A look at the partisan composition of the incoming state delegations for the 119th Congress

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Ballotpedia staff

Welcome to the Friday, Dec. 6, Brew. 

By: Mercedes Yanora

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

  1. A look at the partisan composition of the incoming state delegations for the 119th Congress
  2. It’s Not Too Late! You Can Still Make a Difference This Giving Week.
  3. Did you know that President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) issued more pardons than any other president between 1902 and 2024? 

A look at the partisan composition of the incoming state delegations for the 119th Congress

New members of the 119th Congress will be sworn in on Jan. 3. Today, let’s look at the differences between state delegations at the end of the 118th Congress and the beginning of the 119th.

Republicans won a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a 220-215 majority in the House – a combined 273 Republicans and 262 Democrats in the 119th Congress – as a result of the 2024 general election. Independents who caucus with Democrats are counted as Democrats, and seats where vacancies have already occurred are counted for the party that won in November.

Twenty-nine states will have majority Republican congressional delegations, and 21 states will have majority Democratic congressional delegations in the 119th Congress. In the 118th Congress, 28 state delegations had Republican majorities, and 22 had Democratic majorities. The only state delegation to change hands after the 2024 election was Pennsylvania, where Democrats had an 11-8 majority at the end of the 118th Congress, and Republicans will have an 11-8 majority in the 119th Congress. By comparison, three states changed hands between the 117th Congress and the 118th Congress. Those states were Arizona (changed from Democratic to Republican majority), Georgia (changed from split control to Republican majority), and Pennsylvania (changed from split control to Democratic majority).

Eight states will send more Republicans to the 119th Congress than the 118th—Alaska, Colorado, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. North Carolina and Pennsylvania will each send three more Republican members. The six other states will each have one more Republican member.

Five states—Alabama, California, Louisiana, New York, and Oregon—will send more Democrats than in the 118th Congress. California and New York experienced the largest swing toward Democrats, with three each. The three other states will each have one more Democratic member.

Nine states became more Democratic following the 2022 elections, and 12 became more Republican. In 2020, four states became more Democratic, and 11 became more Republican. In 2018, 22 states became more Democratic, and three became more Republican.

There will be 75 members serving in either the House or Senate for the first time in the 119th Congress, including 12 new U.S. senators and 63 new U.S. representatives. In 2022, 84 new members were elected to the 118th Congress, including seven U.S. senators and 77 U.S. representatives. In 2020, 71 new members were elected to the 117th Congress, including nine U.S. senators and 62 U.S. representatives.

Delaware will send the greatest percentage of new members to the 119th Congress (66.7%), with one new senator and one new House member. Since 2016, Delaware has not sent any new members to Congress. Montana and West Virginia will send the second-greatest percentage of new members (50%) to the 119th Congress. Both states elected one new senator and one new House member. 

For the second election in a row, 17 states did not elect any new members to Congress. In 2020, 19 states elected no new members of Congress. In 2018, 10 states sent no new members to Capitol Hill.

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It’s Not Too Late! You Can Still Make a Difference This Giving Week.

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Keep reading 

Did you know that President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) issued more pardons than any other president since the start of the 20th century? Roosevelt issued 2,819 pardons, an average of 235 pardons each year he was in office. 

The other presidents over that period with the most pardons are:

So far, Joe Biden (D) has issued 26 pardons, the fewest over that period. Biden is followed by George H.W. Bush (R), with 74, Donald Trump (R), with 143, and George W. Bush (R), with 189. 
Click here to learn more statistics about presidential pardons and commutations.