State legislative elections, 2023
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Eight of the country's 99 state legislative chambers held regularly-scheduled elections in 2023. Elections in those eight chambers represented 578 of the country's 7,386 state legislative seats (7.8%). This was the most seats up for election in an odd-numbered year since 2011.
General elections in Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia took place on November 7, 2023. General elections in Louisiana took place on November 18, 2023.
- Democrats gained one state legislative chamber by winning partisan control of the Virginia House of Delegates. Democrats maintained control of the state Senate. Virginia's trifecta status remained divided.
- Republicans were guaranteed simple majorities in both Mississippi's House and Senate and Louisiana's House and Senate due to the number of districts where candidates from only one political party ran.
- Democrats maintained partisan control of both chambers of the New Jersey state legislature.
As a result, nationally, Republicans were the majority in 56 chambers, down from 57 before the election. Democrats were the majority in 41, up from 40. (The Alaska House and Senate were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions.)
Highlights:
In 2021, three state legislative chambers — the New Jersey Senate, the New Jersey General Assembly, and the Virginia House — held elections. The Virginia House changed from Democratic to Republican control, while Democrats maintained control in New Jersey. Seven state legislative chambers — the Louisiana House, the Louisiana Senate, the Mississippi House, the Mississippi Senate, the New Jersey General Assembly, the Virginia House, and the Virginia Senate — held elections in 2019. The Virginia House and Senate changed from Republican to Democratic control, while Democrats maintained control in New Jersey and Republicans in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Regarding state legislative seats, specifically, partisan composition of the 578 seats up for election changed by two percentage points.[1]
- Democrats had a net gain of six seats, representing 1.0% of the 578 seats.
- Republicans had a net loss of three seats, representing 0.5% of the 578 seats.
- Independents and minor party officeholders had a net loss of three seats, representing 0.5% of the 578 seats.
States also held special state legislative elections in 2023 to fill vacant seats.
On this page, you will find:
- Offices on the ballot
- Partisan balance figures
- State government trifectas
- States holding elections
- Incumbents defeated
- Special elections
- Impact of term limits
- Electoral competitiveness
- Margin of victory
- Political context
- Links to other analyses
Offices on the ballot in 2023
In 2023, there were eight state legislative chambers — five Republican and three Democratic — on the ballot. The table below highlights the partisan balance of those eight chambers before and after the election.
| State legislative elections, 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Seats up | Pre-election control | Post-election control |
| Louisiana | House: 105 Senate: 39 |
 Republican Republican |
Republican Republican
|
| Mississippi | House: 122 Senate: 52 |
Republican Republican |
Republican Republican
|
| New Jersey | House: 80 Senate: 40 |
 Democratic Democratic |
Democratic Democratic
|
| Virginia | House: 100 Senate: 40 |
Republican Democratic |
Democratic Democratic
|
Partisan balance
As of May 10th, 2025, Republicans controlled 55.63% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 43.65%. Republicans held a majority in 57 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 39 chambers. Two chambers (Alaska House and Alaska 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 | 833 | 1,124 | 5 | 11 | ||||
| State houses | 2,391 | 2,985 | 19 | 18 | ||||
| Total: | 3,224
|
4,109
|
24
|
29 | ||||
Trifectas
- See also: State government trifectas
State government trifecta is a term to describe single-party government, when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.
As of May 10, 2025, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 12 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.
The table below shows the trifecta statuses in the four states that held state legislative elections in 2023. Bolded offices or chambers were up for election.
| Trifecta statuses and state legislative elections, 2023 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Trifecta | Gov. | Senate | House | ||
| Louisiana | Divided | D | R | R | ||
| Mississippi | Republican | R | R | R | ||
| New Jersey | Democratic | D | D | D | ||
| Virginia | Divided | R | D | R | ||
Elections by state
Louisiana
Louisiana's state legislators serve four-year terms. Both chambers have term limits which prevent a state legislator from serving for more than three terms, or twelve years, in a particular chamber. Louisiana legislators assume office at noon on the second Monday in January after their election.[2][3]
State Senate
- See also: Louisiana State Senate elections, 2023
Louisiana State Senate Current Party Control
| Party | As of May 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 39 | |
State House
Louisiana House of Representatives Current Party Control
| Party | As of May 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 31 | |
| Republican Party | 73 | |
| Independent | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 105 | |
Mississippi
Mississippi's state legislators serve four-year terms. Mississippi legislators assume office the Tuesday after the first Monday of January.[4]
State Senate
- See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2023
Mississippi State Senate Current Party Control
| Party | As of May 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 16 | |
| Republican Party | 36 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 52 | |
State House
Mississippi House of Representatives Current Party Control
| Party | As of May 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 40 | |
| Republican Party | 79 | |
| Independent | 2 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 122 | |
New Jersey
New Jersey's state senators serve four-year terms, except in the first term of a new decade, which only lasts for two years. Assembly members are elected to a two-year term. New Jersey legislators assume office at noon on the second Tuesday in January following the election.[5]
State Senate
- See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2023
New Jersey State Senate Current Party Control
| Party | As of May 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 25 | |
| Republican Party | 15 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | |
State House
New Jersey General Assembly Current Party Control
| Party | As of May 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 52 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 80 | |
Virginia
Virginia's state senators are elected to a four-year term and state representatives are elected to a two-year term. Virginia legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January after the election.[6][7]
State Senate
- See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2023
Virginia State Senate Current Party Control
| Party | As of May 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 21 | |
| Republican Party | 19 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | |
State House
Virginia House of Delegates Current Party Control
| Party | As of May 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 51 | |
| Republican Party | 49 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Incumbents defeated
General elections
In state legislative general elections, 13 incumbents lost to challengers, 3.1% of incumbents running for re-election. This was similar to the percentage of incumbents defeated in 2019 (3.4%), the last time all four states held elections.
An average of 4.3% of incumbents were defeated in odd-year general elections from 2011 to 2023, while an average of 6% of incumbents were defeated in even-year general elections from 2010 to 2022.
In 2023 general elections:
The chart below shows a partisan breakdown of incumbents defeated in general elections from 2011 to 2023.
Click [show] on the header below to see a full list of incumbents defeated in general elections by state. Winners marked with (i) were incumbents from the same chamber.
Primaries
In state legislative primaries, 16 incumbents lost to challengers, 3.6% of incumbents running for re-election. This is the second-largest number of incumbents defeated, tied with 16 in 2015, since Ballotpedia began gathering data in 2011.
An average of 2.5% of incumbents were defeated in odd-year primaries from 2011 to 2023, while an average of 3.3% of incumbents were defeated in even-year primaries from 2010 to 2022.
In 2023 primaries:
The chart below shows a partisan breakdown of incumbent defeats from 2011 to 2023.
Click [show] below to see a full list of incumbents defeated in primaries by state. Winners marked with (i) were incumbents from the same chamber.
State legislative special elections
In 2023, 53 state legislative special elections were scheduled in 21 states. Between 2011 and 2022, an average of 73 special elections took place each year. Unlike regularly scheduled elections, special elections take place throughout the year often
In 2023, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:
- 10 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
- 32 due to resignation
- 9 due to the death of the incumbent
- 2 due to removal from office
The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:
- 33 Democratic seats
- 20 Republican seats
Click "Show more" to view a list of all special state legislative elections in 2023 by date.
Impact of term limits
Of the eight state legislative chambers that held elections in 2023, two of them — one senate chamber and one house chamber — included incumbents who were unable to run for re-election due to term limits. Louisiana was the only state with term limits that had a general election in 2023. In the two legislative chambers affected by term limits in 2023, 144 seats were up for election.
In 2023, 22 state legislators — seven state senators and 15 state representatives — were term-limited in Louisiana. This represented 3.8% of the 578 total seats up for election in November 2023.[11]
Sixteen Republicans and six Democrats were term-limited in 2023. In odd-numbered election years between 2011 and 2021, Democrats averaged 12 term-limited legislators, while Republicans averaged 15 term-limited legislators.
Electoral competitiveness
Ballotpedia's 13th Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report analyzed all 578 state legislative seats that were up for election in November 2023 in Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia.
In 2023, the overall State Legislative Competitiveness Index increased from a decade high 30.8 in 2019 to 31.6. This analysis only includes odd years when all four states held elections (2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023). The data show that 138 (24%) legislative seats up for election were open. This was the largest number and percentage of open seats since Ballotpedia began gathering data in 2011.
Of the four states holding elections this year (and previously together in 2011, 2015, and 2019), New Jersey had the highest competitiveness index in all four cycles.
This year's index score was higher than in 2019 because there were more head-to-head matchups between Republican and Democratic candidates. Additionally, the number of open seat contests was the largest since at least 2011.
Key findings of this report include:
| Nationwide State Legislative Competitiveness Index, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Open seats | Incs. in contested primaries | Major party competition | Competitiveness Index | ||||||||||||||||||||
| House | 25.3% | 24.3% | 42.0% | 30.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Senate | 20.5% | 29.7% | 51.5% | 33.9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 23.9% | 26.0% | 44.8% | 31.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
The graphic below combines these figures for every election cycle from 2011 to 2023, showing the change in competitiveness, and how each criterion affects the overall competitiveness indices, over time.
Open seats
There were 578 state legislative seats up for election in November 2023 in four states. Of that total, there were 138 open seats, guaranteeing at least 24% of all seats would be won by newcomers. This was the largest number and percentage of open seats since Ballotpedia began gathering data in 2011.
An open seat is one where no incumbent filed to run, meaning it is guaranteed to be won by a newcomer. Learn more about the terms and methodologies used in this analysis.
Ballotpedia uses the number and percentage of open seats to help determine the overall competitiveness of an election cycle. A greater number of open seats guarantees more newcomers entering legislatures and typically results in more candidates running for office. A smaller number of open seats guarantees fewer newcomers and typically results in fewer candidates running for office.
In 2023:
| Open state legislative seats, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Seats | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Democratic | Republican | Other | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||
| # | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| House | 407 | 45 | 56 | 2 | 103 | 25.3% | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senate | 171 | 17 | 18 | 0 | 35 | 20.5% | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 578 | 62 | 74 | 2 | 138 | 23.9% | ||||||||||||||||||
The chart below shows a breakdown of open seats from 2011 to 2023. The "Other" value includes seats left open by minor party and independent officeholders.
Contested primaries
There were 538 state legislative districts up for election nationwide, creating 877 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 204 contested primaries, meaning 23% of all primaries were contested. This was lower than in 2019 (25%), the last time all four states held elections.
In 2023:
| Contested state legislative primaries, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Districts | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Democratic | Republican | Top-two/four | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |||||||||||||||||
| House | 367 | 35 | 13.4% | 45 | 20.5% | 57 | 54.3% | 137 | 23.3% | |||||||||||||||
| Senate | 171 | 27 | 20.5% | 21 | 17.6% | 19 | 48.7% | 67 | 23.1% | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 538 | 62 | 15.7% | 66 | 19.5% | 76 | 52.8% | 204 | 23.3% | |||||||||||||||
The chart below shows a breakdown of contested primaries from 2011 to 2023.
Incumbents in contested primaries
There were 578 state legislative seats up for election in November 2023 in four states. Overall, 443 incumbents filed for re-election and were running at the time of their respective primaries. Of that total, 115 incumbents faced contested primaries, representing 26% of all incumbents who filed for re-election. This is the second-largest number and percentage of incumbents running in contested primaries in an odd year since Ballotpedia began gathering data in 2011.
A primary is contested when there are more candidates running than nominations available. When this occurs, and an incumbent is present, it means the incumbent could possibly lose the primary. Learn more about the terms and methodologies used in this analysis.
Ballotpedia uses the number and percentage of incumbents in contested primaries to help determine the overall competitiveness of an election cycle. A larger number of contested primaries indicates more opportunities for voters to elect a non-incumbent to office. A smaller number indicates fewer of those opportunities.
In 2023:
| State legislative incumbents in contested primaries, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Seats | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Democratic | Republican | Total[12] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Filed | Cont. | % | Filed | Cont. | % | Filed | Cont. | % | ||||||||||||||||
| House | 407 | 126 | 27 | 21.4% | 176 | 47 | 26.7% | 305 | 74 | 24.3% | ||||||||||||||
| Senate | 171 | 61 | 22 | 36.1% | 76 | 19 | 25.0% | 138 | 41 | 29.7% | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 578 | 187 | 49 | 26.2% | 252 | 66 | 26.2% | 443 | 115 | 26.0% | ||||||||||||||
The chart below shows a breakdown of incumbents in contested primaries from 2011 to 2023.
Major party competition
There were 578 state legislative seats up for election in November 2023 in four states. Of that total, 319 (55%) were uncontested and had no major party competition. The remaining 259 (45%) were contested by both major parties. This was the second-largest number of seats with no major party competition in an odd year since Ballotpedia began gathering data in 2011.
A seat has major party competition when candidates from both major parties are on the general election ballot. When only one major party is running for a seat, it has no major party competition and is effectively guaranteed to the major party candidate on the ballot. Learn more about the terms and methodologies used in this analysis.
Ballotpedia uses the level of major party competition to help determine the overall competitiveness of an election cycle. A larger number of seats without major party competition indicates fewer options on the ballot. A smaller number indicates more options.
In 2023:
| Major party competition in state legislative elections, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Seats | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Uncontested | Contested | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Only Democrats | Only Republicans | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |||||||||||||||||
| House | 407 | 92 | 22.6% | 143 | 35.1% | 236 | 58.0% | 171 | 42.0% | |||||||||||||||
| Senate | 171 | 25 | 14.6% | 58 | 33.9% | 83 | 48.5% | 88 | 51.5% | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 578 | 117 | 20.2% | 201 | 34.8% | 319 | 55.2% | 259 | 44.8% | |||||||||||||||
The chart below shows a breakdown of major party competition in state legislative elections from 2011 to 2023.
Margin of victory
Across all 578 seats up for election, the average margin of victory was 28.7%. An electoral margin 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 2023. 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, 2023 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
|
| Louisiana House of Representatives | ||||||||||
| Louisiana State Senate | ||||||||||
| Mississippi House of Representatives | ||||||||||
| Mississippi State Senate | ||||||||||
| New Jersey General Assembly[13] | ||||||||||
| New Jersey State Senate | ||||||||||
| Virginia House of Delegates | ||||||||||
| Virginia State Senate | ||||||||||
| Total | ||||||||||
State legislative races decided by 0.5% or less
In 2023, there were two races decided by margins of 0.5% or smaller.
| State legislative races decided by 0.5% or less, 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Winner | Runner-up | Margin (%) | Margin (number of votes) |
| New Jersey General Assembly District 8 | Andrea Katz |
Anthony Angelozzi |
||
| Virginia House of Delegates District 82 | Kim Taylor |
Kimberly Adams |
||
Political context
The 2023 cycle was the first and only time legislators in Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Virginia Senate stood for re-election following President Joe Biden's (D) election in 2020. Legislators in New Jersey and the Virginia House stood for re-election in 2021, when Republicans won control of the Virginia House and narrowed Democratic majorities in both New Jersey chambers.
In 2022, Republicans had a net gain of 27 state legislative seats nationwide, representing 0.4% of the 7,386 seats up for election. Meanwhile, Democrats won majorities in four chambers: the Michigan House and Senate, the Minnesota Senate, and the Pennsylvania House. Additionally, the Alaska Senate changed from a Republican majority to a bipartisan majority made up of Democrats and Republicans, and the Alaska House changed from a multipartisan majority made up primarily of Democrats and independents to a multipartisan majority made up primarily of Republicans.
Changes in chamber partisan control, 2010 to 2022
From 2010 to 2022, 41 chambers switched control: 21 switched control once, 15 switched control twice, one switched control three times, three switched control four times, and one — the New Hampshire House of Representatives — switched control five times. During that same time, there were 58 chambers that did not switch control.
Before the 2010 elections, Democrats controlled 60 of the country's 99 state legislative chambers, Republicans controlled 37, and neither party controlled the remaining two chambers. After the 2022 elections, Democrats controlled 40 chambers and Republicans controlled 57. Multipartisan majorities controlled the Alaska Senate and House.
Most changes in partisan control came from 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 a bipartisan coalition (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 Senate in 2014.[14]
For this chart, a red box indicates that the chamber changed from Democratic to Republican control, and a blue box indicates that the chamber changed from Republican to Democratic control.[15]
| Chamber changes in partisan control: 2010-2022 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Party changes in 2020 | Party changes in 2021 | Party changes in 2022 |
| Alabama Senate | Louisiana Senate[16][17] | Alaska Senate | Colorado Senate | Alaska House | Washington Senate | Alaska House[18] | Virginia Senate | New Hampshire Senate | Virginia House | Alaska Senate[19] |
| Alabama House | Mississippi Senate[20][21] | Arkansas Senate | Maine Senate | Iowa Senate | Colorado Senate | Virginia House | New Hampshire House | Michigan House | ||
| Colorado House | Mississippi House | Arkansas House | Minnesota House | Kentucky House | Maine Senate | Michigan Senate | ||||
| Indiana House | Virginia Senate[22] | Colorado House | Nevada Senate | Minnesota Senate | Minnesota House | Minnesota Senate | ||||
| Iowa House | Maine Senate | Nevada House | Nevada Senate | New Hampshire House | Pennsylvania House[23] | |||||
| Louisiana House[24][25] | 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[26] | |||||||||
| Minnesota House | Washington Senate | |||||||||
| Montana House[27] | ||||||||||
| New Hampshire Senate | ||||||||||
| New Hampshire House | ||||||||||
| New York Senate | ||||||||||
| North Carolina Senate | ||||||||||
| North Carolina House | ||||||||||
| Ohio House | ||||||||||
| Oregon House[28] | ||||||||||
| 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 | Total changes: 2 | Total changes: 1 | Total changes: 5 |
The chart below shows how many chambers each party controlled after the November elections in a given year.
| Partisan control of state legislative chambers: 2010-2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| 2020 | 37 | 61 | 1 | ||
| 2021 | 36 | 62 | 1 | ||
| 2022 | 40 | 57 | 2 | ||
Trifectas from 2010 to 2022
- 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. Democrats picked up six trifectas in the 2018 elections, and Republicans lost four trifectas. Following the 2021 elections, the Democratic trifecta in Virginia became a split government after Republicans gained control of the state House and governorship.
This chart shows the number of trifectas each party held heading into elections from 2010 to 2022, and the number of trifectas following the 2022 elections.
| Trifectas by year: 2010-2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Pre-2020 elections | 15 | 21 | 14 | ||
| Pre-2021 elections | 15 | 23 | 12 | ||
| Pre-2022 elections | 14 | 23 | 13 | ||
| Post-2022 elections | 17 | 22 | 11 | ||
See also
- Signature requirements and deadlines for 2023 state government elections
- State legislative special elections, 2023
- Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2023
- Primary election competitiveness in state government, 2023
- Incumbents defeated in state legislative elections, 2023
- Election results, 2023: State legislative veto-proof majorities
Other elections
- State executive official elections, 2023
- State supreme court elections, 2023
- United States municipal elections, 2023
- 2023 ballot measures
Footnotes
- ↑ These figures treat vacant seats as of November 7 as belonging to the party that most recently held control.
- ↑ Louisiana Constitution, "Article 3, Section 5," accessed February 10, 2021
- ↑ Louisiana Constitution, "Article 4, Section 3," accessed February 10, 2021
- ↑ Mississippi Constitution, "Article 4, Section 36," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ New Jersey Constitution, "Article IV, Section II (2.)," accessed February 10, 2021
- ↑ Virginia Legislative Information System, "Code of Virginia - § 24.2-214. Election and term of Senators." accessed January 6, 2022
- ↑ Virginia Legislative Information System, "Code of Virginia - § 24.2-215. Election and term of members of the House of Delegates." accessed January 6, 2022
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Candidates running for special elections in Virginia are selected through firehouse primaries administered by each political party.
- ↑ This contest was between the candidates who tied in the general election on November 8, 2022.
- ↑ The special election was called for January 9, 2024, but the election was won outright in the primary runoff on October 24, 2023.
- ↑ Some of the 22 term-limited state legislators in 2023 may have resigned before their term ends. These legislators were still counted in the total number of term-limited legislators in 2023.
- ↑ Totals may include minor party or independent officeholders.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednjnote - ↑ 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 changed 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.
- ↑ Chamber went from a Republican majority to a bipartisan governing coalition.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Democrats won a majority of seats, but did not have a majority when the legislative session began due to vacancies created during the interim.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
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