2025→ ←2023
2024 State Legislative Special Elections
Special Elections Information
Breakdown •Historical data •Elections by date
Special elections by state
Alabama •Connecticut •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Illinois •Kentucky •Maine •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •New Hampshire •New York •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Pennsylvania •South Carolina •Texas •Utah •Virginia •Wisconsin
Other 2024 Election coverage
Filing deadlines •Statewide elections State legislative elections Gubernatorial elections •Ballot measures

In 2024, 52state legislative special elections were scheduled for 2024 in 22 states. Between 2011 and 2023, an average of 71 special elections took place each year.See the sections below for additional information on state legislative special elections in 2024.

1. Causes: This section provides information on why special elections are held.
2. Partisan control: This section provides information on the impact of special elections on the partisan composition of state legislatures.
3. Special elections by date: This section lists all special elections held in 2024 in the order they were held.
4. Historical data: This section contains data on special elections going back to 2010.

See also:State legislative elections, 2024

Causes

In 2024, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:

• 31 due to resignation
• 11 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
• 4 due to the death of the incumbent
• 6 due to redistricting

Partisan control

The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:

• 25Democratic seats
• 27Republican seats

Noteworthy special elections

• Michigan House of Representatives special elections

  See also:Michigan House of Representatives special elections (April 16, 2024)

  
  Democrats regained a majority in the Michigan House of Representatives in two special elections on April 16, 2024.Mai Xiong (D) won 58.9% of the vote toRonald Singer's (R) 41.1% in District 13 andPeter Herzberg (D) won 59.6% of the vote toJosh Powell's (R) 38.3% in District 25.

  Democrats won a 56-54 majority in the Michigan House—and astate government trifecta—in the2022 elections. Control of the chamber split 54-54 whenLori M. Stone (D) andKevin Coleman (D) resigned after winning mayoral elections in 2023. Because Democrats regained the majority, Michigan remained a Democratic trifecta. If Republicans had gained a majority in the special elections, Democrats would have lost their trifecta.

  Mai Xiong (D) andRonald Singer (R) ran in District 13. Xiong was, at the time of the election, a member of theMacomb County Board of Commissioners who ran on her experience in elected office. Xiong said her focus would be on "bringing people together to get things done for working families."^[1] Singer was an engineer who was the Republican nominee in the district in 2022. Singer said he was running because "right now it seems like we need some adult supervision in Lansing," mentioning energy policy as an area of focus.^[2][3]

  Peter Herzberg (D) andJosh Powell (R) ran in District 25. Herzberg was, at the time of the election, a member of the Westland City Council who ran on his experience in office. Herzberg said he had "spent my entire adult life focusing on public service, volunteering and helping my community."^[4] Powell was, at the time of the election, an IT worker and veteran of the U.S. Army. Powell said his "platform can be summed up in six simple words. Less Government; Less Regulation; Lower Taxes."^[5]

  In 2022, Democrats won the District 13 election 67%-33% and the District 25 election 63%-37%. More Democrats voted in both districts' special primaries than Republicans. In District 13, 4,983 Democrats voted in the primary compared to 1,713 Republicans, while in District 25, 5,702 Democrats and 2,117 Republicans voted in the primary.

  The April 16 Michigan elections were not the only state legislative special elections that took place in 2024 where control of a chamber was at stake. Control of thePennsylvania House of Representatives was determined bya February 13 special election to break the chamber's 101-101 split. Like in Michigan, the Pennsylvania special election took place after a Democratic legislator resigned. Unlike in Michigan, Pennsylvania Republicans controlled thestate senate, meaning trifecta control of the state was not at stake.

  The winners of the special elections served until January 1, 2025, when the winners of the November general elections took office. Candidates who ran in the special elections were also permitted to run in the general elections.

  
  

  District 13

  General election

  Special general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 13

  Mai Xiong defeatedRonald A. Singer in the special general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 13 on April 16, 2024.

  		Candidate	%	Votes
  ✔		Mai Xiong (D)	65.6	5,741
  		Ronald A. Singer (R)	34.4	3,007

  ---

  	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,748
  = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
  If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
  Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

  Democratic primary election

  Special Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 13

  Mai Xiong defeatedLaMar Lemmons andSuzanne Ostosh in the special Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 13 on January 30, 2024.

  		Candidate	%	Votes
  ✔		Mai Xiong	78.9	3,935
  		LaMar Lemmons	14.9	744
  	Submit photo	Suzanne Ostosh	6.2	308

  ---

  	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,987
  = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
  If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
  Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

  Republican primary election

  Special Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 13

  Ronald A. Singer defeatedBrandon Cumbee andCurtiss Ostosh in the special Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 13 on January 30, 2024.

  		Candidate	%	Votes
  ✔		Ronald A. Singer	62.9	1,078
  	Submit photo	Brandon Cumbee	20.5	352
  	Submit photo	Curtiss Ostosh	16.5	283

  ---

  	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,713
  = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
  If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
  Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

  District 25

  General election

  Special general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 25

  Peter Herzberg defeatedJosh Powell andRobert Stano in the special general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 25 on April 16, 2024.

  		Candidate	%	Votes
  ✔		Peter Herzberg (D)	59.6	6,373
  		Josh Powell (R)	38.3	4,096
  		Robert Stano (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan)	2.1	220

  ---

  	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,689
  = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
  If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
  Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

  Democratic primary election

  Special Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 25

  Peter Herzberg defeatedAndrea Rutkowski,Layla Taha,Melandie Hines, andShannon Rochon in the special Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 25 on January 30, 2024.

  		Candidate	%	Votes
  ✔		Peter Herzberg	35.7	2,034
  	Submit photo	Andrea Rutkowski	29.9	1,704
  		Layla Taha	21.8	1,245
  		Melandie Hines	8.3	471
  		Shannon Rochon	4.4	249

  ---

  	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,703
  = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
  If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
  Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

  Republican primary election

  Special Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 25

  Josh Powell advanced from the special Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 25 on January 30, 2024.

  		Candidate	%	Votes
  ✔		Josh Powell	100.0	2,117

  ---

  	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,117
  = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
  If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
  Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

• Minnesota State Senate District 45 special election

  See also:Minnesota State Senate District 45 special election, 2024

  Ann Johnson Stewart (D) defeatedKathleen Fowke (R) in thespecial election forMinnesota State Senate District 45 on November 5, 2024.

  The election took place afterKelly Morrison (D) resigned to run for U.S. House, leaving control of the Senate split 33-33. Minnesota state senators are elected to four-year terms in midterm years, meaning the outcome of this election determined control of the chamber through the2026 midterms or until another member left office. Because Democrats controlled the state House and a Democrat was governor, the outcome of this election also determined Minnesota'strifecta status. Democrats lost their trifecta after losing control of thestate House.

  Johnson Stewart was a civil engineer and former state senator who did not run for re-election in2022 afterredistricting placed her and Morrison in the same district. Johnson Stewart said abortion was a key issue: "It only takes one election to see our reproductive freedom stripped away. In Minnesota, our rights are on the line again with one Senate seat deciding our future."^[6][7]

  Fowke was a realtor and former small business owner. Fowke said she was running "because your family deserves better...The high costs of groceries and essentials have driven our citizens to new levels of anxiety and stress."^[8]

  Both Johnson Stewart and Fowke completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. In response to a survey question asking which areas of public policy she was personally passionate about, Johnson Stewart said, "The list is endless, but my background as a civil engineer means that I truly appreciate talking about infrastructure, planning, and how we build and maintain safe and livable communities." In her response to the same question, Fowke said, "Ensuring that we represent our communities is of top priority. It is important that we listen to all our neighbors. A one-sided government does not accomplish that goal. We may not agree on everything, but I believe we agree on most. Let's bring balance back to Minnesota so we can all have a voice at the capital." Clickhere to view both candidates' completed surveys.

  In the2022 election, Morrison defeated Fowke 56.3% to 43.7%.Ann Rest (D) won election under the district's old boundaries with 60.7% of the vote in 2020 and 63.8% in 2016. According toDave's Redistricting,Joe Biden (D) defeatedDonald Trump (R) 57% to 41% in the 2024 boundaries of this district in2020. In2022, Democrats defeated Republicans in the district in all four statewide elections and theU.S. House election. The narrowest Democratic win was 50.59% to 45.39% in thestate auditor election, and the widest was 56.96% to 40.91% in thegubernatorial election. Clickhere for a detailed breakdown of 2022 statewide election results in District 45.

Special elections by date

Seats that changed party control

The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2024. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections.

Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not the total number of vacant seats.

List of seats

In 2024, five seats changed party hands as a result of state legislative special elections.

Seats that changed from D to R

• New Hampshire House of Representatives District Coos 6 (January 23)

Seats that changed from R to D

• Florida House of Representatives District 35 (January 16)
• Alabama House of Representatives District 10 (March 26)
• North Dakota State Senate District 9 (November 5)
• North Dakota House of Representatives District 9 (November 5)

Vacancies

Partisan breakdown of vacancies

See also:State legislative vacancies, 2024

In 2024, there were 145 state legislative vacancies in 40 states.

The process for filling vacancies varies among the state legislatures. Twenty-five states fill vacancies in the state legislature through special elections. Twenty-one states fill vacancies through appointments, and four states fill vacancies through a hybrid system that uses both appointments and special elections. The most common reasons for a state legislative vacancy include officeholders resigning, dying, leaving for a new job, being elected or appointed to a different office, or receiving a legal conviction.

The table below details the partisan breakdown for state legislative vacancies in 2024. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party held after the special elections and appointments took place.

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 2024, Georgia held the most state legislative special elections with 82. Pennsylvania held the second-most special elections with 69.

Partisan breakdown by year

The average number of special elections per even year between 2011 and 2024 (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024) was 59, while the average per odd year was 80. 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 2024. 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, 2011-2024
Year	Total elections held	Vacancies before elections			Seats held after elections			Net change
		Democrats	Republicans	Minor party	Democrats	Republicans	Minor party
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	70	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 17, 2025 (updated annually)
Since 2010, 121 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 November 14, 2025:

Analysis of state elections

See also:Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024

See also:State legislative elections, 2024

In the 50 states, there are99 state legislative chambers altogether. Across 44 states, 85 of those chambers held regular legislative elections in 2024. These elections were for 5,807 of the country's 7,386 state legislative seats (79%). The general election for state legislative races was held onNovember 5, 2024.

Two state legislative chambers, theMichigan andMinnesota state Houses, changed party control following the 2024 general election. Republicans won control of theMichigan House from Democrats, and won a tie in theMinnesota House.

To learn more about the state legislative races that were on your ballot,click here to use our Sample Ballot Lookup tool.

States also heldspecial state legislative elections in 2024 to fill vacant seats.Click here for more.

In theU.S. Territories, seven legislative chambers held regularly scheduled elections for 169 seats in 2024. Elections were held for theAmerican Samoa House of Representatives, theGuam Legislature, the Puerto RicoSenate andHouse of Representatives, the Northern Mariana IslandsSenate andHouse of Representatives, and theU.S. Virgin Islands Legislature.

As ofNovember 27th, 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

Featured analysis

• State legislative seats that changed party control in 2024: As a result of the Nov. 5, 2024, elections, partisan composition of all 7,386 state legislative seats changed by 0.7 percentage points.Democrats had a net loss of54 seats, representing 0.7% of all state legislative seats.Republicans had a net gain of55 seats, representing 0.7% of all state legislative seats.Independents and minor party officeholders had a net loss ofone seat, representing 0.01% of all state legislative seats.
• Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 12, 2022: Competitiveness refers to the presence of choice throughout the election cycle. A greater level of competitiveness means voters have the ability to make more decisions. A lower level of competitiveness equals fewer choices. State legislative competitiveness in 2022 reached its highest level compared to all even-year election cycles since 2010. In 2022, the nationwide State Legislative Competitiveness Index is 36.2, beating out 2018 (36.1) and the 2012 post-redistricting cycle (35.2).

More related analysis

Tap the box below to show more analysis articles related to the 2024 state legislative elections.

See also

• Regular state legislative elections:2024,2023,2022,2021,2020,2019,2018
• Special state legislative elections:2023,2022,2021,2020,2019,2018

Footnotes

v • e Election information Resources Sample Ballot Lookup •Elections calendar •State poll opening and closing times •Ballot access for major and minor party candidates •Elections by state and year •State voter ID laws •Absentee voting •Early voting •Online voter registration •Election result canvassing •Where do I vote •List of absentee/mail-in ballot request websites by state •List of official voter registration websites by state •State of Election Administration Legislation Reports Elections by state Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming 2025 elections U.S. Congress special elections •State executives •State legislature •Statewide ballot measures •State judicial •Municipal government •Mayors •School boards •Local judicial •Local ballot measures •Recall 2024 elections U.S. President •U.S. Congress •U.S. Congress special elections •State executives •State legislature •Statewide ballot measures •State judicial •Municipal government •Mayors •School boards •Local judicial •Local ballot measures •Recall 2023 elections U.S. Congress special elections •State executives •State legislature •Statewide ballot measures •State judicial •Municipal government •Mayors •School boards •Local judicial •Local ballot measures •Recall 2022 elections U.S. Congress •State executives •State legislature •Statewide ballot measures •State judicial •Municipal government •Mayors •School boards •Local judicial •Local ballot measures •Recall 2021 elections U.S. Congress special elections •State executives •State legislature •Statewide ballot measures •State judicial •Municipal government •Mayors •School boards •Local judicial •Local ballot measures •Recall 2020 elections U.S. President •U.S. Congress •State executives •State legislature •Statewide ballot measures •State judicial •Municipal government •Mayors •School boards •Local judicial •Local ballot measures •Recall How to vote in each state Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •Washington, D.C. •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming

v • e State legislatures Legislatures Alabama (H,S) ·Alaska (H,S) ·Arizona (H,S) ·Arkansas (H,S) ·California (A,S) ·Colorado (H,S) ·Connecticut (H,S) ·Delaware (H,S) ·Florida (H,S) ·Georgia (H,S) ·Hawaii (H,S) ·Idaho (H,S) ·Illinois (H,S) ·Indiana (H,S) ·Iowa (H,S) ·Kansas (H,S) ·Kentucky (H,S) ·Louisiana (H,S) ·Maine (H,S) ·Maryland (H,S) ·Massachusetts (H,S) ·Michigan (H,S) ·Minnesota (H,S) ·Mississippi (H,S) ·Missouri (H,S) ·Montana (H,S) ·Nebraska ·Nevada (A,S) ·New Hampshire (H,S) ·New Jersey (GA,S) ·New Mexico (H,S) ·New York (A,S) ·North Carolina (H,S) ·North Dakota (H,S) ·Ohio (H,S) ·Oklahoma (H,S) ·Oregon (H,S) ·Pennsylvania (H,S) ·Rhode Island (H,S) ·South Carolina (H,S) ·South Dakota (H,S) ·Tennessee (H,S) ·Texas (H,S) ·Utah (H,S) ·Vermont (H,S) ·Virginia (H,S) ·Washington (H,S) ·West Virginia (H,S) ·Wisconsin (A,S) ·Wyoming (H,S) 2026 State legislative elections (2026) •State legislative special elections (2026) • Primary dates and filing requirements •2026 Session Dates 2025 State legislative elections (2025) •State legislative special elections (2025) •Primary dates and filing requirements •2025 Session Dates 2024 State legislative elections (2024) •State legislative special elections (2024) •Primary dates and filing requirements •2024 Session Dates 2023 State legislative elections (2023) •State legislative special elections (2023) •Primary dates and filing requirements •2023 Session Dates Historical elections 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 •2018 •2017 •2016 •2015 •2014 •2013 •2012 •2011 •2010 •2009 •2008 •2007 •2006 •2005 •2004 •2003 •2002 •2001 •2000 Features of state legislatures How vacancies are filled in state legislatures •States with a full-time legislature •State legislatures with term limits •Comparison of state legislative salaries •When state legislators assume office after a general election •Population represented by state legislators •State constitutional articles governing state legislatures •State legislative sessions •Resign-to-run law •State legislature candidate requirements by state •Official names of state legislatures •State legislative chambers that use multi-member districts •Factors Affecting Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections State senates Length of terms of state senators •State senators •Partisan composition of state senates •State senators sorted by year first elected State houses Length of terms of state representatives •State representatives •Partisan composition of state houses •State representatives sorted by year first elected Leadership positions President of the Senate •President Pro Tempore •Senate Majority Leader •Senate Minority Leader •House Majority Leader •House Minority Leader •State Speaker of the House