Political party strength in U.S. states
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The following table shows all the U.S. states and to what party (Democratic or Republican) their state governors belong. Also indicated is the majority party of the state legislatures' upper and lower houses as well as US Senate representation. (Nebraska's legislature is unicameral, i.e., it has only one legislative house and is officially non-partisan, though party affiliation still has an unofficial influence on the legislative process.)
Throughout most of the 20th century, although the Republican party often held power at a national level, the Democratic party held almost uncontested power at the state level, especially in the solid South, where the Republican party was virtually nonexistent. (For much of the 20th century, North Dakota was a one-party Republican state, the only one in the country.)
However, in the 1970s and 1980s, the Republicans slowly increased their strength in the state legislatures, especially in the South, where the increasingly conservative Republican party took the place of the Democrats, who had been tainted by their party's support for the Civil Rights Movement starting in the 1940s. In the 1990s, the Republicans finally overtook the Democrats in holding majorities in statehouses and governorships.
Currently, who controls a majority of overall seats in the state legislature has been changing every few years. As of the U.S. gubernatorial elections of 2006, the Democratic party holds an outright majority of 669 with 3,989 seats over the Republican party's 3,320 in number of seats elected on a partisan ballot. Of the 7,382 seats in all of the state legislatures combined, independents and third parties account for only 17 members, not counting the 49 members of the Nebraska Legislature, which is the only legislature in the nation to hold nonpartisan elections to determine its members.
Contents |
[edit] Current Party Strength
| State | Governor | Upper House Majority | Lower House Majority | US Senate Class I | US Senate Class II | US Senate Class III | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Republican | Democratic 23-12 | Democratic 62-43 | none | Republican | Republican | |
| Alaska | Republican | Republican 11-9 | Republican 23-17 | none | Republican | Republican | |
| Arizona | Democratic | Republican 17-13 | Republican 32-28 | Republican | none | Republican | |
| Arkansas | Democratic | Democratic 27-8 | Democratic 75-25 | none | Democratic | Democratic | |
| California | Republican | Democratic 25-15 | Democratic 48-32 | Democratic | none | Democratic | |
| Colorado | Democratic | Democratic 20-15 | Democratic 39-26 | none | Republican | Democratic | |
| Connecticut | Republican | Democratic 24-12 | Democratic 106-45 | Independent(e) | none | Democratic | |
| Delaware | Democratic | Democratic 13-8 | Republican 23-18 | Democratic | Democratic | none | |
| Florida | Republican | Republican 26-14 | Republican 79-41 | Democratic | none | Republican | |
| Georgia | Republican | Republican 34-22 | Republican 106-74 | none | Republican | Republican | |
| Hawaii | Republican | Democratic 20-5 | Democratic 43-8 | Democratic | none | Democratic | |
| Idaho | Republican | Republican 28-7 | Republican 51-19 | none | Republican | Republican | |
| Illinois | Democratic | Democratic 37-22 | Democratic 66-52 | none | Democratic | Democratic | |
| Indiana | Republican | Republican 33-17 | Democratic 51-49 | Republican | none | Democratic | |
| Iowa | Democratic | Democratic 30-20 | Democratic 54-45-1(a) | none | Democratic | Republican | |
| Kansas | Democratic | Republican 30-10 | Republican 78-47 | none | Republican | Republican | |
| Kentucky | Republican | Republican 21-16-1 | Democratic 61-39 | none | Republican | Republican | |
| Louisiana | Democratic | Democratic 24-15 | Democratic 62-41-1-1(a) | none | Democratic | Republican | |
| Maine | Democratic | Democratic 18-17 | Democratic 89-60-2 | Republican | Republican | none | |
| Maryland | Democratic | Democratic 33-14 | Democratic 106-35 | Democratic | none | Democratic | |
| Massachusetts | Democratic | Democratic 35-5 | Democratic 141-19 | Democratic | Democratic | none | |
| Michigan | Democratic | Republican 21-17 | Democratic 58-52 | Democratic | Democratic | none | |
| Minnesota | Republican | Democratic 44-23 | Democratic 85-49 | Democratic | Republican | none | |
| Mississippi | Republican | Republican 26-26(b) | Democratic 74-46-2(a) | Republican | Republican | none | |
| Missouri | Republican | Republican 21-13 | Republican 92-71 | Democratic | none | Republican | |
| Montana | Democratic | Democratic 27-23 | Republican 50-49-1(c) | Democratic | Democratic | none | |
| Nebraska | Republican | Unicameral legislature(d): Non-partisan (official) Republican 32-13-2 (unofficial) |
Democratic | Republican | none | ||
| Nevada | Republican | Republican 11-10 | Democratic 27-15 | Republican | none | Democratic | |
| New Hampshire | Democratic | Democratic 14-10 | Democratic 239-161 | none | Republican | Republican | |
| New Jersey | Democratic | Democratic 22-18 | Democratic 49-31 | Democratic | Democratic | none | |
| New Mexico | Democratic | Democratic 24-18 | Democratic 42-28 | Democratic | Republican | none | |
| New York | Democratic | Republican 33-29 | Democratic 105-41-1 | Democratic | none | Democratic | |
| North Carolina | Democratic | Democratic 31-19 | Democratic 68-52 | none | Republican | Republican | |
| North Dakota | Republican | Republican 26-21 | Republican 61-33 | Democratic | none | Democratic | |
| Ohio | Democratic | Republican 21-12 | Republican 53-46 | Democratic | none | Republican | |
| Oklahoma | Democratic | Democratic 24-24 | Republican 56-45 | none | Republican | Republican | |
| Oregon | Democratic | Democratic 17-11-2 | Democratic 31-29 | none | Republican | Democratic | |
| Pennsylvania | Democratic | Republican 29-21 | Democratic 102-101 | Democratic | none | Republican | |
| Rhode Island | Republican | Democratic 33-5 | Democratic 60-15 | Democratic | Democratic | none | |
| South Carolina | Republican | Republican 26-20 | Republican 73-51 | none | Republican | Republican | |
| South Dakota | Republican | Republican 20-15 | Republican 50-20 | none | Democratic | Republican | |
| Tennessee | Democratic | Republican 17-16 | Democratic 53-46 | Republican | Republican | none | |
| Texas | Republican | Republican 20-11 | Republican 81-69 | Republican | Republican | none | |
| Utah | Republican | Republican 21-8 | Republican 55-20 | Republican | none | Republican | |
| Vermont | Republican | Democratic 23-7 | Democratic 93-49-6-2 | Independent(e) | none | Democratic | |
| Virginia | Democratic | Republican 23-17 | Republican 57-40-3 | Democratic | Republican | none | |
| Washington | Democratic | Democratic 32-17 | Democratic 63-35 | Democratic | none | Democratic | |
| West Virginia | Democratic | Democratic 23-11 | Democratic 72-28 | Democratic | Democratic | none | |
| Wisconsin | Democratic | Democratic 18-15 | Republican 52-47 | Democratic | none | Democratic | |
| Wyoming | Democratic | Republican 23-7 | Republican 43-17 | Republican | Republican | none | |
(a) Vacant (as of results of U.S. Gubernatorial elections, 2006)
(b) The Mississippi Senate is evenly split but the tie-breaking vote is held by a Republican.
(c) Member of the Constitution Party (United States).
| Totals | ||
|---|---|---|
| Governor | Upper House Majority | Lower House Majority |
| Democratic 28-22 | Democratic 27-23 (1,011-906 seats) | Democratic 30-19 (2,978-2,414 seats) |
(d) Nebraska has no lower house.
(e) Independent has indicated he will caucus with Democratic Party.
[edit] Regional Breakdowns
Because local and regional political circumstances often have an influence on party strength, it can be interesting to analyze party strength on a regional basis.
| Governor | Upper |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Lower |
|---|
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[edit] Historical Party Strength
The following table shows how many legislatures were controlled outright by each party.
| Year | Democrats | Republicans | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 24 | 16 | 9 |
| 2005 | 20 | 20 | 9 |
| 2004 | 17 | 21 | 11 |
| 2003 | 16 | 21 | 12 |
| 2002 | 18 | 17 | 14 |
| 2000 | 16 | 18 | 15 |
| 1998 | 20 | 17 | 12 |
| 1996 | 20 | 18 | 11 |
| 1994 | 18 | 19 | 12 |
| 1992 | 25 | 8 | 16 |
| 1990 | 30 | 6 | 13 |
| 1988 | 29 | 8 | 12 |
| 1986 | 28 | 9 | 12 |
| 1984 | 26 | 11 | 12 |
| 1982 | 34 | 11 | 4 |
| 1980 | 29 | 15 | 5 |
| 1978 | 31 | 11 | 7 |
| 1976 | 35 | 4 | 10 |
| 1974 | 37 | 4 | 8 |
| 1972 | 26 | 16 | 7 |
| 1970 | 23 | 16 | 9 |
| 1968 | 20 | 20 | 8 |
| 1966 | 23 | 16 | 9 |
| 1964 | 32 | 6 | 10 |
| 1962 | 25 | 17 | 6 |
| 1960 | 27 | 15 | 6 |
| 1958 | 30 | 7 | 11 |
| 1956 | 22 | 19 | 5 |
| 1954 | 19 | 20 | 7 |
| 1952 | 16 | 26 | 4 |
| 1950 | 19 | 21 | 6 |
| 1948 | 19 | 16 | 11 |
| 1946 | 17 | 25 | 4 |
| 1944 | 19 | 24 | 3 |
| 1942 | 19 | 24 | 3 |
| 1940 | 21 | 17 | 8 |
| 1938 | 21 | 19 | 6 |
