2016 United States state legislative elections

The 2016 United States state legislative elections were held on November 8, 2016, for 86 state legislative chambers in 44 states. Across the fifty states, approximately 65 percent of all upper house seats and 85 percent of all lower house seats were up for election. Nine legislative chambers in the five permanently inhabited U.S. territories and the federal district of Washington, D.C. also held elections. The elections took place concurrently with several other federal, state, and local elections, including the presidential election, U.S. Senate elections, U.S. House elections, and gubernatorial elections.

Democrats won both chambers in the Nevada Legislature and the New Mexico House of Representatives, while Republicans won the Kentucky House of Representatives for the first time since 1922, the Iowa Senate, and the Minnesota Senate. The Alaska House of Representatives flipped from Republican control to a Democrat-led coalition majority, and the Connecticut State Senate went from Democratic control to tied control. Meanwhile, the New York Senate went from Republican to a Republican-led coalition.

The Democrats' loss in Kentucky marked the end of the realignment of the conservative South towards the Republicans, as the House of Representatives was the last chamber they held in the region, and the last chamber they controlled in a deeply Republican state. This also gave Republicans a government trifecta in the state for the first time in its history.

Summary table Regularly scheduled elections were held in 86 of the 99 state legislative chambers in the United States. Nationwide, regularly scheduled elections were held for 5,876 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. 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.

State Upper House Lower House Seats up Total % up Term Seats up Total % up TermAlabama03504010504Alaska102050440401002Arizona3030100260601002Arkansas1735492/41001001002California204050480801002 Colorado183551465651002 Connecticut363610021511511002 Delaware1121522/441411002 Florida2040502/41201201002 Georgia565610021801801002 Hawaii1325522/451511002 Idaho3535100270701002 Illinois2059342/41181181002 Indiana25505041001001002 Iowa25505041001001002 Kansas404010041251251002 Kentucky19385041001001002 Louisiana03904010504 Maine353510021511511002 Maryland04704014104 Massachusetts404010021601601002 Michigan038041101101002 Minnesota67671002/41341341002 Mississippi05204012204 Missouri17345041631631002 Montana25505041001001002 Nebraska2549514 N/A (unicameral) Nevada102148442421002 New Hampshire242410024004001002 New Jersey04002/408002 New Mexico4242100470701002 New York636310021501501002 North Carolina505010021201201002 North Dakota23474944794504 Ohio163348499991002 Oklahoma24485041011011002 Oregon153050460601002 Pennsylvania25505042032031002 Rhode Island3838100275751002 South Carolina464610041241241002 South Dakota3535100270701002 Tennessee163348499991002 Texas1631522/41501501002 Utah152952475751002 Vermont303010021501501002 Virginia04004010002 Washington254951498981002 West Virginia17345041001001002 Wisconsin163348499991002 Wyoming153050460601002 Total1281197265N/A4595541185N/A

Electoral predictions News sources predicted Democrats to make mild gains in state legislative control, owing to the historic lows they hit after the 2014 elections and higher predicted turnout among Democratic voters during the concurrent presidential election.

Ratings are designated as follows:

"Tossup": Competitive, no advantage "Lean": Competitive, slight advantage "Likely": Not competitive, but opposition could make significant gains "Safe": Not competitive at all

StatePVIChamberLast electionGoverningResultAlaska rowspan=2 SenateR 14–6 | R 14–6House of RepresentativesR 23–16–1 | Coal. 22–18Arizona rowspan=2 SenateR 17–13 | R 17–13House of RepresentativesR 36–24 | R 35–25Arkansas rowspan=2 SenateR 24–11 | R 26–9House of RepresentativesR 64–36 | R 73–27California rowspan=2 State SenateD 26–14 | D 27–13State AssemblyD 52–28 | D 55–25Colorado rowspan=2 SenateR 18–17 | R 18–17House of RepresentativesD 34–31 | D 37–28Connecticut rowspan=2 State SenateD 21–15 | 18–18House of RepresentativesD 87–64 | D 80–71Delaware rowspan=2 SenateD 12–9 | D 11–10House of RepresentativesD 25–16 | D 25–16Florida rowspan=2 SenateR 26–14 | R 25–15House of RepresentativesR 81–39 | R 79–41Georgia rowspan=2 State SenateR 38–18 | R 38–18House of RepresentativesR 119–60–1 | R 118–62Hawaii rowspan=2 SenateD 24–1 | D 25–0House of RepresentativesD 43–8 | D 45–6Idaho rowspan=2 SenateR 28–7 | R 29–6House of RepresentativesR 56–14 | R 59–11Illinois rowspan=2 SenateD 39–20 | D 37–22House of RepresentativesD 71–47 | D 67–51Indiana rowspan=2 SenateR 40–10 | R 41–9House of RepresentativesR 71–29 | R 70–30Iowa rowspan=2 SenateD 26–24 | R 29–20–1House of RepresentativesR 57–43 | R 59–41Kansas rowspan=2 SenateR 32–8 | R 31–9House of RepresentativesR 97–28 | R 85–40Kentucky rowspan=2 SenateR 26–12 | R 27–11House of RepresentativesD 54–46 | R 64–36Maine rowspan=2 SenateR 20–15 | R 18–17House of RepresentativesD 78–68–5 | D 77–72–2Massachusetts rowspan=2 SenateD 34–6 | D 34–6House of RepresentativesD 125–35 | D 125–35Michigan House of RepresentativesR 63–47 | R 63–47Minnesota rowspan=2 SenateD 39–28 | R 34–33House of RepresentativesR 72–62 | R 77–57Missouri rowspan=2 SenateR 25–9 | R 25–9House of RepresentativesR 117–45–1 | R 117–46Montana rowspan=2 SenateR 29–21 | R 32–18House of RepresentativesR 59–41 | R 59–41Nevada rowspan=2 SenateR 11–10 | D 11–10AssemblyR 27–15 | D 27–15New Hampshire rowspan=2 SenateR 14–10 | R 14–10House of RepresentativesR 239–160–1 | R 227–173New Mexico rowspan=2 SenateD 24–18 | D 26–16House of RepresentativesR 37–33 | D 38–32New York rowspan=2 State SenateR 32–31 | Coal. 39–24State AssemblyD 105–43–1–1 | D 106–43–1North Carolina rowspan=2 SenateR 34–16 | R 35–15House of RepresentativesR 74–46 | R 74–46North Dakota rowspan=2 SenateR 32–15 | R 38–9House of RepresentativesR 71–23 | R 81–13Ohio rowspan=2 SenateR 23–10 | R 24–9House of RepresentativesR 65–34 | R 66–33Oklahoma rowspan=2 SenateR 40–8 | R 42–6House of RepresentativesR 72–29 | R 75–26Oregon rowspan=2 State SenateD 18–12 | D 17–13House of RepresentativesD 34–26 | D 35–25Pennsylvania rowspan=2 State SenateR 30–20 | R 34–16House of RepresentativesR 119–84 | R 121–82Rhode Island rowspan=2 SenateD 32–5–1 | D 33–5House of RepresentativesD 63–12 | D 64–10–1South Carolina rowspan=2 SenateR 28–18 | R 28–18House of RepresentativesR 78–46 | R 80–44South Dakota rowspan=2 SenateR 27–8 | R 29–6House of RepresentativesR 58–12 | R 60–10Tennessee rowspan=2 SenateR 28–5 | R 28–5House of RepresentativesR 73–26 | R 74–25Texas rowspan=2 SenateR 20–11 | R 20–11House of RepresentativesR 98–52 | R 95–55Utah rowspan=2 State SenateR 24–5 | R 24–5House of RepresentativesR 63–12 | R 62–13Vermont rowspan=2 SenateD 19–9–2 | D 21–7–2House of RepresentativesD 85–53–6–6 | D 85–53–7–7Washington rowspan=2 State SenateCoal. 26–23 | Coal. 25–24House of RepresentativesD 50–48 | D 50–48West Virginia rowspan=2 SenateR 18–16 | R 22–12House of DelegatesR 64–36 | R 63–37Wisconsin rowspan=2 SenateR 19–14 | R 20–13State AssemblyR 63–36 | R 64–35Wyoming rowspan=2 SenateR 26–4 | R 27–3House of RepresentativesR 51–9 | R 51–9

Maps

State summaries

Alaska

Half of the seats of the Alaska Senate and all of the seats of the Alaska House of Representatives were up for election in 2016. The Alaska legislature was controlled by Republicans. Republicans maintained control of the Senate, while the Alaska House of Representatives flipped to a Democratic-led coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and independents.

Alaska Senate Party Before After Change Republican 14 14 Democratic 6 6 Total 20 20 Alaska House of Representatives Party Before After Change Democratic 12 17 14 Independent 1 2 1 Republican 23 3 2 18 Total 40 40

Arizona

All of the seats of the Arizona Senate and the Arizona House of Representatives were up for election in 2016. Republicans maintained a government trifecta with control of the governorship and both state legislative chambers.

Arizona Senate Party Before After Change Republican 18 17 1 Democratic 12 13 1 Total 30 30 Arizona House of Representatives Party Before After Change Republican 36 35 1 Democratic 24 25 1 Total 60 60

Arkansas

Half of the seats of the Arkansas Senate and all of the seats of the Arkansas House of Representatives were up for election in 2016. Republicans held control of both chambers, maintaining a government trifecta.

Arkansas Senate Party Before After Change Republican 24 26 2 Democratic 11 9 2 Total 35 35 Arkansas House of Representatives Party Before After Change Republican 64 73 9 Democratic 35 27 8 Independent 1 0 1 Total 100 100

California

Half of the seats of the California State Senate and all of the seats of the California State Assembly were up for election in 2016. Democrats held control of both chambers, maintaining a government trifecta.

California State Senate Party Before After Change Democratic 26 27 1 Republican 14 13 1 Total 40 40 California State Assembly Party Before After Change Democratic 52 55 3 Republican 28 25 3 Total 80 80

Colorado

Half of the seats of the Colorado Senate and all of the seats of the Colorado House of Representatives were up for election in 2016. Democrats held control of the state House and Republicans maintained control of the state Senate.

Colorado Senate Party Before After Change Republican 18 18 Democratic 17 17 Total 35 35 Colorado House of Representatives Party Before After Change Democratic 34 37 3 Republican 31 28 3 Total 65 65

Connecticut

All of the seats of the Connecticut State Senate and the Connecticut House of Representatives were up for election in 2016. Democrats held control of the state House, while the state Senate went from Democratic to evenly split.

Connecticut State Senate Party Before After Change Democratic 21 18 3 Republican 15 18 3 Total 36 36 Connecticut House of Representatives Party Before After Change Democratic 87 80 7 Republican 64 71 7 Total 151 151

Delaware

Half of the seats of the Delaware Senate and all of the seats of the Delaware House of Representatives were up for election in 2016. Democrats held control of both chambers, maintaining a government trifecta.

Delaware Senate Party Before After Change Democratic 12 11 1 Republican 9 10 1 Total 21 21 Delaware House of Representatives Party Before After Change Democratic 25 25 Republican 16 16 Total 41 41

Florida

Half of the seats of the Florida Senate and all of the seats of the Florida House of Representatives were up for election in 2016. Republicans held control of both chambers, maintaining a government trifecta.

Florida Senate Party Before After Change Republican 26 25 1 Democratic 14 15 1 Total 40 40 Florida House of Representatives Party Before After Change Republican 81 79 2 Democratic 39 41 2 Total 120 120

Georgia

All of the seats of the Georgia State Senate and the Georgia House of Representatives were up for election in 2016. Republicans held control of both chambers, maintaining a government trifecta.

Georgia State Senate Party Before After Change Republican 39 38 1 Democratic 17 18 1 Total 56 56 Georgia House of Representatives Party Before After Change Republican 118 118 Democratic 61 62 1 Independent 1 0 1 Total 180 180

Hawaii