Partisan composition of state houses
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The partisan composition of state houses refers to which party holds the majority of seats in the state house or the lower level of each state legislature. Altogether, in the 49 state houses, there are 5,411 state representatives.
The breakdown of chamber control after the November 2020 election is as follows:
19 chambers
29 chambers
One chamber with power sharing between the parties
The breakdown of chamber control prior to the November 2020 election was as follows:
20 chambers
28 chambers
One chamber with power sharing between the parties
Contents
Ties
A total of 61 state legislative chambers around the country have an even number of members, raising the possibility of a tie between the two major parties. In some instances, a bipartisan coalition of legislators is formed to act as leadership. This tactic has not been the universal approach, however; some legislative bodies have used a coin toss, gubernatorial choice, shared time, or dividing chairperson positions between the parties.[1]
- See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Cumulative numbers
As of January 29, 2021, 5,366 state representatives were affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties. This total is updated monthly.
| Partisan balance of all 7,383 state legislative seats | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative chamber | |
|
| |||||
| State senates | 864 | 1,089 | 19 | |||||
| State houses | 2,448 | 2,918 | 45 | |||||
| Total: | 3,312 | 4,007 | 64 | |||||
Vacancies
As of January 29, 2021, there were 14 state house vacancies in 12 different states. This total is updated monthly.
| State | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 1 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| Louisiana | 2 |
| Maryland | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 1 |
| Missouri | 1 |
| Nevada | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 |
| Texas | 1 |
| West Virginia | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 |
Third Party
As of January 29, 2021, there were 31 state representatives in 11 states identifying as independents or parties other than Democratic and Republican. This total is updated monthly.
| State | Independents/Third Party |
|---|---|
| Alaska | 3 (Independent), 1 (Nonpartisan) |
| California | 1 (Independent) |
| Kansas | 1 (Independent) |
| Louisiana | 2 (Independent) |
| Maine | 4 (Independent), 1 (Libertarian) |
| Massachusetts | 1 (Independent) |
| Mississippi | 1 (Independent) |
| New Mexico | 1 (Independent) |
| New York | 1 (Independence) |
| Vermont | 7 (Vermont Progressive Party), 5 (Independent) |
| Wyoming | 1 (Independent), 1 (Libertarian) |
Election breakdown
Click here for a breakdown of partisan affiliation of state houses over time.
States
Click here' for a state-by-state breakdown of the partisan affiliation of state houses.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Governing, "How Tied Chambers Affect States," June 9, 2011
- ↑ This tally includes third party incumbents and vacancies.
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