Political party strength in U.S. states

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Registered Democrats, Republicans and Independents in the United States, in millions, as of January 2004.
Registered Democrats, Republicans and Independents in the United States, in millions, as of January 2004.[1]

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 U.S. 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 weakened 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, majority control 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 U.S. Senate Class I U.S. Senate Class II U.S. Senate Class III U.S. House Delegation
Alabama Republican Democratic 23-12 Democratic 61-43 none Republican Republican Republican 5-2
Alaska Republican Coalition 15-5 Republican 23-17 none Republican Republican Republican 1-0
Arizona Democratic Republican 17-13 Republican 33-27 Republican none Republican split 4-4
Arkansas Democratic Democratic 27-8 Democratic 75-25 none Democratic Democratic Democratic 3-1
California Republican Democratic 25-15 Democratic 48-32 Democratic none Democratic Democratic 34-19
Colorado Democratic Democratic 20-15 Democratic 39-26 none Republican Democratic Democratic 4-3
Connecticut Republican Democratic 24-12 Democratic 107-44 Independent(a) none Democratic Democratic 4-1
Delaware Democratic Democratic 12-8 Republican 22-19 Democratic Democratic none Republican 1-0
Florida Republican Republican 26-14 Republican 77-42 Democratic none Republican Republican 16-9
Georgia Republican Republican 34-22 Republican 106-73 none Republican Republican Republican 7-6
Hawaii Republican Democratic 21-4 Democratic 43-8 Democratic none Democratic Democratic 2-0
Idaho Republican Republican 28-7 Republican 51-19 none Republican Republican Republican 2-0
Illinois Democratic Democratic 37-22 Democratic 67-51 none Democratic Democratic Democratic 11-8
Indiana Republican Republican 33-17 Democratic 51-49 Republican none Democratic Democratic 5-4
Iowa Democratic Democratic 30-20 Democratic 53-47 none Democratic Republican Democratic 3-2
Kansas Democratic Republican 30-10 Republican 78-47 none Republican Republican split 2-2
Kentucky Democratic Republican 22-15-1 Democratic 63-37 none Republican Republican Republican 4-2
Louisiana Republican Democratic 23-16 Democratic 53-50-2 none Democratic Republican Republican 4-3
Maine Democratic Democratic 18-17 Democratic 90-59-2 Republican Republican none Democratic 2-0
Maryland Democratic Democratic 33-14 Democratic 104-37 Democratic none Democratic Democratic 6-2
Massachusetts Democratic Democratic 34-5 Democratic 140-19 Democratic Democratic none Democratic 10-0
Michigan Democratic Republican 21-17 Democratic 58-52 Democratic Democratic none Republican 9-6
Minnesota Republican Democratic 44-23 Democratic 85-48 Democratic Republican none Democratic 5-3
Mississippi Republican Democratic 28-24 Democratic 74-48 Republican Republican none Democratic 3-1
Missouri Republican Republican 20-14 Republican 92-71 Democratic none Republican Republican 5-4
Montana Democratic Democratic 26-24 Republican 50-49-1 Democratic Democratic none Republican 1-0
Nebraska Republican Unicameral legislature(d):
Non-partisan (official)
Republican 32-13-2 (unofficial)
Democratic Republican none Republican 3-0
Nevada Republican Republican 11-10 Democratic 27-15 Republican none Democratic Republican 2-1
New Hampshire Democratic Democratic 14-10 Democratic 238-158-1 none Republican Republican Democratic 2-0
New Jersey Democratic Democratic 23-17 Democratic 48-32 Democratic Democratic none Democratic 7-6
New Mexico Democratic Democratic 24-18 Democratic 41-28 Democratic Republican none Republican 2-1
New York Democratic Republican 32-30 Democratic 108-42 Democratic none Democratic Democratic 23-6
North Carolina Democratic Democratic 31-19 Democratic 68-52 none Republican Republican Democratic 7-6
North Dakota Republican Republican 26-21 Republican 61-33 Democratic none Democratic Democratic 1-0
Ohio Democratic Republican 21-12 Republican 53-46 Democratic none Republican Republican 11-7
Oklahoma Democratic Democratic 24-24 Republican 57-44 none Republican Republican Republican 4-1
Oregon Democratic Democratic 18-11-1 Democratic 31-29 none Republican Democratic Democratic 4-1
Pennsylvania Democratic Republican 29-21 Democratic 102-101 Democratic none Republican Democratic 11-8
Rhode Island Republican Democratic 33-5 Democratic 60-13 Democratic Democratic none Democratic 2-0
South Carolina Republican Republican 26-19 Republican 71-51 none Republican Republican Republican 4-2
South Dakota Republican Republican 20-15 Republican 50-20 none Democratic Republican Democratic 1-0
Tennessee Democratic split 16-16-1 Democratic 53-46 Republican Republican none Democratic 5-4
Texas Republican Republican 20-11 Republican 79-71 Republican Republican none Republican 19-13
Utah Republican Republican 21-8 Republican 55-20 Republican none Republican Republican 2-1
Vermont Republican Democratic 23-7 Democratic 93-49-8 Independent(a) none Democratic Democratic 1-0
Virginia Democratic Democratic 21-19 Republican 53-45-2(b) Democratic Republican none Republican 8-3
Washington Democratic Democratic 32-17 Democratic 62-36 Democratic none Democratic Democratic 6-3
West Virginia Democratic Democratic 23-11 Democratic 72-28 Democratic Democratic none Democratic 2-1
Wisconsin Democratic Democratic 18-15 Republican 52-47 Democratic none Democratic Democratic 5-3
Wyoming Democratic Republican 23-7 Republican 43-17 Republican Republican none Republican 1-0
Totals
Governor State Upper House Majority State Lower House Majority U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives
Democratic 28-22 Democratic 28-22 Democratic 30-19 Democratic 49-49-2(a) Democratic 235-199-1(c)

(a) Independents caucusing with Democratic Party.

(b) Independents caucusing with Republican Party.

(c) Vacancies.

(d) Nebraska has no lower house.

[edit] Regional breakdowns

Local and regional political circumstances often influence party strength.

Governor Upper
Governors' partisan affiliations. Upper House majority
Lower
Lower House majority
Senators' party membership by state.
Senators' party membership by state.
Percent of members of the House of Representatives from each party by state.
Percent of members of the House of Representatives from each party by state.

[edit] Historical party strength

The following table shows how many legislatures were controlled outright by each party.

Year Democrats Republicans Split
2008 23 15 12
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

[edit] References

  1. '^ Neuhart, P. (22 January, 2004). Why politics is fun from catbirds' seats. USA Today.. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.