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Veto-proof state legislatures and opposing party governors in the 2025 elections

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Updated July 18, 2025

State governors may veto bills advanced by the state legislature. With sufficient support—between one-half and two-thirds of sitting legislators, depending on the state—state legislatures may overturn a gubernatorial veto. When one party controls enough seats to overturn a veto without any support from the other party, a legislature can be said to hold a veto-proof majority. These veto-proof majorities are especially noteworthy when the governor belongs to the opposing party.

Neither of the two states holding state legislative and gubernatorial elections in 2025 — New Jersey and Virginia — has a veto-proof legislative majority and governor of the opposing party heading into the elections. New Jersey has a Democratic trifecta, meaning Democrats control both state legislative chambers and the governorship. Virginia Democrats control both state legislative chambers but Gov. Glenn Youngkin is a Republican. The two states with a veto-proof legislature and opposing party governor — Kansas and Kentucky — are not holding elections in 2025.

Moreover, because neither New Jersey nor Virginia are holding state Senate elections in 2025 and there are no supermajorities in those chambers heading into the elections, neither state can switch to having a veto-proof state legislature and an opposing party governor as a result of the 2025 elections.

On this page, you will find:


Overview

States with a veto-proof legislative majority and opposing party governor before the 2025 elections

No states with a veto-proof state legislative majority and a governor of the opposite party are holding elections in 2025.

  • New Jersey has a Democratic trifecta, meaning Democrats control both legislative chambers and the governorship. The state's Democratic legislators also do not meet the two-thirds threshold required to override vetoes in either chamber.
  • Virginia Democrats control the state legislature opposite Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin but do not meet the two-thirds threshold required to override vetoes in either chamber.

States that could gain a veto-proof legislative majority and an opposing governor in 2025

We consider a state to have a potential supermajority if the number of seats across both chambers of the legislature that would need to be picked up by the majority party in order to gain a supermajority is less than or equal to 10% of the total seats in the legislature.

Neither New Jersey nor Virginia can become a state with a veto-proof legislative majority and a governor of the opposing party. Click each state's tab below to learn more.

Current partisan balance

Heading into the 2025 elections, the governor of New Jersey is Phil Murphy (D). In New Jersey, two-thirds of the state legislature is required to override a gubernatorial veto. The Democratic Party holds fewer than two-thirds of the seats in both chambers, with a 25-15 majority in the state Senate and a 52-28 majority in the state Assembly, meaning they do not have the ability to override a gubernatorial veto without the support of some Republicans. Two-thirds control would require 27 Senate seats and 56 House seats. Neither party can gain two-thirds control in the upper chamber in 2025 because it is not up for election.[1]

Opportunities for the Democratic Party in 2025

New Jersey is holding a gubernatorial election in 2025, meaning that the Democratic Party has an opportunity to retain the governorship. New Jersey is also holding General Assembly elections, meaning Democrats have an opportunity to gain two-thirds control in the chamber. In order to do so, the Democrats must gain at least two seats.

Opportunities for the Republican Party in 2025

In 2025, the Republican Party has an opportunity to take the governorship.

Background

States with veto-proof majorities

Veto overrides

All 50 states give their legislatures the ability to override gubernatorial vetoes. The authority for the override power is always included in a state's constitution, which also specifies how many legislators are needed to override a veto.

  • 36 states require a two-thirds vote from both chambers of the legislature.
  • Seven states require a three-fifths vote from both chambers of the legislature.[2]
  • Six states require a majority vote from both chambers of the legislature.
  • Alaska requires a two-thirds vote in a joint meeting of its legislative chambers.

Ballotpedia has identified six states with rules that change the veto override threshold depending on the type of bill being considered: Alaska, Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. Bills that are subject to special rules are appropriations bills, tax bills, and emergency bills.

Depending on the state, the vote threshold required for a veto override applies to either all members elected to a chamber or to all members present in the chamber. For example, Alabama requires a majority of all elected members to override a veto, so 53 of 105 votes are needed in the state House and 18 votes of 35 votes are needed in the state Senate. Idaho, on the other hand, requires two-thirds of all members present. So, if only 30 of the state Senate's 35 members are present, the threshold to override a veto in that chamber would be 20 votes rather than the 24 that would be required if all elected members were present.

Click below to see a state-by-state breakdown of the rules for veto overrides.

State Votes required Special rules Constitutional authority
Alabama Majority Elected N/A Article V, Section 125
Alaska 2/3 Elected [3] A 3/4 vote is required to overturn vetoes of appropriation or revenue bills. Article II, Section 16
Arizona 2/3 Elected A 3/4 vote is required to overturn vetoes of emergency bills. Article 5, Section 7
Arkansas Majority Elected N/A Article 6, Section 15
California 2/3 Elected The Legislature has 60 days to override a veto.[4] Article IV, Section 10
Colorado 2/3 Elected N/A Article IV, Section 11
Connecticut 2/3 Present N/A Article IV, Section 15
Delaware 3/5 Elected N/A Article III, Section 18
Florida 2/3 Present N/A Article III, Section 8
Georgia 2/3 Elected N/A Article III, Section 5, Paragraph XIII and Article V, Section 2, Paragraph IV
Hawaii 2/3 Elected N/A Article III, Section 17
Idaho 2/3 Present N/A Article IV, Section 10
Illinois 3/5 Elected A majority vote is required to restore provisions in appropriation bills that the governor reduces through line item vetoes. Article IV, Section 9
Indiana Majority Elected N/A Article 5, Section 14
Iowa 2/3 Elected N/A Legislative Department, Section 16
Kansas 2/3 Elected N/A Article 2, Section 14
Kentucky Majority Elected N/A The Executive Department, Section 88
Louisiana 2/3 Elected N/A Article III, Section 18
Maine 2/3 Present N/A Article IV, Part Third, Section 2
Maryland 3/5 Elected N/A Article II, Section 17
Massachusetts 2/3 Present N/A Chapter 1, Article II
Michigan 2/3 Elected N/A Article IV, Section 33
Minnesota 2/3 Elected N/A Article IV, Section 23
Mississippi 2/3 Present N/A Article IV, Section 72
Missouri 2/3 Elected N/A Article III, Section 32
Montana 2/3 Present N/A Article VI, Section 10
Nebraska 3/5 Elected N/A Article IV, Section 15
Nevada 2/3 Elected N/A Article 4, Section 35
New Hampshire 2/3 Elected N/A Executive Power, Article 44
New Jersey 2/3 Elected N/A Article V, Section 1
New Mexico 2/3 Present N/A Article IV, Section 22
New York 2/3 Elected N/A Article IV, Section 7
North Carolina 3/5 Present N/A Article II, Section 22
North Dakota 2/3 Elected N/A Article V, Section 9
Ohio 3/5 Elected A 2/3 vote is required to overturn vetoes of emergency bills. Article II, Section 16
Oklahoma 2/3 Elected A 3/4 vote is required to overturn vetoes of emergency bills. Article VI, Section 11
Oregon 2/3 Present N/A Article V, Section 15b
Pennsylvania 2/3 Elected N/A Article IV, Section 15
Rhode Island 3/5 Elected N/A Article IX, Section 14
South Carolina 2/3 Present N/A Article IV, Section 21
South Dakota 2/3 Elected N/A Article IV, Section 4
Tennessee Majority Elected N/A Article III, Section 18
Texas 2/3 Present N/A Article 4, Section 14
Utah 2/3 Elected N/A Article VII, Section 8
Vermont 2/3 Present N/A Legislative Department, Section 11
Virginia 2/3 Present N/A Article V, Section 6
Washington 2/3 Present N/A Article III, Section 12
West Virginia Majority Elected A 2/3 vote is required to overturn vetoes of appropriation bills. Article VII, Section 14
Wisconsin 2/3 Present N/A Article V, Section 10
Wyoming 2/3 Elected N/A Article 4, Section 8

Case studies

This section summarizes examples of governing conflicts in recent years in states with a veto-proof legislative majority and an opposing party governor.

Case study: Kansas

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D)

In Kansas' 2025 regular legislative session, the state legislature overrode 14 full vetoes and 19 line-item vetoes made by Gov. Laura Kelly (D). The line-item vetoes were in the state's budget bill, SB 125.

In her veto statement for SB 269, a bill which, according to its title, "[provided] that future income tax and privilege tax rate decreases be contingent on exceeding revenue estimates and retaining a certain amount in the budget stabilization fund," Kelly wrote:[5]

“

I have proposed and supported tax cuts when they are implemented responsibly and benefit the people of Kansas, especially those who need it most. This bill ignores Kansas families at a time of rising costs and inflation in favor of hundreds of millions of dollars in giveaways to corporations and the wealthy.

Make no mistake, should this bill become law, it will put the state back on the path toward the failed Brownback tax experiment: the four-day school weeks, the budget cuts, and the crumbling roads and bridges that came with it.[6]

”

In her veto statement for HB 2062, which in part, according to its title, "[provided] for child support orders for unborn children from the date of conception" and "[provided] for an income tax exemption for unborn and stillborn children," Kelly wrote:[5]

“

[T]his bill is yet another attempt by special interest groups and extremist lawmakers to ignore the will of Kansans and insert themselves into the lives of those making private medical decisions. It is a place where this Legislature has become all too comfortable — particularly for those who espouse freedom from government overreach.

The motives behind this bill are clear. Instead of helping pregnant women and families, the Legislature chose to pass a bill that connects the issue to a woman's constitutional rights. This bill is a dismissal of the will of the majority of Kansans who voted overwhelmingly in 2022 to keep politicians out of the private medical decisions made between a woman and her doctor.[6]

”

After the Senate overrode the vetoes, Sen. Majority Leader Ty Masterson (R) wrote:[7]

“

In November, Kansans expanded our Republican supermajority with a clear mandate to act and today, we delivered for the people. Republicans stood united in support of tax relief, defending constitutional rights, protecting our children from transgender ideology, securing our elections, reducing regulatory burdens on small businesses, supporting pregnant women, and scaling back the size and scope of government. By standing strong and united, Republicans demonstrated our commitment to building a stronger, freer, more prosperous Kansas for all. [6]

”

The table below shows the votes to override Kelly's vetoes broken down by chamber. At the time of the overrides, Republicans held 88 seats in the House, and Democrats held 37. In the Senate, Republicans held 31 seats, and Democrats held nine. In Kansas, a two-thirds vote in both chambers is required to override a veto.

Veto override votes in the Kansas Legislature
Date Bill House Senate   Date Bill House Senate   Date Bill House Senate
March 25, 2025 Senate Bill 4 84-41 30-10   April 10, 2025 Senate Bill 5 87-37 31-9   April 10, 2025 Senate Bill 14 85-39 31-9
April 10, 2025 Senate Bill 29 86-38 31-9   February 18, 2025 Senate Bill 63 85-34 31-9   April 11, 2025 Senate Bill 125 (line-item vetoes)[8] 88-34 30-10
April 10, 2025 Senate Bill 269 87-37 30-10   April 10, 2025 House Bill 2033 87-38 32-8   April 10, 2025 House Bill 2062 87-38 31-9
April 10, 2025 House Bill 2217 87-38 30-10   April 10, 2025 House Bill 2240 88-37 31-9   April 10, 2025 House Bill 2284 88-37 30-10
April 10, 2025 House Bill 2291 88-37 30-10   April 10, 2025 House Bill 2311 87-38 31-9   April 10, 2025 House Bill 2382 84-41 31-9

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named disclaimer
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NE
  3. ↑ Alaska requires a two-thirds vote in a joint meeting of its two legislative chambers, which is 40 of 60 legislators.
  4. ↑ California State Capitol Museum, "Life Cycle of a Bill," accessed July 21, 2017
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kansas Office of the Governor, "Governor Kelly Vetoes Seven Bills, Allows Three to Become Law Without Signature," April 9, 2025
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  7. ↑ X, "Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson on April 10, 2025," accessed May 14, 2025
  8. ↑ A portion of 46(a), 46(c), 47, 63(x), 72(b), 73(f), a portion of 76(a), a portion of 76(b), a portion of 83(a), a portion of 89(a), 89(aa), a portion of 92(a), 118(h), 118(i), a portion of 121(a), 135(a), 177(b), 187(h), 188 were overridden.
  9. ↑ Kentucky.gov, "Gov. Beshear Signs Bills That Move State Forward, Vetoes Those That Harm Workers and Violate State Laws," March 24, 2025
  10. ↑ Kentucky.gov, "Gov. Beshear Provides Team Kentucky Update," March 27, 2025
  11. ↑ Kentucky Senate Republicans, "Press Releases," March 28, 2025
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