Author: Joel Williams
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Last year, there were 66 elections decided by 10 votes or fewer across the United States
Sixty-six elections nationwide were decided by 10 votes or fewer between Sept. 2023 and Sept. 2024. Thirty-five of those were decided by 5 votes or fewer. Democrats won 21 of these elections, Republicans won 30, and nonpartisan or minor party candidates won 15. This year, the race decided by 10 or fewer votes with the…
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Two Democrats resign from Pennsylvania House, Democrats maintain majority despite numerical minority
On July 17, 2024, Pennsylvania State Reps. Donna Bullock (D) and Stephen Kinsey (D) resigned from the chamber. Both did so to take jobs outside of politics. The resignations meant that Republicans have 101 members in the chamber to Democrats’ 100. Democrats will retain a majority in the chamber, however, due to a rule passed…
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2.7% of state legislative incumbents who filed for re-election have lost in primaries
Thirty state legislative incumbents—seven Democrats and 23 Republicans—have lost to primary challengers so far this year. Across the 10 states that have held primaries, 2.7% of incumbents running for re-election have lost, a decline from the 2022 election cycle that aligns more closely with 2020. These totals include data from the Nebraska State Senate and both legislative chambers…
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Contested primaries in Colorado legislative elections reaches decade high
There are 83 legislative seats up for election this year in Colorado’s legislature—18 in the Senate and 65 in the House. There are 25 total contested primaries in 2024 (11 Democratic and 14 Republican) out of a possible 166. This rate of 15.1% is the highest since Ballotpedia began tracking this figure in 2010. The…
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Primary competition remains steady in Oklahoma’s legislative races for third straight election cycle
There are 125 seats up for election this year in Oklahoma’s legislature—24 in the Senate and 101 in the House. There are 51 total contested primaries in 2024 (six Democratic and 45 Republican). This is in line with the numbers from the past two cycles (49 in 2022 and 52 in 2020). Incumbents facing primary challengers follow a…
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Thirty-six South Dakota state legislative seats are open this year—the most since 2016
There are 105 seats up for election this year in South Dakota’s legislature—35 in the Senate and 70 in the House. Thirty-six incumbents (three Democrats and 33 Republicans) are not running for re-election. This is the highest retirement rate since 2016, when 42 incumbents (10 Democrats and 32 Republicans) retired. The average number of retirements each year…
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More Nebraska legislators are retiring in 2024 than in any cycle since 2014
There are 25 legislative seats up for election this year in Nebraska’s unicameral legislature. Fifteen incumbents (5 Democrats and 10 Republicans) are not running for re-election. This is the highest retirement rate since 2014, when 17 incumbents (8 Democrats, 8 Republicans, and one independent) retired. The average number of retirements each year from 2010 to 2022 was…
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Lowest number of Idaho state legislators retiring this year since at least 2010
There are 105 state legislative seats up for election this year in Idaho. Across those, six incumbents (two Democrats and four Republicans) did not file to run for re-election. That’s the fewest number of retirements since Ballotpedia began tracking this data in 2010. From 2010 to 2022, the average number of retirements per cycle was…
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Fewer Iowa legislators retiring this year than 2022
There are 125 state legislative seats up for election this year in Iowa. Sixteen incumbents (three in the Senate and 13 in the House) did not file to run for re-election. From 2010 to 2022, the average number of retirements per cycle was 22. In 2022, 40 incumbents (11 in the Senate and 29 in…
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Fewest number of Georgia state legislators retiring this year since 2014
There are 236 state legislative seats up for election this year in Georgia. Across those, 17 incumbents (10 Democrats and seven Republicans) did not file to run for re-election. That’s the fewest number of retirements since 2014. From 2010 to 2022, the average number of retirements per cycle was 28. In 2022, 48 incumbents (23…