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State legislative elections, 2026

From Ballotpedia
2026 State
Legislative Elections
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2026 elections
Choose a state below:

In the 50 states, there are99 state legislative chambers altogether. Across 46 states, 88 of those chambers are holding regular legislative elections in 2026. The general election for state legislative races is onNovember 3, 2026.

States will also holdspecial state legislative elections in 2026 to fill vacant seats.

In theU.S. Territories, five legislative chambers are holding regularly scheduled elections in 2026. Elections will be held for the American SamoaHouse of Representatives, theGuam Legislature, the Northern Mariana IslandsSenate andHouse of Representatives, and theU.S. Virgin Islands Legislature.

Explore Ballotpedia's coverage of these elections:
  • Partisan balance
    The partisan balance of state legislatures
    Read more
  • Battlegrounds
    Information on battleground elections
    Read more
  • On the ballot
    A list of elections on the ballot
    Read more
  • Pre-election analysis
    Analysis published before the election
    Read more
  • Important dates and deadlines
    A list of important dates and deadlines for the 2026 election cycle
    Read more


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 chamberDemocratic PartyRepublican PartyGrey.png OtherVacant
State senates8291,118620
State houses2,3862,9662041
Total:3,215

4,084

26

61


Battlegrounds

Click the tabs below to view detailed information regarding battleground districts in the 2026 state legislative elections. In this section, you will find:

  • A list of districts targeted by each political party

On the ballot

Click the tabs below to view information about the elections this year. In this section, you will find:

  • A list of states holding elections
  • Information about special elections
  • Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup Tool
Elections by state
Special elections
What's on your ballot?

The table below highlights each state holding legislative elections in 2026. To learn more about elections in a particular chamber, click the link in the chamber column.

State legislative elections, 2026
StateChamberRepublicanDemocraticOtherVacanciesTotal
AlabamaHouse742902105
AlabamaSenate2780035
AlaskaHouse21145040
AlaskaSenate440210
ArizonaHouse33270060
ArizonaSenate17130030
ArkansasHouse801901100
ArkansasSenate1340017
CaliforniaHouse20600080
CaliforniaSenate6140020
ColoradoHouse22430065
ColoradoSenate7110018
ConnecticutHouse4910002151
ConnecticutSenate11250036
DelawareHouse14270041
DelawareSenate380011
FloridaHouse853203120
FloridaSenate1360120
GeorgiaHouse987903180
GeorgiaSenate33220156
HawaiiHouse9420051
HawaiiSenate1120013
IdahoHouse6190070
IdahoSenate2960035
IllinoisHouse407800118
IllinoisSenate16230039
IndianaHouse703000100
IndianaSenate2230025
IowaHouse663301100
IowaSenate14110025
KansasHouse883700125
KentuckyHouse802000100
KentuckySenate1810019
MaineHouse737521151
MaineSenate14201035
MarylandHouse3810201141
MarylandSenate13330147
MassachusettsHouse2513410160
MassachusettsSenate5340140
MichiganHouse585200110
MichiganSenate18190138
MinnesotaHouse676502134
MinnesotaSenate33340067
MissouriHouse1065205163
MissouriSenate1430017
MontanaHouse574102100
MontanaSenate1690025
NebraskaSenate1761024
NevadaHouse15270042
NevadaSenate470011
New HampshireHouse21617716400
New HampshireSenate1680024
New MexicoHouse26440070
New YorkHouse4710300150
New YorkSenate22410063
North CarolinaHouse714801120
North CarolinaSenate30200050
North DakotaHouse4060046
North DakotaSenate2130024
OhioHouse65340099
OhioSenate1160017
OklahomaHouse802001101
OklahomaSenate1860024
OregonHouse22360260
OregonSenate4110015
PennsylvaniaHouse10110200203
PennsylvaniaSenate12130025
Rhode IslandHouse10641075
Rhode IslandSenate4340038
South CarolinaHouse863602124
South DakotaHouse6550070
South DakotaSenate3230035
TennesseeHouse74240199
TennesseeSenate1340017
TexasHouse886200150
TexasSenate1040216
UtahHouse61140075
UtahSenate1041015
VermontHouse568770150
VermontSenate12161130
WashingtonHouse39590098
WashingtonSenate7170024
West VirginiaHouse91900100
West VirginiaSenate3220034
WisconsinHouse54450099
WisconsinSenate1250017
WyomingHouse5560162
WyomingSenate1420016

Pre-election analysis

Click the tabs below to view detailed analysis from before the election. In this section, you will find:

  • Historical data related to competitiveness
  • Information about state government trifectas
  • Chambers that changed partisan control from 2010 to 2024
  • Trifecta status from 2010 to 2024


Historical competitiveness data
Trifectas
Changes in chamber partisan control, 2010 to 2024
Trifectas from 2010 to 2024
See also:Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 14, 2024

Ballotpedia began examining thecompetitiveness of every state legislative race in the country in 2010. Three factors are used in this analysis: seats where the incumbent did not run for re-election, incumbents who ran in contested primaries, and seats contested by both major parties.

The following table details competitiveness data collected from regularly scheduled state legislative elections between 2010 and 2024. Odd-year elections are shown grouped together first followed by even-year elections.

Competitiveness in state legislative elections (2010-2024)
YearTotal seatsOpen seatsNo major party competitionIncs. runningIncs. in contested primaries
#%#%#%
Odd-year elections
202357813823.9%31955.2%44311526.0%
2021220135.9%94.1%1372417.5%
201953810519.5%30155.9%43312528.9%
2017220209.1%4520.5%2003216.0%
20155387914.7%33261.7%46010723.3%
2013220156.8%6127.7%2052411.7%
20115789817.0%31254.0%48510421.4%
Even-year elections
20245,80796216.6%2,22438.3%4,8531,03921.4%
20226,2781,49223.8%2,56040.8%4,8521,29926.8%
20205,87587614.9%2,04434.8%4,9991,00620.1%
20186,0651,19419.7%2,04533.7%4,8741,08222.2%
20165,9161,03217.4%2,50842.4%4,88798520.2%
20146,0511,01916.8%2,66344.0%5,04198319.5%
20126,0131,31421.9%2,38439.6%4,7901,11723.3%
20106,1271,14318.7%2,14235.0%4,98499520.0%

Election coverage by office

Click the tiles below to navigate to 2026 election coverage:
  • U.S. Senate
    U.S. Senate
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  • U.S. House
    U.S. House
    Read more
  • Governors
    Governors
    Read more
  • Secretary of state
    Secretary of state
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  • Attorney general
    Attorney general
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  • Other state executives
    Other state executives
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  • State legislatures
    State legislatures
    Read more
  • State ballot measures
    State ballot measures
    Read more
  • Local ballot measures
    Local ballot measures
    Read more
  • State judges
    State judges
    Read more
  • Local judges
    Local judges
    Read more
  • Municipal government
    Municipal government
    Read more
  • School boards
    School boards
    Read more
  • Recalls
    Recalls
    Read more

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑NBC News, "Democrats unveil state legislative map for the next election cycle, with eyes on opposing Trump's agenda and redistricting," February 11, 2025
  2. ↑The Washington Post, "Virginia Republicans snatched control of the state Senate, ended budget-Medicaid impasse," June 9, 2014
  3. ↑2015 and 2013 are not included because no chambers changed those years.
  4. ↑Chamber went from a Democratic majority to a 67-67 tie.
  5. ↑Chamber went from a Republican majority to a bipartisan governing coalition.
  6. ↑Democrats won a majority of seats, but did not have a majority when the legislative session began due to vacancies created during the interim.
  7. ↑Chamber went from being controlled by a Democratic-led bipartisan coalition to being led by a coalition with power split between the parties.
  8. ↑In this election, the Oregon House changed from a 30-30 tie to a 34-26 Democratic advantage.
  9. ↑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.
  10. ↑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.
  11. ↑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.
  12. ↑This chamber did not hold elections in 2010. It switched partisan control in December 2010 when Democrat Noble Ellington changed his party affiliation to Republican. In the regularly-scheduled 2011 elections, Republicans increased their majority to 58-45.
  13. ↑This chamber went from a 50-50 tie to a 68-32 Republican advantage in the 2010 elections.
  14. ↑This chamber went from a 36-24 Democratic advantage to a 30-30 tie in the 2010 elections.
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