Tag: State leg
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Average margin of victory in state legislative races was 27.7 percentage points in 2022
On November 8, 2022, 88 of the nation’s 99 state legislative chambers held regularly-scheduled elections for 6,278 seats. Across those races, the average margin of victory was 27.7 percentage points. This was the highest even-year average margin of victory of the last three even-year elections. The average state legislative margin of victory in 2020 was…
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Mississippi Republicans guaranteed majorities in both state legislative chambers for first time since Reconstruction
The major party candidate filing deadline in Mississippi passed on Feb. 1, and, for the first time since Reconstruction, the number of Republicans running without Democratic opponents is large enough to guarantee Republican majorities in both legislative chambers. Following Reconstruction, Democrats controlled the Mississippi Legislature consistently from 1876 until 2007, when Republicans briefly controlled the…
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One hundred and three state legislative races decided by fewer than 100 votes in 2022, triple the figure from 2020
One hundred and three (1.64%) of the 6,278 state legislative races that took place in 2022 were decided by fewer than 100 votes. Ninety-eight of the races were in state house chambers, and five were in a state senate chamber. Of the 88 state legislative chambers that held elections in 2022, 31 (35.2%) had at…
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54.85% of state legislature seats are Republican, 44.45% Democratic
At the end of January 2023, 54.85% of all state legislature seats in the United States are Republican while 44.45% seats are Democratic. There are 7,386 state legislative seats in the country. Democrats hold 854 state Senate seats and 2,429 state House seats, gaining six Senate seats and gaining 31 House seats since last month.…
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108 new state legislative leaders elected
Forty-five states have begun their 2023 state legislative sessions. At the start of these sessions, legislators typically select new House and Senate leadership. So far, at least 266 leadership elections have taken place. Here’s a rundown of what we know so far: Legislators re-elected 158 leaders in 38 states. Legislators elected 108 new leaders. Of…
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Rouse defeats Adams in special general election for Virginia State Senate District 7
Aaron Rouse (D) defeated Kevin Adams (R) in the January 10, 2023, special general election for Virginia State Senate District 7. Rouse’s victory gave Democrats a 22-18 majority in the state Senate. The special election was called after the previous incumbent, Sen. Jennifer Kiggans (R), resigned on November 15, 2022, after being elected to represent…
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Initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio submitted to state legislature
On Jan. 4, 2022, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) sent a letter to legislative leaders announcing that he is resubmitting to the Ohio General Assembly an indirect citizen-initiated measure to legalize the use of recreational marijuana for adults aged 21 and over. The initiative was originally filed in 2021 by the Coalition to…
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Total partisan composition of state legislatures changed by less than half a percentage point in 2022
The partisan composition of all 7,386 state legislative seats in the country remained effectively unchanged as a result of the 2022 elections. After the Nov. 8 elections, Democrats lost a net six seats nationwide compared to the pre-election totals. Republicans gained a net 28 seats and independent or minor party officeholders lost a net of…
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Sixty-eight legislative districts in five states were either renamed or eliminated after the 2020 census
As state legislatures nationwide convene for their first sessions after the 2022 elections, 68 legislative districts in five states were either renamed or eliminated and no longer exist. Forty-six of the 68 renamed or eliminated districts are in Vermont, one of three New England states—along with Massachusetts and New Hampshire—that include the town as part…
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No signatures submitted for Washington Initiatives to the Legislature by Dec. 30 deadline
The deadline to submit signatures for Initiatives to the Legislature in Washington (ITL) was Dec. 30, 2022. Initiatives to the Legislature is the name of indirect ballot initiatives in Washington. The Washington Secretary of State’s office confirmed to Ballotpedia on January 3 that signatures were not submitted for any of the 179 filed initiatives. If…