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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for October 16, 2017
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
October 16, 2017: Fifteen of the nation’s state legislative chambers could see a change in partisan control in the 2018 elections. Nine of these are currently controlled by Democrats, while six are controlled by Republicans.
A Ballotpedia analysis identified five states where control of both the state house and senate could change hands: Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, and Washington.
The state house of representatives is expected to be a battleground in Alaska, Minnesota, and New Mexico. Control of the state senate may be in play in Delaware and Nevada.
Prior to the 2010 elections, Democrats controlled 61 of the country's 99 state legislative chambers, Republicans controlled 37, and one chamber was split between the parties. In the six years that followed, Republicans made significant gains and took control of many of the chambers that were previously held by Democrats. Following the 2016 elections, Republicans controlled 68 chambers and Democrats controlled 31.
The shift in partisan control was one measure of the Democratic Party’s decline during President Obama’s tenure. However, it was not unusual. Only four presidents in the past 100 years have seen their party gain strength while they were in office.
An earlier Number of the Day noted that Republicans currently have trifectas in 26 states. A trifecta is when one party controls both houses of the state legislature and the governorship.
Term limits will prevent a total of 271 state legislators from seeking re-election next year.
More information on these state legislative races can be found here.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- October 13, 2017 – 51 percent of Americans say government should not favor any set of values
- October 12, 2017 – 32 percent decline in regulatory rules in Trump’s first nine months
- October 11, 2017 – 48 percent of Americans say right to own guns is essential to freedom
- October 10, 2017 – 1.5 million workers temporarily displaced from jobs by hurricanes
- October 9, 2017 – 46 percent of workers know someone who lied on a resume
- 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.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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