Contested state legislative primaries, 2020

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Last updated on November 18, 2024

There were 5,875 state legislative seats up for election on November 3, 2020, in 44 states. This page analyzes contested primaries in those races. A primary is contested when there are more candidates running than nominations available, meaning at least one candidate on the primary ballot must lose. Learn more about the terms and methodologies used in this analysis.

Ballotpedia uses the number and percentage of contested primaries to help determine the overall competitiveness of an election cycle. A greater number of contested primaries indicates more candidates running for office and more choices voters must make. A smaller number of contested primaries indicates fewer candidates and choices on the ballot.

There were 5,497 state legislative districts up for election nationwide, creating 10,746 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 1,827 contested primaries, meaning 17% of all primaries were contested. This was down from 2018 (19%) but equal to 2016 (17%).

In 2020:

There were 836 contested Democratic primaries, representing 16% of all possible Democratic primaries and a 17% decrease from 2018.

There were 882 contested Republican primaries, representing 17% of all possible Republican primaries and a 13% decrease from 2018.

There were 109 contested top-two/four primaries, representing 44% of all possible top-two/four primaries and a 2% increase from 2018.

The total number of contested primaries—1,827—was down from 2018 (2,123), representing a decrease of 14%.

Contested state legislative primaries, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Top-two/four		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
House	4,349	637	15.3%	678	16.3%	81	45.5%	1,396	16.4%
Senate	1,148	199	18.5%	204	18.9%	28	40.0%	431	19.4%
Total	5,497	836	15.9%	882	16.8%	109	44.0%	1,827	17.0%

Click [show] on the table below to view contested primary statistics by state in 2020. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries, 2020
State	Possible primaries
		Democratic		Republican		Top-two/four		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
Nationwide	10,746	836	15.9%	882	16.8%	109	44.0%	1,827	17.0%
Alaska	100	7	14.0%	23	46.0%	-	-	30	30.0%
Arizona	120	12	20.0%	14	23.3%	-	-	26	21.7%
Arkansas	234	5	4.3%	16	13.7%	-	-	21	9.0%
California	100	-	-	-	-	51	51.0%	51	51.0%
Colorado	166	8	9.6%	11	13.3%	-	-	19	11.4%
Connecticut	374	10	5.3%	4	2.1%	-	-	14	3.7%
Delaware	104	11	21.2%	1	1.9%	-	-	12	11.5%
Florida	280	37	26.4%	34	24.3%	-	-	71	25.4%
Georgia	472	49	20.8%	31	13.1%	-	-	80	16.9%
Hawaii	128	29	45.3%	2	3.1%	-	-	31	24.2%
Idaho	210	3	2.9%	42	40.0%	-	-	45	21.4%
Illinois	276	28	20.3%	10	7.2%	-	-	38	13.8%
Indiana	250	20	16.0%	24	19.2%	-	-	44	17.6%
Iowa	250	12	9.6%	16	12.8%	-	-	28	11.2%
Kansas	330	14	8.5%	40	24.2%	-	-	54	16.4%
Kentucky	238	13	10.9%	23	19.3%	-	-	36	15.1%
Maine	372	25	13.4%	9	4.8%	-	-	34	9.1%
Massachusetts	400	33	16.5%	4	2.0%	-	-	37	9.3%
Michigan	220	48	43.6%	43	39.1%	-	-	91	41.4%
Minnesota	402	25	12.4%	15	7.5%	-	-	40	10.0%
Missouri	360	22	12.2%	42	23.3%	-	-	64	17.8%
Montana	250	16	12.8%	35	28.0%	-	-	51	20.4%
Nebraska	25	-	-	-	-	6	24.0%	6	24.0%
Nevada	104	14	26.9%	15	28.8%	-	-	29	27.9%
New Hampshire	456	30	13.2%	37	16.2%	-	-	67	14.7%
New Mexico	224	25	22.3%	13	11.6%	-	-	38	17.0%
New York	426	53	24.9%	6	2.8%	-	-	59	13.8%
North Carolina	340	29	17.1%	30	17.6%	-	-	59	17.4%
North Dakota	92	0	0.0%	6	13.0%	-	-	6	6.5%
Ohio	230	15	13.0%	23	20.0%	-	-	38	16.5%
Oklahoma	250	8	6.4%	44	35.2%	-	-	52	20.8%
Oregon	150	20	26.7%	13	17.3%	-	-	33	22.0%
Pennsylvania	456	33	14.5%	25	11.0%	-	-	58	12.7%
Rhode Island	226	33	29.2%	1	0.9%	-	-	34	15.0%
South Carolina	340	26	15.3%	38	22.4%	-	-	64	18.8%
South Dakota	144	2	2.8%	27	37.5%	-	-	29	20.1%
Tennessee	230	14	12.2%	23	20.0%	-	-	37	16.1%
Texas	332	41	24.7%	30	18.1%	-	-	71	21.4%
Utah	180	1	1.1%	17	18.9%	-	-	18	10.0%
Vermont	234	22	18.8%	7	6.0%	-	-	29	12.4%
Washington	123	-	-	-	-	52	42.3%	52	42.3%
West Virginia	168	19	22.6%	33	39.3%	-	-	52	31.0%
Wisconsin	230	18	15.7%	15	13.0%	-	-	33	14.3%
Wyoming	150	6	8.0%	40	53.3%	-	-	46	30.7%

Historical comparison

The chart below shows a breakdown of contested primaries from 2010 to 2020.

Click [show] on the table below to view overall contested primary statistics by state from 2010 to 2020. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries, 2010-2020
State
	2010		2012		2014		2016		2018		2020
	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
Nationwide	2,017	18.3%	2,037	18.5%	1,698	15.5%	1,800	16.6%	2,123	19.5%	1,827	17.0%
Alaska	10	10.0%	27	22.9%	13	12.0%	22	22.0%	28	28.0%	30	30.0%
Arizona	37	30.8%	27	22.5%	31	25.8%	23	19.2%	42	35.0%	26	21.7%
Arkansas	44	18.8%	33	12.2%	26	11.0%	22	9.4%	27	11.4%	21	9.0%
California	52	26.0%	60	60.0%	54	54.0%	49	49.0%	50	50.0%	51	51.0%
Colorado	15	8.9%	17	10.0%	12	7.3%	24	14.5%	20	12.2%	19	11.4%
Connecticut	22	5.9%	15	4.0%	18	4.8%	12	3.2%	20	5.3%	14	3.7%
Delaware	13	12.5%	20	16.1%	11	10.8%	9	8.7%	17	16.7%	12	11.5%
Florida	64	20.0%	74	23.1%	42	15.0%	74	23.1%	68	24.3%	71	25.4%
Georgia	76	16.1%	76	16.1%	62	13.1%	76	16.1%	88	18.6%	80	16.9%
Hawaii	42	31.8%	38	25.0%	29	23.0%	34	26.6%	37	29.4%	31	24.2%
Idaho	34	16.2%	71	33.8%	40	19.0%	38	18.1%	51	24.3%	45	21.4%
Illinois	39	14.0%	67	18.9%	29	10.6%	30	9.5%	45	14.3%	38	13.8%
Indiana	46	18.4%	51	20.4%	25	10.0%	38	15.2%	44	17.6%	44	17.6%
Iowa	26	10.4%	45	17.9%	29	11.6%	29	11.6%	32	12.8%	28	11.2%
Kansas	36	14.4%	102	30.9%	35	14.0%	68	20.6%	42	16.8%	54	16.4%
Kentucky	37	15.5%	38	16.0%	29	12.2%	42	17.6%	51	21.4%	36	15.1%
Maine	36	9.7%	39	10.5%	26	7.0%	30	8.1%	28	7.5%	34	9.1%
Massachusetts	61	15.3%	38	9.5%	47	11.8%	39	9.8%	50	15.6%	37	9.3%
Michigan	138	46.6%	85	38.6%	104	35.1%	95	43.2%	126	42.6%	91	41.4%
Minnesota	23	5.7%	44	10.9%	15	5.6%	28	7.0%	22	8.2%	40	10.0%
Missouri	86	23.9%	86	23.9%	49	13.6%	57	15.8%	78	21.7%	64	17.8%
Montana	59	23.4%	45	17.9%	59	23.6%	50	20.0%	38	15.2%	51	20.4%
Nebraska	9	37.5%	9	36.0%	11	45.8%	13	52.0%	10	41.7%	6	24.0%
Nevada	48	45.3%	35	33.7%	32	30.2%	39	37.5%	33	31.1%	29	27.9%
New Hampshire	54	21.3%	85	18.6%	78	17.1%	76	16.7%	70	15.4%	67	14.7%
New Mexico	23	16.4%	46	20.5%	18	12.9%	23	10.3%	13	9.3%	38	17.0%
New York	66	15.6%	56	13.1%	46	10.8%	54	12.7%	48	11.3%	59	13.8%
North Carolina	81	23.8%	91	26.8%	53	15.6%	61	17.9%	75	22.1%	59	17.4%
North Dakota	1	1.0%	7	7.0%	4	4.2%	4	4.3%	5	5.2%	6	6.5%
Ohio	54	23.3%	34	14.5%	51	22.0%	43	18.7%	63	27.2%	38	16.5%
Oklahoma	39	15.6%	45	18.0%	45	18.0%	83	33.2%	117	46.8%	52	20.8%
Oregon	20	13.2%	15	9.9%	20	13.3%	17	11.3%	25	17.1%	33	22.0%
Pennsylvania	63	13.8%	63	13.8%	68	14.9%	49	10.7%	63	13.8%	58	12.7%
Rhode Island	51	22.6%	40	17.7%	26	11.5%	27	11.9%	33	14.6%	34	15.0%
South Carolina	39	15.7%	35	10.3%	29	11.7%	59	17.4%	45	18.1%	64	18.8%
South Dakota	18	12.5%	30	20.8%	22	15.3%	26	18.1%	24	16.7%	29	20.1%
Tennessee	37	15.9%	62	27.0%	44	19.0%	57	24.8%	61	26.3%	37	16.1%
Texas	56	16.9%	90	24.9%	57	17.3%	70	21.1%	94	28.5%	71	21.4%
Utah	14	7.8%	20	11.0%	7	3.9%	10	5.6%	17	9.6%	18	10.0%
Vermont	16	6.6%	12	5.1%	11	4.7%	21	9.0%	14	6.0%	29	12.4%
Washington	41	33.3%	29	23.4%	29	23.6%	46	37.1%	47	38.2%	52	42.3%
West Virginia	46	30.7%	51	30.4%	44	26.2%	64	38.1%	57	33.9%	52	31.0%
Wisconsin	50	21.6%	51	22.2%	32	13.8%	33	14.3%	20	8.6%	33	14.3%
Wyoming	32	21.3%	33	22.0%	37	24.7%	36	24.0%	28	18.7%	46	30.7%

Alaska

There were 50 state legislative districts up for election in Alaska, creating 100 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 30 contested primaries—seven by Democrats and 23 by Republicans—meaning 30.0% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Alaska, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	40	6	15.0%	16	40.0%	22	27.5%
Senate	10	1	10.0%	7	70.0%	8	40.0%
Total	50	7	14.0%	23	46.0%	30	30.0%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Alaska, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	50	1	2.0%	9	18.0%	10	10.0%
2012	59	6	10.2%	21	35.6%	27	22.9%
2014	54	2	3.7%	11	20.4%	13	12.0%
2016	50	4	8.0%	18	36.0%	22	22.0%
2018	50	5	10.0%	23	46.0%	28	28.0%
2020	50	7	14.0%	23	46.0%	30	30.0%

See also:

• Alaska House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Alaska State Senate elections, 2020

Arizona

There were 60 state legislative districts up for election in Arizona, creating 120 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 26 contested primaries—12 by Democrats and 14 by Republicans—meaning 21.7% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Arizona, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	30	7	23.3%	9	30.0%	16	26.7%
Senate	30	5	16.7%	5	16.7%	10	16.7%
Total	60	12	20.0%	14	23.3%	26	21.7%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Arizona, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	60	11	18.3%	26	43.3%	37	30.8%
2012	60	14	23.3%	13	21.7%	27	22.5%
2014	60	10	16.7%	21	35.0%	31	25.8%
2016	60	11	18.3%	12	20.0%	23	19.2%
2018	60	21	35.0%	21	35.0%	42	35.0%
2020	60	12	20.0%	14	23.3%	26	21.7%

See also:

• Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Arizona State Senate elections, 2020

Arkansas

There were 117 state legislative districts up for election in Arkansas, creating 234 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 21 contested primaries—five by Democrats and 16 by Republicans—meaning 9.0% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Arkansas, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	100	3	3.0%	13	13.0%	16	8.0%
Senate	17	2	11.8%	3	17.6%	5	14.7%
Total	117	5	4.3%	16	13.7%	21	9.0%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Arkansas, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	117	34	29.1%	10	8.5%	44	18.8%
2012	135	19	14.1%	14	10.4%	33	12.2%
2014	118	4	3.4%	22	18.6%	26	11.0%
2016	117	4	3.4%	18	15.4%	22	9.4%
2018	118	9	7.6%	18	15.3%	27	11.4%
2020	117	5	4.3%	16	13.7%	21	9.0%

See also:

• Arkansas House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Arkansas State Senate elections, 2020

California

There were 100 state legislative districts up for election in California, creating 100 possible primaries because of the state's top-two primary system. Of that total, there were 51 contested top-two primaries, meaning 51.0% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Statistics from 2020 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in California, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Total
		#	%
House	80	36	45.0%
Senate	20	15	75.0%
Total	100	51	51.0%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in California, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Top-two/four		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	100	25	25.0%	27	27.0%	N/A		52	26.0%
2012	100	N/A				60	60.0%	60	60.0%
2014	100	N/A				54	54.0%	54	54.0%
2016	100	N/A				49	49.0%	49	49.0%
2018	100	N/A				50	50.0%	50	50.0%
2020	100	N/A				51	51.0%	51	51.0%

See also:

• California State Assembly elections, 2020
• California State Senate elections, 2020

Colorado

There were 83 state legislative districts up for election in Colorado, creating 166 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 19 contested primaries—eight by Democrats and 11 by Republicans—meaning 11.4% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Colorado, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	65	5	7.7%	9	13.8%	14	10.8%
Senate	18	3	16.7%	2	11.1%	5	13.9%
Total	83	8	9.6%	11	13.3%	19	11.4%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Colorado, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	84	9	10.7%	6	7.1%	15	8.9%
2012	85	4	4.7%	13	15.3%	17	10.0%
2014	82	3	3.7%	9	11.0%	12	7.3%
2016	83	12	14.5%	12	14.5%	24	14.5%
2018	82	12	14.6%	8	9.8%	20	12.2%
2020	83	8	9.6%	11	13.3%	19	11.4%

See also:

• Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Colorado State Senate elections, 2020

Connecticut

There were 187 state legislative districts up for election in Connecticut, creating 374 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 14 contested primaries—10 by Democrats and four by Republicans—meaning 3.7% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Connecticut, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	151	8	5.3%	3	2.0%	11	3.6%
Senate	36	2	5.6%	1	2.8%	3	4.2%
Total	187	10	5.3%	4	2.1%	14	3.7%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Connecticut, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	187	15	8.0%	7	3.7%	22	5.9%
2012	187	14	7.5%	1	0.5%	15	4.0%
2014	187	13	7.0%	5	2.7%	18	4.8%
2016	187	10	5.3%	2	1.1%	12	3.2%
2018	187	14	7.5%	6	3.2%	20	5.3%
2020	187	10	5.3%	4	2.1%	14	3.7%

See also:

• Connecticut House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Connecticut State Senate elections, 2020

Delaware

There were 52 state legislative districts up for election in Delaware, creating 104 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 12 contested primaries—11 by Democrats and one by Republicans—meaning 11.5% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Delaware, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	41	7	17.1%	0	0.0%	7	8.5%
Senate	11	4	36.4%	1	9.1%	5	22.7%
Total	52	11	21.2%	1	1.9%	12	11.5%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Delaware, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	52	8	15.4%	5	9.6%	13	12.5%
2012	62	14	22.6%	6	9.7%	20	16.1%
2014	51	8	15.7%	3	5.9%	11	10.8%
2016	52	7	13.5%	2	3.8%	9	8.7%
2018	51	13	25.5%	4	7.8%	17	16.7%
2020	52	11	21.2%	1	1.9%	12	11.5%

See also:

• Delaware House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Delaware State Senate elections, 2020

Florida

There were 140 state legislative districts up for election in Florida, creating 280 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 71 contested primaries—37 by Democrats and 34 by Republicans—meaning 25.4% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Florida, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	120	31	25.8%	30	25.0%	61	25.4%
Senate	20	6	30.0%	4	20.0%	10	25.0%
Total	140	37	26.4%	34	24.3%	71	25.4%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Florida, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	160	20	12.5%	44	27.5%	64	20.0%
2012	160	29	18.1%	45	28.1%	74	23.1%
2014	140	14	10.0%	28	20.0%	42	15.0%
2016	160	42	26.3%	32	20.0%	74	23.1%
2018	140	37	26.4%	31	22.1%	68	24.3%
2020	140	37	26.4%	34	24.3%	71	25.4%

See also:

• Florida House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Florida State Senate elections, 2020

Georgia

There were 236 state legislative districts up for election in Georgia, creating 472 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 80 contested primaries—49 by Democrats and 31 by Republicans—meaning 16.9% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Georgia, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	180	34	18.9%	20	11.1%	54	15.0%
Senate	56	15	26.8%	11	19.6%	26	23.2%
Total	236	49	20.8%	31	13.1%	80	16.9%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Georgia, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	236	29	12.3%	47	19.9%	76	16.1%
2012	236	32	13.6%	44	18.6%	76	16.1%
2014	236	23	9.7%	39	16.5%	62	13.1%
2016	236	30	12.7%	46	19.5%	76	16.1%
2018	236	44	18.6%	44	18.6%	88	18.6%
2020	236	49	20.8%	31	13.1%	80	16.9%

See also:

• Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Georgia State Senate elections, 2020

Hawaii

There were 64 state legislative districts up for election in Hawaii, creating 128 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 31 contested primaries—29 by Democrats and two by Republicans—meaning 24.2% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Hawaii, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	51	24	47.1%	2	3.9%	26	25.5%
Senate	13	5	38.5%	0	0.0%	5	19.2%
Total	64	29	45.3%	2	3.1%	31	24.2%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Hawaii, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	66	32	48.5%	10	15.2%	42	31.8%
2012	76	31	40.8%	7	9.2%	38	25.0%
2014	63	23	36.5%	6	9.5%	29	23.0%
2016	64	29	45.3%	5	7.8%	34	26.6%
2018	63	33	52.4%	4	6.3%	37	29.4%
2020	64	29	45.3%	2	3.1%	31	24.2%

See also:

• Hawaii House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Hawaii State Senate elections, 2020

Idaho

There were 105 state legislative districts up for election in Idaho, creating 210 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 45 contested primaries—three by Democrats and 42 by Republicans—meaning 21.4% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Idaho, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	70	2	2.9%	30	42.9%	32	22.9%
Senate	35	1	2.9%	12	34.3%	13	18.6%
Total	105	3	2.9%	42	40.0%	45	21.4%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Idaho, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	105	2	1.9%	32	30.5%	34	16.2%
2012	105	10	9.5%	61	58.1%	71	33.8%
2014	105	6	5.7%	34	32.4%	40	19.0%
2016	105	3	2.9%	35	33.3%	38	18.1%
2018	105	7	6.7%	44	41.9%	51	24.3%
2020	105	3	2.9%	42	40.0%	45	21.4%

See also:

• Idaho House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Idaho State Senate elections, 2020

Illinois

There were 138 state legislative districts up for election in Illinois, creating 276 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 38 contested primaries—28 by Democrats and 10 by Republicans—meaning 13.8% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Illinois, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	118	22	18.6%	8	6.8%	30	12.7%
Senate	20	6	30.0%	2	10.0%	8	20.0%
Total	138	28	20.3%	10	7.2%	38	13.8%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Illinois, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	139	24	17.3%	15	10.8%	39	14.0%
2012	177	38	21.5%	29	16.4%	67	18.9%
2014	137	13	9.5%	16	11.7%	29	10.6%
2016	158	15	9.5%	15	9.5%	30	9.5%
2018	157	23	14.6%	22	14.0%	45	14.3%
2020	138	28	20.3%	10	7.2%	38	13.8%

See also:

• Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Illinois State Senate elections, 2020

Indiana

There were 125 state legislative districts up for election in Indiana, creating 250 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 44 contested primaries—20 by Democrats and 24 by Republicans—meaning 17.6% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Indiana, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	100	16	16.0%	19	19.0%	35	17.5%
Senate	25	4	16.0%	5	20.0%	9	18.0%
Total	125	20	16.0%	24	19.2%	44	17.6%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Indiana, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	125	13	10.4%	33	26.4%	46	18.4%
2012	125	16	12.8%	35	28.0%	51	20.4%
2014	125	2	1.6%	23	18.4%	25	10.0%
2016	125	12	9.6%	26	20.8%	38	15.2%
2018	125	18	14.4%	26	20.8%	44	17.6%
2020	125	20	16.0%	24	19.2%	44	17.6%

See also:

• Indiana House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Indiana State Senate elections, 2020

Iowa

There were 125 state legislative districts up for election in Iowa, creating 250 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 28 contested primaries—12 by Democrats and 16 by Republicans—meaning 11.2% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Iowa, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	100	8	8.0%	9	9.0%	17	8.5%
Senate	25	4	16.0%	7	28.0%	11	22.0%
Total	125	12	9.6%	16	12.8%	28	11.2%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Iowa, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	125	7	5.6%	19	15.2%	26	10.4%
2012	126	10	7.9%	35	27.8%	45	17.9%
2014	125	14	11.2%	15	12.0%	29	11.6%
2016	125	14	11.2%	15	12.0%	29	11.6%
2018	125	15	12.0%	17	13.6%	32	12.8%
2020	125	12	9.6%	16	12.8%	28	11.2%

See also:

• Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Iowa State Senate elections, 2020

Kansas

There were 165 state legislative districts up for election in Kansas, creating 330 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 54 contested primaries—14 by Democrats and 40 by Republicans—meaning 16.4% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Kansas, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	125	12	9.6%	29	23.2%	41	16.4%
Senate	40	2	5.0%	11	27.5%	13	16.3%
Total	165	14	8.5%	40	24.2%	54	16.4%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Kansas, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	125	4	3.2%	32	25.6%	36	14.4%
2012	165	18	10.9%	84	50.9%	102	30.9%
2014	125	5	4.0%	30	24.0%	35	14.0%
2016	165	13	7.9%	55	33.3%	68	20.6%
2018	125	11	8.8%	31	24.8%	42	16.8%
2020	165	14	8.5%	40	24.2%	54	16.4%

See also:

• Kansas House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Kansas State Senate elections, 2020

Kentucky

There were 119 state legislative districts up for election in Kentucky, creating 238 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 36 contested primaries—13 by Democrats and 23 by Republicans—meaning 15.1% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Kentucky, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	100	11	11.0%	19	19.0%	30	15.0%
Senate	19	2	10.5%	4	21.1%	6	15.8%
Total	119	13	10.9%	23	19.3%	36	15.1%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Kentucky, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	119	17	14.3%	20	16.8%	37	15.5%
2012	119	15	12.6%	23	19.3%	38	16.0%
2014	119	11	9.2%	18	15.1%	29	12.2%
2016	119	15	12.6%	27	22.7%	42	17.6%
2018	119	25	21.0%	26	21.8%	51	21.4%
2020	119	13	10.9%	23	19.3%	36	15.1%

See also:

• Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Kentucky State Senate elections, 2020

Maine

There were 186 state legislative districts up for election in Maine, creating 372 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 34 contested primaries—25 by Democrats and nine by Republicans—meaning 9.1% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Maine, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	151	19	12.6%	6	4.0%	25	8.3%
Senate	35	6	17.1%	3	8.6%	9	12.9%
Total	186	25	13.4%	9	4.8%	34	9.1%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Maine, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	186	14	7.5%	22	11.8%	36	9.7%
2012	186	23	12.4%	16	8.6%	39	10.5%
2014	186	13	7.0%	13	7.0%	26	7.0%
2016	186	17	9.1%	13	7.0%	30	8.1%
2018	186	20	10.8%	8	4.3%	28	7.5%
2020	186	25	13.4%	9	4.8%	34	9.1%

See also:

• Maine House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Maine State Senate elections, 2020

Massachusetts

There were 200 state legislative districts up for election in Massachusetts, creating 400 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 37 contested primaries—33 by Democrats and four by Republicans—meaning 9.3% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Massachusetts, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	160	28	17.5%	4	2.5%	32	10.0%
Senate	40	5	12.5%	0	0.0%	5	6.3%
Total	200	33	16.5%	4	2.0%	37	9.3%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Massachusetts, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	200	40	20.0%	21	10.5%	61	15.3%
2012	200	30	15.0%	8	4.0%	38	9.5%
2014	200	35	17.5%	12	6.0%	47	11.8%
2016	200	36	18.0%	3	1.5%	39	9.8%
2018	160	44	27.5%	6	3.8%	50	15.6%
2020	200	33	16.5%	4	2.0%	37	9.3%

See also:

• Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Massachusetts State Senate elections, 2020

Michigan

There were 110 state legislative districts up for election in Michigan, creating 220 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 91 contested primaries—48 by Democrats and 43 by Republicans—meaning 41.4% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Michigan, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	110	48	43.6%	43	39.1%	91	41.4%
Senate	Did not hold elections
Total	110	48	43.6%	43	39.1%	91	41.4%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Michigan, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	148	60	40.5%	78	52.7%	138	46.6%
2012	110	51	46.4%	34	30.9%	85	38.6%
2014	148	48	32.4%	56	37.8%	104	35.1%
2016	110	45	40.9%	50	45.5%	95	43.2%
2018	148	67	45.3%	59	39.9%	126	42.6%
2020	110	48	43.6%	43	39.1%	91	41.4%

See also:

• Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2020

Minnesota

There were 201 state legislative districts up for election in Minnesota, creating 402 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 40 contested primaries—25 by Democrats and 15 by Republicans—meaning 10.0% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Minnesota, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	134	12	9.0%	11	8.2%	23	8.6%
Senate	67	13	19.4%	4	6.0%	17	12.7%
Total	201	25	12.4%	15	7.5%	40	10.0%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Minnesota, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	201	13	6.5%	10	5.0%	23	5.7%
2012	201	24	11.9%	20	10.0%	44	10.9%
2014	134	6	4.5%	9	6.7%	15	5.6%
2016	201	17	8.5%	11	5.5%	28	7.0%
2018	134	14	10.4%	8	6.0%	22	8.2%
2020	201	25	12.4%	15	7.5%	40	10.0%

See also:

• Minnesota House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Minnesota State Senate elections, 2020

Missouri

There were 180 state legislative districts up for election in Missouri, creating 360 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 64 contested primaries—22 by Democrats and 42 by Republicans—meaning 17.8% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Missouri, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	163	18	11.0%	34	20.9%	52	16.0%
Senate	17	4	23.5%	8	47.1%	12	35.3%
Total	180	22	12.2%	42	23.3%	64	17.8%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Missouri, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	180	29	16.1%	57	31.7%	86	23.9%
2012	180	38	21.1%	48	26.7%	86	23.9%
2014	180	16	8.9%	33	18.3%	49	13.6%
2016	180	24	13.3%	33	18.3%	57	15.8%
2018	180	29	16.1%	49	27.2%	78	21.7%
2020	180	22	12.2%	42	23.3%	64	17.8%

See also:

• Missouri House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Missouri State Senate elections, 2020

Montana

There were 125 state legislative districts up for election in Montana, creating 250 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 51 contested primaries—16 by Democrats and 35 by Republicans—meaning 20.4% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Montana, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	100	9	9.0%	28	28.0%	37	18.5%
Senate	25	7	28.0%	7	28.0%	14	28.0%
Total	125	16	12.8%	35	28.0%	51	20.4%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Montana, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	126	21	16.7%	38	30.2%	59	23.4%
2012	126	16	12.7%	29	23.0%	45	17.9%
2014	125	21	16.8%	38	30.4%	59	23.6%
2016	125	14	11.2%	36	28.8%	50	20.0%
2018	125	17	13.6%	21	16.8%	38	15.2%
2020	125	16	12.8%	35	28.0%	51	20.4%

See also:

• Montana House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Montana State Senate elections, 2020

Nebraska

There were 25 state legislative districts up for election in Nebraska, creating 25 possible primaries because of the state's top-two primary system. Of that total, there were six contested top-two primaries, meaning 24.0% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Statistics from 2020 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Nebraska, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Total
		#	%
House	N/A
Senate	25	6	24.0%
Total	25	6	24.0%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Nebraska, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Total
		#	%
2010	24	9	37.5%
2012	25	9	36.0%
2014	24	11	45.8%
2016	25	13	52.0%
2018	24	10	41.7%
2020	25	6	24.0%

See also:

• Nebraska State Senate elections, 2020

Nevada

There were 52 state legislative districts up for election in Nevada, creating 104 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 29 contested primaries—14 by Democrats and 15 by Republicans—meaning 27.9% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Nevada, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	42	12	28.6%	14	33.3%	26	31.0%
Senate	10	2	20.0%	1	10.0%	3	15.0%
Total	52	14	26.9%	15	28.8%	29	27.9%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Nevada, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	53	20	37.7%	28	52.8%	48	45.3%
2012	52	20	38.5%	15	28.8%	35	33.7%
2014	53	12	22.6%	20	37.7%	32	30.2%
2016	52	15	28.8%	24	46.2%	39	37.5%
2018	53	16	30.2%	17	32.1%	33	31.1%
2020	52	14	26.9%	15	28.8%	29	27.9%

See also:

• Nevada State Assembly elections, 2020
• Nevada State Senate elections, 2020

New Hampshire

There were 228 state legislative districts up for election in New Hampshire, creating 456 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 67 contested primaries—30 by Democrats and 37 by Republicans—meaning 14.7% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in New Hampshire, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	204	27	13.2%	30	14.7%	57	14.0%
Senate	24	3	12.5%	7	29.2%	10	20.8%
Total	228	30	13.2%	37	16.2%	67	14.7%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in New Hampshire, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	127	14	11.0%	40	31.5%	54	21.3%
2012	228	17	7.5%	68	29.8%	85	18.6%
2014	228	20	8.8%	58	25.4%	78	17.1%
2016	228	25	11.0%	51	22.4%	76	16.7%
2018	228	34	14.9%	36	15.8%	70	15.4%
2020	228	30	13.2%	37	16.2%	67	14.7%

See also:

• New Hampshire House of Representatives elections, 2020
• New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2020

New Mexico

There were 112 state legislative districts up for election in New Mexico, creating 224 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 38 contested primaries—25 by Democrats and 13 by Republicans—meaning 17.0% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in New Mexico, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	70	12	17.1%	5	7.1%	17	12.1%
Senate	42	13	31.0%	8	19.0%	21	25.0%
Total	112	25	22.3%	13	11.6%	38	17.0%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in New Mexico, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	70	14	20.0%	9	12.9%	23	16.4%
2012	112	32	28.6%	14	12.5%	46	20.5%
2014	70	12	17.1%	6	8.6%	18	12.9%
2016	112	19	17.0%	4	3.6%	23	10.3%
2018	70	10	14.3%	3	4.3%	13	9.3%
2020	112	25	22.3%	13	11.6%	38	17.0%

See also:

• New Mexico House of Representatives elections, 2020
• New Mexico State Senate elections, 2020

New York

There were 213 state legislative districts up for election in New York, creating 426 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 59 contested primaries—53 by Democrats and six by Republicans—meaning 13.8% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in New York, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	150	38	25.3%	5	3.3%	43	14.3%
Senate	63	15	23.8%	1	1.6%	16	12.7%
Total	213	53	24.9%	6	2.8%	59	13.8%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in New York, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	212	52	24.5%	14	6.6%	66	15.6%
2012	213	40	18.8%	16	7.5%	56	13.1%
2014	213	37	17.4%	9	4.2%	46	10.8%
2016	213	39	18.3%	15	7.0%	54	12.7%
2018	213	39	18.3%	9	4.2%	48	11.3%
2020	213	53	24.9%	6	2.8%	59	13.8%

See also:

• New York State Assembly elections, 2020
• New York State Senate elections, 2020

North Carolina

There were 170 state legislative districts up for election in North Carolina, creating 340 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 59 contested primaries—29 by Democrats and 30 by Republicans—meaning 17.4% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in North Carolina, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	120	22	18.3%	23	19.2%	45	18.8%
Senate	50	7	14.0%	7	14.0%	14	14.0%
Total	170	29	17.1%	30	17.6%	59	17.4%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in North Carolina, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	170	34	20.0%	47	27.6%	81	23.8%
2012	170	35	20.6%	56	32.9%	91	26.8%
2014	170	22	12.9%	31	18.2%	53	15.6%
2016	170	27	15.9%	34	20.0%	61	17.9%
2018	170	34	20.0%	41	24.1%	75	22.1%
2020	170	29	17.1%	30	17.6%	59	17.4%

See also:

• North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2020
• North Carolina State Senate elections, 2020

North Dakota

There were 46 state legislative districts up for election in North Dakota, creating 92 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 6 contested primaries—zero by Democrats and six by Republicans—meaning 6.5% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in North Dakota, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	23	0	0.0%	3	13.0%	3	6.5%
Senate	23	0	0.0%	3	13.0%	3	6.5%
Total	46	0	0.0%	6	13.0%	6	6.5%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in North Dakota, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	48	1	2.1%	0	0.0%	1	1.0%
2012	50	0	0.0%	7	14.0%	7	7.0%
2014	48	1	2.1%	3	6.3%	4	4.2%
2016	46	0	0.0%	4	8.7%	4	4.3%
2018	48	0	0.0%	5	10.4%	5	5.2%
2020	46	0	0.0%	6	13.0%	6	6.5%

See also:

• North Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2020
• North Dakota State Senate elections, 2020

Ohio

There were 115 state legislative districts up for election in Ohio, creating 230 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 38 contested primaries—15 by Democrats and 23 by Republicans—meaning 16.5% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Ohio, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	99	12	12.1%	17	17.2%	29	14.6%
Senate	16	3	18.8%	6	37.5%	9	28.1%
Total	115	15	13.0%	23	20.0%	38	16.5%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Ohio, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	116	26	22.4%	28	24.1%	54	23.3%
2012	117	14	12.0%	20	17.1%	34	14.5%
2014	116	17	14.7%	34	29.3%	51	22.0%
2016	115	16	13.9%	27	23.5%	43	18.7%
2018	116	30	25.9%	33	28.4%	63	27.2%
2020	115	15	13.0%	23	20.0%	38	16.5%

See also:

• Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Ohio State Senate elections, 2020

Oklahoma

There were 125 state legislative districts up for election in Oklahoma, creating 250 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 52 contested primaries—eight by Democrats and 44 by Republicans—meaning 20.8% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Oklahoma, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	101	4	4.0%	34	33.7%	38	18.8%
Senate	24	4	16.7%	10	41.7%	14	29.2%
Total	125	8	6.4%	44	35.2%	52	20.8%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Oklahoma, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	125	14	11.2%	25	20.0%	39	15.6%
2012	125	11	8.8%	34	27.2%	45	18.0%
2014	125	12	9.6%	33	26.4%	45	18.0%
2016	125	28	22.4%	55	44.0%	83	33.2%
2018	125	49	39.2%	68	54.4%	117	46.8%
2020	125	8	6.4%	44	35.2%	52	20.8%

See also:

• Oklahoma House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Oklahoma State Senate elections, 2020

Oregon

There were 75 state legislative districts up for election in Oregon, creating 150 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 33 contested primaries—20 by Democrats and 13 by Republicans—meaning 22.0% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Oregon, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	60	16	26.7%	11	18.3%	27	22.5%
Senate	15	4	26.7%	2	13.3%	6	20.0%
Total	75	20	26.7%	13	17.3%	33	22.0%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Oregon, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	76	6	7.9%	14	18.4%	20	13.2%
2012	76	6	7.9%	9	11.8%	15	9.9%
2014	75	7	9.3%	13	17.3%	20	13.3%
2016	75	12	16.0%	5	6.7%	17	11.3%
2018	73	13	17.8%	12	16.4%	25	17.1%
2020	75	20	26.7%	13	17.3%	33	22.0%

See also:

• Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Oregon State Senate elections, 2020

Pennsylvania

There were 228 state legislative districts up for election in Pennsylvania, creating 456 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 58 contested primaries—33 by Democrats and 25 by Republicans—meaning 12.7% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Pennsylvania, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	203	24	11.8%	23	11.3%	47	11.6%
Senate	25	9	36.0%	2	8.0%	11	22.0%
Total	228	33	14.5%	25	11.0%	58	12.7%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Pennsylvania, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	228	34	14.9%	29	12.7%	63	13.8%
2012	228	35	15.4%	28	12.3%	63	13.8%
2014	228	39	17.1%	29	12.7%	68	14.9%
2016	228	28	12.3%	21	9.2%	49	10.7%
2018	228	39	17.1%	24	10.5%	63	13.8%
2020	228	33	14.5%	25	11.0%	58	12.7%

See also:

• Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2020

Rhode Island

There were 113 state legislative districts up for election in Rhode Island, creating 226 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 34 contested primaries—33 by Democrats and one by Republicans—meaning 15.0% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Rhode Island, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	75	19	25.3%	0	0.0%	19	12.7%
Senate	38	14	36.8%	1	2.6%	15	19.7%
Total	113	33	29.2%	1	0.9%	34	15.0%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Rhode Island, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	113	45	39.8%	6	5.3%	51	22.6%
2012	113	35	31.0%	5	4.4%	40	17.7%
2014	113	23	20.4%	3	2.7%	26	11.5%
2016	113	24	21.2%	3	2.7%	27	11.9%
2018	113	30	26.5%	3	2.7%	33	14.6%
2020	113	33	29.2%	1	0.9%	34	15.0%

See also:

• Rhode Island House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Rhode Island State Senate elections, 2020

South Carolina

There were 170 state legislative districts up for election in South Carolina, creating 340 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 64 contested primaries—26 by Democrats and 38 by Republicans—meaning 18.8% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in South Carolina, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	124	17	13.7%	24	19.4%	41	16.5%
Senate	46	9	19.6%	14	30.4%	23	25.0%
Total	170	26	15.3%	38	22.4%	64	18.8%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in South Carolina, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	124	14	11.3%	25	20.2%	39	15.7%
2012	170	9	5.3%	26	15.3%	35	10.3%
2014	124	8	6.5%	21	16.9%	29	11.7%
2016	170	20	11.8%	39	22.9%	59	17.4%
2018	124	12	9.7%	33	26.6%	45	18.1%
2020	170	26	15.3%	38	22.4%	64	18.8%

See also:

• South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2020
• South Carolina State Senate elections, 2020

South Dakota

There were 72 state legislative districts up for election in South Dakota, creating 144 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 29 contested primaries—two by Democrats and 27 by Republicans—meaning 20.1% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in South Dakota, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	37	2	5.4%	17	45.9%	19	25.7%
Senate	35	0	0.0%	10	28.6%	10	14.3%
Total	72	2	2.8%	27	37.5%	29	20.1%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in South Dakota, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	72	8	11.1%	10	13.9%	18	12.5%
2012	72	3	4.2%	27	37.5%	30	20.8%
2014	72	5	6.9%	17	23.6%	22	15.3%
2016	72	4	5.6%	22	30.6%	26	18.1%
2018	72	7	9.7%	17	23.6%	24	16.7%
2020	72	2	2.8%	27	37.5%	29	20.1%

See also:

• South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2020
• South Dakota State Senate elections, 2020

Tennessee

There were 115 state legislative districts up for election in Tennessee, creating 230 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 37 contested primaries—14 by Democrats and 23 by Republicans—meaning 16.1% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Tennessee, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	99	11	11.1%	19	19.2%	30	15.2%
Senate	16	3	18.8%	4	25.0%	7	21.9%
Total	115	14	12.2%	23	20.0%	37	16.1%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Tennessee, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	116	13	11.2%	24	20.7%	37	15.9%
2012	115	16	13.9%	46	40.0%	62	27.0%
2014	116	10	8.6%	34	29.3%	44	19.0%
2016	115	19	16.5%	38	33.0%	57	24.8%
2018	116	26	22.4%	35	30.2%	61	26.3%
2020	115	14	12.2%	23	20.0%	37	16.1%

See also:

• Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Tennessee State Senate elections, 2020

Texas

There were 166 state legislative districts up for election in Texas, creating 332 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 71 contested primaries—41 by Democrats and 30 by Republicans—meaning 21.4% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Texas, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	150	36	24.0%	29	19.3%	65	21.7%
Senate	16	5	31.3%	1	6.3%	6	18.8%
Total	166	41	24.7%	30	18.1%	71	21.4%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Texas, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	166	11	6.6%	45	27.1%	56	16.9%
2012	181	20	11.0%	70	38.7%	90	24.9%
2014	165	13	7.9%	44	26.7%	57	17.3%
2016	166	25	15.1%	45	27.1%	70	21.1%
2018	165	45	27.3%	49	29.7%	94	28.5%
2020	166	41	24.7%	30	18.1%	71	21.4%

See also:

• Texas House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Texas State Senate elections, 2020

Utah

There were 90 state legislative districts up for election in Utah, creating 180 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 18 contested primaries—one by Democrats and 17 by Republicans—meaning 10.0% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Utah, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	75	1	1.3%	12	16.0%	13	8.7%
Senate	15	0	0.0%	5	33.3%	5	16.7%
Total	90	1	1.1%	17	18.9%	18	10.0%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Utah, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	90	2	2.2%	12	13.3%	14	7.8%
2012	91	4	4.4%	16	17.6%	20	11.0%
2014	89	1	1.1%	6	6.7%	7	3.9%
2016	90	0	0.0%	10	11.1%	10	5.6%
2018	89	3	3.4%	14	15.7%	17	9.6%
2020	90	1	1.1%	17	18.9%	18	10.0%

See also:

• Utah House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Utah State Senate elections, 2020

Vermont

There were 117 state legislative districts up for election in Vermont, creating 234 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 29 contested primaries—22 by Democrats and seven by Republicans—meaning 12.4% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Vermont, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	104	18	17.3%	6	5.8%	24	11.5%
Senate	13	4	30.8%	1	7.7%	5	19.2%
Total	117	22	18.8%	7	6.0%	29	12.4%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Vermont, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	121	9	7.4%	7	5.8%	16	6.6%
2012	117	8	6.8%	4	3.4%	12	5.1%
2014	117	6	5.1%	5	4.3%	11	4.7%
2016	117	19	16.2%	2	1.7%	21	9.0%
2018	117	11	9.4%	3	2.6%	14	6.0%
2020	117	22	18.8%	7	6.0%	29	12.4%

See also:

• Vermont House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Vermont State Senate elections, 2020

Washington

There were 123 state legislative districts up for election in Washington, creating 123 possible primaries because of the state's top-two primary system. Of that total, there were 52 contested top-two primaries, meaning 42.3% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Statistics from 2020 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Washington, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Total
		#	%
House	98	45	45.9%
Senate	25	7	28.0%
Total	123	52	42.3%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Washington, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Total
		#	%
2010	123	41	33.3%
2012	124	29	23.4%
2014	123	29	23.6%
2016	124	46	37.1%
2018	123	47	38.2%
2020	123	52	42.3%

See also:

• Washington House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Washington State Senate elections, 2020

West Virginia

There were 84 state legislative districts up for election in West Virginia, creating 168 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 52 contested primaries—19 by Democrats and 33 by Republicans—meaning 31.0% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in West Virginia, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	67	17	25.4%	22	32.8%	39	29.1%
Senate	17	2	11.8%	11	64.7%	13	38.2%
Total	84	19	22.6%	33	39.3%	52	31.0%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in West Virginia, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	75	32	42.7%	14	18.7%	46	30.7%
2012	84	35	41.7%	16	19.0%	51	30.4%
2014	84	20	23.8%	24	28.6%	44	26.2%
2016	84	31	36.9%	33	39.3%	64	38.1%
2018	84	23	27.4%	34	40.5%	57	33.9%
2020	84	19	22.6%	33	39.3%	52	31.0%

See also:

• West Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2020
• West Virginia State Senate elections, 2020

Wisconsin

There were 115 state legislative districts up for election in Wisconsin, creating 230 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 33 contested primaries—18 by Democrats and 15 by Republicans—meaning 14.3% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Wisconsin, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	99	13	13.1%	12	12.1%	25	12.6%
Senate	16	5	31.3%	3	18.8%	8	25.0%
Total	115	18	15.7%	15	13.0%	33	14.3%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Wisconsin, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	116	13	11.2%	37	31.9%	50	21.6%
2012	115	29	25.2%	22	19.1%	51	22.2%
2014	116	12	10.3%	20	17.2%	32	13.8%
2016	115	25	21.7%	8	7.0%	33	14.3%
2018	116	14	12.1%	6	5.2%	20	8.6%
2020	115	18	15.7%	15	13.0%	33	14.3%

See also:

• Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2020
• Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2020

Wyoming

There were 75 state legislative districts up for election in Wyoming, creating 150 possible primaries. Of that total, there were 46 contested primaries—six by Democrats and 40 by Republicans—meaning 30.7% of all primaries were contested.

In 2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Wyoming, 2020
Chamber	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
House	60	6	10.0%	30	50.0%	36	30.0%
Senate	15	0	0.0%	10	66.7%	10	33.3%
Total	75	6	8.0%	40	53.3%	46	30.7%

2010-2020

Historical statistics are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Contested state legislative primaries in Wyoming, 2010-2020
Year	Districts
		Democratic		Republican		Total
		#	%	#	%	#	%
2010	75	2	2.7%	30	40.0%	32	21.3%
2012	75	2	2.7%	31	41.3%	33	22.0%
2014	75	3	4.0%	34	45.3%	37	24.7%
2016	75	2	2.7%	34	45.3%	36	24.0%
2018	75	2	2.7%	26	34.7%	28	18.7%
2020	75	6	8.0%	40	53.3%	46	30.7%

See also:

• Wyoming House of Representatives elections, 2020
• Wyoming State Senate elections, 2020

Terms and methodologies

Primary

See also: Primary election

A primary is an election used either to narrow the field of candidates or to determine political parties' nominees in advance of a general election. Broadly, a state might use one of two types of primary systems for its state legislative elections: partisan or top-two/four.

Partisan primaries

See also: Open, closed, and semi-closed primary

Partisan primaries are those where candidates from the same party compete against one another. The winning candidates receive their parties' nominations in order to appear on the general election ballot.

Top-two/four primaries

See also: Top-two primary and Top-four primary

Top-two/four primaries are those where all candidates, regardless of their party affiliations, appear on the same primary ballot. Depending on the system in place, either the top-two or top-four vote-getters advance to the general election.

Contested primary

A contested primary is one where there are more candidates running than nominations available, meaning at least one candidate on the primary ballot must lose.

The number of candidates needed to create a contested primary depends on the primary system in place and the number of seats up for election in a state legislative district.

In states with partisan primaries, a primary is typically contested when two or more candidates from the same political party file to run since only one candidate can receive their party's nomination. In states with multi-member state legislative districts, the number of candidates a party can nominate to the general election ballot depends on the number of seats in the district. In these cases, a primary is contested when at least one more candidate files to run than there are seats in the district. In states with top-two/four primaries, a primary is contested when more than two (in states with a top-two system) or more than four (in states with a top-four system) candidates file to run.

Possible primaries

The number of possible primaries is determined by the number of districts holding elections and the primary system in place.

In states with partisan primaries, there are two possible primaries per district, one for each of the two major parties. In states with top-two/four primaries, there is one possible primary per district, since every candidate appears on the same primary ballot.

Methodology

This page analyzes the total number of contested state legislative primaries by comparing the number of such primaries to the number of possible primaries.

Ballotpedia considers a primary as contested when there are more candidates on the ballot than nominations available. If a candidate unofficially withdraws before the primary but remains on the ballot, that candidate is included in the total towards determining whether a primary is contested.

In states with partisan primaries, only major party candidates and primaries are counted. In states with top-two/four primaries, all candidates—major party and otherwise—are counted.

If a district uses a convention—a nominating contested reserved to a smaller number of participants usually referred to as delegates—as the sole means of nominating a candidate, that district is not included in the calculation of possible primaries. In 2020, no state legislative districts used conventions as the sole means of nomination. Two states—Connecticut and Utah—used a convention-primary system, where candidates could be nominated via a convention but, in both states, those contests still could have advanced to a primary.

See also

• State legislative elections, 2020
  • Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2020
  • Open seats in state legislative elections, 2020
  • State legislative incumbents in contested primaries, 2020
  • Major party competition in state legislative elections, 2020
  • State legislative incumbents without general election challengers, 2020
  • Incumbents defeated in state legislative elections, 2020
• Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2020

Footnotes

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