Election results, 2022: State legislatures
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.[1] 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.
More chambers changed partisan control in 2022 than in 2020, but fewer than in 2018.
During the 2020 elections, two of the 86 chambers up for election—the New Hampshire House and Senate—changed from Democratic to Republican control. This was the fewest number of chambers to change party control in an even-year election since at least 1944, when four chambers switched control.[2]
In 2018, seven of the 87 chambers up for election changed party control. Six of those changed from Republican to Democratic control and the Alaska House created a bipartisan governing coalition.
Regarding state legislative seats, specifically, partisan composition of all 7,386 state legislative seats changed by less than half a percentage point.[3]
- Democrats had a net loss of four seats, representing 0.1% of all state legislative seats.
- Republicans had a net gain of 27 seats, representing 0.4% of all state legislative seats.[4]
- Independents and minor party officeholders had a net loss of 20 seats, representing 0.2% of all state legislative seats.
On this page you will find:
- Changes in chamber control
- Changes in partisan control
- Incumbents defeated
- Partisan balance figures
- States holding elections
- Battleground chambers
- State government trifectas
- Log of state legislative election results
- Political context
Changes in chamber control
Five chambers changed party control: the Michigan House, Michigan Senate, Minnesota Senate, and Pennsylvania House changed from Republican to Democratic control. The Alaska Senate changed from Republican control to a bipartisan coalition made up of Democrats and Republicans.
As a result of these changes, Democrats won full control of 19 state legislatures, Republicans won full control of 28, bipartisan coalitions won full control of one, and two were divided with Democrats and Republicans each controlling one chamber.
Changes in partisan control
The partisan composition of all state legislative seats changed by less than half a percentage point in 2022.
- Democrats had a net loss of four seats, representing 0.1% of all state legislative seats.
- Republicans had a net gain of 27 seats, representing 0.4% of all state legislative seats.[5]
- Independents and minor party officeholders had a net loss of 20 seats, representing 0.2% of all state legislative seats.
Of the 46 states that held elections on Nov. 8, Democrats had net gains in 16 states, Republicans had net gains in 21 states, and independent or minor party candidates had net gains in two states.[6]
The map below shows the 46 states that held elections on Nov. 8 based on whether Democrats, Republicans, or independent or minor party candidates gained seats in the legislature. Hover over each state for more information, including the number of seats, the percentage of the legislature, and before and after looks at partisan control.
The table below shows before-and-after partisan changes for all 50 legislatures, including those that did not hold elections in 2022. Seats that were vacant on Nov. 8 were counted as belonging to the party that most recently held those seats.
The "Numerical change" view shows the number of seats held and changes before and after Nov. 8. The "Percentage change" view shows the percentage of seats held and change in that percentage before and after Nov. 8.
Incumbents defeated
In state legislative general elections, 179 incumbents lost to challengers, 3.9% of incumbents running for re-election, the lowest number and percentage of incumbents defeated in general elections since at least 2010.
In 2022 general elections:
The chart below shows a partisan breakdown of incumbent general election defeats from 2010 to 2022.
Pre-election analysis
Partisan balance
As of November 7, 2022, Republicans controlled 54.02% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 44.31%. Republicans held a majority in 62 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 36 chambers. One chamber (Alaska House) was organized under a multipartisan, power-sharing coalition.
| Partisan balance of all 7,383 state legislative seats | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative chamber | 
|
|
 Other
|
Vacant | ||||
| State senates | 864 | 1,092 | 6 | 10 | ||||
| State houses | 2,408 | 2,897 | 33 | 73 | ||||
| Total: | 3,272 | 3,989 | 39 | 83 | ||||
Elections by state
Battleground chambers
Of the 88 chambers that held regularly-scheduled elections in 2022, Ballotpedia identified 28 battleground chambers in 19 states. We anticipated that these chambers would be more competitive overall and had the potential to see major shifts in party control. Two of those chambers (the Nevada State Assembly and Wisconsin State Assembly) were not battleground chambers at any point in the preceding decade.
The columns in the chart below list the following:
- Seats up in 2022: This was the number of seats that were up for election in 2022.
- Margin: This was the difference in seats between the majority and minority parties.
- Majority share of seats: This was the percentage of the chamber's seats controlled by the majority party.
- Last time party control changed: This was the election where the majority at the time of the 2022 elections took control of the chamber.
| State legislative battleground chambers, 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Seats up in 2022 | Margin | Majority share of seats | Last time party control changed |
| Alaska House of Representatives* | ||||
| Arizona State Senate | ||||
| Arizona House of Representatives | ||||
| Colorado State Senate | ||||
| Delaware State Senate | ||||
| Florida State Senate | ||||
| Georgia State Senate | ||||
| Georgia House of Representatives | ||||
| Iowa House of Representatives | ||||
| Maine State Senate | ||||
| Maine House of Representatives | ||||
| Michigan State Senate | ||||
| Michigan House of Representatives | ||||
| Minnesota State Senate | ||||
| Minnesota House of Representatives | ||||
| Nebraska State Senate | ||||
| Nevada State Senate | ||||
| Nevada State Assembly | ||||
| New Hampshire State Senate | ||||
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | ||||
| North Carolina State Senate | ||||
| North Carolina House of Representatives | ||||
| Pennsylvania State Senate | ||||
| Pennsylvania House of Representatives | ||||
| Texas House of Representatives | ||||
| Washington State Senate | ||||
| West Virginia House of Delegates | ||||
| Wisconsin State Assembly | ||||
State government trifectas
- See also: State government trifectas
State government trifecta is a term used to describe when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.
As a result of the 2022 elections, there were 22 Republican trifectas, 17 Democratic trifectas, and 11 divided governments where neither party had trifecta control.[1]
Trifecta status changed in six states.
- In Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Minnesota, divided governments became Democratic trifectas.
- In Nevada, the Democratic trifecta became a divided government.
- In Arizona, the Republican trifecta became a divided government.
At the time of the 2022 election, there were 23 Republican trifectas, 14 Democratic trifectas, and 13 divided governments.
The map below displays the pre-election trifecta status for each state.
Log of state legislative election results
All times are Eastern Standard Time.
Nov. 28, 2022:
- 6:20 a.m.: Republicans maintained a majority in the New Hampshire House.[8] This was a battleground chamber.
Nov. 25, 2022:
- 9:55 p.m.:
- Eight Democrats and nine Republicans joined to create a bipartisan coalition in the Alaska Senate, switching control of the chamber from Republicans.[9] This was a battleground chamber.
- Republicans won a 21-19 majority in the Alaska House but it remained unclear whether certain members would once again join Democrats and nonpartisan incumbents to form a bipartisan coalition.
Nov. 18, 2022:
- 1:53 p.m.: Democrats gained a majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.[10][1] This was a battleground chamber.
Nov. 14, 2022
- 1:40 p.m.: Republicans maintained a majority in the Arizona House and Senate.[11] These were both battleground chambers.
Nov. 11, 2022
- 10:59 a.m.: Republicans maintained a majority in the New Hampshire Senate.[12] This was a battleground chamber.
- 10:58 a.m.: Democrats maintained a majority in the Nevada Assembly and Senate.[13] These were both battleground chambers.
Nov. 9, 2022
- 11:29 a.m.: Republicans maintained a majority in the Iowa House.[14] This was a battleground chamber.
- 9:33 a.m.: The Minneapolis Star Tribune confirmed that Democrats had won majorities in both of Minnesota's legislative chambers.[15]
- 8:43 a.m.: Republicans maintained a majority in the Wisconsin Assembly.[16] This was a battleground chamber.
- 8:42 a.m.: Democrats maintained a majority in the Washington Senate.[17] This was a battleground chamber.
- 5:51 a.m.: Democrats gained a majority in the Michigan House and won at least 19 seats in the Senate creating a trifecta for the first time since 1983.[18][19] The party last controlled the House in 2016 and the Senate in 1983.
- 3:15 a.m.: The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party indicated they gained a majority in the Senate for the first time since 2016.[20] This gave the party a trifecta for the first time since 2014.
- 3:00 a.m.: Democrats maintained control of the Minnesota House.[21] This was a battleground chamber.
- 2:31 a.m.: Republicans maintained control of the Nebraska State Senate.[22] This was a battleground chamber.
- 1:54 a.m.: Republicans maintained control of the Pennsylvania Senate.[23] This was a battleground chamber.
- 1:20 a.m.: Republicans maintained control of the Georgia House and Senate.[24] These were both battleground chambers.
- 1:13 a.m.: Democrats maintained control of the Maine House and Senate.[25] These were both battleground chambers.
- 1:00 a.m.: Democrats maintained control of the Maryland House and Senate.[26] Democrats also gained control of the governorship giving the party a trifecta in the state for the first time since 2014.
- 12:57 a.m.: Democrats maintained control of the Massachusetts House and Senate.[27] Democrats also gained control of the governorship giving the party a trifecta in the state for the first time since 2014.
- 12:50 a.m.: Republicans maintained control of the North Carolina House and Senate, gaining a veto-proof majority in the Senate.[28][29] These were both battleground chambers.
- 12:17 a.m.: Democrats maintained control of the Colorado State Senate.[30] This was a battleground chamber.
- 12:08 a.m.: Republicans maintained control of the Texas House of Representatives.[31] This was a battleground chamber.
Nov. 8, 2022
- 11:24 p.m.: Republicans maintained control of the West Virginia House of Delegates.[32] This was a battleground chamber.
- 11:23 p.m.: Democrats maintained control of the Delaware State Senate.[33] This was a battleground chamber.
- 8:52 p.m.: Republicans maintained control of the Florida State Senate and gained a veto-proof majority in the chamber.[34][35] This was a battleground chamber.
Political context
The 2022 elections occurred in the aftermath of Republican gains in the 2020 and 2021 elections, which followed Democratic gains in 2017, 2018, and 2019. This was the first even-year state legislative election during Joe Biden's (D) presidency. In the 2021 elections, Republicans gained control of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Changes in chamber partisan control, 2010 to 2022
From 2010 to 2022, 41 chambers switched control: 21 switched control once, 15 switched control twice, one switched control three times, three switched control four times, and one—the New Hampshire House of Representatives—switched control five times. During that same time, there were 58 chambers that did not switch control.
Before the 2010 elections, Democrats controlled 60 of the country's 99 state legislative chambers, Republicans controlled 37, and neither party controlled the remaining two chambers. After the 2022 elections, Democrats controlled 40 chambers and Republicans controlled 57. Multipartisan majorities controlled the Alaska Senate and House.
Most changes of partisan control came as a result of major elections but some also came through special elections (Louisiana House in 2010; Washington Senate in 2017) and party-switching (Louisiana House in 2010; Mississippi Senate in 2011). In some cases, the party that gained control did not have a numerical majority but instead controlled the chamber through a bipartisan coalition (i.e., Alaska House in 2016). This table does not account for changes in party control or ties in a chamber that lasted for less than one year and were not the result of a regularly scheduled election. An example of this is the brief period of Democratic control in the Virginia State Senate in 2014.[36]
For this chart, a red box indicates that the chamber changed from Democratic to Republican control, and a blue box indicates that the chamber changed from Republican to Democratic control.[37]
| Chamber changes in partisan control: 2010-2022 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party changes in 2010 | Party changes in 2011 | Party changes in 2012 | Party changes in 2014 | Party changes in 2016 | Party changes in 2017 | Party changes in 2018 | Party changes in 2019 | Party changes in 2020 | Party changes in 2021 | Party changes in 2022 |
| Alabama Senate | Louisiana Senate[38][39] | Alaska Senate | Colorado Senate | Alaska House | Washington Senate | Alaska House[40] | Virginia Senate | New Hampshire Senate | Virginia House | Alaska Senate[41] |
| Alabama House | Mississippi Senate[42][43] | Arkansas Senate | Maine Senate | Iowa Senate | Colorado Senate | Virginia House | New Hampshire House | Michigan House | ||
| Colorado House | Mississippi House | Arkansas House | Minnesota House | Kentucky House | Maine Senate | Michigan Senate | ||||
| Indiana House | Virginia Senate[44] | Colorado House | Nevada Senate | Minnesota Senate | Minnesota House | Minnesota Senate | ||||
| Iowa House | Maine Senate | Nevada House | Nevada Senate | New Hampshire House | Pennsylvania House[45] | |||||
| Louisiana House[46][47] | Maine House | New Hampshire House | Nevada House | New Hampshire Senate | ||||||
| Maine Senate | Minnesota Senate | New Mexico House | New Mexico House | New York Senate | ||||||
| Maine House | Minnesota House | West Virginia Senate | ||||||||
| Michigan House | New Hampshire House | West Virginia House | ||||||||
| Minnesota Senate | Oregon House[48] | |||||||||
| Minnesota House | Washington Senate | |||||||||
| Montana House[49] | ||||||||||
| New Hampshire Senate | ||||||||||
| New Hampshire House | ||||||||||
| New York Senate | ||||||||||
| North Carolina Senate | ||||||||||
| North Carolina House | ||||||||||
| Ohio House | ||||||||||
| Oregon House[50] | ||||||||||
| Pennsylvania House | ||||||||||
| Wisconsin Senate | ||||||||||
| Wisconsin House | ||||||||||
| Total changes: 22 | Total changes: 4 | Total changes: 11 | Total changes: 9 | Total changes: 7 | Total changes: 1 | Total changes: 7 | Total changes: 2 | Total changes: 2 | Total changes: 1 | Total changes: 5 |
The chart below shows how many chambers each party controlled after the November elections in a given year.
| Partisan control of state legislative chambers: 2010-2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | Democratic chambers | Republican chambers | Other | ||
| Before 2010 | 60 | 37 | 2 | ||
| 2010 | 38 | 59 | 2 | ||
| 2011 | 35 | 60 | 4 | ||
| 2012 | 41 | 56 | 2 | ||
| 2013 | 41 | 56 | 2 | ||
| 2014 | 30 | 68 | 1 | ||
| 2015 | 30 | 68 | 1 | ||
| 2016 | 31 | 68 | 0 | ||
| 2017 | 32 | 67 | 0 | ||
| 2018 | 37 | 61 | 1 | ||
| 2019 | 39 | 59 | 1 | ||
| 2020 | 37 | 61 | 1 | ||
| 2021 | 36 | 62 | 1 | ||
| 2022 | 40 | 57 | 2 | ||
Trifectas from 2010 to 2022
- See also: State government trifectas
A state government trifecta occurs when one political party controls the primary levers of power in a state: the governor's office, the state Senate, and the state House. From 2010 to 2018, the Republican Party increased its number of trifectas and the Democratic Party saw a decline in its trifectas. Democrats picked up six trifectas in the 2018 elections, and Republicans lost four trifectas. Following the 2021 elections, the Democratic trifecta in Virginia became a split government after Republicans gained control of the state House and governorship.
This chart shows the number of trifectas each party held heading into elections from 2010 to 2022, and the number of trifectas following the 2022 elections.
| Trifectas by year: 2010-2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | Democratic trifectas | Republican trifectas | States under divided government | ||
| Pre-2010 elections | 17 | 10 | 23 | ||
| Pre-2012 elections | 11 | 22 | 17 | ||
| Pre-2014 elections | 12 | 24 | 14 | ||
| Pre-2016 elections | 7 | 23 | 20 | ||
| Pre-2018 elections | 8 | 26 | 16 | ||
| Pre-2020 elections | 15 | 21 | 14 | ||
| Pre-2021 elections | 15 | 23 | 12 | ||
| Pre-2022 elections | 14 | 23 | 13 | ||
| Post-2022 elections | 17 | 22 | 11 | ||
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.[1] 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.[51] 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
See also
- Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022
- State legislative elections, 2022
- State legislative seats that changed party control
- Incumbents defeated in state legislative elections, 2022
- Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 12, 2022
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislature, "2020 Legislative Election Results: It’s Status Quo in the States," Nov. 5, 2020
- ↑ These figures treat vacant seats as of Nov. 8 as belonging to the party that most recently held control.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia did not hold regularly-scheduled elections in 2022.
- ↑ Nebraska's state legislature is officially nonpartisan.
- ↑ Twitter, "Nathaniel Rakich," Nov. 28, 2022]
- ↑ Twitter, "Elections Daily," Nov. 25, 2022
- ↑ Associated Press, "Democrats win enough for narrow Pennsylvania House majority," Nov. 18, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "NCSL," Nov. 14, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "NCSL," Nov. 11, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "NCSL," Nov. 11, 2022
- ↑ The New York Times, "Iowa Election Results," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Democrats take control of the Minnesota Legislature," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "NCSL," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "NCSL," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "MIRSnews.com," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ In an evenly-divided Senate, the party would have a tie-breaking vote in Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist (D).
- ↑ Twitter, "Minnesota DFL Party," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ Minnesota Public Radio, "Minnesota Legislature: DFL keeps House, closes in on Senate," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ The New York Times, "Nebraska Election Results," accessed November 9, 2022
- ↑ Politics PA, "State Senate: GOP Retains Control," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ The New York Times, "Georgia Election Results," accessed November 9, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "Bangor Daily News," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "NCSL," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "NCSL," Nov. 8, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "NCSL," Nov. 8, 2022
- ↑ WRAL, "NC Republicans win Senate supermajority, but fall just shy in House," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "NCSL," Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "NCSL," Nov. 8, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "NCSL," Nov. 8, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, NCSL," Nov. 8, 2022
- ↑ Twitter, "Chaz Nuttycombe," Nov. 8, 2022
- ↑ The New York Times, "Florida Election Results," accessed Nov. 9, 2022
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Fox News, "GOP Candidate Wins Lousiana [sic] Senate Special Election, Shifting Majority," February 20, 2011
- ↑ Chamber went from being controlled by a Democratic-led bipartisan coalition to being led by a coalition with power split between the parties.
- ↑ Chamber went from a Republican majority to a bipartisan governing coalition.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Southern Democrats in dire straits; 2011 looms large," January 11, 2011
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Democrats won a majority of seats, but did not have a majority when the legislative session began due to vacancies created during the interim.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Nola.com, "Louisiana Republicans take first House majority since Reconstruction with latest party switch," December 17, 2010
- ↑ In this election, the Oregon House changed from a 30-30 tie to a 34-26 Democratic advantage.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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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