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State legislative special elections, 2022
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In 2022, 54 state legislative special elections were scheduled in 24 states. Between 2011 and 2021, an average of 74 special elections took place each year. See the sections below for additional information on state legislative special elections in 2022.
- Causes: This section provides information on why special elections are held.
- Partisan control: This section provides information on the impact of special elections on the partisan composition of state legislatures.
- Special elections by date: This section lists all special elections held in 2022 in the order they were held.
- Seats that changed party control: This section lists the seats where a candidate of a party other than the previous incumbent's party won the special election.
- Historical data: This section contains data on special elections going back to 2010.
- See also: State legislative elections, 2022
Causes
In 2022, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:
- 21 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
- 24 due to resignation
- 9 due to the death of the incumbent
Partisan control
The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:
- 36 Democratic seats
- 18 Republican seats
Noteworthy special elections
- Montana State Senate District 39
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Commissioner Terry Vermeire (R) defeated newspaper publisher Jesse Mullen (D) in the special election for Montana State Senate District 39 on Nov. 8, 2022, switching party control of the seat.
District 39 became vacant following the death of Sen. Mark Sweeney (D). Jessica Wicks (D) was appointed to fill that vacancy but did not participate in the special general election.
This was a competitive district. Sen. Gene Vuckovich (D) won the district in 2016 by a margin of 13.5 percentage points. Vuckovich did not run in 2020, and Sweeney won by a margin of 1.4 percentage points.
General election
Special general election for Montana State Senate District 39
Terry Vermeire defeated Jesse James Mullen in the special general election for Montana State Senate District 39 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate%Votes✔ 
Terry Vermeire (R) 54.74,491 
Jesse James Mullen (D) 
45.33,725 
Total votes: 8,216 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.
- Arkansas State Senate District 7
Colby Fulfer (R), chief of staff to Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse, defeated attorney Lisa Parks (D) in the special election for Arkansas State Senate District 7 on Feb. 8, 2022.
The seat became vacant after Lance Eads (R) resigned from the state Senate on October 28, 2021, to accept a position with Capitol Consulting Firm.[1]
This was a competitive race in a district that historically had elected Republicans by larger margins. Fulfer won by a margin of 0.8 percentage points.
Between 2016 and 2020, Eads ran unopposed in the district's general elections. In 2012, the Republican candidate won by a margin of 29.6 percentage points.
This race was held under district lines enacted following the 2010 census, placing the district outside of Fayetteville in the state's northwestern corner. Following the 2020 census, this district was divided between four other districts: the 29th, 30th, 31st, and 32nd
General election
Special general election for Arkansas State Senate District 7
Colby Fulfer defeated Lisa Parks in the special general election for Arkansas State Senate District 7 on February 8, 2022.
Candidate%Votes✔ 
Colby Fulfer (R) 50.42,033 
Lisa Parks (D) 49.62,001 Total votes: 4,034 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.
- Michigan House of Representatives District 74
Carol Glanville (D) defeated Robert Regan (R) in the special election for Michigan House of Representatives District 74 on May 3, 2022.
Glanville's win switched control of the seat, which had previously been held by Mark Huizenga (R) who left office after winning a special election to Senate District 28 in November 2021.
General election
Special general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 74
Carol Glanville defeated Robert Regan and Mike Milanowski Jr. in the special general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 74 on May 3, 2022.
Candidate%Votes✔ 
Carol Glanville (D) 51.77,288 
Robert Regan (R) 40.45,697 
Mike Milanowski Jr. (R) (Write-in) 7.51,062 Other/Write-in votes 0.455 Total votes: 14,102 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.
Special elections by date
Vacancies
Partisan breakdown of vacancies
- See also: State legislative vacancies, 2022
In 2022, there were 165 state legislative vacancies in 43 states.
The process for filling vacancies varies among the state legislatures. Twenty-five states fill vacancies in the state legislature through special elections. Twenty-one states fill vacancies through appointments, and four states fill vacancies through a hybrid system that uses both appointments and special elections. The most common reasons for a state legislative vacancy include officeholders resigning, dying, leaving for a new job, being elected or appointed to a different office, or receiving a legal conviction.
The table below details the partisan breakdown for state legislative vacancies in 2022. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party held after the special elections and appointments took place.
| Partisan breakdown of the vacancies (2022) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of vacancy | After vacancy | |
| Democratic Party | |||
| Republican Party | |||
| Independent | |||
| N/A | |||
| Total | 165 | 165 | |
Seats that changed party control
The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2022. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections.
Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not the total number of vacant seats.
| Partisan Change from Special Elections (2022) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of Special Election | After Special Election | |
| Democratic Party | 36 | 36 | |
| Republican Party | 18 | 18 | |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 54 | 54 | |
Flipped seats
In 2022, two seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.
Seats flipped from D to R
- Montana State Senate District 39 (November 8)
Seats flipped from R to D
Historical data
State breakdown by year
The table below details how many state legislative special elections were held in a state in a given year. From 2010 to 2024, Georgia held the most state legislative special elections with 82. Pennsylvania held the second-most special elections with 69.
Partisan breakdown by year
The average number of special elections per even year between 2011 and 2024 (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024) was 59, while the average per odd year was 80. The most special elections in a single year during that same time frame was 99, which happened in 2018.
The table below details how many state legislative seats changed parties as the result of a special election between 2011 and 2024. The numbers on the left side of the table reflect how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the numbers on the right side of the table show how many vacant seats each party won in special elections.
| State legislative special election vacancies and results, 2011-2024 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total elections held | Vacancies before elections | Seats held after elections | Net change | ||||
 Democrats
|
 Republicans
|
Minor party | Democrats
|
Republicans
|
Minor party | |||
| 2024 | 52 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 29 | 23 | 0 | +3 D, -3 R |
| 2023 | 53 | 33 | 20 | 0 | 33 | 20 | 0 | - |
| 2022 | 54 | 36 | 18 | 0 | 36 | 18 | 0 | - |
| 2021 | 66 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 0 | - |
| 2020 | 59 | 21 | 38 | 0 | 27 | 32 | 0 | +6 D, -6 R |
| 2019 | 77 | 39 | 38 | 0 | 36 | 40 | 1 | -3 D, +2 R, +1 I |
| 2018 | 99 | 42 | 57 | 0 | 50 | 49 | 0 | +8 D, -8 R |
| 2017 | 98 | 45 | 53 | 0 | 56 | 42 | 0 | +11 D, -11 R |
| 2016* | 65 | 37 | 28 | 0 | 39 | 24 | 2 | +2 D, -4 R |
| 2015* | 89 | 42 | 46 | 1 | 38 | 50 | 1 | -4 D, +4 R |
| 2014 | 40 | 22 | 18 | 0 | 19 | 21 | 0 | -3 D, +3 R |
| 2013 | 84 | 51 | 33 | 0 | 48 | 36 | 0 | -3 D, +3 R |
| 2012 | 46 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 25 | 21 | 0 | +2 D, -2 R |
| 2011* | 95 | 49 | 45 | 1 | 46 | 48 | 1 | -3 D, +3 R |
| Averages | 70 | 36 | 34 | N/A | 37 | 33 | N/A | N/A |
| *Please see the year-specific pages for information regarding minor-party candidates. | ||||||||
Seats that changed partisan control by year
Current as of January 17, 2025 (updated annually)
Since 2010, 121 state legislative seats have switched partisan control, or flipped, in special elections. The chart below shows the number of special elections that resulted in partisan changes in each year:
| Flipped seats in state legislative special elections | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total special elections | Total flips | Democratic flips | Republican flips | Other flips |
| 2024 | 52 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 53 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 54 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 66 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 | 59 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | 77 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2018 | 99 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| 2017 | 98 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | 65 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 2015 | 89 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 2 |
| 2014 | 40 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2013 | 84 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 2012 | 46 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 2011 | 95 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| 2010 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1,007 | 121 | 66 | 49 | 6 |
| Click here to see a list of all state legislative seats that have changed partisan control in special elections since 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Days between vacancies and elections by year
The following table tracks the gap between when state legislative vacancies occurred and special elections were held from 2012 through September 12, 2025:
Analysis of state elections
- See also: State legislative elections, 2022
On November 8, 2022, members in 88 of the country's 99 state legislative chambers were up for election across 46 states. These elections were for 6,278 of the country's 7,383 state legislative seats (85%).
Heading into the election, Democrats controlled 36 chambers and Republicans controlled 62. A bipartisan coalition controlled the Alaska House.
As a result of the election:
- Democrats gained control of four chambers—the Michigan House and Senate, Minnesota Senate, and Pennsylvania House—bringing their total to 40.[6] Wins in Minnesota and Michigan created new Democratic trifectas in those states. Both had previously been divided governments.
- In Alaska, a bipartisan coalition gained control of the Senate. The coalition in the House changed from being made primarily of Democrats and independents to one made primarily of Republicans.
- Republicans lost control of five chambers, bringing their total to 57.
Featured analysis
- State legislative seats that changed party control in 2022: As a result of the Nov. 8, 2022, elections, partisan composition of all 7,386 state legislative seats changed by less than half a percentage point. Democrats had a net loss of six seats, representing 0.1% of all state legislative seats. Republicans had a net gain of 28 seats, representing 0.4% of all state legislative seats.[7] Independents and minor party officeholders had a net loss of 20 seats, representing 0.2% of all state legislative seats.
- Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 12, 2022: Competitiveness refers to the presence of choice throughout the election cycle. A greater level of competitiveness means voters have the ability to make more decisions. A lower level of competitiveness equals fewer choices. State legislative competitiveness in 2022 reached its highest level compared to all even-year election cycles since 2010. In 2022, the nationwide State Legislative Competitiveness Index is 36.2, beating out 2018 (36.1) and the 2012 post-redistricting cycle (35.2).
- State legislative special elections
- Impact of term limits
- Open seats
- Contested primaries
- Incumbents in contested primaries
- Data on incumbents defeated
- Summaries of incumbents defeated in primaries
- Incumbent win rates by state
- Pivot counties in state legislative elections
- Trifecta vulnerability in the 2022 elections
- Rematches in 2022 general elections
- Elections without a Democratic or Republican candidate
- States with two or more statewide offices up for election
- Wave election analysis
- Seats that changed party control
- Veto-proof state legislatures with opposing party governors
- Ballotpedia's Top 15 elections to watch, 2022
- Candidates with the same last names, 2022
- Trends in the margins of victory for incumbents of three or more terms, 2018-2024
See also
- State legislative elections, 2022
- State legislative elections, 2021
- State legislative elections, 2020
- State legislative elections, 2019
- State legislative elections, 2018
- State legislative elections, 2017
- State legislative elections, 2016
- State legislative special elections, 2021
- State legislative special elections, 2020
- State legislative special elections, 2019
- State legislative special elections, 2018
- State legislative special elections, 2017
- State legislative special elections, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑ Talk Business, "Sen. Lance Eads to resign Senate seat for new employment opportunity," October 28, 2021
- ↑ Political parties in Maine use caucuses to nominate candidates for special elections.
- ↑ Candidates running for special elections in Virginia are selected through firehouse primaries administered by each political party.
- ↑ Candidates running for special elections in Connecticut are nominated through party conventions.
- ↑ Note: Because the vacancy was for a multi-member seat, the exact successor could not be determined after the election.
- ↑ In the Pennsylvania House, Democrats won 102 seats but would enter the legislative session with 99 members due to three vacancies: one due to the death of an incumbent and the others due to resignations to assume higher office. Vacancies are filled by special elections. According to CNalysis, all three vacant districts voted for President Joe Biden (D) by margins of more than 15 percentage points in 2020:
- House District 32: Biden +26
- House District 34: Biden +62
- House District 35: Biden +16
- ↑ This total includes three seats created in Wyoming during the 2020 redistricting process, which affects the net changes before and after the Nov. 8 elections.
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