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2016 State Legislative Special Elections
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Across the nation, special elections are frequently conducted to fill vacancies in state legislatures. A total of 25 states use special elections to fill legislative vacancies. In two states,Illinois andIndiana, special elections are used inlimited circumstances. In 2016, there were65 state legislative seats filled through special elections. A special election runoff for a 2016 special election was held in 2017.

See also:State legislative elections, 2016

Breakdown of 2016 special elections

Across the country in 2016, special elections for state legislative positions were held for a variety of reasons:

• 23 were due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
• 11 were due to a retirement
• 11 were due to the incumbent accepting another job
• 12 were due to a death
• 4 were due to a conviction
• 3 were due to filling a remaining term
• 1 was due to an expulsion

The partisan breakdown for vacancies were as follows:

• 37Democratic seats
• 28Republican seats

Note: The table above reflected information for elections that were held—not total vacant seats.

Special elections by date

Historical data

State breakdown by year

The table below details how many state legislative special elections were held in a state in a given year. From 2010 to 2025, Georgia held the most state legislative special elections with 87. Pennsylvania held the second-most special elections with 71.

Partisan breakdown by year

The average number of special elections per even year between 2011 and 2025 (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024) was 59, while the average per odd year was 82. The most special elections in a single year during that same time frame was 99, which happened in 2018.

The table below details how many state legislative seats changed parties as the result of a special election between 2011 and 2025. The numbers on the left side of the table reflect how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the numbers on the right side of the table show how many vacant seats each party won in special elections.

State legislative special election vacancies and results, 2011-2025
Year	Total elections held	Vacancies before elections			Seats held after elections			Net change
		Democrats	Republicans	Minor party	Democrats	Republicans	Minor party
2025	95	51	44	0	59	36	0	+7 D, -7 R
2024	52	26	26	0	29	23	0	+3 D, -3 R
2023	53	33	20	0	33	20	0	-
2022	54	36	18	0	36	18	0	-
2021	66	33	33	0	33	33	0	-
2020	59	21	38	0	27	32	0	+6 D, -6 R
2019	77	39	38	0	36	40	1	-3 D, +2 R, +1 I
2018	99	42	57	0	50	49	0	+8 D, -8 R
2017	98	45	53	0	56	42	0	+11 D, -11 R
2016*	65	37	28	0	39	24	2	+2 D, -4 R
2015*	89	42	46	1	38	50	1	-4 D, +4 R
2014	40	22	18	0	19	21	0	-3 D, +3 R
2013	84	51	33	0	48	36	0	-3 D, +3 R
2012	46	23	23	0	25	21	0	+2 D, -2 R
2011*	95	49	45	1	46	48	1	-3 D, +3 R
Averages	72	36	34	N/A	37	33	N/A	N/A
*Please see the year-specific pages for information regarding minor-party candidates.

Seats that changed partisan control by year

See also:State legislative special election changes in party control since 2010

Current as of January 16, 2026 (updated annually)
Since 2010, 128 state legislative seats have switched partisan control, or flipped, in special elections. The chart below shows the number of special elections that resulted in partisan changes in each year:

Days between vacancies and elections by year

The following table tracks the gap between when state legislative vacancies occurred and special elections were held from 2012 through February 13, 2026:

See also

Suggest a link

• State legislative elections, 2016
• State legislative elections, 2015
• State legislative special elections, 2015
• State legislative special elections, 2014
• State legislative special elections, 2013
• State legislative special elections, 2012
• State legislative special elections, 2011
• State legislative special elections, 2010

Footnotes