State legislative elections, 2027
| 2027 State Legislative Elections | |
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Eight of the country's 99 state legislative chambers are holding regularly-scheduled elections in 2027. Elections in those eight chambers represent 578 of the country's 7,386 state legislative seats (7.8%).
General elections in Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia will take place on November 2, 2027. General elections in Louisiana will take place on November 20, 2027.
States will also hold special state legislative elections in 2027 to fill vacant seats.
- Partisan balanceThe partisan balance of state legislatures
- On the ballotA list of elections on the ballot
- Pre-election analysisAnalysis published before the election
Partisan balance
As of September 6th, 2025, Republicans controlled 55.48% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 43.68%. Republicans held a majority in 57 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 39 chambers. Two chambers (Alaska House and Alaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions. One chamber (Minnesota House of Representatives) was split evenly between both parties.
| Partisan balance of all 7,386 state legislative seats | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative chamber | 
|
|
 Other
|
Vacant | ||||
| State senates | 834 | 1,121 | 5 | 13 | ||||
| State houses | 2,392 | 2,977 | 20 | 24 | ||||
| Total: | 3,226
|
4,098
|
25
|
37 | ||||
On the ballot
Click the tabs below to view information about the elections this year. In this section, you will find:
- A list of states holding elections
- Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup Tool
The table below highlights each state holding legislative elections in 2026. To learn more about elections in a particular chamber, click the link in the chamber column.
Pre-election analysis
Click the tabs below to view detailed analysis from before the election. In this section, you will find:
- Historical data related to competitiveness
- Information about state government trifectas
- Chambers that changed partisan control from 2010 to 2024
- Trifecta status from 2010 to 2024
Ballotpedia began examining the competitiveness of every state legislative race in the country in 2010. Three factors are used in this analysis: seats where the incumbent did not run for re-election, incumbents who ran in contested primaries, and seats contested by both major parties.
The following table details competitiveness data collected from regularly scheduled state legislative elections between 2010 and 2023. Odd-year elections are shown grouped together first followed by even-year elections.
| Competitiveness in state legislative elections (2010-2023) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | No major party competition | Incs. running | Incs. in contested primaries | ||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||||
| Odd-year elections | |||||||||
| 2023 | 578 | 138 | 23.9% | 319 | 55.2% | 443 | 115 | 26.0% | |
| 2021 | 220 | 13 | 5.9% | 9 | 4.1% | 137 | 24 | 17.5% | |
| 2019 | 538 | 105 | 19.5% | 301 | 55.9% | 433 | 125 | 28.9% | |
| 2017 | 220 | 20 | 9.1% | 45 | 20.5% | 200 | 32 | 16.0% | |
| 2015 | 538 | 79 | 14.7% | 332 | 61.7% | 460 | 107 | 23.3% | |
| 2013 | 220 | 15 | 6.8% | 61 | 27.7% | 205 | 24 | 11.7% | |
| 2011 | 578 | 98 | 17.0% | 312 | 54.0% | 485 | 104 | 21.4% | |
| Even-year elections | |||||||||
| 2022 | 6,278 | 1,492 | 23.8% | 2,560 | 40.8% | 4,852 | 1,299 | 26.8% | |
| 2020 | 5,875 | 876 | 14.9% | 2,044 | 34.8% | 4,999 | 1,006 | 20.1% | |
| 2018 | 6,065 | 1,194 | 19.7% | 2,045 | 33.7% | 4,874 | 1,082 | 22.2% | |
| 2016 | 5,916 | 1,032 | 17.4% | 2,508 | 42.4% | 4,887 | 985 | 20.2% | |
| 2014 | 6,051 | 1,019 | 16.8% | 2,663 | 44.0% | 5,041 | 983 | 19.5% | |
| 2012 | 6,013 | 1,314 | 21.9% | 2,384 | 39.6% | 4,790 | 1,117 | 23.3% | |
| 2010 | 6,127 | 1,143 | 18.7% | 2,142 | 35.0% | 4,984 | 995 | 20.0% | |
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Recalls
See also
- Past state legislative elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016
- Past state legislative special elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016
- Past election analysis: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Virginia Republicans snatched control of the state Senate, ended budget-Medicaid impasse," June 9, 2014
- ↑ 2015 and 2013 are not included because no chambers changed those years.
- ↑ Chamber went from a Democratic majority to a 67-67 tie.
- ↑ Chamber went from a Republican majority to a bipartisan governing coalition.
- ↑ Democrats won a majority of seats, but did not have a majority when the legislative session began due to vacancies created during the interim.
- ↑ Chamber went from being controlled by a Democratic-led bipartisan coalition to being led by a coalition with power split between the parties.
- ↑ In this election, the Oregon House changed from a 30-30 tie to a 34-26 Democratic advantage.
- ↑ The chamber first changed from Democratic to Republican control in a February 2011 special election. Republicans increased their majority to 24-15 in the 2011 elections.
- ↑ The chamber changed partisan control prior to the 2011 elections due to Democrats switching to the Republican Party and special election wins by Republicans. Republicans increased their majority in the 2011 elections to 31-21.
- ↑ In the 2011 elections, the chamber changed from a 22-18 Democratic advantage to a 20-20 tie. Republicans effectively controlled the chamber because Lieutenant Gov. Bill Bolling (R) could cast tie-breaking votes.
- ↑ This chamber did not hold elections in 2010. It switched partisan control in December 2010 when Democrat Noble Ellington changed his party affiliation to Republican. In the regularly-scheduled 2011 elections, Republicans increased their majority to 58-45.
- ↑ This chamber went from a 50-50 tie to a 68-32 Republican advantage in the 2010 elections.
- ↑ This chamber went from a 36-24 Democratic advantage to a 30-30 tie in the 2010 elections.
