This week's question was, Virginia has had four trifecta changes in the past decade—more than any other state. Colorado and New Hampshire are among the three states that had three trifecta changes. Which one is the third?

You answered: Ohio.
The correct answer was Nevada.

Virginia had more changes to its trifecta status between 2011 and 2021 than any other state. Heading into 2011, the state had divided government, with a Republican governor and state House majority and a Democratic state Senate majority. Republicans won control of the state Senate—and a trifecta—in the 2011 elections. In 2013, Democrats won a Senate majority and the governorship, breaking Republicans' trifecta. In the 2019 elections, Democrats won a trifecta after winning majorities in both chambers of the legislature. Finally, in 2021, Republicans won control of the governorship and broke the Democratic house majority, ending the Democratic trifecta.

There have been three states with three trifecta changes between 2011 and 2021: Colorado, Nevada and New Hampshire.

Colorado entered 2011 with divided government, with Democrats controlling the governorship and state Senate and Republicans controlling the state House. In 2012, Democrats won a state House majority and a trifecta. In 2014, Republicans won control of the state Senate, breaking the Democratic trifecta. In 2018, Democrats won a Senate majority and a trifecta.

Nevada also entered 2011 with divided government, in this case a Republican governor and Democratic legislative majorities. Republicans won control of both chambers of the legislature—and a trifecta—in 2014. In 2016, Democrats regained majorities in both legislative chambers, breaking the Republican trifecta. Democrats won control of the governorship—and a trifecta—in 2018.

New Hampshire was under divided government from 2011 until 2016, when Republicans won a trifecta. In 2018, Democrats won control of both chambers of the state legislature, breaking the Republican trifecta. In 2020, Republicans won control of both chambers of the state legislature and a trifecta.

Ohio has been a Republican trifecta since the 2010 elections.

Changes in state trifectas

The following chart displays how many trifectas each party held between 1992 and 2025. Because newly-elected officeholders are not sworn in until December of the election year or January of the following year, changes in trifecta status as a result of general elections are reflected in the following year's numbers.

The table below shows the changes in trifectas each year since 1992.

Changes in trifectas by year, 1992-2025
Year	Total trifectas	Democratic trifectas	Republican trifectas	Change
2025	38	15	23	-2 D
2024	40	17	23	+1 R
2023	39	17	22	+3 D, -1 R
2022	37	14	23	-1 D
2021	38	15	23	+2 R
2020	36	15	21	+1 D, -1 R
2019	36	14	22	+6 D, -4 R
2018	34	8	26	+2 D, +1 R
2017	31	6	25	-1 D, +2 R
2016	30	7	23	-1 R
2015	31	7	24	-6 D
2014	37	13	24	+1 D, -1 R
2013	37	12	25	+1 D, +2 R
2012	34	11	23	+1 R
2011	33	11	22	-5 D, +13 R
2010	25	16	9	-1 D, -1 R
2009	27	17	10	+3 D
2008	24	14	10	-1 D
2007	25	15	10	+7 D, -3 R
2006	21	8	13	No change
2005	21	8	13	-1 D
2004	22	9	13	+1 D
2003	21	8	13	+1 R
2002	20	8	12	-2 R
2001	22	8	14	-1 D, -2 R
2000	25	9	16	+1 R
1999	24	9	15	+2 D, +2 R
1998	20	7	13	+1 R
1997	19	7	12	-1 D, -2 R
1996	22	8	14	-1 D, -1 R
1995	24	9	15	-8 D, +11 R
1994	21	17	4	-1 D, +1 R
1993	21	18	3	+2 D
1992	19	16	3	N/A

The chart below shows the change in number of trifectas of each party from the previous year.
Click [show] on the table below to see each change in state trifectas from 2010 to 2025.

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

Thanks for your response!