(Updated 2:00 p.m. EST, Nov. 28, 2006)
Democrats broke the partisan deadlock in the nation’s statehouses Nov. 7 by capturing control of one or both legislative chambers in nine states, including the New Hampshire House for the first time since at least 1922.
Democratic statehouse victories paralleled the party’s coup in the U.S. House. Democrats now will control both legislative chambers in 23 states, more than they have held since 1994, up from 19 currently. Republicans will control both chambers in 15 state legislatures, down from 20 currently. Eleven statehouses will be split between the parties, including a dead-even tie in the Oklahoma Senate, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
(The totals do not include Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature, which is nonpartisan.)
In addition to New Hampshire, Democrats won new legislative majorities in the Indiana House, Iowa House and Senate, Michigan Senate, Minnesota House, Montana Senate, Oregon House, Pennsylvania House and Wisconsin Senate. They also widened their majorities in several other closely divided statehouses, including both legislative chambers in Colorado, the Kentucky House and the North Carolina House.
The only bright spots for the GOP were in Oklahoma and Montana. In the Sooner State Republicans gained two state Senate seats to move that chamber from a Democratic advantage to a 24-24 tie. However, a Democratic lieutenant governor who can cast tie-breaking votes still gives Democrats an edge in that chamber. In Montana, the GOP will have a one-seat advantage in the House, with a 50-49 majority and one Constitution Party lawmaker who will align with Republicans. The Montana House was tied 50-50 after the 2004 elections.
Altogether, 6,119 of the nation's 7,382 state legislative seats were on the ballot in 46 states. Going into the election, Democrats held a tiny, 21-member majority in total legislative seats nationwide, nearly an even divide between Republicans and Democrats. Now, preliminary numbers from NCSL show Democratic legislators will outnumber Republicans by 667 nationwide.
Historically, Democrats dominated statehouses from the 1950s until the 1994 midterm election -- during President Bill Clinton's first term -- when the GOP netted more than 500 seats and gained control of a majority of state legislatures for the first time in 40 years. Republicans continued their gains through the 2002 elections when they captured a nationwide majority of state legislative seats – the only time since 1938 that the president’s party won statehouse seats.
Democrats on Nov. 7 made a net gain of at least 275 state legislative seats, actually fewer than the 360-seat average net loss for the president's party in a midterm election, according to NCSL.
The most stunning shift was in New Hampshire, home of the nation's kickoff presidential primary and of popular Democratic Gov. John Lynch, who won re-election in a landslide. Democrats gained more than 80 seats to grab a majority in the 400-member House, where Democrats had been in the minority since at least 1922, according to The Associated Press. Democrats also picked up five seats -- giving them 13 of 24 seats -- to flip control of the New Hampshire Senate, where they have been in the minority since 1988.
Democrats also ended election night with control of the Iowa House, Senate and governor’s mansion for the first time in 40 years. The party gained five seats in the Iowa House and now has a 54-45 majority, with one seat undecided, according to NCSL. Democrats moved the state Senate from a 25-25 tie to a 29-21 majority, according to NCSL. Democrat Chet Culver defeated U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle (R) in the gubernatorial race to replace outgoing Gov. Tom Vilsack (D).
In Colorado, considered a bellwether for Democratic prospects to regain footing in the West, the election of Democrat Bill Ritter to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Owens puts Democrats in complete control of the Denver statehouse for the first time since 1958. The party widened its 2004 legislative gains, improving its one-seat margin in the state Senate to a 20-15 majority and gaining three seats in the state House for a 38-27 lead, NCSL reported.
Other states where Republicans lost control to Democrats include:
• The Indiana House, where Democrats won control with a 51-49 majority in a chamber that has changed hands in seven of the past 10 elections, including 2004 when the GOP prevailed. Republicans held their 33-17 majority in the state Senate.
• Michigan Democrats took control of the state House for the first time in 12 years, gaining six seats for a 58-52 majority. Republicans lost a state Senate seat but hung on to a 21-17 majority.
• In Minnesota, Democrats now will control both legislative chambers after winning 20 seats to take an 86-48 majority in the House and keeping control of the state Senate.
• Republicans thought they had moved the Montana Senate to a tie, by winning two seats on Election Day. But a party-switching Republican returned Democrats to a 26-24 majority in a chamber they narrowly won two years ago.
• In the Oregon House, Democrats won four seats and took a 31-27 majority over the GOP.
• Democrats will have control of the Pennsylvania House for the first time in 12 years. A tally of uncounted absentee ballots in a Chester County race, counted three weeks after the elections, gave the Democratic candidate a 23-vote victory and the party a 102-101 majority. The GOP will maintain a 29-21 majority in the state Senate.
• The Wisconsin Statehouse will be split between the parties, with Democrats winning four seats and an 18-15 majority in the state Senate. They also gained seven seats in the state House, but the GOP will hold a 53-46 majority.
Democrats held off Republican challenges and widened their lead in several other chambers, including:
• In Kentucky, Democrats picked up five seats and increased their majority in the House to 61-38. The GOP maintains a 21-16 majority in the state Senate.
• In North Carolina, early returns showed that scandal-tainted Speaker Jim Black (D) maintained his seat by fewer than 10 votes, said elections expert Tim Storey of NCSL. Democrats added at least three House seats to their majority and won two seats in the state Senate to widen their margin there to 31-19.
Contact Eric Kelderman at: ekelderman@stateline.org.
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For all of Stateline.org's coverage of the 2006 state elections visit our 2006 elections special section.
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