Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for June 22, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
June 22, 2018: The filing deadlines for candidates to enter state legislative races have already passed in 31 states. In those states, 1,166 out of 3,911 races will feature a candidate from only one of the nation’s two major political parties.
There are no Republican candidates in 663 races and no Democrats in 503. The total number of uncontested races is almost certain to grow as the election season unfolds. The filing deadline is still ahead for more than 2,000 races in 19 states.
Since 2010, the percentage of races with only one major party candidate has ranged from 32.6% to 42.7%. So far in 2018, just 29.8% of races have only one major party represented. However, that could shift as the dynamics differ from state to state. “In Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, New Mexico, and South Carolina, over 50 percent of candidates face no major party opposition.” A Ballotpedia analysis shows that “in Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, West Virginia, and South Dakota, less than 7 percent of candidates face no major party opposition.”
In four chambers (the Maine State Senate, Michigan State House, Michigan State Senate, and North Carolina State Senate), there are no seats where a Democratic or Republican will win election without opposition from the other party.
Three chambers have no seats where a Democratic candidate lacks Republican competition. They are the Indiana State Senate, Utah State Senate, and West Virginia State Senate.
Seven other chambers feature no races where a Republican will win a seat without Democratic opposition. They are the Colorado State House, Colorado State Senate, Missouri State Senate, Nevada State Senate, Ohio State Senate, Oregon State Senate, and South Dakota House of Representatives.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- June 21, 2018 – 80 percent of voters believe fear of being politically incorrect leads to bad business or political decisions
- June 20, 2018 – 51% decline in newspaper circulation since peak in 1984
- June 19, 2018 – 56 years old: age at which average millennial expects to retire
- June 18, 2018 – 51 percent of federal workers support White House attempts to ease firing process
- June 15, 2018 – 70 percent of Dartmouth students would be less likely to date someone with different political views
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
The Number of the Day is broadcast on local stations across the country. An archive of these broadcasts can be found here.
Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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