The
partisan composition of state legislatures refers to which
political party holds the majority of seats in the
State Senate and
State House. Altogether, there are 1,972
state senators and 5,411
state representatives.
The breakdown of chamber control after the November 2018 election is as follows:
37 chambers
61 chambers[1]- 1 chamber with power sharing between the parties
The breakdown of chamber control prior to the November 2018 election was as follows:
- 32 chambers
- 67 chambers[1]
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses and Partisan composition of state senates
Sixty-one 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.[2] This tactic has not been the universal approach, however; some legislative bodies have used a coin toss, gubernatorial choice, shared time, choosing co-leaders, or dividing chairperson positions between the parties.[3]
A state government trifecta is a term to describe single party government, when one political party holds three positions in a state's government.There are currently 36 trifectas: 15 Democratic and 21 Republican. As a result of the 2018 elections, Democrats increased their trifecta total with a net gain of six trifectas, and Republicans lost a net of four trifectas. States with divided government—no trifecta for either major party—declined by two.
Five states held elections in 2019 where trifecta status was on the line. Democrats gained one trifecta while Republicans lost a trifecta. The number of states with divided government remained the same. Click here to read more about changes in trifectas in 2019.
Cumulative numbers
As of December 31, 2019, Republicans controlled 52.1 percent of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 46.6 percent. Republicans held a majority in 61 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 37 chambers. One chamber (Alaska House) was sharing power between two parties.[4]
| Partisan balance of all 7,383 state legislative seats
|
| Legislative chamber
|
|
|
 [5]
|
| State senates
|
876
|
1,078
|
18
|
| State houses
|
2,568
|
2,768
|
75
|
| Total:
|
3,444
|
3,846
|
93
|
State Senates
The partisan composition of state senates refers to which political party holds the majority of seats in the state senate. Altogether, in the 50 state senates, there are 1,972 state senators.
The breakdown of chamber control after the November 2018 election is as follows:
- 18 chambers
- 32 chambers[1]
The breakdown of chamber control prior to the November 2018 election was as follows:
- 14 chambers
- 36 chambers[1]
- See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Cumulative numbers
As of December 31, 2019, 1,954 state senators were affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic parties. This total is updated monthly.
| Partisan balance of all 7,383 state legislative seats
|
| Legislative chamber
|
|
|
[5]
|
| State senates
|
876
|
1,078
|
18
|
| State houses
|
2,568
|
2,768
|
75
|
| Total:
|
3,444
|
3,846
|
93
|
Vacancies
As of December 31, 2019, there were 13 vacancies in 10 states. This total is updated monthly.
Third Party
As of December 31, 2019, there were five state senators in four states identifying as independents or parties other than Democratic and Republican. This total is updated monthly.
State Houses
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 5,413 state representatives.
The breakdown of chamber control after the November 2018 election is as follows:
- 19 chambers
- 29 chambers
- 1 chamber with power sharing between the parties
The breakdown of chamber control prior to the November 2018 election was as follows:
- 18 chambers
- 31 chambers
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses
Cumulative numbers
As of December 31, 2019, 5,336 state representatives were affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic parties. This total is updated monthly.
| Partisan balance of all 7,383 state legislative seats
|
| Legislative chamber
|
|
|
[5]
|
| State senates
|
876
|
1,078
|
18
|
| State houses
|
2,568
|
2,768
|
75
|
| Total:
|
3,444
|
3,846
|
93
|
Vacancies
As of December 31, 2019, there were 44 state house vacancies in 23 different states. This total is updated monthly.
Third Party
As of December 31, 2019, there were 31 state representatives in nine states identifying as independents or parties other than Democratic and Republican. This total is updated monthly.
Trifectas
- See also: State government trifectas
The following table shows the status of state government—divided control, Democratic trifecta, or Republican trifecta—in each state. It also includes the year of the last change to each state's trifecta status.
| Trifecta status by state
|
| State
|
Trifecta status
|
Year of last status change
|
| Alabama |
Republican trifecta |
2011
|
| Alaska |
Divided government |
2015
|
| Arizona |
Republican trifecta |
2009
|
| Arkansas |
Republican trifecta |
2015
|
| California |
Democratic trifecta |
2011
|
| Colorado |
Democratic trifecta |
2019
|
| Connecticut |
Democratic trifecta |
2011
|
| Delaware |
Democratic trifecta |
2009
|
| Florida |
Republican trifecta |
2011
|
| Georgia |
Republican trifecta |
2005
|
| Hawaii |
Democratic trifecta |
2011
|
| Idaho |
Republican trifecta |
1995
|
| Illinois |
Democratic trifecta |
2019
|
| Indiana |
Republican trifecta |
2011
|
| Iowa |
Republican trifecta |
2017
|
| Kansas |
Divided government |
2019
|
| Kentucky |
Divided government |
2019
|
| Louisiana |
Divided government |
2016
|
| Maine |
Democratic trifecta |
2019
|
| Maryland |
Divided government |
2015
|
| Massachusetts |
Divided government |
2015
|
| Michigan |
Divided government |
2019
|
| Minnesota |
Divided government |
2015
|
| Mississippi |
Republican trifecta |
2012
|
| Missouri |
Republican trifecta |
2017
|
| Montana |
Divided government |
2005
|
| Nebraska |
Republican trifecta |
1999
|
| Nevada |
Democratic trifecta |
2019
|
| New Hampshire |
Divided government |
2019
|
| New Jersey |
Democratic trifecta |
2018
|
| New Mexico |
Democratic trifecta |
2019
|
| New York |
Democratic trifecta |
2019
|
| North Carolina |
Divided government |
2017
|
| North Dakota |
Republican trifecta |
1995
|
| Ohio |
Republican trifecta |
2011
|
| Oklahoma |
Republican trifecta |
2011
|
| Oregon |
Democratic trifecta |
2013
|
| Pennsylvania |
Divided government |
2015
|
| Rhode Island |
Democratic trifecta |
2013
|
| South Carolina |
Republican trifecta |
2003
|
| South Dakota |
Republican trifecta |
1995
|
| Tennessee |
Republican trifecta |
2011
|
| Texas |
Republican trifecta |
2003
|
| Utah |
Republican trifecta |
1985
|
| Vermont |
Divided government |
2017
|
| Virginia |
Democratic trifecta |
2020
|
| Washington |
Democratic trifecta |
2017
|
| West Virginia |
Republican trifecta |
2017
|
| Wisconsin |
Divided government |
2019
|
| Wyoming |
Republican trifecta |
2011
|
Percentage of Americans living under trifecta government
The chart below shows the percentage of the population living under Democratic trifectas, Republican trifectas, and divided governments. The population figures come the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 estimates.[6]
| Percent of Americans living under trifectas as of January 2020
|
|
|
Total
|
Democratic trifectas
|
Republican trifectas
|
Divided governments
|
| Population |
327,533,774 [7] |
120,182,161 |
133,860,630 |
73,490,983
|
| Proportion (%) |
100% |
36.7% |
40.9% |
22.4%
|
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau
|
Election breakdowns
Below is partisan composition data at the time of major elections.
2019 Elections
- See also: State legislative elections, 2019 and State legislative special elections, 2019
Heading into the 2019 elections, Republicans held a majority of state legislative chambers. As of November 2019, 61 chambers were under GOP control, while Democrats held majorities in 37 chambers.[8] A power-sharing agreement was established between Democrats and Republicans in the Alaska House of Representatives.
- State chambers controlled by a Democratic majority: 37
- State chambers controlled by a Republican majority: 61[1]
- One chamber with power sharing between the parties
2018 Elections
- See also: State legislative elections, 2018 and State legislative special elections, 2018
Heading into the 2018 elections, Republicans held a majority of state legislative chambers. As of November 2018, 67 chambers were under GOP control, while Democrats held majorities in 32 chambers.[8]
- State chambers controlled by a Democratic majority: 32
- State chambers controlled by a Republican majority: 67[1]
At the time of the 2018 elections, 7,280 state legislators were affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic parties.
| Party
|
Number of
|
Percentage
|
| Democratic state legislators
|
3,257
|
44.1%
|
| Republican state legislators
|
4,023
|
54.5%
|
| Independent state legislators
|
24
|
0.3%
|
| Third party legislators
|
11
|
0.1%
|
| Vacancies
|
68
|
0.9%
|
2017 Elections
- See also: State legislative elections, 2017 and State legislative special elections, 2017
Heading into November 2017, the Democratic Party held the majority in 31 state chambers and the Republican Party held the majority in 68 state chambers. One state chamber (Nebraska) was officially nonpartisan, but is held by a Republican majority.
- State chambers controlled by a Democratic majority: 31
- State chambers controlled by a Republican majority: 68[1]
At the time of the 2017 elections, 7,276 state legislators were affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic parties.
| Party
|
Number of
|
Percentage
|
| Democratic state legislators
|
3,114
|
42%
|
| Republican state legislators
|
4,162
|
56.3%
|
| Independent state legislators
|
25
|
0.34%
|
| Third party legislators
|
15
|
0.20%
|
| Vacancies
|
67
|
0.90%
|
2016 Elections
- See also: State legislative elections, 2016 and State legislative special elections, 2016
Heading into November 2016, the Democratic Party held the majority in 30 state chambers and the Republican Party held the majority in 68 state chambers. One state chamber (Nebraska) was officially nonpartisan.
- State chambers controlled by a Democratic majority: 30
- State chambers controlled by a Republican majority: 68
- State chambers that were officially nonpartisan: 1
At the time of the 2016 elections, 7,252 state legislators were affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic parties.
| Party
|
Number of
|
Percentage
|
| Democratic state legislators
|
3,150
|
42.6%
|
| Republican state legislators
|
4,102
|
55.5%
|
| Independent (and nonpartisan) state legislators
|
71
|
0.96%
|
| Third party legislators
|
12
|
0.162%
|
| Vacancies
|
48
|
0.65%
|
2015 Elections
- See also: State legislative elections, 2015 and State legislative special elections, 2015
Heading into November 2015, the Democratic Party held the majority in 30 state chambers and the Republican Party held the majority in 68 state chambers. One state chamber (Nebraska) is officially nonpartisan.
- State chambers controlled by a Democratic majority: 30
- State chambers controlled by a Republican majority: 68
- State chambers that are officially nonpartisan: 1
At the time of the 2015 elections, 7,262 state legislators were affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic parties.
| Party
|
Number of
|
Percentage
|
| Democratic state legislator
|
3,158
|
43%
|
| Republican state legislator
|
4,104
|
56%
|
| Nonpartisan state legislator
|
49
|
0.66%
|
| Independent state legislator
|
21
|
0.28%
|
| Third party state legislator
|
7
|
0.09%
|
| Vacancies
|
42
|
0.56%
|
2014 Elections
- See also: State legislative elections, 2014 and State legislative special elections, 2014
Before the November 2014 elections, the Democratic Party held the majority in 39 state chambers and the Republican Party held the majority in 59 state chambers. One state chamber (Nebraska) is officially nonpartisan. The overall score heading into the November 4 elections was:
- State chambers controlled by a Democratic majority: 39
- State chambers controlled by a Republican majority: 59
- State chambers that are officially nonpartisan: 1
At the time of the 2014 elections, 7,240 state legislators were affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic parties:
| Party
|
Number of
|
Percentage
|
| Democratic state legislators
|
3,422
|
46.3%
|
| Republican state legislators
|
3,818
|
51.7%
|
| Nonpartisan state legislators
|
49
|
0.66%
|
| Independent state legislators
|
17
|
0.23%
|
| Third party state legislator
|
12
|
0.16%
|
| Vacancies
|
62
|
0.84%
|
2012 Elections
- See also: State legislative elections, 2012
Before the November 2012 elections, the Democratic Party held the majority in 37 state chambers and the Republican Party held the majority in 59 state chambers. One state chamber (Nebraska) is officially nonpartisan. Two state senates (Alaska and Virginia) were evenly divided between Democratic and Republican. The Oregon House of Representatives was evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. Thus, the overall score heading into the November 6, 2012, elections was:
- State chambers controlled by a Democratic majority: 37
- State chambers controlled by a Republican majority: 59
- State chambers that are officially nonpartisan: 1
- State senates that were tied: 2
- State houses that were split evenly: 1
At the time of the 2012 elections, 7,247 state legislators were affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic parties:
| Party
|
Number of
|
Percentage
|
| Democratic state legislators
|
3,301
|
48%
|
| Republican state legislators
|
3,946
|
53.4%
|
| Nonpartisan state legislators
|
49
|
0.66%
|
| Independent state legislators
|
22
|
0.30
|
| Third party state legislator
|
12
|
0.16
|
| Vacancies
|
33
|
0.44
|
2010 Elections
- See also: State legislative elections, 2010
Before the November 2010 elections, the Democratic Party held the majority in 60 state chambers and the Republican Party held the majority in 36 state chambers. One state chamber (Nebraska) is officially nonpartisan. One state senate (Alaska) was evenly divided between Democratic and Republican senators but several Republicans in that senate vote with the Democratic caucus, so that functionally, the Alaska State Senate could be counted in the column of state senates where Democrats are in the majority. The Montana House of Representatives was split evenly, with 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans.
In that case, the overall score heading into the November 2, 2010, elections was:
- State chambers controlled by a Democratic majority: 60
- State chambers controlled by a Republican majority: 36
- State senates that are officially nonpartisan: 1
- State houses that are split evenly: 1
At the time of the 2010 elections, 7,273 state legislators were affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic parties:
| Party
|
Number of
|
Percentage
|
| Democratic state legislators
|
4,031
|
54.5%
|
| Republican state legislators
|
3,246
|
43.9%
|
| Nonpartisan state legislators
|
49
|
0.66%
|
| Independent state legislators
|
27
|
0.36%
|
| Vacancies
|
35
|
0.47%
|
Historical change
The chart below shows the number of state legislative chambers controlled by each party following the November elections in a given year.
The chart below shows the number of state legislative seats controlled by each party in January of a given year.
States
In the partisan control charts below, state senates and state house of representatives with a Democratic majority are encased in a blue ( ) box, while state senates and state house of representatives with a Republican majority are encased in a red ( ) box. State senates and state house of representatives where Democrats and Republicans hold an identical number of seats are encased in a purple ( ) box.
Alabama
Alabama State Senate
Alabama House of Representatives
Alaska
Alaska State Senate
Alaska House of Representatives
Arizona
Arizona State Senate
Arizona House of Representatives
Arkansas
Arkansas State Senate
Arkansas House of Representatives
California
California State Senate
California State Assembly
Colorado
Colorado State Senate
Colorado House of Representatives
Connecticut
Connecticut State Senate
Connecticut House of Representatives
Delaware
Delaware State Senate
Delaware House of Representatives
Florida
Florida State Senate
Florida House of Representatives
Georgia
Georgia State Senate
Georgia House of Representatives
Hawaii
Hawaii State Senate
Hawaii House of Representatives
Idaho
Idaho State Senate
Idaho House of Representatives
Illinois
Illinois State Senate
Illinois House of Representatives
Indiana
Indiana State Senate
Indiana House of Representatives
Iowa
Iowa State Senate
Iowa House of Representatives
Kansas
Kansas State Senate
Kansas House of Representatives
Kentucky
Kentucky State Senate
Kentucky House of Representatives
Louisiana
Louisiana State Senate
Louisiana House of Representatives
Maine
Maine State Senate
Maine House of Representatives
Maryland
Maryland State Senate
Maryland House of Delegates
Massachusetts
Massachusetts State Senate
Massachusetts House of Representatives
Michigan
Michigan State Senate
Michigan House of Representatives
Minnesota
Minnesota State Senate
Minnesota House of Representatives
Mississippi
Mississippi State Senate
Mississippi House of Representatives
Missouri
Missouri State Senate
Missouri House of Representatives
Montana
Montana State Senate
Montana House of Representatives
Nebraska
- See also: Nebraska State Legislature
Nebraska Legislature is nonpartisan.
There are no formal party alignments or groups within the Nebraska State Senate. Coalitions tend to form issue-by-issue based on a member's philosophy of government, geographic background and constituency. However, almost all of the members of the legislature are affiliated with the state affiliate of either the Democratic or the Republican Party and both parties explicitly endorse candidates for legislative seats. Senators and candidates are listed as officially nonpartisan, but in most cases the individual has a direct party affiliation. As an example, in most cases if a sitting senator runs for Congress, the individual inevitably runs on a Democratic or Republican Party line. For more information on how Ballotpedia determined the partisan affiliation for Nebraska senators, please click here.
Nevada
Nevada State Senate
Nevada House of Representatives
New Hampshire
New Hampshire State Senate
New Hampshire House of Representatives
New Jersey
New Jersey State Senate
New Jersey House of Representatives
New Mexico
New Mexico State Senate
New Mexico House of Representatives
New York
New York State Senate
New York State Assembly
North Carolina
North Carolina State Senate
North Carolina House of Representatives
North Dakota
North Dakota State Senate
North Dakota House of Representatives
Ohio
Ohio State Senate
Ohio House of Representatives
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Senate
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Oregon
Oregon State Senate
Oregon House of Representatives
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State Senate
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Rhode Island
Rhode Island State Senate
Rhode Island House of Representatives
South Carolina
South Carolina State Senate
South Carolina House of Representatives
South Dakota
South Dakota State Senate
South Dakota House of Representatives
Tennessee
Tennessee State Senate
Tennessee House of Representatives
Texas
Texas State Senate
Texas House of Representatives
Utah
Utah State Senate
Utah House of Representatives
Vermont
Vermont State Senate
Vermont House of Representatives
Virginia
Virginia State Senate
Virginia House of Delegates
Washington
Washington State Senate
Washington House of Representatives
West Virginia
West Virginia State Senate
West Virginia House of Delegates
Wisconsin
Wisconsin State Senate
Wisconsin State Assembly
Wyoming
Wyoming State Senate
Wyoming House of Representatives
See also
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Includes Nebraska, which is officially nonpartisan. For more information on how Ballotpedia determined the partisan affiliation for Nebraska senators, please click here. Cite error: Invalid
<ref> tag; name "NE" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "NE" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "NE" defined multiple times with different content
- ↑ Alaska State Senate, "Senate Bipartisan Working Group," accessed June 14, 2012
- ↑ Governing, "How Tied Chambers Affect States," June 9, 2011
- ↑ Nebraska is officially nonpartisan but was held by a Republican majority. For more information on how Ballotpedia determined the partisan affiliation for Nebraska senators, please click here.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 This tally includes third party incumbents and vacancies.
- ↑ [https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-kits/2019/national-state-estimates.html U.S. Census Bureau, "
2019 National and State Population Estimates," accessed January 8, 2020]
- ↑ Excludes the 693,972 inhabitants of Washington, D.C.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Although the Nebraska State Senate elects its members in nonpartisan elections, members of the chamber generally function along party lines when it comes to voting and caucusing. Please see Nebraska State Senate partisan affiliation for more information.
- ↑ Democrats and Republicans split control of the chamber after electing Bryce Edgmon as speaker.
- ↑ Excludes three nonvoting members representing the Penobscot Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.
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