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State legislator

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Features of State Legislatures
Length of terms: Representatives • Senators
How vacancies are filled in state legislatures
States with a full-time legislature
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Comparison of state legislative salaries
When legislators assume office?
State constitutions
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Candidate requirements by state
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Minority and coalition control of state legislative chambers, 1994-Present
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A state legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, specifically someone who is a member of a state legislature.[1]

The term applies to state senators and state representatives, also known as assemblymen in some states.

State representatives

As of August 2025, there were 5,413 state representatives across 49 state Houses. (Nebraska did not have a House chamber.)

As of September 18, 2025, 5,370 state representatives were affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties. This total is updated monthly.

Partisan balance of all 7,386 state legislative seats
Legislative chamber Democratic Party Republican Party Grey.png Other Vacant
State senates 834 1,122 5 12
State houses 2,392 2,978 20 23
Total: 3,226

4,100

25

35


Length of term

As of August 2025, state House term lengths ranged from two to four years. Representatives in five states had a four-year term. Representatives in 44 states had a two-year term.

Name of lower chamber # of representatives Length of term
Alabama House of Representatives 105 4
Alaska House of Representatives 40 2
Arizona House of Representatives 60 2
Arkansas House of Representatives 100 2
California State Assembly 80 2
Colorado House of Representatives 65 2
Connecticut House of Representatives 151 2
Delaware House of Representatives 41 2
Florida House of Representatives 120 2
Georgia House of Representatives 180 2
Hawaii House of Representatives 51 2
Idaho House of Representatives 70 2
Illinois House of Representatives 118 2
Indiana House of Representatives 100 2
Iowa House of Representatives 100 2
Kansas House of Representatives 125 2
Kentucky House of Representatives 100 2
Louisiana House of Representatives 105 4
Maine House of Representatives 151 2
Maryland House of Delegates 141 4
Massachusetts House of Representatives 160 2
Michigan House of Representatives 110 2
Minnesota House of Representatives 134 2
Mississippi House of Representatives 122 4
Missouri House of Representatives 163 2
Montana House of Representatives 100 2
Nevada State Assembly 42 2
New Hampshire House of Representatives 400 2
New Jersey General Assembly 80 2
New Mexico House of Representatives 70 2
New York State Assembly 150 2
North Carolina House of Representatives 120 2
North Dakota House of Representatives 94 4
Ohio House of Representatives 99 2
Oklahoma House of Representatives 101 2
Oregon House of Representatives 60 2
Pennsylvania House of Representatives 203 2
Rhode Island House of Representatives 75 2
South Carolina House of Representatives 124 2
South Dakota House of Representatives 70 2
Tennessee House of Representatives 99 2
Texas House of Representatives 150 2
Utah House of Representatives 75 2
Vermont House of Representatives 150 2
Virginia House of Delegates 100 2
Washington State House of Representatives 98 2
West Virginia House of Delegates 100 2
Wisconsin State Assembly 99 2
Wyoming House of Representatives 62 2

State senators

As of August 2025, there were 1,973 state senators across 50 state Senates.

As of September 18, 2025, 1,956 state senators were affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties. This total is updated monthly.

Partisan balance of all 7,386 state legislative seats
Legislative chamber Democratic Party Republican Party Grey.png Other Vacant
State senates 834 1,122 5 12
State houses 2,392 2,978 20 23
Total: 3,226

4,100

25

35


Length of term

As of August 2025, state Senate term lengths ranged from two to four years. Senators in 30 states had a four-year term. Senators in 12 states had a two-year term. Senators in eight states (Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Texas) had terms that were either two years or four years, depending on the proximity of the election to the legislative re-apportionments that occur every 10 years after a federal census.

  • In the 12 states where the length of the term was two years, all state Senate seats were up for election every two years.
  • In 27 states with four-year terms, or 2-4-4 terms, there were staggered elections, ensuring approximately half of state Senate seats were up for election during the state's general elections every two years.
  • In the 11 other states with four-year terms, or 2-4-4 terms, all seats had elections during the same year.
State Senate # of senators Length of term Conduct of elections
Alabama State Senate 35 4 All seats are up for re-election in 2010, 2014, 2018...
Alaska State Senate 20 4 Staggered
Arizona State Senate 30 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Arkansas State Senate 35 2-4-4 Staggered
California State Senate 40 4 Staggered
Colorado State Senate 35 4 Staggered
Connecticut State Senate 36 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Delaware State Senate 21 2-4-4 Staggered
Florida State Senate 40 2-4-4 Staggered
Georgia State Senate 56 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Hawaii State Senate 25 2-4-4 Staggered
Idaho State Senate 35 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Illinois State Senate 59 2-4-4[2] Staggered
Indiana State Senate 50 4 Staggered
Iowa State Senate 50 4 Staggered
Kansas State Senate 40 4 All seats are up for election in 2008, 2012, 2016...
Kentucky State Senate 38 4 Staggered
Louisiana State Senate 39 4 All seats are up for election in 2011, 2015, 2019...
Maine State Senate 35 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Maryland State Senate 47 4 All seats are up for election in 2010, 2014, 2018...
Massachusetts State Senate 40 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Michigan State Senate 38 4 All seats are up for election in 2010, 2014, 2018...
Minnesota State Senate 67 2-4-4 All seats are up for election in 2010, 2012, 2016...
Mississippi State Senate 52 4 All seats are up for election in 2007, 2011, 2015...
Missouri State Senate 34 4 Staggered
Montana State Senate 50 4 Staggered
Nebraska State Senate 49 4 Staggered
Nevada State Senate 21 4 Staggered
New Hampshire State Senate 24 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
New Jersey State Senate 40 2-4-4 All seats are up for election in 2011, 2013, 2017...
New Mexico State Senate 42 4 All seats are up for election in 2008, 2012, 2016...
New York State Senate 63 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
North Carolina State Senate 50 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
North Dakota State Senate 47 4 Staggered
Ohio State Senate 33 4 Staggered
Oklahoma State Senate 48 4 Staggered
Oregon State Senate 30 4 Staggered
Pennsylvania State Senate 50 4 Staggered
Rhode Island State Senate 38 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
South Carolina State Senate 46 4 All seats are up for election in 2008, 2012, 2016...
South Dakota State Senate 35 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Tennessee State Senate 33 4 Staggered
Texas State Senate 31 2-4-4 Staggered
Utah State Senate 29 4 Staggered
Vermont State Senate 30 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Virginia State Senate 40 4 All seats are up for re-election in 2007, 2011, 2015...
Washington State Senate 49 4 Staggered
West Virginia State Senate 34 4 Staggered
Wisconsin State Senate 33 4 Staggered
Wyoming State Senate 31 4 Staggered

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "Legislator" accessed April 4, 2013
  2. ↑ Under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, senators were divided into three groups, each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses, with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms. Depending on the election year, roughly ⅓, ⅔, or all of the Senate seats had terms ending.
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