2006 United States state legislative elections

Last updated
2006 United States state legislative elections
Flag of the United States.svg
  2005 November 7, 2006 2007  

88 legislative chambers in 46 states
 Majority partyMinority partyThird party
 
Party Democratic Republican Coalition
Chambers before47510
Chambers after57 [lower-alpha 1] 411 [lower-alpha 2]
Overall changeIncrease2.svg 10Decrease2.svg 10Increase2.svg 1

US2006stateupperhouses.svg
Map of upper house elections:
     Democrats gained control     Democrats retained control
     Republicans retained control
     Coalition gained control
     Non-partisan legislature
     No regularly-scheduled elections

US2006statelowerhouses.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

The 2006 United States state legislative elections were held on November 7, 2006, halfway through President George W. Bush's second term in office. This election was a wave elections in the United States election, and saw Democrats simultaneously reclaim both houses of Congress and pick up six governorships. Elections were held for 90 legislative chambers, with all states but Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia holding elections in at least one house. Kansas, New Mexico, and South Carolina held elections for their lower, but not upper house. Four territorial chambers in three territories and the District of Columbia were up, including the newly created territorial legislature in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Contents

Democrats flipped ten legislative chambers. Democrats gained control of the Oregon House of Representatives, the Minnesota House of Representatives, both houses of the Iowa General Assembly, and both houses of the New Hampshire General Court for the first time since 1875, giving them complete legislative control over those states. The Iowa Senate was previously tied. Democrats also won majorities in the Wisconsin Senate, the Michigan House of Representatives, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and the Indiana House of Representatives, turning those legislatures into split bodies. [1] Additionally, a Democratic-led coalition was created in the Alaska Senate, which was previously a Republican majority. [2] Democrats won a majority of state legislative chambers for the first time since 1995.

Conversely, Republicans gained control of the Montana House of Representatives with the lone Constitution Party representative voting for Republican control of that body.

Democrats won a trifecta in Iowa for the first time since 1967, and in New Hampshire since 1875.

Summary table

Regularly-scheduled elections were held in 90 of the 99 state legislative chambers in the United States. Nationwide, regularly-scheduled elections were held for 6,343 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. [3] 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 [3] Lower House [3]
Seats upTotal % upTermSeats upTotal % upTerm
Alabama 35353541051051054
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 040041251251002
Kentucky 19385041001001002
Louisiana 03904010504
Maine 353510021511511002
Maryland 47474741411411414
Massachusetts 404010021601601002
Michigan 38383841101101002
Minnesota 67671002/4 [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 0420470701002
New York 636310021501501002
North Carolina 505010021201201002
North Dakota 23474944794504
Ohio 163348499991002
Oklahoma 24485041011011002
Oregon 153050460601002
Pennsylvania 25505042032031002
Rhode Island 3838100275751002
South Carolina 046041241241002
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
AlabamaD 20-15D 23-12Democratic Hold
AlaskaR 12-8Coal. 15-5Coalition Takeover
ArizonaR 18-12R 17-13Republican hold
ArkansasD 27-8D 27-8Democratic hold
CaliforniaD 25-15D 25-15Democratic hold
ColoradoD 18-17D 20-15Democratic hold
ConnecticutD 24-12D 24-12Democratic hold
DelawareD 13-8D 13-8Democratic hold
FloridaR 26–14R 26-14Republican hold
GeorgiaR 34-22R 34-22Republican hold
HawaiiD 20-5D 20-5Democratic hold
IdahoR 28-7R 28-7Republican hold
IllinoisD 31-27-1D 37-22Democratic hold
IndianaR 33-17R 33-17Republican hold
Iowa25-25D 30-20Democratic Takeover
KentuckyR 21-16-1R 22–15-1Republican hold
MaineD 18-17D 18-17Democratic Hold
MarylandD 33-14D 33-14Democratic hold
MassachusettsD 34-6D 35-5Democratic hold
MichiganR 22-16R 21-17Republican Hold
MinnesotaD 37-29-1D 44-23Democratic Hold
MissouriR 23-11R 21-13Republican hold
MontanaD 27-23D 26-24Democratic hold
Nebraska Unicameral and non–partisan Senate with 49 members
NevadaR 12-9R 11-10Republican hold
New HampshireR 16-8D 14-10Democratic takeover
New YorkR 35-27R 33-29Republican Hold
North CarolinaD 29-21D 31-19Democratic Hold
North DakotaR 32-15R 26-21Republican hold
OhioR 22-11R 21-12Republican hold
OklahomaD 26-22D 24-24 [lower-alpha 5] Democratic hold
OregonD 17-13D 19-11Democratic hold
PennsylvaniaR 30-20R 29-21Republican hold
Rhode IslandD 33–5D 33-5Democratic hold
South DakotaR 25-10R 20-15Republican hold
TennesseeR 17-16R 17-16Republican hold
TexasR 19-12R 20-11Republican hold
UtahR 21-8R 21-8Republican hold
VermontD 21-9D 23-7Democratic hold
WashingtonD 26-23D 32-17Democratic hold
West VirginiaD 21-13D 23-11Democratic hold
WisconsinR 19-14D 18-15Democratic takeover
WyomingR 23-7R 23-7Republican hold


Lower houses

StatePrevious LHResultParty control
AlabamaD 62-43D 62-43Democratic Hold
AlaskaR 26-14R 23-17Republican hold
ArizonaR 39-21R 33-27Republican hold
ArkansasD 72-28D 72-28Democratic hold
CaliforniaD 48-32D 48-32Democratic hold
ColoradoD 35-30D 39-26Democratic Hold
ConnecticutD 99-52D 107-44Democratic hold
DelawareR 26-15R 23-18Republican hold
FloridaR 85-35R 78-42Republican hold
GeorgiaR 99=80-1R 106-74Republican hold
HawaiiD 41-10D 43-8Democratic hold
IdahoR 57-13R 51-19Republican hold
IllinoisD 65-53D 66-52Democratic hold
IndianaR 52-48D 51-49Democratic takeover
IowaR 51-49D 54-46Democratic takeover
KansasR 83-42R 78-47Republican hold
KentuckyD 57-43D 61-39Democratic hold
MaineD 76-73-1-1D 90-59-2Democratic Hold
MarylandD 98-43D 104-37Democratic hold
MassachusettsD 139-20-1D 141-19Democratic hold
MichiganR 58-52D 58-52Democratic takeover
MinnesotaR 68-66D 85-49Democratic takeover
MissouriR 97-66R 92-71Republican hold
MontanaD 50-50 [lower-alpha 6] R 50-49-1Republican takeover
Nebraska Unicameral and non–partisan Senate with 49 members
NevadaD 26-16D 27-15Democratic hold
New HampshireR 249-151D 239=160-1Democratic takeover
New MexicoD 42-28D 45-25Democratic hold
New YorkD 103-47D 106-42-1-1Democratic hold
North CarolinaD 63-57D 68-52Democratic Hold
North DakotaR 67-27R 61-33Republican hold
OhioR 61-38R 53-46Republican Hold
OklahomaR 57-44R 57-44Republican hold
OregonR 33-27D 31-29Democratic Takeover
PennsylvaniaR 110-93D 102-101Democratic takeover
Rhode IslandD 59-16D 60-15Democratic hold
South CarolinaR 74-50R 73-51Republican hold
South DakotaR 51-19R 50–20Republican hold
TennesseeD 53-46D 53-46Democratic hold
TexasR 86-64R 80–69, 1 vac.Republican hold
UtahR 56-19R 55-20Republican hold
VermontD 86-60-6-1D 93-49-6-2Democratic hold
WashingtonD 55-43D 62-36Democratic hold
West VirginiaD 68-32D 72-28Democratic hold
WisconsinR 60-39R 52-47Republican Hold
WyomingR 46-14R 43-17Republican hold

Territorial and federal district summaries

Lower houses

TerritoryPrevious LHResultParty control
American SamoaNon–partisan House of Representatives with 21 members

Unicameral

TerritoryPreviousResultParty control
GuamR 9-6R 8-7Republican Hold
US Virgin IslandsNewly created'D 9-6Democratic Takeover
Washington D.C.D 11-1-1D 11-1-1Democratic Hold

Notes

  1. The Iowa Senate was evenly split prior to the election. Thus it is not included in the prior total.
  2. The Alaska Senate was controlled by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans. The minority caucus consists of Republicans who were not part of the majority coalition.
  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 Oklahoma Senate were evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, but the Democratic Party controlled the chamber by virtue of holding the governor's office.
  6. Prior to the 2006 election, the 100 seats in 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. "Elections Bring Blue Wave and New Plans to Statehouses". www.pewtrusts.org. December 29, 2006. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  2. Demer, Lisa (November 29, 2006). "Bipartisan gang takes over Alaska state Senate: COMMITTEES: As other six watch, 14 senators divvy up leadership jobs for next year". Anchorage Daily News. p. 1. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "2020 Legislative Races by State and Legislative Chamber". National Conference of State Legislatures.