Election results, 2025: State legislative veto-proof majorities
Neither of the two states that held state legislative and gubernatorial elections in 2025 — New Jersey and Virginia — had a veto-proof legislative majority and governor of the opposing party heading into the elections. New Jersey had a Democratic trifecta, meaning Democrats controlled both state legislative chambers and the governorship. Virginia Democrats controlled both state legislative chambers but Gov. Glenn Youngkin was a Republican. The two states with a veto-proof legislature and opposing party governor — Kansas and Kentucky — did not hold elections in 2025.
Moreover, because neither New Jersey nor Virginia held state Senate elections in 2025 and there were no supermajorities in those chambers heading into the elections, neither state could have switched to having a veto-proof state legislature and an opposing party governor as a result of the 2025 elections.
Ballotpedia will update this page once the state executive and legislative races have been called in these states.
Click here to read from the 2023 analysis and here to read from the 2021 analysis.
Analysis for 2023
No state legislature saw changes in its veto-proof majority status — typically when one party controls either three-fifths or two-thirds of both chambers — as a result of the 2023 elections. After the election, there were 29 state legislatures with a veto-proof majority in both chambers: with Republicans holding 20 and Democrats holding nine.
Four states — Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia — held regularly-scheduled state legislative elections in November 2023.
The veto override power can play a role in conflicts between state legislatures and governors. Conflict can occur when legislatures vote to override gubernatorial vetoes or in court cases related to vetoes and the override power.
One of five states heading into the 2023 elections that had a veto-proof legislative majority and governor of the opposing party — Kentucky — maintained that status after the elections. Louisiana lost this status since the Republican Party, which maintained veto-proof legislative majorities, also gained control of the governor's office. The three other states with this status — Kansas, North Carolina, and Vermont — did not hold elections in 2023.
Veto-proof majorities and opposing party governors
Veto-proof majorities are most important when the other party controls the governorship. This creates more opportunities for legislatures to override gubernatorial vetoes. Heading into 2023, the 29 state legislatures where one party had a veto-proof majority in both chambers included five states where the governor was a member of a different political party than the veto-proof majority: Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Vermont. Louisiana held legislative and gubernatorial elections, while Kentucky held a gubernatorial election. Kentucky maintained its status as a veto proof majority with an opposing party governor when Gov. Andy Beshear (D) won re-election. Louisiana lost this status since the Republican Party, which maintained veto-proof legislative majorities, also gained control of the governor's office.
Analysis for 2021
No state legislatures saw changes in their veto-proof majority status—typically when one party controls either three-fifths or two-thirds of both chambers—as a result of the 2021 elections.
Two states held regularly-scheduled state legislative elections on November 2. Neither New Jersey nor Virginia had a veto-proof majority in the state legislature and no party gained a veto-proof majority in either state.
Heading into the election, there were 24 state legislatures where one party had a veto-proof majority in both chambers; 16 held by Republicans and eight held by Democrats. None of those states held legislative elections in 2021.
The veto override power can play a role in conflicts between state legislatures and governors. Conflict can occur when legislatures vote to override gubernatorial vetoes or in court cases related to vetoes and the override power.
Heading into the election, there were four states where the governor was a member of a different political party than the veto-proof majority: Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Maryland. None of those states held legislative elections in 2021.
Although it has the potential to create conflict, the veto override power is rarely used. According to political scientists Peverill Squire and Gary Moncrief in 2010, only about five percent of vetoes are overridden.[1]
Veto-proof majorities and opposing-party governors
Veto-proof majorities are most important when the other party controls the governorship. This creates more opportunities for legislatures to override gubernatorial vetoes. Heading into 2021, the 24 state legislatures where one party had a veto-proof majority in both chambers included four states where the governor was a member of a different political party than the veto-proof majority: Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Maryland. None of these states held legislative elections in 2021. No governorships in these states were up for election in 2021.
See also
- Veto-proof state legislatures and opposing party governors in the 2025 elections
- Veto overrides in state legislatures
- State legislative elections, 2025
- Election results, 2025
- Election results, 2025: State legislatures
- Election results, 2025: Governors
Footnotes
- ↑ Moncrief, G. & Squire, P. (2010). "State Legislatures Today: Politics Under the Domes". United States. Pearson Education. (184)
