Open seats in state legislative elections, 2016

Last updated on November 18, 2024

There were 5,916 state legislative seats up for election on November 8, 2016, in 44 states. Of that total, there were 1,032 open seats, guaranteeing at least 17% of all seats would be won by newcomers. This was the same percentage as in 2014 (17%) but lower than in 2010 (19%) and 2012 (22%).

An open seat is one where no incumbent filed to run, meaning it is guaranteed to be won by a newcomer. Learn more about the terms and methodologies used in this analysis.

Ballotpedia uses the number and percentage of open seats to help determine the overall competitiveness of an election cycle. A greater number of open seats guarantees more newcomers entering legislatures and typically results in more candidates running for office. A smaller number of open seats guarantees fewer newcomers and typically results in fewer candidates running for office.

In 2016:

There were 421 open Democratic seats, those most recently held by Democrats at the time of filing.

There were 602 open Republican seats, those most recently held by Republicans at the time of filing.

There were nine other open seats. This includes those most recently held by minor party or independent officeholders at the time of filing. It also includes seats where Ballotpedia could not determine partisan control due to redistricting.

The total number of open seats—1,032—was the second-lowest since Ballotpedia began gathering data in 2010, representing a 1% increase from 2014.

Open state legislative seats, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	4,710	330	457	7	794	16.9%
Senate	1,206	91	145	2	238	19.7%
Total	5,916	421	602	9	1,032	17.4%

Click [show] on the table below to view open seat statistics by state in 2016. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats, 2016
State	Seats	Democratic	Republican	Other	Total	%
Nationwide	5,916	421	602	9	1,032	17.4%
Alaska	50	1	8	0	9	18.0%
Arizona	90	10	16	0	26	28.9%
Arkansas	117	5	9	1	15	12.8%
California	100	16	10	0	26	26.0%
Colorado	83	18	6	0	24	28.9%
Connecticut	187	12	11	0	23	12.3%
Delaware	52	1	1	0	2	3.8%
Florida	160	24	38	0	62	38.8%
Georgia	236	7	13	1	21	8.9%
Hawaii	64	3	0	0	3	4.7%
Idaho	105	4	5	0	9	8.6%
Illinois	158	7	7	0	14	8.9%
Indiana	125	6	11	0	17	13.6%
Iowa	125	5	8	0	13	10.4%
Kansas	165	2	31	0	33	20.0%
Kentucky	119	4	6	0	10	8.4%
Maine	186	24	9	4	37	19.9%
Massachusetts	200	13	0	0	13	6.5%
Michigan	110	15	27	0	42	38.2%
Minnesota	201	18	10	0	28	13.9%
Missouri	180	16	22	0	38	21.1%
Montana	125	17	30	0	47	37.6%
Nebraska	25	4	7	0	11	44.0%
Nevada	52	2	9	0	11	21.2%
New Hampshire	424	46	72	0	118	27.8%
New Mexico	112	5	5	0	10	8.9%
New York	213	10	9	0	19	8.9%
North Carolina	170	4	15	1	20	11.8%
North Dakota	69	3	12	0	15	21.7%
Ohio	115	9	20	0	29	25.2%
Oklahoma	125	14	27	0	41	32.8%
Oregon	75	12	5	0	17	22.7%
Pennsylvania	228	7	12	0	19	8.3%
Rhode Island	113	3	4	1	8	7.1%
South Carolina	170	7	10	0	17	10.0%
South Dakota	105	10	32	0	42	40.0%
Tennessee	115	1	5	0	6	5.2%
Texas	166	4	12	0	16	9.6%
Utah	90	0	13	1	14	15.6%
Vermont	180	24	4	0	28	15.6%
Washington	124	10	11	0	21	16.9%
West Virginia	117	11	14	0	25	21.4%
Wisconsin	115	5	8	0	13	11.3%
Wyoming	75	2	18	0	20	26.7%

Historical comparison

The chart below shows a breakdown of open seats from 2010 to 2016. The "Other" value includes seats left open by minor party and independent officeholders. It also includes seats whose previous officeholders could not be determined due to redistricting.

Click [show] on the table below to view overall open seat statistics by state from 2010 to 2016. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats, 2010-2016
State
	2010		2012		2014		2016
	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
Nationwide	1,143	18.7%	1,314	21.9%	1,019	16.8%	1,032	17.4%
Alaska	5	10.0%	11	18.6%	8	14.8%	9	18.0%
Arizona	39	43.3%	32	35.6%	24	26.7%	26	28.9%
Arkansas	53	45.3%	47	34.8%	31	26.3%	15	12.8%
California	38	38.0%	44	44.0%	33	33.0%	26	26.0%
Colorado	20	23.8%	33	38.8%	23	28.0%	24	28.9%
Connecticut	19	10.2%	24	12.8%	24	12.8%	23	12.3%
Delaware	4	7.7%	10	16.1%	2	3.9%	2	3.8%
Florida	46	32.2%	53	33.1%	18	12.9%	62	38.8%
Georgia	38	16.1%	28	11.9%	17	7.2%	21	8.9%
Hawaii	8	12.1%	8	10.5%	5	7.9%	3	4.7%
Idaho	9	8.6%	36	34.3%	11	10.5%	9	8.6%
Illinois	12	8.6%	34	19.2%	12	8.8%	14	8.9%
Indiana	12	9.6%	23	18.4%	8	6.4%	17	13.6%
Iowa	17	13.6%	30	23.8%	15	12.0%	13	10.4%
Kansas	10	8.0%	52	31.5%	13	10.4%	33	20.0%
Kentucky	7	5.9%	13	10.9%	11	9.2%	10	8.4%
Maine	43	23.1%	63	33.9%	51	27.4%	37	19.9%
Massachusetts	34	17.0%	10	5.0%	22	11.0%	13	6.5%
Michigan	80	54.1%	22	20.0%	51	34.5%	42	38.2%
Minnesota	24	11.9%	51	25.4%	15	11.2%	28	13.9%
Missouri	75	41.7%	61	33.9%	33	18.3%	38	21.1%
Montana	51	40.5%	44	34.9%	45	36.0%	47	37.6%
Nebraska	3	12.5%	9	36.0%	17	70.8%	11	44.0%
Nevada	27	50.9%	16	30.8%	10	18.9%	11	21.2%
New Hampshire	102	24.1%	125	29.5%	113	26.7%	118	27.8%
New Mexico	3	4.3%	22	19.6%	11	15.7%	10	8.9%
New York	25	11.8%	24	11.3%	21	9.9%	19	8.9%
North Carolina	18	10.6%	46	27.1%	14	8.2%	20	11.8%
North Dakota	15	20.8%	18	24.0%	13	18.1%	15	21.7%
Ohio	29	25.0%	19	16.2%	26	22.4%	29	25.2%
Oklahoma	22	17.6%	23	18.4%	30	24.0%	41	32.8%
Oregon	7	9.2%	10	13.2%	15	20.0%	17	22.7%
Pennsylvania	21	9.2%	25	11.0%	27	11.8%	19	8.3%
Rhode Island	15	13.3%	13	11.5%	8	7.1%	8	7.1%
South Carolina	12	9.7%	24	14.1%	9	7.3%	17	10.0%
South Dakota	34	32.4%	31	29.5%	31	29.5%	42	40.0%
Tennessee	10	8.6%	21	18.3%	12	10.3%	6	5.2%
Texas	9	5.4%	35	19.3%	15	9.1%	16	9.6%
Utah	9	10.0%	15	16.5%	12	13.5%	14	15.6%
Vermont	21	11.7%	26	14.4%	27	15.0%	28	15.6%
Washington	20	16.3%	26	21.0%	12	9.8%	21	16.9%
West Virginia	14	12.0%	19	16.2%	11	9.4%	25	21.4%
Wisconsin	23	19.8%	23	20.0%	29	25.0%	13	11.3%
Wyoming	15	20.0%	15	20.0%	11	14.7%	20	26.7%

Alaska

There were 50 seats up for election in Alaska. Of that total, nine seats (18.0%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Alaska, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	40	0	5	0	5	12.5%
Senate	10	1	3	0	4	40.0%
Total	50	1	8	0	9	18.0%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Alaska, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	50	1	4	0	5	10.0%
2012	59	4	6	1	11	18.6%
2014	54	3	5	0	8	14.8%
2016	50	1	8	0	9	18.0%

See also:

• Alaska House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Alaska State Senate elections, 2016

Arizona

There were 90 seats up for election in Arizona. Of that total, 26 seats (28.9%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Arizona, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	60	8	10	0	18	30.0%
Senate	30	2	6	0	8	26.7%
Total	90	10	16	0	26	28.9%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Arizona, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	90	17	22	0	39	43.3%
2012	90	5	26	1	32	35.6%
2014	90	10	14	0	24	26.7%
2016	90	10	16	0	26	28.9%

See also:

• Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Arizona State Senate elections, 2016

Arkansas

There were 117 seats up for election in Arkansas. Of that total, 15 seats (12.8%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Arkansas, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	100	4	8	1	13	13.0%
Senate	17	1	1	0	2	11.8%
Total	117	5	9	1	15	12.8%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Arkansas, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	117	44	9	0	53	45.3%
2012	135	32	15	0	47	34.8%
2014	118	12	19	0	31	26.3%
2016	117	5	9	1	15	12.8%

See also:

• Arkansas House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Arkansas State Senate elections, 2016

California

There were 100 seats up for election in California. Of that total, 26 seats (26.0%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in California, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	80	9	8	0	17	21.3%
Senate	20	7	2	0	9	45.0%
Total	100	16	10	0	26	26.0%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in California, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	100	20	17	1	38	38.0%
2012	100	27	17	0	44	44.0%
2014	100	22	11	0	33	33.0%
2016	100	16	10	0	26	26.0%

See also:

• California State Assembly elections, 2016
• California State Senate elections, 2016

Colorado

There were 83 seats up for election in Colorado. Of that total, 24 seats (28.9%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Colorado, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	65	11	4	0	15	23.1%
Senate	18	7	2	0	9	50.0%
Total	83	18	6	0	24	28.9%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Colorado, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	84	11	9	0	20	23.8%
2012	85	15	18	0	33	38.8%
2014	82	8	15	0	23	28.0%
2016	83	18	6	0	24	28.9%

See also:

• Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Colorado State Senate elections, 2016

Connecticut

There were 187 seats up for election in Connecticut. Of that total, 23 seats (12.3%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Connecticut, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	151	11	10	0	21	13.9%
Senate	36	1	1	0	2	5.6%
Total	187	12	11	0	23	12.3%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Connecticut, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	187	13	6	0	19	10.2%
2012	187	17	7	0	24	12.8%
2014	187	14	10	0	24	12.8%
2016	187	12	11	0	23	12.3%

See also:

• Connecticut House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Connecticut State Senate elections, 2016

Delaware

There were 52 seats up for election in Delaware. Of that total, two seats (3.8%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Delaware, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	41	0	1	0	1	2.4%
Senate	11	1	0	0	1	9.1%
Total	52	1	1	0	2	3.8%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Delaware, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	52	0	4	0	4	7.7%
2012	62	5	5	0	10	16.1%
2014	51	2	0	0	2	3.9%
2016	52	1	1	0	2	3.8%

See also:

• Delaware House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Delaware State Senate elections, 2016

Florida

There were 160 seats up for election in Florida. Of that total, 62 seats (38.8%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Florida, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	120	19	25	0	44	36.7%
Senate	40	5	13	0	18	45.0%
Total	160	24	38	0	62	38.8%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Florida, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	143	13	33	0	46	32.2%
2012	160	16	37	0	53	33.1%
2014	140	6	12	0	18	12.9%
2016	160	24	38	0	62	38.8%

See also:

• Florida House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Florida State Senate elections, 2016

Georgia

There were 236 seats up for election in Georgia. Of that total, 21 seats (8.9%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Georgia, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	180	7	10	1	18	10.0%
Senate	56	0	3	0	3	5.4%
Total	236	7	13	1	21	8.9%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Georgia, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	236	9	29	0	38	16.1%
2012	236	10	18	0	28	11.9%
2014	236	4	13	0	17	7.2%
2016	236	7	13	1	21	8.9%

See also:

• Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Georgia State Senate elections, 2016

Hawaii

There were 64 seats up for election in Hawaii. Of that total, three seats (4.7%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Hawaii, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	51	2	0	0	2	3.9%
Senate	13	1	0	0	1	7.7%
Total	64	3	0	0	3	4.7%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Hawaii, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	66	6	2	0	8	12.1%
2012	76	7	1	0	8	10.5%
2014	63	4	1	0	5	7.9%
2016	64	3	0	0	3	4.7%

See also:

• Hawaii House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Hawaii State Senate elections, 2016

Idaho

There were 105 seats up for election in Idaho. Of that total, nine seats (8.6%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Idaho, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	70	3	4	0	7	10.0%
Senate	35	1	1	0	2	5.7%
Total	105	4	5	0	9	8.6%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Idaho, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	105	6	3	0	9	8.6%
2012	105	9	27	0	36	34.3%
2014	105	5	6	0	11	10.5%
2016	105	4	5	0	9	8.6%

See also:

• Idaho House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Idaho State Senate elections, 2016

Illinois

There were 158 seats up for election in Illinois. Of that total, 14 seats (8.9%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Illinois, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	118	4	5	0	9	7.6%
Senate	40	3	2	0	5	12.5%
Total	158	7	7	0	14	8.9%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Illinois, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	139	8	4	0	12	8.6%
2012	177	17	17	0	34	19.2%
2014	137	1	11	0	12	8.8%
2016	158	7	7	0	14	8.9%

See also:

• Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Illinois State Senate elections, 2016

Indiana

There were 125 seats up for election in Indiana. Of that total, 17 seats (13.6%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Indiana, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	100	3	6	0	9	9.0%
Senate	25	3	5	0	8	32.0%
Total	125	6	11	0	17	13.6%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Indiana, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	125	6	6	0	12	9.6%
2012	125	12	11	0	23	18.4%
2014	125	1	7	0	8	6.4%
2016	125	6	11	0	17	13.6%

See also:

• Indiana House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Indiana State Senate elections, 2016

Iowa

There were 125 seats up for election in Iowa. Of that total, 13 seats (10.4%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Iowa, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	100	4	8	0	12	12.0%
Senate	25	1	0	0	1	4.0%
Total	125	5	8	0	13	10.4%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Iowa, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	125	10	7	0	17	13.6%
2012	126	10	20	0	30	23.8%
2014	125	6	9	0	15	12.0%
2016	125	5	8	0	13	10.4%

See also:

• Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Iowa State Senate elections, 2016

Kansas

There were 165 seats up for election in Kansas. Of that total, 33 seats (20.0%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Kansas, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	125	2	23	0	25	20.0%
Senate	40	0	8	0	8	20.0%
Total	165	2	31	0	33	20.0%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Kansas, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	125	4	6	0	10	8.0%
2012	165	8	44	0	52	31.5%
2014	125	3	10	0	13	10.4%
2016	165	2	31	0	33	20.0%

See also:

• Kansas House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Kansas State Senate elections, 2016

Kentucky

There were 119 seats up for election in Kentucky. Of that total, 10 seats (8.4%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Kentucky, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	100	4	4	0	8	8.0%
Senate	19	0	2	0	2	10.5%
Total	119	4	6	0	10	8.4%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Kentucky, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	119	4	3	0	7	5.9%
2012	119	5	8	0	13	10.9%
2014	119	3	7	1	11	9.2%
2016	119	4	6	0	10	8.4%

See also:

• Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Kentucky State Senate elections, 2016

Maine

There were 186 seats up for election in Maine. Of that total, 37 seats (19.9%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Maine, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	151	20	5	4	29	19.2%
Senate	35	4	4	0	8	22.9%
Total	186	24	9	4	37	19.9%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Maine, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	186	21	21	1	43	23.1%
2012	186	33	30	0	63	33.9%
2014	186	27	22	2	51	27.4%
2016	186	24	9	4	37	19.9%

See also:

• Maine House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Maine State Senate elections, 2016

Massachusetts

There were 200 seats up for election in Massachusetts. Of that total, 13 seats (6.5%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Massachusetts, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	160	10	0	0	10	6.3%
Senate	40	3	0	0	3	7.5%
Total	200	13	0	0	13	6.5%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Massachusetts, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	200	28	6	0	34	17.0%
2012	200	9	1	0	10	5.0%
2014	200	19	3	0	22	11.0%
2016	200	13	0	0	13	6.5%

See also:

• Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Massachusetts State Senate elections, 2016

Michigan

There were 110 seats up for election in Michigan. Of that total, 42 seats (38.2%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Michigan, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	110	15	27	0	42	38.2%
Senate	Did not hold elections
Total	110	15	27	0	42	38.2%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Michigan, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	148	43	37	0	80	54.1%
2012	110	13	9	0	22	20.0%
2014	148	21	29	1	51	34.5%
2016	110	15	27	0	42	38.2%

See also:

• Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2016

Minnesota

There were 201 seats up for election in Minnesota. Of that total, 28 seats (13.9%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Minnesota, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	134	9	6	0	15	11.2%
Senate	67	9	4	0	13	19.4%
Total	201	18	10	0	28	13.9%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Minnesota, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	201	12	12	0	24	11.9%
2012	201	18	33	0	51	25.4%
2014	134	5	10	0	15	11.2%
2016	201	18	10	0	28	13.9%

See also:

• Minnesota House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Minnesota State Senate elections, 2016

Missouri

There were 180 seats up for election in Missouri. Of that total, 38 seats (21.1%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Missouri, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	163	15	18	0	33	20.2%
Senate	17	1	4	0	5	29.4%
Total	180	16	22	0	38	21.1%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Missouri, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	180	26	49	0	75	41.7%
2012	180	21	40	0	61	33.9%
2014	180	10	23	0	33	18.3%
2016	180	16	22	0	38	21.1%

See also:

• Missouri House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Missouri State Senate elections, 2016

Montana

There were 125 seats up for election in Montana. Of that total, 47 seats (37.6%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Montana, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	100	11	22	0	33	33.0%
Senate	25	6	8	0	14	56.0%
Total	125	17	30	0	47	37.6%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Montana, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	126	25	26	0	51	40.5%
2012	126	19	25	0	44	34.9%
2014	125	19	26	0	45	36.0%
2016	125	17	30	0	47	37.6%

See also:

• Montana House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Montana State Senate elections, 2016

Nebraska

There were 25 seats up for election in Nebraska. Of that total, 11 seats (44.0%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Nebraska, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	N/A
Senate	25	4	7	0	11	44.0%
Total	25	4	7	0	11	44.0%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Nebraska, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	24	1	1	1	3	12.5%
2012	25	1	8	0	9	36.0%
2014	24	8	8	1	17	70.8%
2016	25	4	7	0	11	44.0%

See also:

• Nebraska State Senate elections, 2016

Nevada

There were 52 seats up for election in Nevada. Of that total, 11 seats (21.2%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Nevada, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	42	2	7	0	9	21.4%
Senate	10	0	2	0	2	20.0%
Total	52	2	9	0	11	21.2%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Nevada, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	53	16	11	0	27	50.9%
2012	52	8	8	0	16	30.8%
2014	53	6	4	0	10	18.9%
2016	52	2	9	0	11	21.2%

See also:

• Nevada State Assembly elections, 2016
• Nevada State Senate elections, 2016

New Hampshire

There were 424 seats up for election in New Hampshire. Of that total, 118 seats (27.8%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in New Hampshire, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	400	44	66	0	110	27.5%
Senate	24	2	6	0	8	33.3%
Total	424	46	72	0	118	27.8%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in New Hampshire, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	424	61	41	0	102	24.1%
2012	424	15	48	62	125	29.5%
2014	424	62	51	0	113	26.7%
2016	424	46	72	0	118	27.8%

See also:

• New Hampshire House of Representatives elections, 2016
• New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2016

New Mexico

There were 112 seats up for election in New Mexico. Of that total, 10 seats (8.9%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in New Mexico, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	70	5	3	0	8	11.4%
Senate	42	0	2	0	2	4.8%
Total	112	5	5	0	10	8.9%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in New Mexico, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	70	1	2	0	3	4.3%
2012	112	14	8	0	22	19.6%
2014	70	6	5	0	11	15.7%
2016	112	5	5	0	10	8.9%

See also:

• New Mexico House of Representatives elections, 2016
• New Mexico State Senate elections, 2016

New York

There were 213 seats up for election in New York. Of that total, 19 seats (8.9%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in New York, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	150	7	6	0	13	8.7%
Senate	63	3	3	0	6	9.5%
Total	213	10	9	0	19	8.9%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in New York, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	212	13	12	0	25	11.8%
2012	213	12	12	0	24	11.3%
2014	213	14	7	0	21	9.9%
2016	213	10	9	0	19	8.9%

See also:

• New York State Assembly elections, 2016
• New York State Senate elections, 2016

North Carolina

There were 170 seats up for election in North Carolina. Of that total, 20 seats (11.8%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in North Carolina, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	120	3	9	1	13	10.8%
Senate	50	1	6	0	7	14.0%
Total	170	4	15	1	20	11.8%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in North Carolina, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	170	11	7	0	18	10.6%
2012	170	23	23	0	46	27.1%
2014	170	6	8	0	14	8.2%
2016	170	4	15	1	20	11.8%

See also:

• North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2016
• North Carolina State Senate elections, 2016

North Dakota

There were 69 seats up for election in North Dakota. Of that total, 15 seats (21.7%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in North Dakota, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	46	2	10	0	12	26.1%
Senate	23	1	2	0	3	13.0%
Total	69	3	12	0	15	21.7%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in North Dakota, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	72	10	5	0	15	20.8%
2012	75	7	11	0	18	24.0%
2014	72	3	10	0	13	18.1%
2016	69	3	12	0	15	21.7%

See also:

• North Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2016
• North Dakota State Senate elections, 2016

Ohio

There were 115 seats up for election in Ohio. Of that total, 29 seats (25.2%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Ohio, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	99	7	16	0	23	23.2%
Senate	16	2	4	0	6	37.5%
Total	115	9	20	0	29	25.2%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Ohio, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	116	15	14	0	29	25.0%
2012	117	6	13	0	19	16.2%
2014	116	15	11	0	26	22.4%
2016	115	9	20	0	29	25.2%

See also:

• Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Ohio State Senate elections, 2016

Oklahoma

There were 125 seats up for election in Oklahoma. Of that total, 41 seats (32.8%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Oklahoma, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	101	11	19	0	30	29.7%
Senate	24	3	8	0	11	45.8%
Total	125	14	27	0	41	32.8%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Oklahoma, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	125	11	11	0	22	17.6%
2012	125	11	12	0	23	18.4%
2014	125	11	19	0	30	24.0%
2016	125	14	27	0	41	32.8%

See also:

• Oklahoma House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Oklahoma State Senate elections, 2016

Oregon

There were 75 seats up for election in Oregon. Of that total, 17 seats (22.7%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Oregon, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	60	10	4	0	14	23.3%
Senate	15	2	1	0	3	20.0%
Total	75	12	5	0	17	22.7%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Oregon, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	76	4	3	0	7	9.2%
2012	76	7	3	0	10	13.2%
2014	75	5	10	0	15	20.0%
2016	75	12	5	0	17	22.7%

See also:

• Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Oregon State Senate elections, 2016

Pennsylvania

There were 228 seats up for election in Pennsylvania. Of that total, 19 seats (8.3%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Pennsylvania, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	203	6	9	0	15	7.4%
Senate	25	1	3	0	4	16.0%
Total	228	7	12	0	19	8.3%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Pennsylvania, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	228	15	6	0	21	9.2%
2012	228	13	12	0	25	11.0%
2014	228	8	19	0	27	11.8%
2016	228	7	12	0	19	8.3%

See also:

• Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2016

Rhode Island

There were 113 seats up for election in Rhode Island. Of that total, eight seats (7.1%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Rhode Island, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	75	3	4	0	7	9.3%
Senate	38	0	0	1	1	2.6%
Total	113	3	4	1	8	7.1%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Rhode Island, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	113	14	1	0	15	13.3%
2012	113	10	3	0	13	11.5%
2014	113	6	2	0	8	7.1%
2016	113	3	4	1	8	7.1%

See also:

• Rhode Island House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Rhode Island State Senate elections, 2016

South Carolina

There were 170 seats up for election in South Carolina. Of that total, 17 seats (10.0%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in South Carolina, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	124	6	8	0	14	11.3%
Senate	46	1	2	0	3	6.5%
Total	170	7	10	0	17	10.0%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in South Carolina, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	124	3	9	0	12	9.7%
2012	170	12	12	0	24	14.1%
2014	124	4	5	0	9	7.3%
2016	170	7	10	0	17	10.0%

See also:

• South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2016
• South Carolina State Senate elections, 2016

South Dakota

There were 105 seats up for election in South Dakota. Of that total, 42 seats (40.0%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in South Dakota, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	70	6	21	0	27	38.6%
Senate	35	4	11	0	15	42.9%
Total	105	10	32	0	42	40.0%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in South Dakota, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	105	11	23	0	34	32.4%
2012	105	6	25	0	31	29.5%
2014	105	8	23	0	31	29.5%
2016	105	10	32	0	42	40.0%

See also:

• South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2016
• South Dakota State Senate elections, 2016

Tennessee

There were 115 seats up for election in Tennessee. Of that total, six seats (5.2%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Tennessee, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	99	1	4	0	5	5.1%
Senate	16	0	1	0	1	6.3%
Total	115	1	5	0	6	5.2%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Tennessee, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	116	2	8	0	10	8.6%
2012	115	14	7	0	21	18.3%
2014	116	4	8	0	12	10.3%
2016	115	1	5	0	6	5.2%

See also:

• Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Tennessee State Senate elections, 2016

Texas

There were 166 seats up for election in Texas. Of that total, 16 seats (9.6%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Texas, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	150	4	10	0	14	9.3%
Senate	16	0	2	0	2	12.5%
Total	166	4	12	0	16	9.6%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Texas, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	166	3	6	0	9	5.4%
2012	181	8	27	0	35	19.3%
2014	165	2	13	0	15	9.1%
2016	166	4	12	0	16	9.6%

See also:

• Texas House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Texas State Senate elections, 2016

Utah

There were 90 seats up for election in Utah. Of that total, 14 seats (15.6%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Utah, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	75	0	10	0	10	13.3%
Senate	15	0	3	1	4	26.7%
Total	90	0	13	1	14	15.6%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Utah, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	90	1	8	0	9	10.0%
2012	91	2	13	0	15	16.5%
2014	89	5	7	0	12	13.5%
2016	90	0	13	1	14	15.6%

See also:

• Utah House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Utah State Senate elections, 2016

Vermont

There were 180 seats up for election in Vermont. Of that total, 28 seats (15.6%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Vermont, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	150	22	3	0	25	16.7%
Senate	30	2	1	0	3	10.0%
Total	180	24	4	0	28	15.6%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Vermont, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	180	12	8	1	21	11.7%
2012	180	7	9	10	26	14.4%
2014	180	18	7	2	27	15.0%
2016	180	24	4	0	28	15.6%

See also:

• Vermont House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Vermont State Senate elections, 2016

Washington

There were 124 seats up for election in Washington. Of that total, 21 seats (16.9%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Washington, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	98	7	7	0	14	14.3%
Senate	26	3	4	0	7	26.9%
Total	124	10	11	0	21	16.9%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Washington, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	123	19	1	0	20	16.3%
2012	124	16	10	0	26	21.0%
2014	123	6	6	0	12	9.8%
2016	124	10	11	0	21	16.9%

See also:

• Washington House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Washington State Senate elections, 2016

West Virginia

There were 117 seats up for election in West Virginia. Of that total, 25 seats (21.4%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in West Virginia, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	100	8	13	0	21	21.0%
Senate	17	3	1	0	4	23.5%
Total	117	11	14	0	25	21.4%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in West Virginia, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	117	8	6	0	14	12.0%
2012	117	5	6	8	19	16.2%
2014	117	6	5	0	11	9.4%
2016	117	11	14	0	25	21.4%

See also:

• West Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2016
• West Virginia State Senate elections, 2016

Wisconsin

There were 115 seats up for election in Wisconsin. Of that total, 13 seats (11.3%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Wisconsin, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	99	4	6	0	10	10.1%
Senate	16	1	2	0	3	18.8%
Total	115	5	8	0	13	11.3%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Wisconsin, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	116	8	14	1	23	19.8%
2012	115	14	8	1	23	20.0%
2014	116	9	20	0	29	25.0%
2016	115	5	8	0	13	11.3%

See also:

• Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2016
• Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2016

Wyoming

There were 75 seats up for election in Wyoming. Of that total, 20 seats (26.7%) were open.

In 2016

Statistics from 2016 are shown below. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

Open state legislative seats in Wyoming, 2016
Chamber	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
House	60	1	13	0	14	23.3%
Senate	15	1	5	0	6	40.0%
Total	75	2	18	0	20	26.7%

2010-2016

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

Open state legislative seats in Wyoming, 2010-2016
Year	Seats
		Democratic	Republican	Other	Total
					#	%
2010	75	5	10	0	15	20.0%
2012	75	3	12	0	15	20.0%
2014	75	1	10	0	11	14.7%
2016	75	2	18	0	20	26.7%

See also:

• Wyoming House of Representatives elections, 2016
• Wyoming State Senate elections, 2016

Impact of term limits

See also: Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2016

A seat can become open when an incumbent is term-limited. Fifteen state legislatures have term limits, which require incumbents to leave office after serving a certain length of time.

In 2016, 253 state legislators—67 state senators and 186 state representatives—were term-limited. This represented 4% of the 5,916 total seats up for election, and 25% of the 1,032 open seats.

Party	# of termed senators	# of termed representatives	Total
Democratic	29	84	113
Republican	26	102	128
Nonpartisan	12	0	12

Terms and methodologies

Incumbent

See also: Incumbent

Ballotpedia defines incumbency by chamber. Under this definition, if an incumbent in House District 1 filed for re-election in House District 2, they would still be counted as an incumbent due to their remaining in the same chamber even though they ran for a different seat. If an incumbent in House District 1 filed to run in Senate District 2, they would not be counted as an incumbent in the Senate race since they are coming from a different chamber.

Ballotpedia uses the term re-elect to refer to any incumbent who is running in an election to retain their office, including incumbents who were originally appointed to their position.

Open seat

An open seat is one where no incumbents filed to run, or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for the seat. Open seat figures freeze at the time of the primary unless an incumbent did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election as a minor party or independent candidate, in which case the seat for which they filed would not be counted as open.

If a seat was open at the time of the primary, but a non-incumbent candidate later assumed office (via special election or appointment), the seat would still be counted as open since the original incumbent did not file to run in the primary.

Seat

State legislative seats represent the total number of candidates who can be elected. These totals may differ from state legislative districts.

In most states, every state legislative district includes a single seat. These are referred to as single-member state legislative districts.

Certain states have multi-member state legislative districts, where a single district contains multiple seats. In these districts, open seat figures pertain to individual seats. For example, if a multi-member district contains three seats and two incumbents file for re-election but one does not, that one seat would be counted as an open seat.

Effect of redistricting

During redistricting, states may restructure their legislative chambers either by renaming districts, moving districts, or, in states with multi-member districts, changing the allocation of seats between districts. States may also choose to change the total number of seats in a chamber either by creating new seats or removing existing seats.

Ballotpedia categorizes open seats by the party of the incumbent who most recently represented that seat leading up to the election. In certain circumstances, redistricting can prevent that categorization. For example, if a multi-member district with a Democratic and Republican incumbent becomes a single-member district that is open, Ballotpedia categorizes that open seat as "Other" rather than categorizing it as one of those two parties since it is unclear to which party that would apply. Or if a district that previously had a single seat is changed to have three seats, all of which are open, one seat would be categorized as the party that previously held the single seat and the remaining two seats would be categorized as "Other."

During redistricting, incumbents may also choose to run for different seats within the same chamber. That distinction is explained below.

Difference between open seats and retiring incumbents

An open seat is one where no incumbents filed to run. Typically, this occurs when an incumbent leaves office. But incumbents may choose to run for some other seat within the same chamber. When this happens, that incumbent's original seat can be left open without the incumbent leaving office.

See also

• State legislative elections, 2016
  • Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2016
  • Contested state legislative primaries, 2016
  • State legislative incumbents in contested primaries, 2016
  • Major party competition in state legislative elections, 2016
  • State legislative incumbents without general election challengers, 2016
  • Incumbents defeated in state legislative elections, 2016

Footnotes

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