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Incumbents with no primary or general election challengers in the 2012 state legislative elections

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2012 Competitiveness Overview

Primary competition (state comparison)
Incumbents with no challenges at all in 2012 Incumbents defeated • Victorious challengers • Primary competitiveness
Major party challengers (state comparison)
List of candidates with no competition
Open seats (state comparisons)
Impact of term limits on # of open seats Long-serving senators • Long-serving reps
Chart Comparing 2012 Results
Chart Comparing 2012 Results • Comparisons Between Years
Competitiveness Index • Absolute Index
2012 State Legislative Elections 2012 Competitiveness Tracker
Competitiveness Studies from Other Years
2007 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011

There were 6,015 state legislative districts with a seat up for election on November 6, 2012, in 44 states. We took a look at each of the 44 states to see how many state legislative incumbents who chose to run for re-election in 2012 faced no primary or general election challenger.

Our main findings:

The incumbent chose to run for re-election in 4,783 (79.5%) of the 6,015 districts holding state legislative elections in 2012.
Of those 4,783 incumbents, a total of 1,237 (25.9%) did not face a primary or general election challenger.

A total of 266 incumbent senators did not face a primary or general election challenger.
A total of 971 incumbent representatives did not face a primary or general election challenger.

States compared by incumbents with no opposition

State	Senate seats up	Senators with no opposition	House seats up	Representatives with no opposition
Alaska	19	1	40	7
Arizona	30	9	60	2
Arkansas	35	11	100	33
California	20	0	80	4
Colorado	20	0	65	2
Connecticut	36	5	151	27
Delaware	21	8	41	15
Florida	40	12	120	35
Georgia	56	35	180	88
Hawaii	25	5	51	12
Idaho	35	6	70	6
Illinois	59	21	118	47
Indiana	25	7	100	25
Iowa	26	3	100	20
Kansas	40	1	125	19
Kentucky	19	6	100	42
Maine	35	0	151	6
Massachusetts	40	24	160	91
Michigan	--	--	110	0
Minnesota	67	2	134	4
Missouri	17	3	163	40
Montana	26	2	100	13
Nebraska	26	4	--	--
Nevada	12	0	42	10
New Hampshire	24	0	400	4
New Mexico	42	13	70	28
New York	63	0	150	3
North Carolina	50	9	120	29
North Dakota	25	3	50	3
Ohio	17	5	99	7
Oklahoma	24	7	101	52
Oregon	16	4	60	11
Pennsylvania	25	11	203	80
Rhode Island	38	1	75	12
South Carolina	46	5	124	6
South Dakota	35	7	70	6
Tennessee	16	2	99	25
Texas	31	7	150	48
Utah	16	2	75	3
Vermont	30	1	150	29
Washington	26	6	98	28
West Virginia	17	7	100	14
Wisconsin	16	5	99	13
Wyoming	15	6	60	22
Total	1,301	266	4,714	971

v • d • e Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections

Background	A "Competitiveness Index" for capturing competitiveness in state legislative elections • Creating an absolute measure for the "Competitiveness Index" in state legislative elections • Year-by-year comparison of results • Factors Affecting Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections

2012	Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition • States Compared by Competitiveness • Incumbents with no primary or general election opposition • Defeated incumbents • Victorious challengers • List of candidates with no major party opposition • Impact of term limits

2011	Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition • States Compared by Competitiveness • Incumbents with no primary or general election opposition • Defeated incumbents • Victorious challengers • List of candidates with no major party opposition • Impact of term limits

2010	Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats •Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition • States Compared by Competitiveness • Incumbents with no primary or general election opposition • Defeated incumbents • Victorious challengers • List of candidates with no major party opposition • Impact of term limits

2009	Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition

2007	Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition

v • d • 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)

2013	State legislative elections (2013) • Election Results (2013) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2013 Session Dates

Historical elections	2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2007

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 Legislative Tracker • 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 to senate • State senate elections

State houses	Length of terms of state representatives • State representatives • Partisan composition of state houses • State representatives sorted by year first elected • State house elections

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

v • d • e Ballotpedia

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Staff	Alex Murray • Andy Marshall • Axel Spaeh • Eric Veram • Greg Janetka • Jennifer Springer • Josh Altic • Joshua Williams • Luke Seeley • Maresa Strano • Megan Busse • Nick Katers • Phil Heidenreich • Phil Sletten • Steven Ellis

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