2019 election analysis: State government trifectas

• Ballotpedia's Election Analysis in 2019
• Election Analysis Pages
  • National party committee fundraising
  • State government primary competitiveness
  • State government trifecta control in the 2019 elections
  • State executive elections without major party competition
  • State legislative elections without major party competition
  • Municipal election partisanship
• Election Overviews
  • FEDERAL
    • Congressional special elections
  • STATE
    • State executive elections
    • Gubernatorial elections
    • Secretary of State elections
    • Attorney General elections
    • State legislative elections
    • State judicial elections
    • State ballot measures
  • LOCAL
    • Municipal elections
    • School board elections
    • Local trial court judicial elections
    • Local ballot measures
  • Recall efforts

2020 →

← 2018

State government trifectas
Current trifecta status Historical and potential changes in trifectas Trifecta vulnerability in the 2019 elections Trifecta vulnerability in the 2018 elections

Updated November 18, 2019

This content is part of Ballotpedia's analysis of the 2019 elections. For comprehensive election results, click here.

As a result of the 2019 elections, Democrats gained one state government trifecta in Virginia. A state government trifecta exists when one political party controls the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house in a state's government. Republicans also lost a trifecta following incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin's (R) defeat in Kentucky. The new trifecta count stands at 15 Democratic trifectas, 21 Republican trifectas, and 14 divided governments.

Prior to the 2019 elections, Republicans had eight more state government trifectas than Democrats: of 36 states with trifectas, 22 were Republican and 14 were Democratic. Democrats saw a net gain of one trifecta and Republicans lost one trifecta. The number of states with divided government (i.e. no trifecta for either major party) remained at 14.

For comparison, following the 2017 elections, Republicans controlled 26 trifectas to Democrats' eight, leaving 16 states without a trifecta. Following the 2014 midterm election, Republicans had 24 trifectas, Democrats had 13, and 13 states had no trifecta advantage for either major party. After the 2010 midterms, 25 states had no trifectas, Republicans had nine, and Democrats had 16.

The new Democratic trifecta in Virginia was formed after the party won majorities in the state Senate and state House. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 20-19 majority with one vacancy in the Senate and a 51-48 majority with one vacancy in the House. Democrats won a 21-19 majority in the state Senate and a 55-45 majority in the state House.

The total number of trifectas—36—is the highest number since 2014, when there were 37 trifectas.

Change in state government trifectas, 2019 elections
Trifecta status	Before	After	Net
Democratic trifectas	14	15	+1
Republican trifectas	22	21	-1
Divided government	14	14	--

The maps and charts below show the pre- and post-2019 election state government trifectas and the percentage of the population living under trifecta control.

Percent of the U.S. population living under trifectas as of Election Day 2019
	Total	Democratic trifectas	Republican trifectas	Divided governments
Population	326,464,979	111,656,588	137,380,514	77,427,877
Proportion (%)	100%	34.2%	42.1%	23.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Percent of the U.S. population living under trifectas following the 2019 elections
	Total	Democratic trifectas	Republican trifectas	Divided governments
Population	326,464,979	120,174,273	132,912,112	73,378,594
Proportion (%)	100%	36.8%	40.7%	22.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Click [show] to view a list of changes in control of trifecta components between 2010 and 2019

Trifecta changes, 2010-2025 State Change Trifecta Change Date Michigan State House party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2024 Minnesota State House party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2024 Louisiana Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2023 Arizona Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Republican trifecta lost November 2022 Maryland Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Democratic trifecta gained November 2022 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Democratic trifecta gained November 2022 Michigan State Senate and state House party change Democratic trifecta gained November 2022 Minnesota State Senate party change Democratic trifecta gained November 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Democratic trifecta lost November 2022 Virginia Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate, state House party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2021 Montana Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2020 New Hampshire State Senate and state House party change Republican trifecta gained November 2020 Kentucky Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Republican trifecta lost November 2019 Virginia State Senate and state House party change Democratic trifecta gained November 2019 Colorado State Senate party change Democratic trifecta gained November 2018 Illinois Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Democratic trifecta gained November 2018 Maine Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate and state Senate party change Democratic trifecta gained November 2018 New Mexico Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Democratic trifecta gained November 2018 New York State Senate party change Democratic trifecta gained November 2018 Nevada Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Democratic trifecta gained November 2018 Kansas Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Republican trifecta lost November 2018 Michigan Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Republican trifecta lost November 2018 Wisconsin Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Republican trifecta lost November 2018 New Hampshire State Senate and state House party changes Republican trifecta lost November 2018 New Jersey Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Democratic trifecta gained November 2017 Washington State Senate party change Democratic trifecta gained November 2017 West Virginia Governor changed party affiliation Republican trifecta gained August 2017 North Carolina Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Republican trifecta lost November 2016 Missouri Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2016 Vermont Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Democratic trifecta lost November 2016 New Hampshire Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2016 Iowa State Senate party change Republican trifecta gained November 2016 Kentucky State House party change Republican trifecta gained November 2016 Nevada State Senate and House party change Republican trifecta lost November 2016 Louisiana Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Republican trifecta lost November 2015 Alaska Gubernatorial race won by independent candidate Republican trifecta lost November 2014 Arkansas Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2014 Colorado State Senate party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2014 Illinois Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Democratic trifecta lost November 2014 Maryland Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Democratic trifecta lost November 2014 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Democratic trifecta lost November 2014 Minnesota State House party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2014 Nevada State Senate and House party change Republican trifecta gained November 2014 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Republican trifecta lost November 2014 West Virginia State Senate and House party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2014 Virginia Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Republican trifecta lost November 2013 Rhode Island Governor changed party affiliation Democratic trifecta gained May 2013 Colorado State House party change Democratic trifecta gained November 2012 Minnesota State Senate and House party change Democratic trifecta gained November 2012 Oregon State House party change Democratic trifecta gained November 2012 Arkansas State Senate and House party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2012 Alaska State Senate party change Republican trifecta gained November 2012 North Carolina Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2012 Maine State Senate and House party change Republican trifecta lost November 2012 Washington State Senate party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2012 Mississippi State House party change Republican trifecta gained November 2011 Virginia Control of state Senate split; tie-breaking vote held by Republican lieutenant governor Republican trifecta gained November 2011 Louisiana State Senate party change Republican trifecta gained February 2011 Alabama State Senate and House party change Republican trifecta gained November 2010 California Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Democratic trifecta gained November 2010 Colorado State House party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2010 Connecticut Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Democratic trifecta gained November 2010 Florida Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2010 Hawaii Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Democratic trifecta gained November 2010 Indiana State House party change Republican trifecta gained November 2010 Iowa State House party change and gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Democratic trifecta lost November 2010 Kansas Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2010 Maine State Senate, state House, and governorship party change Republican trifecta gained November 2010 Michigan State House party change and gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2010 New Hampshire State Senate and House party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2010 New Mexico Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Democratic trifecta lost November 2010 New York State Senate party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2010 North Carolina State Senate and House party change Democratic trifecta lost November 2010 Ohio State House party change and gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2010 Oklahoma Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2010 Oregon State House changed to a split balance Democratic trifecta lost November 2010 Pennsylvania State House party change Republican trifecta gained November 2010 Tennessee Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2010 Vermont Gubernatorial race won by Democratic candidate Democratic trifecta gained November 2010 Wisconsin State Senate, state House, and governorship party change Republican trifecta gained November 2010 Wyoming Gubernatorial race won by Republican candidate Republican trifecta gained November 2010 Florida Governor changed party affiliation Republican trifecta lost April 2010

See also

• 2019 election analysis: State government triplexes
• Trifecta vulnerability in the 2019 elections
• State government trifectas
• Historical and potential changes in trifectas

Footnotes

Ballotpedia

About

Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities

---

Executive: Leslie Graves, Founder and CEO • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer

Communications: Alison Graves, Director of Communications • Carley Allensworth • Abigail Campbell • Frank Festa • Sarah Groat • Nathaniel Harwood • Dillon Redmond
External Relations: Geoff Pallay, Director of External Relations • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Ashley Fleming • Thomas Mardik • Hannah Nelson
Operations: Meghann Olshefski, Director of Operations • Amanda Herbert • Mandy Morris • Caroline Presnell • Kelly Rindfleisch
Tech: Matt Latourelle, Director of Technology Operations • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Beth Dellea • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Eric Lotto • Joseph Sanchez • Mary Susmitha

Contributors: Scott Rasmussen

---

Editorial Content

Josh Altic, Director of Content • Daniel Anderson, Associate Director of Elections & Data • Cory Eucalitto, Associate Director of Features • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor of Ballot Measures • Mandy McConnell, Managing Editor of News • Doug Kronaizl, Managing Editor of Local Expansion • Abbey Smith, Managing Editor of Elections • Janie Valentine, Managing Editor of Law • Joel Williams. Managing Editor of Events • Andrew Bahl • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Joseph Brusgard • Emma Burlingame • Kelly Coyle • Jon Dunn • Victoria Edwards • Thomas Ellis • Nicole Fisher • Joseph Greaney • Thomas Grobben • Brianna Hosea • Molly Kehoe • Tyler King • Glorie Martinez • Norm Leahy, Senior Editor • Nathan Maxwell • Jimmy McAllister • Brandon McCauley • Ellie Mikus • Ellen Morrissey • Mackenzie Murphy • Kaley Platek • Samantha Post • Adam Powell • Annelise Reinwald • Ethan Rice • Spencer Richardson • Victoria Rose • Briana Ryan • Myj Saintyl • Maddy Salucka • Emma Soukup • Alexis Thacker • Mina Vogel • Samuel Wonacott • Trenton Woodcox