% | |||
| Total | 236 | 28 | 31.5% | 14 | 11.6% | 42 | 20.0% | |||
| Hawaii | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 13 | 3 | 30.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 27.3% | |||
| State House | 51 | 17 | 41.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 17 | 37.8% | |||
| Total | 64 | 20 | 39.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 20 | 35.7% | |||
| Idaho | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 35 | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 29.2% | 7 | 24.1% | |||
| State House | 70 | 0 | 0.0% | 21 | 44.7% | 21 | 36.2% | |||
| Total | 105 | 0 | 0.0% | 28 | 39.4% | 28 | 32.2% | |||
| Illinois | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 20 | 5 | 35.7% | 0 | - | 5 | 35.7% | |||
| State House | 118 | 13 | 18.3% | 4 | 10.5% | 17 | 15.6% | |||
| Total | 138 | 18 | 21.2% | 4 | 10.5% | 22 | 17.9% | |||
| Indiana | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 1 | 20.0% | 4 | 22.2% | 5 | 21.7% | |||
| State House | 100 | 5 | 17.2% | 13 | 20.6% | 18 | 19.6% | |||
| Total | 125 | 6 | 17.6% | 17 | 21.0% | 23 | 20.0% | |||
| Iowa | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 8.3% | 1 | 5.6% | |||
| State House | 100 | 4 | 8.9% | 1 | 2.2% | 5 | 5.6% | |||
| Total | 125 | 4 | 7.8% | 2 | 3.5% | 6 | 5.6% | |||
| Kansas | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 40 | 0 | 0.0% | 10 | 37.0% | 10 | 27.8% | |||
| State House | 125 | 3 | 8.8% | 18 | 25.0% | 21 | 19.8% | |||
| Total | 165 | 3 | 7.0% | 28 | 28.3% | 31 | 21.8% | |||
| Kentucky | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 19 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 18.2% | 2 | 12.5% | |||
| State House | 100 | 3 | 10.0% | 8 | 14.3% | 11 | 12.8% | |||
| Total | 119 | 3 | 8.6% | 10 | 14.9% | 13 | 12.7% | |||
| Maine | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 35 | 1 | 6.3% | 2 | 16.7% | 3 | 10.7% | |||
| State House | 151 | 3 | 4.5% | 1 | 2.0% | 4 | 3.3% | |||
| Total | 186 | 4 | 4.9% | 3 | 4.9% | 7 | 4.7% | |||
| Massachusetts | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 40 | 5 | 13.9% | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 12.5% | |||
| State House | 160 | 17 | 14.8% | 1 | 3.4% | 18 | 12.4% | |||
| Total | 200 | 22 | 14.6% | 1 | 3.0% | 23 | 12.4% | |||
| Michigan | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| State House | 110 | 14 | 35.9% | 10 | 22.2% | 24 | 28.6% | |||
| Total | 110 | 14 | 35.9% | 10 | 22.2% | 24 | 28.6% | |||
| Minnesota | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 67 | 7 | 23.3% | 2 | 6.1% | 9 | 14.3% | |||
| State House | 134 | 4 | 6.2% | 6 | 11.1% | 10 | 8.4% | |||
| Total | 201 | 11 | 11.6% | 8 | 9.2% | 19 | 10.4% | |||
| Missouri | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 17 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 25.0% | 1 | 16.7% | |||
| State House | 163 | 9 | 26.5% | 7 | 8.4% | 16 | 13.7% | |||
| Total | 180 | 9 | 25.0% | 8 | 9.2% | 17 | 13.8% | |||
| Montana | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 20.0% | 2 | 15.4% | |||
| State House | 100 | 4 | 14.3% | 17 | 39.5% | 21 | 29.6% | |||
| Total | 125 | 4 | 12.9% | 19 | 35.8% | 23 | 27.4% | |||
| Nebraska | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 16.7% | 2 | 10.5% | |||
| Total | 25 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 16.7% | 2 | 10.5% | |||
| Nevada | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 10 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | |||
| State House | 42 | 3 | 14.3% | 4 | 36.4% | 7 | 21.9% | |||
| Total | 52 | 3 | 12.0% | 4 | 28.6% | 7 | 17.9% | |||
| New Hampshire | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 24 | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 30.0% | 3 | 14.3% | |||
| State House | 400 | 44 | 22.2% | 59 | 47.2% | 103 | 31.9% | |||
| Total | 424 | 44 | 21.1% | 62 | 45.9% | 106 | 30.8% | |||
| New Mexico | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 42 | 10 | 40.0% | 3 | 20.0% | 13 | 32.5% | |||
| State House | 70 | 7 | 17.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 11.5% | |||
| Total | 112 | 17 | 26.2% | 3 | 8.3% | 20 | 19.8% | |||
| New York | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 63 | 9 | 23.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 9 | 17.6% | |||
| State House | 150 | 25 | 26.6% | 1 | 3.0% | 26 | 20.3% | |||
| Total | 213 | 34 | 25.8% | 1 | 2.2% | 35 | 19.6% | |||
| North Carolina | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 50 | 1 | 5.6% | 2 | 9.1% | 3 | 7.5% | |||
| State House | 120 | 11 | 21.6% | 10 | 18.9% | 21 | 20.2% | |||
| Total | 170 | 12 | 17.4% | 12 | 16.0% | 24 | 16.7% | |||
| North Dakota | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 23 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 5.9% | 1 | 4.8% | |||
| State House | 46 | 0 | 0.0% | 4 | 10.3% | 4 | 9.5% | |||
| Total | 69 | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 8.9% | 5 | 7.9% | |||
| Ohio | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 16 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 11.1% | 1 | 9.1% | |||
| State House | 99 | 8 | 24.2% | 6 | 12.8% | 14 | 17.5% | |||
| Total | 115 | 8 | 22.9% | 7 | 12.5% | 15 | 16.5% | |||
| Oklahoma | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 24 | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 35.0% | 7 | 31.8% | |||
| State House | 101 | 3 | 14.3% | 23 | 32.4% | 26 | 28.3% | |||
| Total | 125 | 3 | 13.0% | 30 | 33.0% | 33 | 28.9% | |||
| Oregon | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 15 | 1 | 25.0% | 1 | 14.3% | 2 | 18.2% | |||
| State House | 60 | 3 | 10.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 6.1% | |||
| Total | 75 | 4 | 11.8% | 1 | 3.8% | 5 | 8.3% | |||
| Pennsylvania | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 3 | 33.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 13.0% | |||
| State House | 203 | 15 | 17.2% | 10 | 10.1% | 25 | 13.4% | |||
| Total | 228 | 18 | 18.8% | 10 | 8.8% | 28 | 13.4% | |||
| Rhode Island | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 38 | 10 | 34.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 10 | 29.4% | |||
| State House | 75 | 16 | 26.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 16 | 22.9% | |||
| Total | 113 | 26 | 28.9% | 0 | 0.0% | 26 | 25.0% | |||
| South Carolina | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 46 | 6 | 33.3% | 7 | 28.0% | 13 | 30.2% | |||
| State House | 124 | 8 | 19.5% | 15 | 20.8% | 23 | 20.4% | |||
| Total | 170 | 14 | 23.7% | 22 | 22.7% | 36 | 23.1% | |||
| South Dakota | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 35 | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 15.8% | 3 | 13.0% | |||
| State House | 70 | 2 | 20.0% | 20 | 46.5% | 22 | 41.5% | |||
| Total | 105 | 2 | 14.3% | 23 | 37.1% | 25 | 32.9% | |||
| Tennessee | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 16 | 1 | 100.0% | 3 | 21.4% | 4 | 26.7% | |||
| State House | 99 | 9 | 36.0% | 15 | 22.1% | 24 | 25.5% | |||
| Total | 115 | 10 | 38.5% | 18 | 22.0% | 28 | 25.7% | |||
| Texas | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 16 | 2 | 33.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 13.3% | |||
| State House | 150 | 19 | 29.7% | 11 | 14.5% | 30 | 21.4% | |||
| Total | 166 | 21 | 30.0% | 11 | 12.9% | 32 | 20.6% | |||
| Utah | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 15 | 0 | 0.0% | 4 | 40.0% | 4 | 33.3% | |||
| State House | 75 | 0 | 0.0% | 8 | 15.4% | 8 | 12.3% | |||
| Total | 90 | 0 | 0.0% | 12 | 19.4% | 12 | 15.6% | |||
| Vermont | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 30 | 9 | 42.9% | 0 | 0.0% | 9 | 34.6% | |||
| State House | 150 | 13 | 15.3% | 4 | 10.3% | 17 | 13.1% | |||
| Total | 180 | 22 | 20.8% | 4 | 9.1% | 26 | 16.7% | |||
| Washington | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 2 | 16.7% | 2 | 20.0% | 4 | 18.2% | |||
| State House | 98 | 23 | 46.0% | 11 | 31.4% | 34 | 40.0% | |||
| Total | 123 | 25 | 40.3% | 13 | 28.9% | 38 | 35.5% | |||
| West Virginia | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 17 | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 70.0% | 7 | 53.8% | |||
| State House | 100 | 14 | 46.7% | 24 | 48.0% | 38 | 47.5% | |||
| Total | 117 | 14 | 42.4% | 31 | 51.7% | 45 | 48.4% | |||
| Wisconsin | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 16 | 1 | 25.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 11.1% | |||
| State House | 99 | 4 | 13.8% | 4 | 7.0% | 8 | 9.3% | |||
| Total | 115 | 5 | 15.2% | 4 | 6.5% | 9 | 9.5% | |||
| Wyoming | ||||||||||
| State Senate | 15 | 0 | 0.0% | 6 | 60.0% | 6 | 54.5% | |||
| State House | 60 | 1 | 16.7% | 24 | 57.1% | 25 | 51.0% | |||
| Total | 75 | 1 | 14.3% | 30 | 57.7% | 31 | 51.7% | |||
| Overall total | 5,875 | 497 | 20.6% | 519 | 20.3% | 1,017 | 20.4% | |||
To read more about the incumbents in contested primaries in 2020,click here.
Seats without major party opposition
In 2020, 2,067 state legislative seats, 35.2% of all seats up for election, did not have major party competition. When a candidate from only one of either theDemocratic orRepublican parties runs for a state legislative seat, the seat is all but guaranteed to be won by that party.
Click[show] on the table below to see details of seats up for election without major party competition in each state.
| Seats without major party competition, 2020[109] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Chamber | Seats up | Democratic seats | % of seats | Republican seats | % of seats | Total seats | % of seats |
| Alaska | ||||||||
| State Senate | 10 | 1 | 10.0% | 5 | 50.0% | 6 | 60.0% | |
| State House | 40 | 8 | 20.0% | 11 | 27.5% | 19 | 47.5% | |
| Total | 50 | 9 | 18.0% | 16 | 32.0% | 25 | 50.0% | |
| Arizona | ||||||||
| State Senate | 30 | 3 | 10.0% | 5 | 16.7% | 8 | 26.7% | |
| State House | 60 | 8 | 13.3% | 16 | 26.7% | 24 | 40.0% | |
| Total | 90 | 11 | 12.2% | 21 | 23.3% | 32 | 35.6% | |
| Arkansas | ||||||||
| State Senate | 17 | 1 | 5.9% | 8 | 47.1% | 9 | 52.9% | |
| State House | 100 | 15 | 15.0% | 47 | 47.0% | 62 | 62.0% | |
| Total | 117 | 16 | 13.7% | 55 | 47.0% | 71 | 60.7% | |
| California | ||||||||
| State Senate | 20 | 3 | 15.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 15.0% | |
| State House | 80 | 11 | 13.8% | 2 | 2.5% | 13 | 16.3% | |
| Total | 100 | 14 | 14.0% | 2 | 2.0% | 16 | 16.0% | |
| Colorado | ||||||||
| State Senate | 18 | 2 | 11.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 11.1% | |
| State House | 65 | 6 | 9.2% | 2 | 3.1% | 8 | 12.3% | |
| Total | 83 | 8 | 9.6% | 2 | 2.4% | 10 | 12.0% | |
| Connecticut | ||||||||
| State Senate | 36 | 3 | 8.3% | 1 | 2.8% | 4 | 11.1% | |
| State House | 151 | 24 | 15.9% | 8 | 5.3% | 32 | 21.1% | |
| Total | 187 | 27 | 14.4% | 9 | 4.8% | 36 | 19.3% | |
| Delaware | ||||||||
| State Senate | 11 | 2 | 18.2% | 2 | 18.2% | 5 | 36.4% | |
| State House | 41 | 15 | 36.6% | 7 | 17.1% | 22 | 53.7% | |
| Total | 52 | 17 | 32.7% | 9 | 17.3% | 26 | 50.0% | |
| Florida | ||||||||
| State Senate | 20 | 3 | 15.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 15.0% | |
| State House | 120 | 24 | 20.0% | 1 | 0.8% | 25 | 20.8% | |
| Total | 140 | 27 | 19.3% | 1 | 0.7% | 28 | 20.0% | |
| Georgia | ||||||||
| State Senate | 56 | 13 | 23.2% | 14 | 25.0% | 27 | 48.2% | |
| State House | 180 | 55 | 30.6% | 38 | 21.1% | 93 | 51.7% | |
| Total | 236 | 68 | 28.8% | 52 | 22.0% | 120 | 50.8% | |
| Hawaii | ||||||||
| State Senate | 13 | 8 | 61.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 8 | 61.5% | |
| State House | 51 | 23 | 45.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 23 | 45.1% | |
| Total | 64 | 31 | 48.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 31 | 48.4% | |
| Idaho | ||||||||
| State Senate | 35 | 1 | 2.9% | 19 | 54.3% | 20 | 57.1% | |
| State House | 70 | 3 | 4.3% | 30 | 42.9% | 33 | 47.1% | |
| Total | 105 | 4 | 3.8% | 49 | 46.7% | 53 | 50.5% | |
| Illinois | ||||||||
| State Senate | 20 | 8 | 40.0% | 3 | 15.0% | 11 | 55.0% | |
| State House | 118 | 53 | 44.9% | 15 | 12.7% | 68 | 57.6% | |
| Total | 138 | 61 | 44.2% | 18 | 13.0% | 79 | 57.2% | |
| Indiana | ||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 6 | 24.0% | 5 | 20.0% | 11 | 44.0% | |
| State House | 100 | 19 | 19.0% | 22 | 22.0% | 41 | 41.0% | |
| Total | 125 | 25 | 20.0% | 27 | 21.6% | 52 | 41.6% | |
| Iowa | ||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 3 | 12.0% | 5 | 20.0% | 8 | 32.0% | |
| State House | 100 | 21 | 21.0% | 13 | 13.0% | 34 | 34.0% | |
| Total | 125 | 24 | 19.2% | 18 | 14.4% | 42 | 33.6% | |
| Kansas | ||||||||
| State Senate | 40 | 1 | 2.5% | 10 | 25.0% | 11 | 27.5% | |
| State House | 125 | 11 | 8.8% | 34 | 27.2% | 45 | 36.0% | |
| Total | 165 | 12 | 7.3% | 44 | 26.7% | 56 | 33.9% | |
| Kentucky | ||||||||
| State Senate | 19 | 5 | 26.3% | 6 | 31.6% | 11 | 57.9% | |
| State House | 100 | 16 | 16.0% | 24 | 24.0% | 40 | 40.0% | |
| Total | 119 | 21 | 17.6% | 30 | 25.2% | 51 | 42.9% | |
| Maine | ||||||||
| State Senate | 35 | 2 | 5.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 5.7% | |
| State House | 151 | 26 | 17.2% | 16 | 10.6% | 42 | 27.8% | |
| Total | 186 | 28 | 15.1% | 16 | 8.6% | 44 | 23.7% | |
| Massachusetts | ||||||||
| State Senate | 40 | 32 | 80.0% | 2 | 5.0% | 34 | 85.0% | |
| State House | 160 | 109 | 68.1% | 18 | 11.3% | 127 | 79.4% | |
| Total | 200 | 141 | 70.5% | 20 | 10.0% | 161 | 80.5% | |
| Michigan | ||||||||
| State Senate | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| State House | 110 | 1 | 0.9% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.9% | |
| Total | 110 | 1 | 0.9% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.9% | |
| Minnesota | ||||||||
| State Senate | 67 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 3.0% | 2 | 3.0% | |
| State House | 134 | 4 | 3.0% | 1 | 0.7% | 5 | 3.7% | |
| Total | 201 | 4 | 2.0% | 3 | 1.5% | 7 | 3.5% | |
| Missouri | ||||||||
| State Senate | 17 | 3 | 17.6% | 4 | 23.5% | 7 | 41.2% | |
| State House | 163 | 31 | 19.0% | 53 | 32.5% | 84 | 51.5% | |
| Total | 180 | 34 | 18.9% | 57 | 31.7% | 91 | 50.6% | |
| Montana | ||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 1 | 4.0% | 8 | 32.0% | 9 | 36.0% | |
| State House | 100 | 8 | 8.0% | 28 | 28.0% | 36 | 36.0% | |
| Total | 125 | 9 | 7.2% | 36 | 28.8% | 45 | 36.0% | |
| Nebraska[110] | ||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 2 | 8.0% | 7 | 28.0% | 9 | 36.0% | |
| Total | 25 | 2 | 8.0% | 7 | 28.0% | 9 | 36.0% | |
| Nevada | ||||||||
| State Senate | 10 | 3 | 30.0% | 1 | 10.0% | 4 | 40.0% | |
| State House | 42 | 7 | 16.7% | 7 | 16.7% | 14 | 33.3% | |
| Total | 52 | 10 | 19.2% | 8 | 15.4% | 18 | 34.6% | |
| New Hampshire | ||||||||
| State Senate | 24 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | |
| State House | 400 | 20 | 5.0% | 6 | 1.5% | 26 | 6.5% | |
| Total | 424 | 20 | 4.7% | 6 | 1.4% | 26 | 6.1% | |
| New Mexico | ||||||||
| State Senate | 42 | 1 | 2.4% | 8 | 19.0% | 9 | 21.4% | |
| State House | 70 | 9 | 12.9% | 13 | 18.6% | 22 | 31.4% | |
| Total | 112 | 10 | 8.9% | 20 | 17.9% | 30 | 26.8% | |
| New York | ||||||||
| State Senate | 63 | 17 | 27.0% | 5 | 7.9% | 22 | 34.9% | |
| State House | 150 | 44 | 29.3% | 11 | 7.3% | 55 | 36.7% | |
| Total | 213 | 61 | 28.6% | 16 | 7.5% | 77 | 36.2% | |
| North Carolina | ||||||||
| State Senate | 50 | 1 | 2.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 2.0% | |
| State House | 120 | 9 | 7.5% | 4 | 3.3% | 13 | 10.8% | |
| Total | 170 | 10 | 5.9% | 4 | 2.4% | 14 | 8.2% | |
| North Dakota | ||||||||
| State Senate | 23 | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 30.4% | 7 | 30.4% | |
| State House | 46 | 2 | 4.3% | 7 | 15.2% | 9 | 19.6% | |
| Total | 69 | 2 | 2.9% | 14 | 20.3% | 16 | 23.2% | |
| Ohio | ||||||||
| State Senate | 16 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | |
| State House | 99 | 6 | 6.1% | 16 | 16.2% | 22 | 22.2% | |
| Total | 115 | 6 | 5.2% | 16 | 13.9% | 22 | 19.1% | |
| Oklahoma | ||||||||
| State Senate | 24 | 1 | 4.2% | 11 | 45.8% | 12 | 50.0% | |
| State House | 101 | 6 | 5.9% | 59 | 58.4% | 65 | 64.4% | |
| Total | 125 | 7 | 5.6% | 70 | 56.0% | 77 | 61.6% | |
| Oregon | ||||||||
| State Senate | 15 | 4 | 26.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 4 | 26.7% | |
| State House | 60 | 7 | 11.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 11.7% | |
| Total | 75 | 11 | 14.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 10 | 14.7% | |
| Pennsylvania | ||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 5 | 20.0% | 1 | 4.0% | 6 | 24.0% | |
| State House | 203 | 42 | 20.7% | 41 | 20.2% | 83 | 40.9% | |
| Total | 228 | 47 | 20.6% | 42 | 18.4% | 89 | 39.0% | |
| Rhode Island | ||||||||
| State Senate | 38 | 22 | 57.9% | 2 | 5.3% | 24 | 63.2% | |
| State House | 75 | 49 | 65.3% | 4 | 5.3% | 53 | 70.7% | |
| Total | 113 | 71 | 62.8% | 6 | 5.3% | 77 | 68.1% | |
| South Carolina | ||||||||
| State Senate | 46 | 6 | 13.0% | 9 | 19.6% | 15 | 32.6% | |
| State House | 124 | 24 | 19.4% | 49 | 39.5% | 73 | 58.9% | |
| Total | 170 | 30 | 17.6% | 58 | 34.1% | 88 | 51.8% | |
| South Dakota | ||||||||
| State Senate | 35 | 0 | 0.0% | 18 | 51.4% | 18 | 51.4% | |
| State House | 70 | 5 | 7.1% | 27 | 38.6% | 32 | 45.7% | |
| Total | 105 | 5 | 4.8% | 45 | 42.9% | 50 | 46.7% | |
| Tennessee | ||||||||
| State Senate | 16 | 1 | 6.3% | 6 | 37.5% | 7 | 43.8% | |
| State House | 99 | 20 | 20.2% | 42 | 42.4% | 62 | 62.6% | |
| Total | 115 | 21 | 18.3% | 48 | 41.7% | 69 | 60.0% | |
| Texas | ||||||||
| State Senate | 16 | 2 | 12.5% | 1 | 6.3% | 3 | 18.8% | |
| State House | 150 | 30 | 20.0% | 26 | 17.3% | 56 | 37.3% | |
| Total | 166 | 32 | 19.3% | 27 | 16.3% | 59 | 35.5% | |
| Utah | ||||||||
| State Senate | 15 | 0 | 0.0% | 8 | 53.3% | 8 | 53.3% | |
| State House | 75 | 2 | 2.7% | 21 | 28.0% | 23 | 30.7% | |
| Total | 90 | 2 | 2.2% | 29 | 32.2% | 31 | 34.4% | |
| Vermont | ||||||||
| State Senate | 30 | 12 | 40.0% | 3 | 10.0% | 15 | 50.0% | |
| State House | 150 | 54 | 36.0% | 20 | 13.3% | 74 | 49.3% | |
| Total | 180 | 56 | 31.1% | 23 | 12.8% | 79 | 43.9% | |
| Washington | ||||||||
| State Senate | 25 | 2 | 8.0% | 4 | 16.0% | 6 | 24.0% | |
| State House | 98 | 16 | 16.3% | 8 | 8.2% | 24 | 24.5% | |
| Total | 123 | 18 | 14.6% | 12 | 9.8% | 30 | 24.4% | |
| West Virginia | ||||||||
| State Senate | 17 | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 17.6% | 3 | 17.6% | |
| State House | 100 | 4 | 4.0% | 15 | 15.0% | 19 | 19.0% | |
| Total | 117 | 4 | 3.4% | 18 | 15.4% | 22 | 18.8% | |
| Wisconsin | ||||||||
| State Senate | 16 | 3 | 18.8% | 2 | 12.5% | 5 | 31.3% | |
| State House | 99 | 7 | 7.1% | 13 | 13.1% | 20 | 20.2% | |
| Total | 115 | 10 | 8.7% | 15 | 13.0% | 25 | 21.7% | |
| Wyoming | ||||||||
| State Senate | 15 | 0 | 0.0% | 10 | 66.7% | 10 | 66.7% | |
| State House | 60 | 5 | 8.3% | 39 | 65.0% | 44 | 73.3% | |
| Total | 75 | 5 | 6.7% | 49 | 65.3% | 54 | 72.0% | |
| Overall total[111] | 5,875 | 1,032 | 17.6% | 1,019 | 17.3% | 2,051 | 34.9% | |
Historical competitiveness data
In 2010, Ballotpedia began using official candidate lists from each state to examine thecompetitiveness of every state legislative race in the country. Three factors are used in the analysis: the number of incumbents who do not seek re-election, the number of races that featureonly one major party candidate, and the number of incumbents who draw primary challengers.
The following tables detail the data collected from regularly scheduled state legislative elections between 2010 and 2019. They feature the total number of seats up for election, open seats, races that included only one major party candidate, term-limited incumbents, incumbents who faced primary challengers, and incumbents who were defeated. The table is organized by even-year elections and odd-year elections because years that have the same number of seats up for elections are similar in terms of their competitiveness.
During even years, state legislative elections have had an average of6,039 seats up for election. Of those seats, an average of1,134 have been open, meaning an incumbent was not seeking re-election.
The following chart displays competitiveness-related data points for state legislative elections between 2010 and 2019. Hover your mouse over a bar to view the specific percentage value.
| Competitiveness in state legislative elections (2010-2019) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | No major party challengers | Term limited incumbents | Primaries featuring incumbents | Incumbents defeated |
| Even-year elections | ||||||
| 2018 | 6,073 | 1,181 (19.5%) | 2,017 (33.2%) | 271 (4.5%) | 1,064 (17.5%) | 469 (7.7%) |
| 2016 | 5,923 | 1,040 (17.6%) | 2,477 (41.2%) | 253 (4.3%) | 1,005 (17.0%) | 358 (6.0%) |
| 2014 | 6,057 | 1,030 (17.0%) | 2,606 (43.0%) | 223 (3.7%) | 1,009 (16.7%) | 397 (6.6%) |
| 2012 | 6,015 | 1,277 (21.2%) | 2,307 (38.4%) | 255 (4.2%) | 1,175 (19.5%) | 488 (8.1%) |
| 2010 | 6,125 | 1,140 (18.6%) | 2,000 (32.7%) | 375 (6.1%) | 1,133 (18.5%) | 614 (10.0%) |
| Odd-year elections | ||||||
| 2019 | 538 | 103 (19.1%) | 299 (55.6%) | 47 (8.7%) | 129 (24.0%) | 17 (3.2%) |
| 2017 | 220 | 20 (9.1%) | 42 (19.1%) | 0 (0.0%) | 32 (14.6%) | 14 (6.4%) |
| 2015 | 538 | 75 (13.9%) | 330 (61.3%) | 21 (3.9%) | 101 (18.8%) | 27 (5.0%) |
| 2013 | 220 | 15 (6.8%) | 58 (26.4%) | 0 (0.0%) | 15 (6.8%) | 6 (2.7%) |
| 2011 | 578 | 105 (18.6%) | 246 (42.6%) | 16 (2.8%) | 95 (16.4%) | 28 (4.8%) |
Partisan competitiveness
- See also:Major party candidates with major party competition in the November 2018 state legislative elections
The following table provides more detailed information about partisan competitiveness in state legislative elections since 2010. During even years, the past five elections have had an average of2,281 races where there is no major party opposition. This means that, on average, during even years,37.8% of races feature only one major party.
| Partisan competitiveness in state legislative elections (2010-2019) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | No major party challengers | No major party challengers (%) |
| Even-year elections | |||
| 2018 | 6,073 | 2,017 | 33.2% |
| 2016 | 5,923 | 2,477 | 41.2% |
| 2014 | 6,057 | 2,606 | 43.0% |
| 2012 | 6,015 | 2,307 | 38.4% |
| 2010 | 6,125 | 2,000 | 32.7% |
| Odd-year elections | |||
| 2019 | 538 | 299 | 55.6% |
| 2017 | 220 | 42 | 19.1% |
| 2015 | 538 | 330 | 61.3% |
| 2013 | 220 | 58 | 26.4% |
| 2011 | 578 | 246 | 42.6% |
Open seats overview
- See also:Open seats in the 2018 state legislative elections
- See also:Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2018
The table below provides more detailed information about open seats in state legislative elections since 2010. During even years, the past five elections have had an average of1,134 open seats, meaning races where an incumbent was not seeking re-election.15 state legislatures subject legislators to term limits. On average, during even years,275 incumbent legislators cannot run for re-election due to term limits.
| Open seats in state legislative elections (2010-2019) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Open seats (%) | Term limited incumbents | Term limited incumbents (%) |
| Even-year elections | |||||
| 2018 | 6,073 | 1,181 | 19.5% | 271 | 4.5% |
| 2016 | 5,923 | 1,040 | 17.6% | 253 | 4.3% |
| 2014 | 6,057 | 1,030 | 17.0% | 223 | 3.7% |
| 2012 | 6,015 | 1,277 | 21.2% | 255 | 4.2% |
| 2010 | 6,125 | 1,140 | 18.6% | 375 | 6.1% |
| Odd-year elections | |||||
| 2019 | 538 | 103 | 19.1% | 47 | 8.7% |
| 2017 | 220 | 20 | 9.1% | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 538 | 75 | 13.9% | 21 | 3.9% |
| 2013 | 220 | 15 | 6.8% | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 578 | 105 | 18.6% | 16 | 2.8% |
Incumbency competitiveness
- See also:Incumbents defeated in 2018's state legislative elections
- See also:2018 primary election competitiveness in state legislative races
The chart below provides more detailed information about races where an incumbent was challenged in state legislative elections since 2010. During even years, the past five elections have had an average of1,077 races where an incumbent was challenged by somebody in their own party in a primary election. On average,141 incumbents have been defeated in even-year primaries and324 defeated in general elections.
| Competitiveness in state legislative elections (2010-2019) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Primaries featuring incumbents | Primaries featuring incumbents (%) | Incumbents defeated in primary election | Incumbents defeated in general election | Total incumbents defeated | Total incumbents defeated (%) |
| Even-year elections | |||||||
| 2018 | 6,073 | 1,064 | 17.5% | 147 | 322 | 469 | 7.7% |
| 2016 | 5,923 | 1,005 | 17.0% | 123 | 235 | 358 | 6.0% |
| 2014 | 6,057 | 1,009 | 16.7% | 131 | 266 | 397 | 6.6% |
| 2012 | 6,015 | 1,175 | 19.5% | 194 | 294 | 488 | 8.1% |
| 2010 | 6,125 | 1,133 | 18.5% | 112 | 502 | 614 | 10.0% |
| Odd-year elections | |||||||
| 2019 | 538 | 129 | 24.0% | 9 | 8 | 17 | 3.2% |
| 2017 | 220 | 32 | 14.6% | 0 | 14 | 14 | 6.4% |
| 2015 | 538 | 101 | 18.8% | 14 | 13 | 27 | 5.0% |
| 2013 | 220 | 15 | 6.8% | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2.7% |
| 2011 | 578 | 95 | 16.4% | 8 | 20 | 28 | 4.8% |
Margins of victory
Of the 5,679 state legislative districts in which elections were held in 2018, 4,798 held elections again in 2020. The average margin of victory across these districts in 2018 was smaller than the national average at24.9%. Republicans won seats in 2,454 of these districts while Democrats won seats in 2,375.[112] The average margin of victory in districts with a Democratic winner was27.8%, while the average margin of victory for districts with a Republican winner was24.5%.
Among chambers with districts up for election again in 2020, the smallest average margin of victory in 2018 was7.7% in theSouth Dakota House of Representatives while the largest was37.3% in theSouth Carolina House of Representatives. Among only districts with Democratic winners, the chamber with the smallest average margin of victory was theSouth Dakota House of Representatives at1.9% while the largest was55.2% in theNew York State Assembly. Among Republican winners, the smallest average margin of victory was4.5% in theVermont State Senate and the largest was40.2% in theTennessee House of Representatives.
The following table lists all 55 state legislative chambers which held regularly-scheduled elections for the same seats in2020 as in2018. The number of districts with seats up in both years and the average margin of victory in 2018 is included for each chamber. Also included is the number of districts with Democratic and Republican winners and the average margins of victory for those districts.
Chambers that flipped in the last election
- See also:State legislative elections, 2018
Eight of the 86 chambers up for election up for election in 2020 experienced a change in partisan control in the previous round of regularly-scheduled elections. This figure includes seven chambers last up for election in2018 and one chamber last up for election in2016.
| State legislative chambers with elections in 2020 that flipped in the last election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Previous election | Seats up | Pre-election partisan balance | Post-election partisan balance | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | 2018 | 40/40 | 22-18[113] |  21-19[114] | |
| Colorado State Senate | 2018 | 17/35 | 18-16 | 19-16 | |
| Maine State Senate | 2018 | 35/35 | 18-17 | 21-14 | |
| Minnesota State Senate | 2016 | 67/67 | 38-28 | 34-33 | |
| Minnesota House of Representatives | 2018 | 134/134 | 77-56 | 75-59 | |
| New Hampshire State Senate | 2018 | 24/24 | 14-10 | 14-10 | |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | 2018 | 400/400 | 212-167 | 233-167 | |
| New York State Senate | 2018 | 63/63 | 32-31[115] | 40-23 | |
Impact of term limits
At the time of the Nov. 3 elections, fifteen states used term limits for state legislators. All of them had elections in 2020 except for Louisiana.
- Term limits impacted 211 state legislators in 2020, a decrease from 253 in 2016, the previous presidential-year election cycle.
- There were fewer term-limited legislators in 2020 than in any Ballotpedia had tracked since 2010.
- By party, 122 Republicans, 82 Democrats, and seven third party or independent incumbents were term-limited.
- The MissouriSenate andHouse of Representatives had the highest percentage of term-limited legislators in 2020. In the Missouri Senate, 47% of the incumbents up for election were term-limited, while 21% of the Missouri House were term-limited.
Term limits createopen seats. This tends to draw more competitors than when an incumbent runs for re-election because incumbents in state legislative elections have a high re-election rate. For example,between 1972 and 2014, the state legislative incumbency win rate never fell below 90%, with the exception of 1974 when 88% of incumbents won re-election.
The table below shows 2020's term-limited legislators and gives a breakdown of the totals for each legislative chamber.
Senate
Term limits impacted 60 state senators in 13 state Senates: 21 Democrats, 33 Republicans, and six third party or independent senators. TheDemocratic Party was the majority party in four of the 13 term-limited state Senates with elections in 2020, while theRepublican Party held the majority in nine.
In 2016, 67 state Senators in 13 states were term-limited: 29 Democrats, 26 Republicans, and 12 third party or independent senators. In 2012, 83 state Senators in 13 states were term-limited: 35 Democrats, 40 Republicans, and eight third party or independent senators.
House
Term limits impacted 151 state representatives in 13 state Houses: 61 Democrats, 89 Republicans, and one independent. The Democratic Party was the majority party in four of the 13 term-limited state Houses, while the Republican Party held the majority in nine.
In 2016, 186 state Representatives in 13 states were term-limited: 84 Democrats and 102 Republicans. In 2012, 172 state Representatives in 13 states were term-limited: 87 Democrats and 85 Republicans.
To read more about the effect of term limits on state legislative elections in 2020,click here.
Political context
The 2020 elections occurred in the aftermath of significant Democratic gains in the2019 elections,2018 elections, and2017 elections. In the 2019 elections, Democrats flipped both chambers in theVirginia State Legislature..
Changes in chamber partisan control, 2010 to 2019
Prior to the 2010 elections, Democrats controlled 60 of the country's 99 state legislative chambers, Republicans controlled 37, and two chambers were not controlled by either party. In the six years that followed, Republicans made significant gains and took control of many of the chambers that were previously held by Democrats. After the 2016 elections, Democrats controlled 31 chambers and Republicans controlled 68.
In the2017 and2018 elections, Democrats increased their number of state legislative chambers to 37, and Republicans saw their number of chambers fall to 61. Control of one chamber, theAlaska House of Representatives, was split between the parties.
As a result of the2019 elections, Democrats gained control of two additional chambers.
From 2010 to 2019, there were 63 instances where a state legislative chamber changed partisan control. Of these 63 changes, 40 involved a chamber changing from Democratic to Republican control and 19 involved a chamber changing from Republican to Democratic control. The other four involved chambers that were split between the two parties (Oregon House in 2010 and 2012; Montana House in 2010; Alaska House in 2018).
Most of the changes came during major elections but some also came through special elections (Louisiana House in 2010; Washington Senate in 2017) and party switching (Louisiana House in 2010; Mississippi Senate in 2011). In some cases, the party that gained control did not have a numerical majority but instead controlled the chamber through abipartisan coalition (i.e., Alaska House in 2016). This table does not account for changes in party control or ties in a chamber that lasted for less than one year and were not the result of a regularly scheduled election. An example of this is the brief period of Democratic control in the Virginia State Senate in 2014.[116]
From 2010 to 2019, 40 chambers switched control: 25 switched control once, 12 switched control twice, one switched control three times, and three switched control four times.
For this chart, a red box indicates that the chamber flipped from Democratic to Republican control, and a blue box indicates that the chamber flipped from Republican to Democratic control.[117]
| Chamber changes in partisan control: 2010-2019 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party changes in 2010 | Party changes in 2011 | Party changes in 2012 | Party changes in 2014 | Party changes in 2016 | Party changes in 2017 | Party changes in 2018 | Party changes in 2019 |
| Alabama Senate | Louisiana Senate[118][119] | Alaska Senate | Colorado Senate | Alaska House | Washington Senate | Alaska House[120] | Virginia Senate |
| Alabama House | Mississippi Senate[121][122] | Arkansas Senate | Maine Senate | Iowa Senate | Colorado Senate | Virginia House | |
| Colorado House | Mississippi House | Arkansas House | Minnesota House | Kentucky House | Maine Senate | ||
| Indiana House | Virginia Senate[123] | Colorado House | Nevada Senate | Minnesota Senate | Minnesota House | ||
| Iowa House | Maine Senate | Nevada House | Nevada Senate | New Hampshire House | |||
| Louisiana House[124][125] | Maine House | New Hampshire House | Nevada House | New Hampshire Senate | |||
| Maine Senate | Minnesota Senate | New Mexico House | New Mexico House | New York Senate | |||
| Maine House | Minnesota House | West Virginia Senate | |||||
| Michigan House | New Hampshire House | West Virginia House | |||||
| Minnesota Senate | Oregon House[126] | ||||||
| Minnesota House | Washington Senate | ||||||
| Montana House[127] | |||||||
| New Hampshire Senate | |||||||
| New Hampshire House | |||||||
| New York Senate | |||||||
| North Carolina Senate | |||||||
| North Carolina House | |||||||
| Ohio House | |||||||
| Oregon House[128] | |||||||
| Pennsylvania House | |||||||
| Wisconsin Senate | |||||||
| Wisconsin House | |||||||
| Total changes: 22 | Total changes: 4 | Total changes: 11 | Total changes: 9 | Total changes: 7 | Total changes: 1 | Total changes: 7 | Total changes: 2 |
The chart below shows how many chambers each party controlledafter the November elections in a given year.
| Partisan control of state legislative chambers: 2010-2018 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | Democratic chambers | Republican chambers | Other | ||
| Before 2010 | 60 | 37 | 2 | ||
| 2010 | 38 | 59 | 2 | ||
| 2011 | 35 | 60 | 4 | ||
| 2012 | 41 | 56 | 2 | ||
| 2013 | 41 | 56 | 2 | ||
| 2014 | 30 | 68 | 1 | ||
| 2015 | 30 | 68 | 1 | ||
| 2016 | 31 | 68 | 0 | ||
| 2017 | 32 | 67 | 0 | ||
| 2018 | 37 | 61 | 1 | ||
| 2019 | 39 | 59 | 1 | ||
Trifectas from 2010 to 2019
- See also:State government trifectas
A state government trifecta occurs when one political party controls the primary levers of power in a state: the governor's office, the state Senate, and the state House. From 2010 to 2018, the Republican Party increased its number of trifectas and the Democratic Party saw a decline in its trifectas. However, Democrats picked up six trifectas in the 2018 elections, and Republicans lost four trifectas.
This chart shows the number of trifectas each party held heading into elections from 2010 to 2018, and the number of trifectas following the 2018 elections.
| Trifectas by year: 2010-2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | Democratic trifectas | Republican trifectas | States under divided government | ||
| Pre-2010 elections | 17 | 10 | 23 | ||
| Pre-2012 elections | 11 | 22 | 17 | ||
| Pre-2014 elections | 12 | 24 | 14 | ||
| Pre-2016 elections | 7 | 23 | 20 | ||
| Pre-2018 elections | 8 | 26 | 16 | ||
| Post-2018 elections | 14 | 22 | 14 | ||
| Pre-2020 elections | 15 | 21 | 14 | ||
Analysis of state elections
In November 2020, regular elections were held for 86 of 99 state legislative chambers, plus 11 gubernatorial offices, nine lieutenant gubernatorial offices, 10 attorney general offices, and seven secretary of state offices.
Election analysis
All state elections
- Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection report
- Noteworthy recounts in the United States
- Incumbent win rates by state
- Results of state elected officials seeking other offices, 2020
- Analysis of rejected ballots in the 2020 general election
- Analysis of ballot curing in the 2020 general election
- Analysis of voter turnout in the 2020 general election
- Ballotpedia's Top 15 elections to watch, 2020
- Split-ticket voting in statewide elections in 2018 and 2020
- Trends in the margins of victory for incumbents of three or more terms, 2018-2024
Trifectas
- State government trifectas in the 2020 elections
- Historical and potential changes in trifectas
- Trifecta vulnerability in the 2020 elections
- Presidential election results by trifecta status
- Gubernatorial and presidential split-ticket states
State executive elections
- Partisan balance of governors
- State government triplexes
- Annual State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2020
- States with both gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections in 2020
State legislative elections
- Number of state legislators by party
- Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020
- Effect of the 2020 elections on redistricting
- Rematches in 2020 general elections
- State legislative veto-proof majorities
- State legislative battleground chambers, 2020
- Veto-proof state legislatures and opposing party governors in the 2020 elections
- Races decided by fewer than 100 votes
- Margin of victory analysis for the 2020 state legislative elections
- State legislative seats flipped
- State legislative special election changes in party control since 2010
- State legislative chambers that changed party control
- State legislative seats that changed party control
- Comparison of state legislative election and session dates, 2020
State ballot measures
- Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2020
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2020
- Ballotpedia's top 15 ballot measures to watch on Nov. 3
Footnotes
- ↑For the purpose of this analysis, Ballotpedia compared the partisan control of state legislative seats at the time of the election with the partisan control following the election.
States were included if both legislative chambers held regularly-scheduled elections in Nov. 2020. States excluded were:
* Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Virginia, which did not hold any regularly-scheduled state legislative elections in 2020;
* Michigan, which did not hold regularly-scheduled state Senate elections in 2020; and,
* Nebraska, which only has one state legislative chamber. - ↑Both Democrats and Republicans had a net gain in both legislative chambers in two states: Missouri and Vermont.
- ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "2020 Legislative Election Results: It’s Status Quo in the States," November 5, 2020
- ↑4.04.14.24.34.44.5This state did not hold state legislative elections in 2020.
- ↑Assm.Walter Mosley (D-N.Y.) was defeated in a primary election, but ran in the general election as a minor-party candidate. His primary defeat was not included when calculating both the total number of Democratic incumbents defeated in primaries and the win percentage.
- ↑Utah Rep.Bradley Daw (R) is included in the overall total of 93 incumbents defeated, but not in the win percentage calculation because he was defeated in a convention rather than a primary.
- ↑Daw was defeated in Utah's April 25 Republican convention
- ↑Following the general election and before legislators were sworn in, Delzer was appointed to fill a vacancy in House District 8 meaning he remained an incumbent legislator. His primary defeat is still included here and recorded in Ballotpedia's analysis on incumbent defeats and turnover.Click here to learn more.
- ↑Knopp died before the primary, but appeared on the primary election ballot.
- ↑Mosley ran in the general election as a member of the Working Families Party and was defeated. His primary defeat was not included when calculating the total number of Democratic candidates defeated in primaries.
- ↑Smith unofficially withdrew before the primary, but appeared on the primary election ballot.
- ↑Stevenson died before the primary, but appeared on the primary election ballot.
- ↑This figure includes Assm.Walter Mosley (D-N.Y.), Assm.Carmen Arroyo (D-N.Y.), Rep.John DeBerry Jr. (D-Tenn.), and Rep.Robin Chesnut-Tangerman (Vermont Progressive-Vt.).
Mosley was defeated in the Democratic primary, but ran in the general election as a Working Families Party candidate.
Arroyo and DeBerry were disqualified from their respective primaries, but ran in the general election as a minor party and independent candidate, respectively.
Chesnut-Tangerman was a member of the Vermont Progressive Party. He received the Vermont Progressive Party nomination again in 2020 as well as the Democratic nomination. Since he did not win, he was recorded as a minor party incumbent rather than a Democratic incumbent. - ↑Mosley was a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly. He was defeated in the district's Democratic primary and again the general election as a Working Families Party candidate.
- ↑Arroyo was a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly. She was disqualified from the district's Democratic primary and lost in the general election as a Proven Leader Party candidate.
- ↑DeBerry was a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. He was disqualified from the district's Democratic primary and lost in the general election as an independent candidate.
- ↑This figure does not include Assm.Walter Mosley (D-N.Y.). Mosley was defeated in the Democratic primary but ran in the general election as a minor party candidate. This defeat is recorded in the "Other" row as a general election defeat.
- ↑This figure does not include Assm.Carmen Arroyo (D-N.Y.), Rep.John DeBerry Jr. (D-Tenn.), or Rep.Robin Chesnut-Tangerman (Vermont Progressive-Vt.). Arroyo and DeBerry were disqualified from their respective Democratic primaries. Both ran as minor party candidates in the general election and lost. Chesnut-Tangerman was a member of the Vermont Progressive Party. In 2020, he received the Democratic Party nomination in addition to the Vermont Progressive Party nomination. He was defeated in the general election. These defeats are recorded in the "Other" row as general election defeats.
- ↑This figure includes Rep.Bradley Daw (R-Utah) who was defeated in a convention rather than a primary election.
- ↑Twitter, "Alex Seitz-Wald," November 7, 2018
- ↑Moncrief, G. & Squire, P. (2010). "State Legislatures Today: Politics Under the Domes". United States. Pearson Education. (184)
- ↑JUSTIA US Law, "Alaska Statutes, Sec. 24.05.080," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Alaska’s Constitution, "A Citizen’s Guide," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Arizona Revised Statutes, "41-1101, Section B," accessed November 22, 2016
- ↑Justia, "Arkansas Constitution Article 5 - Legislative Department Section 5 - Time of meeting," accessed October 26, 2021
- ↑California Constitution, "Article 4, Section 2. (a)(3)," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Colorado Secretary of State, "Colorado Constitution - Article 5, Section 7," accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑Colorado Secretary of State, "Colorado Constitution - Article 4, Section 1," accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑Colorado Secretary of State, "Colorado Constitution - Article 4, Section 3," accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑Colorado LegiSource, "Surprise! The 2019 Legislative Session Convening a Week Earlier," September 20, 2018
- ↑Connecticut Constitution, "Article Three, Section 10," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Delaware Constitution, "Article II, Section 3," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Delaware Constitution, "Article II, Section 4," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Florida Constitution, "Article III, Section 15(d)," accessed November 22, 2016
- ↑Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Constitution - Article III, Section IV, Paragraph I," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑Legislative Reference Bureau, "Hawaii Constitution, Article III, Section 4," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Idaho Constitution, "Article III, Section 3," accessed December 18, 2019
- ↑Illinois Constitution, "Article 4, Section 5a," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Indiana Constitution, "Article 4, Section 3," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑James Merritt (R) resigned from the Indiana State Senate effective November 4, 2020
- ↑JUSTIA US Law, "Iowa Code, Section 39.8 - Term of office," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Iowa Secretary of State, "Terms of Offices for Elected Officials," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Iowa Constitution, "Article III, Legislative Department, Section 3," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Kansas Constitution, "Article Two, Section 2", accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑Kentucky Constitution, "Section 30," accessed February 10, 2021
- ↑Maine Constitution, "Article IV. Part First., Section 2," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Maine Constitution, "Article IV. Part Second., Section 5," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Massachusetts Constitution, "Article LXXXII," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑Michigan Constitution, "Article XI, Section 2," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑Minnesota.gov, "Minnesota Statute 3.05," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑Minnesota.gov, "Minnesota Statute 3.011," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Missouri Revisor of Statutes, "Article III Section 20. Regular sessions of assembly — quorum — compulsory attendance — public sessions — limitation on power to adjourn.," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Montana State Legislature, "Montana Code Annotated 2021, 5-2-102. Term of office," accessed November 4, 2021
- ↑Nebraska Constitution, "Article III-10," accessed November 4, 2021
- ↑Nevada Constitution, "Article 4, Section 4," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑New Hampshire Constitution, "Part II, Article 3," accessed February 10, 2021
- ↑New Mexico Constitution, "Article IV, Section 4, accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑New York Senate, "New York Constitution, Article XIII, Section 4," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑North Carolina Constitution, "Article II, Section 9," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑North Dakota Constitution, "Article IV, Section 7," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑Ohio Constitution, "Article 2, Section 02," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Ohio.gov, "A Guidebook for Ohio Legislators," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Oklahoma State Courts Network, "Oklahoma Statutes Citationized 14 O.S. § 80.35.14," accessed November 2, 2021
- ↑Oklahoma State Courts Network, "Oklahoma Statutes Citationized 14 O.S. § 141 ," accessed November 2, 2021
- ↑Oregon Constitution, "Article IV, Section 4," accessed February 17, 2021
- ↑Pennsylvania Constitution, "Article II, Section 2," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Rhode Island Constitution, "Article VI, Section 3," accessed February 17, 2021
- ↑South Carolina Constitution, "Article III, Section 10," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑South Dakota Constitution, "Article 3, Section 7," accessed November 20, 2012
- ↑Tennessee Constitution, "Article II, Section 3," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑Texas Government Code, "Title 3., Subtitle A., Sec. 301.001," accessed February 17, 2021
- ↑Texas Constitution, "Article 3. Legislative Department, Section 4," accessed November 4, 2021
- ↑Utah Constitution, "Article VI, Section 3," accessed February 17, 2021
- ↑Utah Constitution, "Article VI, Section 4," accessed February 17, 2021
- ↑Vermont Constitution, "Chapter II, Section 46," accessed February 4, 2021
- ↑Washington State Legislature, "RCW 44.04.021 Commencement of terms of office," accessed February 17, 2021
- ↑West Virginia Constitution, "Article IV, Section 7," accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑Wisconsin Statutes, "Chapter 13: Legislative Branch: 13.02 Regular sessions," accessed October 5, 2021
- ↑Justia, "2020 Wyoming Statutes Title 22 - Elections Chapter 2 - General Provisions Section 22-2-107 - When Elected State and County Officers Assume Offices.," accessed November 4, 2021
- ↑Six states—Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, and Virginia—did not hold regularly-scheduled elections for either chamber. Michigan did not hold regularly-scheduled state Senate elections.
- ↑81.081.1Nebraska's state Senate is nonpartisan and all 49 Senators are recorded in this row.
- ↑Michigan's state Senate did not hold regularly-scheduled elections in 2020. Only partisan information from the state's House elections is shown here.
- ↑Nebraska has a nonpartisan state Senate. All legislators are included here as "Other."
- ↑Nebraska has a nonpartisan state Senate. All legislators are included here as "Other."
- ↑Michigan's state Senate did not hold regularly-scheduled elections in 2020. Only partisan information from the state's House elections is shown here.
- ↑Nebraska's state legislature isofficially nonpartisan.
- ↑Arkansas State Rep.Mickey Gates (R) was expelled by a vote of the House membership.
- ↑Arizona utilizes term limits: 4 terms (8 years) in the House, 4 terms (8 years) in the Senate
- ↑Arkansas utilizes term limits: 16 year cumulative total, in either chamber or both
- ↑California utilizes term limits: 12 years cumulative total, in either chamber or both
- ↑Colorado utilizes term limits: 4 terms (8 years) in the House, 2 terms (8 years) in the Senate
- ↑Florida utilizes term limits: 4 terms (8 years) in the House, 2 terms (8 years) in the Senate
- ↑Maine utilizes term limits: 4 terms (8 years) in the House, 4 terms (8 years) in the Senate
- ↑In 2020, one seat in Maine was left open by a third party or independent candidate reflected in the totals shown here.
- ↑Michigan utilizes term limits: 3 terms (6 years) in the House, 2 terms (8 years) in the Senate
- ↑Missouri utilizes term limits: 4 terms (8 years) in the House, 2 terms (8 years) in the Senate
- ↑Montana utilizes term limits: 4 terms (8 years) in the House, 2 terms (8 years) in the Senate
- ↑Nebraska utilizes term limits: 2 terms (8 years) in the Senate
- ↑In 2020, one seat in Nebraska was left open by a third party or independent candidate reflected in the totals shown here.
- ↑Nevada utilizes term limits: 6 terms (12 years) in the House, 3 terms (12 years) in the Senate
- ↑Ohio utilizes term limits: 4 terms (8 years) in the House, 2 terms (8 years) in the Senate
- ↑Oklahoma utilizes term limits: 12 years cumulative total, in either chamber or both
- ↑South Dakota utilizes term limits: 4 terms (8 years) in the House, 4 terms (8 years) in the Senate
- ↑In 2020, three seats in Vermont were left open by third party or independent candidates reflected in the totals shown here.
- ↑In 2020, one seat in West Virginia was left open by a third party or independent candidate reflected in the totals shown here.
- ↑In 2020, six seats were left open by third party or independent candidates reflected in the totals shown here.
- ↑Six states did not hold any regularly-scheduled state legislative elections in 2020. Those states wereAlabama,Louisiana,Maryland,Mississippi,New Jersey, andVirginia.
- ↑One independent incumbent in the California Assembly had a primary challenge. That number is included in the total number of incumbents with primaries in both California and in the overall total.
- ↑Six states did not hold any regularly-scheduled state legislative elections in 2020. Those states wereAlabama,Louisiana,Maryland,Mississippi,New Jersey, andVirginia.
- ↑Nebraska has an officially nonpartisan Senate. The party data collected here came from Ballotpedia research into the party registration of candidates, endorsements from major political parties, and reports from local media.
- ↑Total does not include the four seats where an independent or third party candidate faced no major party competition: Alaska (1), New Mexico (1), Vermont (2)
- ↑Some of these districts were multimember districts where a Democrat and a Republican won.
- ↑Heading into the election, Democrats had an effective 22-18 majority. There were 21 Republicans, 17 Democrats, and two independents. Three Republicans sided with the 17 Democrats and two independents to form a majority coalition.
- ↑The new majority in the Alaska House consisted of all 15 Democrats, both independents, and four out of 23 Republicans.
- ↑At the time of the election, the New York State Senate was under a majority coalition consisting of all 31 Republicans and one Democrat.
- ↑The Washington Post, "Virginia Republicans snatched control of the state Senate, ended budget-Medicaid impasse," June 9, 2014
- ↑2015 and 2013 are not included because no chambers flipped those years.
- ↑The chamber first changed from Democratic to Republican control in a February 2011 special election. Republicans increased their majority to 24-15 in the 2011 elections.
- ↑Fox News, "GOP Candidate Wins Lousiana [sic] Senate Special Election, Shifting Majority," February 20, 2011
- ↑Chamber went from being controlled by a Democratic-led bipartisan coalition to being led by a coalition with power split between the parties.
- ↑The chamber changed partisan control prior to the 2011 elections due to Democrats switching to the Republican Party and special election wins by Republicans. Republicans increased their majority in the 2011 elections to 31-21.
- ↑The Washington Post, "Southern Democrats in dire straits; 2011 looms large," January 11, 2011
- ↑In the 2011 elections, the chamber changed from a 22-18 Democratic advantage to a 20-20 tie. Republicans effectively controlled the chamber because Lieutenant Gov.Bill Bolling (R) could cast tie-breaking votes.
- ↑This chamber did not hold elections in 2010. It switched partisan control in December 2010 when Democrat Noble Ellingtonchanged his party affiliation to Republican. In the regularly-scheduled 2011 elections, Republicans increased their majority to 58-45.
- ↑Nola.com, "Louisiana Republicans take first House majority since Reconstruction with latest party switch," December 17, 2010
- ↑In this election, the Oregon House changed from a 30-30 tie to a 34-26 Democratic advantage.
- ↑This chamber went from a 50-50 tie to a 68-32 Republican advantage in the 2010 elections.
- ↑This chamber went from a 36-24 Democratic advantage to a 30-30 tie in the 2010 elections.
