At the end of November 2022, 54.49% of all state legislators in the United States are Republican while 43.97% are Democratic. There are 7,383 state legislative seats in the country.
Democrats hold 848 state Senate seats and 2,398 state House seats, gaining 10 seats since last month. Republicans hold 1,105 state Senate seats and 2,918 state House seats, losing five seats since last month.
There are 66 vacant state House seats across 17 states and 14 vacant state Senate seats across 13 states. There are a total of 29 independent or third party seats in Houses across 10 states, and there are a total of five independent or third party seats in Senates across four states.
Compared to November 2021, Democrats have lost 13 state Senate seats (861 v. 848) and 41 state House seats (2,439 v. 2,398). Republicans have gained 15 state Senate seats (1,091 v. 1,105) and gained six state House seats (2,912 v. 2,918).
Colorado State Representative and House Minority Leader Hugh McKean (R) died on Sunday after suffering a heart attack. He was 55 years old.
Before joining the Colorado House of Representatives in 2016, McKean served on the Loveland City Council. He also served on the New Vision Charter School Board and the Thompson School District Master Planning Board.
McKean won the Republican primary on June 28, 2022, winning 56% of the vote. He was running unopposed in next week’s general election. McKean’s replacement will be picked by appointment.
As of November 2022, there have been 132 state legislative vacancies in 42 states. Of the 132 vacancies, 68 are Democratic, 62 are Republican, and two are independent. Democrats have filled 37 vacancies, Republicans have filled 25, and independents have filled one.
Former congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard announced on October 11 that she is leaving the Democratic Party.
Tulsi ran for president in 2020 as a Democrat and suspended her campaign on March 19, 2020. Gabbard was a member of the U.S. House, representing Hawaii’s 2nd district. She was the first Hindu elected to Congress. Prior to her election to the U.S. House, Gabbard served in the Hawaii House of Representatives and on the Honolulu City Council.
Gabbard made the announcement on her podcast and posted a recorded statement to Twitter, saying “I can no longer remain in today’s Democratic Party that is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue & stoke anti-white racism, actively work to undermine our God-given freedoms, are hostile to people of faith & spirituality, demonize the police & protect criminals at the expense of law-abiding Americans, believe in open borders, weaponize the national security state to go after political opponents, and above all, dragging us ever closer to nuclear war.”
Gabbard did not indicate if she was affiliated with another party.
Incumbent Frank Mrvan (D) and Jennifer-Ruth Green (R) are running in the general election for Indiana’s 1st Congressional District on November 8, 2022. William Powers (Independent) is running as a write-in candidate.
Mrvan was elected to the 1st District in 2020, winning the open seat 57% to 40%. A Democrat has represented the district since 1930. According to The Cook Political Report and FiveThirtyEight, the district’s partisan lean did not change significantly after redistricting. In the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden (D) received 53.6% of the 1st District’s vote to Donald Trump’s (R) 44.8%. According to data from Daily Kos, the redrawn 1st District voted for Biden 53.4% to 45.0%.
Mrvan says he is running for re-election “to continue to address the pandemic health crisis, make investments to grow the Northwest Indiana economy with good-paying jobs, and bridge the division gripping our nation.” He said, “Throughout my career as an elected official, I have listened to all individuals and worked in a bipartisan fashion to bring people together to solve problems. I look forward to continuing to represent our collective interests in Washington, D.C., and bringing back federal resources to enhance the Northwest Indiana economy by supporting existing businesses and attracting new people and good-paying jobs to our region.” Before being elected to Congress, Mrvan served as township trustee for North Township, Indiana, for 15 years.
Green served in the U.S. Air Force for 12 years, after which she joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve and founded a nonprofit STEM education organization. In a campaign ad, Green said, “Our economy is shrinking, costs are surging, and crime is skyrocketing. And career politicians aren’t getting the job done.” In another ad, she said, “I’m a proud conservative. And like you, I’m concerned about skyrocketing gas prices and inflation, liberal efforts to defund the police, and woke madness like indoctrinating our children with critical race theory. … In Congress, I’ll defend the Second Amendment, protect life, and advance President Trump’s America First policies.”
In May 2022, The Times’ Dan Carden wrote, “Northwest Indiana is poised to have its first competitive congressional election in decades.” After Sabato’s Crystal Ball moved the district’s rating from leans Democratic to toss-up in July 2022, managing editor Kyle Kondik wrote, “This working-class, post-industrial northwest Indiana district has seen its Democratic lean erode in the Donald Trump era, even though Biden still carried it by 8 points. But Democrats have been losing ground in these kinds of districts in recent years[.] … This district is covered by the Chicago media market, so the ad wars could get pricey, although it may be that the most competitive race in the Chicago media market is this one, which is taking place across the Illinois border in Indiana.”
Both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) have prioritized this election. The DCCC designated Mrvan as a member of its 2022 Frontline Program, a program providing resources intended to help incumbents hold competitive seats. The NRCC listed Indiana’s First Congressional District as one of its target districts in 2022, and Green qualified for the highest tier of the NRCC’s Young Guns program.
The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 118th Congress. All 435 districts in the House are up for election. As of September 13, 2022, Democrats hold a 221-212 advantage in the U.S. House with two vacancies. Republicans need to gain a net of six districts to win a majority in the chamber.
Both candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for the 140th district in the Missouri House of Representatives —Amy Freeland (D) andJamie Ray Gragg (R)—completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey.
The 140th district was left vacant when former state Rep. Tricia Derges (R) resigned on July 1, 2022. Here are excerpts from candidates’ responses to the question: “Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?” Freeland:
“I’m a working-class professional and community leader who has called Southwest Missouri my home for more than a decade. I graduated summa cum laude with Honors from Drury University. I work as a quality assurance analyst for a Springfield-based company, where I frequently lead projects and help train colleagues.
Christian County is where I have felt the greatest sense of belonging, among neighbors who truly support each other. However, I have noticed a strong disconnect between what residents want and what we get from our elected officials. Our lawmakers tend to ignore their constituents and pass policies that hurt us. I realized someone needed to step up and advocate for us, and I decided to be that someone.
I have worked for years to improve outcomes for people in the Ozarks, engaging with voters about the issues that affect them. My volunteer efforts in the past two election cycles helped to pass community-focused policies, including expanded healthcare access and a higher minimum wage. Still, we have not seen the progress we deserve. I’m passionate about ensuring that my district is and continues to be a great place for kids, seniors, and working families.”
Gragg:
“Our public schools are critical in developing the future leaders of Christian County and beyond. Improving our public schools is something we all support. Better schools start with local control of education. I believe decisions in education should be made by parents, teachers, principals, and local school boards, not politicians.
I will stand for and fight for all life. To protect and defend the most fundamental right of humankind, the right to life of every innocent human being from the beginning of life to natural death. I will be a representative of all living person, inside and outside the womb. I will work to protect and defend the right for life of every citizen.
The right of Americans to keep and bear arms is as relevant now as it was when our founding fathers wrote it in our Bill of Rights. Our Second Amendment rights are guaranteed in the Constitution for a reason, and that right must not be infringed upon by any level of government.”
To read each candidate’s full responses, click their name at the bottom of the article.
If you’re a Missouri candidate or incumbent, click here to take the survey. The survey contains over 30 questions, and you can choose the ones you feel will best represent your views to voters. If you complete the survey, a box with your answers will display on your Ballotpedia profile. Your responses will also populate the information that appears in our mobile app, My Vote Ballotpedia.
If you’re not running for office but would like to know more about candidates in Missouri, share the link and urge them to take the survey.
According to Ballotpedia’s July partisan count of the 7,383 state legislative seats across the United States, 54.14% of all state legislators are Republicans and 44.35% are Democrats.
Ballotpedia tallies the partisan balance of state legislatures at the end of every month. Republicans control 62 chambers, while Democrats hold 36. The Alaska House of Representatives is the only chamber to be organized under a multipartisan, power-sharing coalition.
Independent or third-party legislators hold 43 seats across 16 different states, of which 35 are state House seats and eight state Senate seats. There are 61 vacant state House seats and eight vacant state Senate seats across 23 different states.
Compared to July 2021, Democrats have lost four state Senate seats (867 v. 863) and 32 state House seats (2,443 v. 2,411). Republicans have gained three state Senate seats (1,090 v. 1,093) and lost 16 state House seats (2,920 v. 2,904).
According to Ballotpedia’s March partisan count of the 7,383 state legislative seats across the United States, 54.34% of all state legislators are Republicans and 44.39% are Democrats.
Ballotpedia tallies the partisan balance of state legislatures at the end of every month. Republicans control 62 chambers, while Democrats hold 36. The Alaska House of Representatives is the only chamber to be organized under a multipartisan, power-sharing coalition.
Democrats hold 864 state Senate seats and 2,413 state House seats, gaining three senate seats and four house seats since last month. Republicans hold 1,096 state Senate seats and 2,916 state House seats, retaining the same number of senate seats and losing four house seats since last month.
Independent or third-party legislators hold 41 seats across 18 different states, of which 33 are state House seats and eight state Senate seats. There are 49 vacant state House seats and four vacant state Senate seats across 21 different states.
Compared to March 2021, Democrats have lost five state Senate seats (869 v. 864) and 34 state House seats (2,447 v. 2,413). Republicans have gained seven state Senate seats (1,089 v. 1,096) and lost two state House seats (2,918 v. 2,916).
On Jan. 10, 2022, New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner (D) retired.
Gardner is the longest-serving secretary of state, having been first elected secretary by the state legislature in 1976. Before serving as secretary, Gardner served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1973 to 1976.
Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan (R) was sworn in after Gardner resigned. According to the New Hampshire Constitution, the deputy secretary of state replaces the secretary until a new secretary is appointed. In New Hampshire, the secretary of state is chosen by a joint session of both houses of the State Legislature.
Scanlan will serve the remainder of Gardner’s term, which is set to end in December 2022.
Scanlan’s swearing-in created a Republican triplex in New Hampshire, meaning that Republicans control the executive offices of governor, attorney general and secretary of state.
On Nov. 15, 2021, Texas State Rep. Ryan Guillen (R) announced he was leaving the Democratic Party.
“After much thought and much prayer with my family, today I am announcing that I’ll proudly be running as a Republican to represent house district 31,” Guillen said in a press conference held with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and House Speaker Dade Phelan (R).
Guillen most recently won reelection in 2020, defeating Marian Knowlton (R) 58.4% to 41.6%.
As of November 2021, Ballotpedia has counted 146 state legislators who have switched parties since 1994. Ballotpedia has counted 39 state senators who have switched parties and 107 state representatives. Fifty-three state representatives have switched parties from Democrat to Republican, and 75 state lawmakers have switched parties in total.
Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott (R) appointed Evan Young to the Texas State Supreme court on Nov. 1, 2021. Young assumed office on Nov. 9. Young’s appointment fills the vacancy created by Eva Guzman, who resigned from the court in June 2021 to run for Texas attorney general.
Under Texas law, the governor appoints a replacement to the Texas Supreme Court in the event of a midterm vacancy. The Texas State Senate must then confirm the nominee. Appointees serve until the next general election, in which they must participate in a partisan election to remain on the bench for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Before his appointment to the Texas Supreme Court, Young worked as a clerk to Judge Harvie Wilkinson on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Young received a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and from Oxford University. He received a J.D. from Yale Law School.
