Democrats established trifecta control in at least six new states, bringing their national total to 14. Republicans, who began Election Day with 26 trifectas saw their total drop to 22.
States with divided government, where no party has complete control, declined to 13. One state, Georgia, is undecided, pending the outcome of its gubernatorial election.
Democrats established new trifectas in six states which previously had divided government: Colorado, Illinois, Maine, New Mexico, New York, and Nevada.
In the four states where Republicans lost trifecta control -- Kansas, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin, those states now have divided government. Republicans established a trifecta in Alaska with their victory in the governor’s race.
For a complete analysis of the new trifecta landscape, please click here.
Democratic Senate incumbents were defeated in Indiana, Missouri, and North Dakota, and races were too-close-to-call races in Arizona and Montana. A runoff is scheduled for the special election in Mississippi on Nov. 27.
In Nevada, Republican incumbent Dean Heller lost to Rep. Jacky Rosen (D).
Republicans had a net gain of at least 1 seat. With races still to be decided in two states, Republicans will hold a majority with at least 52 seats.
Heading into election night, Republicans held a 51-seat majority in the U.S. Senate. Democrats held 47 seats and independents who caucus with the Democrats held 2 seats.
Democrats faced greater partisan risk, defending 26 of the 35 seats up for election. Ten of those seats were in states Donald Trump (R) won in the 2016 presidential election. In those 10 states, the Democratic candidates won six races, and the Republican candidates won four.
Some races of note:
- Florida: With 100 percent of precincts reporting, term-limited Gov. Rick Scott (R) led incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D) by 0.4 percentage points or less than 35,000 votes. Trump won the state by 1.2 percentage points in 2016. Nelson called for a recount in the race on Wednesday.
- Indiana: Former state Rep. Mike Braun (R) defeated incumbent Sen. Joe Donnelly (D) by 10 percentage points, with 89 percent of precincts reporting. Like all Democratic incumbents who lost Tuesday, Donnelly was running in a state that Trump won—by 19 percentage points—in 2016.
- West Virginia: Trump had his second-largest margin of victory in this state in 2016—42 percent—but Democratic incumbent Joe Manchin held on to the seat against state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) by a margin of 3 percentage points.
- Texas: Incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R) defeated Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) by a margin of 2.6 percentage points, 50.9 percent to 48.3 percent. The state last elected a Democrat statewide in 1994.
Republicans held a 235-193 advantage over the Democratic Party in the U.S. House of Representatives heading into election night. All 435 seats—including seven vacancies—were up for election, with Democrats needing a net gain of 23 seats to win majority control of the chamber.
Democrats were well-positioned to gain seats according to a 100-year historical analysis of House elections conducted by Ballotpedia and political scientist Jacob Smith. From 1918 to 2016, the president’s party lost an average of 29 seats in midterm elections.
Hillary Clinton (D) won 25 Republican-held districts in the 2016 presidential race. Donald Trump (R) won 13 Democratic-held districts. On Tuesday:
- Democrats won at least 14 pro-Clinton/Republican-held districts: Arizona's 2nd, Colorado's 6th, Florida's 26th, Florida's 27th, Illinois' 6th, Kansas' 3rd, Minnesota's 3rd, New Jersey's 7th, Pennsylvania's 5th, Pennsylvania's 6th, Pennsylvania's 7th, Texas' 7th, Texas' 32nd, and Virginia's 10th.
- Democrats lost at least 3 pro-Clinton/Republican-held districts: California's 21st, New York's 24th, and Pennsylvania's 1st.
- Republicans won at least 2 pro-Trump/Democratic-held districts: Minnesota's 8th and Pennsylvania's 14th.
- Republicans lost at least 9 pro-Trump/Democratic-held districts: Iowa's 2nd, Illinois' 17th, Minnesota's 7th, New Hampshire's 1st, New Jersey's 5th, Nevada's 3rd, New York's 18th, Pennsylvania's 8th, Wisconsin's 3rd
At least 31 seats changed party hands, including open seats and those with an incumbent. At least 21 of the House’s 374 House incumbents running for re-election (5.6 percent) lost —19 Republicans and two Democrats.
There were gubernatorial elections in 36 states Tuesday. Republicans held 26 of those seats to nine for Democrats and one (Alaska) held by an independent.
Democrats picked up seven governors seats from the GOP, while Republicans won Alaska. The result: nationally, Republicans will control 26 governorships and Democrats will have 23.
One of those numbers will change; Georgia's Republican-held seat is still too close to call.
The new partisan split in governorships closely resembles the results of the 2010 election. Democrats controlled 26 governor’s offices heading into the 2010 elections. Republicans had 23. The GOP emerged from the 2010 elections with 29 governorships.
Democrats defeated two incumbent Republicans seeking re-election. In Wisconsin, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers (D) defeated two-term Gov. Scott Walker (R), while businessman J.B. Pritzker (D) defeated first-term Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R).
Democrats won open gubernatorial seats in Connecticut, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, and New Mexico. Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I) was running for re-election but suspended his campaign in October after his running mate resigned.
In Florida, former Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) defeated Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) by a margin of 0.8 percentage points. DeSantis’ victory preserved the state’s Republican trifecta and triplex.
In Ohio, attorney general Mike DeWine (R) defeated former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray (D) by a margin of 4.3 percentage points, preserving the state’s Republican trifecta and triplex. In the state’s U.S. Senate election, incumbent Sherrod Brown (D) defeated Jim Renacci (R) by a margin of 6.4 percentage points.
Seven state legislative chambers changed partisan control after the 2018 midterm election. Six flipped to Democratic control, and one to GOP control.
With the six Democratic pickups (4 senate chambers and 2 house chambers), and the GOP capturing one house chamber, Republicans now control a total of 62 state legislative chambers (32 senate, 30 house), and Democrats control 37 (18 senate, 19 house).
Regular elections were held in 87 of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers. Heading into the election, Republicans controlled 67 of 99 legislative chambers—36 senate chambers and 31 house chambers.
The pickups include:
- In New Hampshire, both the House and Senate flipped from Republican to Democratic control. This ended the Republican state government trifecta (where one party controls both chambers of the legislature and the governor’s office). Incumbent GOP. Gov. Chris Sununu was re-elected.
- In New York, the Senate flipped from Republican to Democratic control. This gave Democrats a trifecta, as they retained control of the House and the Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo, won re-election. This is one of five trifectas Democrats won in 2018.
- Colorado Democrats took control of the Senate, flipping the state from divided power to trifecta control for Democrats.
- Maine Democrats won control of the Senate and the governor’s office, assuming trifecta control. Democrats retained control of the state House.
- Republicans took control of the Alaska House, retained control of the state Senate, and won the governor’s office that is currently held by an independent. This gives the Alaska GOP trifecta control.
- Minnesota replaced one Democratic governor with another, and the House changed from Republican to Democratic control. But the Senate remained in GOP hands.
The Democrats’ flip of six legislative chambers is the most since the Party took control of seven chambers in the 2012 elections. In that year, Democrats flipped two state Senate chambers and five state Houses.
The flip of one state legislative chamber towards the GOP in 2018 is the fewest for the party since before 2010.
The seven chambers that changed partisan control this year change is less than midterm elections in 2010 and 2014. Twenty-two state legislative chambers flipped in 2010 (all but one went from Democrats to Republicans) and nine chambers switched control in 2014 (all went to Republicans).
Minnesota is now the only state with divided legislative chambers. After the 2010 midterms, there were 8 states with divided legislatures. In 1994 there were 17 states with divided legislatures.
Attorney general elections
The only incumbent attorney general to be defeated was Brad Schimel (R-Wis.), who lost to attorney Josh Kaul (D). With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Schimel had 48.7 percent of the vote to Kaul’s 49.5 percent.
Democrats also picked up attorney general offices in Colorado, where Phil Weiser (D) defeated George Brauchler (R) in a contest to replace Cynthia Coffman (R); Nevada, where Aaron Ford (D) defeated Wes Duncan (R) in the race to replace Adam Laxalt (R), who ran for governor; and Michigan, where Dana Nessel (D) defeated Tom Leonard (R) and will replace Bill Schuette (R), who ran for governor.
U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D) also prevailed in a competitive race for Minnesota attorney general, defeating Doug Wardlow (R). Ellison will replace Lori Swanson (D).
Secretary of state elections
The only incumbent secretary of state defeated was Wayne Williams (R-Colo.), who lost to attorney Jena Griswold (D). With 82 percent of precincts reporting, Griswold had 50.9 percent of the vote to Williams’ 46.8 percent. Griswold is the first Democrat to win the office since 1958.
Another Democratic pickup was Michigan, where Jocelyn Benson (D) defeated Mary Treder Lang (R) in the contest to replace Ruth Johnson (R). Nevada is too close to call, but incumbent Barbara Cegavske (R) leads Nelson Araujo (D).
There will likely be a December runoff for Georgia Secretary of State between Brad Raffensperger (R) and John Barrow (D). Georgia and Louisiana are the only states with general election runoffs when no candidate reaches 50 percent of the vote.
Changes to redistricting procedures approved
Colorado
Voters approved two redistricting measures: constitutional amendments Y and Z. Amendment Y creates a 12-member commission responsible for approving Colorado’s congressional district maps. Amendment Z creates a 12-member commission responsible for approving district maps for Colorado's state House and Senate districts. It also establishes qualifying criteria for commission members and restrictions on prior or current elected officials, candidates, or lobbyists being members, as well as enacting requirements for the district maps.
Michigan
Voters approved Michigan Proposal 2, a state constitutional amendment designed to transfer the power to draw the state's congressional and legislative districts from the state legislature to an independent redistricting commission.
Missouri
Voters approved Missouri Amendment 1, a state constitutional amendment to make changes to the state's lobbying laws, campaign finance limits for state legislative candidates, and legislative redistricting process.
Utah
Utah Proposition 4 was on the ballot as an initiated state statute. If approved, it would create a seven-member independent redistricting commission to draft maps for congressional and state legislative districts. With 76 percent precincts reporting at 10 AM EST, it had received 50.28 “yes” votes and 49.72 percent “no” votes.
Marijuana enters the Midwest via Michigan
Voters approved Michigan Proposal 1, which legalizes the recreational use and possession of marijuana for persons 21 years of age or older and enacts a tax on marijuana sales. This proposal made Michigan the first midwestern state to legalize the possession and use of recreational marijuana for adults. Individuals will be permitted to grow up to 12 marijuana plants in their residences. The measure creates a 10 percent excise sales tax which will be levied on marijuana sales at retailers and microbusinesses. Revenue from the tax will be dedicated to local governments, K-12 education, and road and bridge maintenance. Proposal 1 also legalizes the cultivation, processing, distribution, and sale of industrial hemp. Municipalities are authorized to ban or limit marijuana establishments within their boundaries.
One energy regulation bill passes
Of the five energy regulation measures featured on 2018 ballots, one passed in Nevada and one was pending in Washington due to the state’s vote-by-mail system. In Nevada, voters approved Question 6, which requires electric utilities to acquire 50 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2030, by 18 percentage points. In Washington, votes on Initiative 1631 are still being counted. With 64 percent of precincts reporting, 56.32 percent have voted “no” and 43.68 percent have voted “yes.” The initiative would enact a carbon emissions fee of $15 per metric ton of carbon beginning January 1, 2020. The fee would increase by $2 annually until the state's greenhouse gas reduction goals are met. Revenue from the fee would fund various programs and projects related to the environment.
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