Highlights of the remarkable shifts at the state legislative level as a result of the election:
- Twenty-five states now have both the House and Senate controlled by the Republicans. Nineteen states controlled by the Democrats. Five states now have divided control (AK, IA, KY, NY & VA). Nebraska has a nonpartisan legislature. Prior to the election, nine states had divided control.
- Either nineteen or twenty state legislative chambers switched party control to Republicans.
- Six states saw both chambers switch party control (AL, ME, MN, NH, NC & WI).
- Five states moved from divided control to both chambers being Republican controlled (IN, MI, MT, OH & PA).
- Two additional states, and possibly three, moved from Democrat to divided control (IA & CO). The New York Senate is still undecided, but likely to switch to Republican control.
- At least fifteen states saw at least one legislative chamber move away from Democratic control.
- No legislative chamber switched to Democratic control.
- According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Republicans gained at least 675 state legislative seats across the country.
- Republicans had a net gain of five Governor’s offices and now hold twenty-nine of the offices while Democrats have twenty and one Independent.
As there is following every new census and reapportionment, there will be changes in the number of congressional seats awarded to each state. By far, the biggest winner will be Texas, which is projected to gain four seats to give it thirty-six seats. Florida will also be a big winner, picking up two seats. Six additional states will each gain one seat (AZ, GA, NV, SC, UT & WA).
Ten states offset the eight states that gained a total of twelve seats. New York and Ohio are both projected to lose two seats each. New York will drop to twenty-seven seats and Ohio to sixteen seats. Eight states are projected to lose one seat each (IL, IA, LA, MA, MI, MO, NJ & PA). Of note are that ten seats lost come from a state on one of the Great Lakes or along the Mississippi River.
The breakdown of where the Republicans will be in full control or control two out of the three areas in the redistricting process:
- Republicans have control of the House, Senate and Governor’s Office in sixteen states (this counts NC where the Governor has no part in the process). These sixteen states total 193 congressional districts.
(AL, FL, GA, IN, KS, ME, MI, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, WI) - Republicans currently hold five at large congressional seats that are not affected by redistricting (AK, MT, ND, SD & WY).
- Republicans have control of the House and Senate with a Democrat Governor in three states (MN, MO & NH). These states total eighteen congressional districts.
- There are two additional states (IA & VA) with split legislative control and a Republican Governor. These two states total fifteen congressional districts.
- Nebraska has a unicameral legislature with a Republican Governor and has three congressional districts.
- Republicans are in full control or have an advantage in twenty-seven states that will be drawing 234 congressional districts.
- Democrats have control of the House, Senate and Governor’s Office in seven states (AR, CT, HI, IL, MA, MD & WV). These seven states total forty-nine congressional districts and counts CT where the Governor has no part in the process.
- Democrats currently control two at large congressional seats that are not affected by redistricting (DE & VT).
- Democrats have control of the House and Senate with a Republican Governor in four states (LA, MS, NM & NV) and an Independent Governor in RI. These states total nineteen congressional districts.
- There are three additional states (CO, KY & OR) with split legislative control and a Democrat Governor. These three states total eighteen congressional districts.
- While the New York Senate is undecided, the House and Governor is Democrat. Following reapportionment, New York will have twenty-seven seats.
- Democrats are in full control or have an advantage in seventeen states that will be drawing 115 congressional districts.