2004 United States state legislative elections

Last updated
2004 United States state legislative elections
Flag of the United States.svg
  2003 November 2, 2004 2005  

85 legislative chambers in 44 states
 Majority partyMinority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Chambers before54 [lower-alpha 1] 43 [lower-alpha 1]
Chambers after51 [lower-alpha 2] 47
Overall changeDecrease2.svg 3Increase2.svg 4

US2004stateupperhouses.svg
Map of upper house elections:
     Democrats gained control     Democrats retained control
     Republicans gained control     Republicans retained control
     Split body formed
     Non-partisan legislature
     No regularly-scheduled elections

US2004statelowerhouses.svg
Map of lower house elections:
     Democrats gained control     Democrats retained control
     Republicans gained control     Republicans retained control
     Non-partisan legislature
     No regularly-scheduled elections

Elections to state legislatures were held on November 2, 2004, alongside other elections. Elections were held for 85 legislative chambers, with all states but Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Alabama, Maryland, and Virginia holding elections in at least one house. Michigan and Minnesota held elections for their lower, but not upper houses. [1] Six chambers in three territories and the District of Columbia were up as well.

Contents

Republicans won control of four chambers including the Oklahoma House of Representatives for the first since 1922; the Georgia House of Representatives for the first time ever; the Tennessee Senate for the time since 1870; and the Indiana House of Representatives.

Democrats took control of eight legislative chambers including the Washington Senate; the Oregon Senate, which was previously tied; both houses of the Montana legislature; both houses of the Colorado legislature for the first time since 1963; the North Carolina House of Representatives- which was previously tied; and the Vermont House of Representatives. Additionally, the Iowa Senate became tied after previously being controlled by the GOP before the election. [2] [3] Democrats' takeover of the Montana House only came after the Montana Supreme Court declared a Democrat a victor in a contested election that evenly split the chamber. This gave Democrats control of the chamber with the help of incoming governor Brian Schweitzer. [4]

The Democrats also regained the title of holding the most legislative seats across the country, winning one more seat than the Republicans. [5] Republicans won a trifecta in Georgia for the first time ever.

Summary table

Regularly-scheduled elections were held in 85 of the 99 state legislative chambers in the United States. Nationwide, regularly-scheduled elections were held for 6,015 of the 7,383 legislative seats. Many legislative chambers held elections for all seats, but some legislative chambers that use staggered elections held elections for only a portion of the total seats in the chamber. [6] The chambers not up for election either hold regularly-scheduled elections in odd-numbered years, or have four-year terms and hold all regularly-scheduled elections in presidential midterm election years.

Note that this table only covers regularly-scheduled elections; additional special elections took place concurrently with these regularly-scheduled elections.

StateUpper House [6] Lower House [6]
Seats upTotal % upTermSeats upTotal % upTerm
Alabama 03504010504
Alaska 192095440401002
Arizona 3030100260601002
Arkansas 35351002/4 [lower-alpha 3] 1001001002
California 204050480801002
Colorado 183551465651002
Connecticut 363610021511511002
Delaware 21211002/4 [lower-alpha 3] 41411002
Florida 40401002/4 [lower-alpha 3] 1201201002
Georgia 565610021801801002
Hawaii 25251002/4 [lower-alpha 3] 51511002
Idaho 3535100270701002
Illinois 59591002/4 [lower-alpha 3] 1181181002
Indiana 25505041001001002
Iowa 25505041001001002
Kansas 404010041251251002
Kentucky 19385041001001002
Louisiana 03904010504
Maine 353510021511511002
Maryland 04704014104
Massachusetts 404010021601601002
Michigan 038041101101002
Minnesota 06702/4 [lower-alpha 3] 1341341002
Mississippi 05204012204
Missouri 17345041631631002
Montana 25505041001001002
Nebraska 25 [lower-alpha 4] 49 [lower-alpha 4] 51 [lower-alpha 4] 4N/A (unicameral)
Nevada 102148442421002
New Hampshire 242410024004001002
New Jersey 04002/4 [lower-alpha 3] 08002
New Mexico 4242100470701002
New York 636310021501501002
North Carolina 505010021201201002
North Dakota 23474944794504
Ohio 163348499991002
Oklahoma 24485041011011002
Oregon 153050460601002
Pennsylvania 25505042032031002
Rhode Island 3838100275751002
South Carolina 464610041241241002
South Dakota 3535100270701002
Tennessee 163348499991002
Texas 1631522/4 [lower-alpha 3] 1501501002
Utah 152952475751002
Vermont 303010021501501002
Virginia 04004010002
Washington 254951498981002
West Virginia 17345041001001002
Wisconsin 163348499991002
Wyoming 153050460601002
Total1281197265N/A4595541185N/A

State summaries

Upper houses

StatePrevious UHResultParty control
AlaskaR 12-8R 12-8Republican hold
ArizonaR 17-13R 18-12Republican hold
ArkansasD 27-8D 27-8Democratic hold
CaliforniaD 25-15D 25-15Democratic hold
ColoradoR 18-17D 18-17Democratic Takeover
ConnecticutD 21-15D 24-12Democratic hold
DelawareD 13-8D 13-8Democratic hold
FloridaR 26-14R 24-16Republican hold
GeorgiaR 34-22R 34-22Republican hold
HawaiiD 20-5D 20-5Democratic hold
IdahoR 28-7R 28-7Republican hold
IllinoisD 32-26-1D 31-27-1Democratic hold
IndianaR 32-18R 33-17Republican hold
IowaR 29-2125-25Split Takeover
KansasR 30-10R 30-10Republican hold
KentuckyR 21-17R 21-15-1; 1 vac.Republican hold
MaineD 18-17D 18-17Democratic Hold
MassachusettsD 34-6D 34-6Democratic hold
MissouriR 20-14R 23-11Republican hold
MontanaR 29-21D 27-23Democratic Takeover
Nebraska Unicameral and non–partisan Senate with 49 members
NevadaR 13-8R 12-9Republican Hold
New HampshireR 18-6R 16-8Republican Hold
New MexicoD 24-18D 24-18Democratic hold
New YorkR 37-25R 35-27Republican Hold
North CarolinaD 28-22D 29-21Democratic Hold
North DakotaR 31-16R 30-15Republican hold
OhioR 22-11R 22-11Republican hold
OklahomaD 28-20D 26-22Democratic Hold
Oregon15-15D 17-13Democratic Takeover
PennsylvaniaR 29-21R 30-20Republican hold
Rhode IslandD 32-6D 33-5Democratic hold
South CarolinaR 26-20R 26-20Republican hold
South DakotaR 26-9R 25-10Republican hold
TennesseeD 18-15R 17-16Republican Takeover
Texas R 19-12R 19-12Republican hold
UtahR 22-7R 21-8Republican hold
VermontD 19-11D 21-9Democratic hold
WashingtonR 25-24D 26-23Democratic Takeover
West VirginiaD 24-10D 21-13Democratic hold
WisconsinR 18-15R 19-14Republican Hold
WyomingR 20-10R 23-7Republican hold

Lower houses

StatePrevious LHResultParty control
AlaskaR 27-13R 26-14Republican hold
ArizonaR 39-21R 38-22Republican hold
ArkansasD 70-30D 72-28Democratic hold
CaliforniaD 48-32D 48-32Democratic hold
ColoradoR 37-28D 35-30Democratic Takeover
ConnecticutD 94-57D 99-52Democratic hold
DelawareR 29-12R 26-15Republican Hold
FloridaR 81-39R 84-36Republican hold
GeorgiaD 105-74-1R 99-80-1Republican Takeover
HawaiiD 36-15D 41-10Democratic hold
IdahoR 54-16R 57-13Republican hold
IllinoisD 66-52D 66-53Democratic hold
IndianaD 51-49R 52-48Republican Takeover
IowaR 54-46R 51-49Republican Hold
KansasR 80-45R 83-42Republican hold
KentuckyD 65-35D 57-43Democratic hold
MaineD 80-67-3-1D 76-73-1-1Democratic Hold
MassachusettsD 131-28-1D 137-23Democratic hold
MichiganR 62-48R 58-52Republican Hold
MinnesotaR 81-53R 68-66Republican Hold
MissouriR 90-73R 97-66Republican hold
MontanaR 53-4750-50 [lower-alpha 5] Democratic takeover
Nebraska Unicameral and non–partisan Senate with 49 members
NevadaD 23-19D 26-16Democratic hold
New HampshireR 278-122R 249-151Republican Hold
New MexicoD 43-27D 42-28Democratic hold
New YorkD 102-48D 104-46Democratic hold
North Carolina60-60D 63-57Democratic Takeover
North DakotaR 66-28R 67-27Republican hold
OhioR 62-37R 61-38Republican Hold
OklahomaD 53-48R 57-44Republican Takeover
OregonR 35-25R 33-27Republican Hold
PennsylvaniaR 110-93R 110-93Republican Hold
Rhode IslandD 63-11-1D 59-16Democratic hold
South CarolinaR 73-51R 74-50Republican hold
South DakotaR 51-29R 50-20Republican hold
TennesseeD 54-45D 53-46Democratic Hold
TexasR 88-62R 86-64Republican hold
UtahR 56-19R 56-19Republican hold
VermontR 83-60-6-1D 93-49-6-2Democratic Takeover
WashingtonD 50-48D 52-46Democratic hold
West VirginiaD 68-32D 68-32Democratic hold
WisconsinR 58-41R 60-39Republican Hold
WyomingR 45-15R 46-14Republican hold

Territorial and federal district summaries

Upper houses

TerritoryPrevious UHResultParty control
American SamoaNon–partisan Senate with 18 members
Puerto RicoPPD 19-8-1PNP 15-11-1New Progressive Takeover

Lower houses

TerritoryPrevious LHResultParty control
American SamoaNon–partisan House of Representatives with 21 members
Puerto RicoPPD 29-21-1PNP 32-18-1New Progressive Takeover

Unicameral

TerritoryPreviousResultParty control
GuamD 9-6R 9-6Republican Takeover
Washington D.C.D 11-1-1D 11-1-1Democratic Hold

Notes

  1. 1 2 The Oregon Senate and North Carolina House of Representatives were tied prior to the election. Thus, they are not included in this total.
  2. The Iowa Senate became tied. Thus, it is not included in the final total.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The upper houses of Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Texas use a 2-4-4 term length system.
  4. 1 2 3 These figures represent the seats of Nebraska's unicameral legislature.
  5. The Montana House of Representatives were evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, but the Democratic Party controlled the chamber by virtue of holding the governor's office.

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References

  1. "State legislative elections, 2004".
  2. Tim Storey 2004 Legislative Elections The Council of State Governments
  3. Madigan, Erin; Kelderman, Eric (November 5, 2004). "GOP Loses Ground in Statehouse Control". pew.org. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  4. Robbins, Jim (2004-12-29). "Ruling Puts Democrats in Control in Montana". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  5. Storey, Tim (2005). "2004 legislative elections". Spectrum: The Journal of State Government. 78 (1): 8 via Gale Academic OneFile.
  6. 1 2 3 "2020 Legislative Races by State and Legislative Chamber". National Conference of State Legislatures.