The 2009 United States state legislative elections were held on November 3, 2009. Two legislative chambers in two states held regularly scheduled elections. These off-year elections coincided with other state and local elections, including gubernatorial elections in two states. Both chambers of the Northern Mariana Islands legislature were up, which remains the last time they were up in this class of elections.
Democrats maintained control of the lower house of the New Jersey legislature, and Republicans did so in the lower chamber in Virginia. As of , this is the last time where the Democrats held a majority of state legislative bodies and overall state legislative districts.
Summary table Regularly scheduled elections were held in 2 of the 99 state legislative chambers in the United States. Nationwide, regularly scheduled elections were held for 180 of the 7,383 legislative seats. 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 TermNew Jersey 0 40 0 2/4 80 80 100 4Virginia 0 40 0 4 100 100 100 2
State summaries
New Jersey
All seats of the New Jersey General Assembly were up for election. Assembly members were elected to two-year terms in two-member districts. Democrats retained majority control, albeit a slightly reduced one.https://ballotpedia.org/New_Jersey_General_Assembly_elections,_2009
General Assembly Party Before After Change Democratic 48 47 1 Republican 31 32 1 Total 80 80
Virginia
All seats of the Virginia House of Delegates are up for election. Delegates are elected to two-year terms in single-member districts. Republicans expanded their majority.https://ballotpedia.org/Virginia_House_of_Delegates_elections,_2009 House of Delegates Party Before After Change Republican 53 59 6 Democratic 45 39 6 Independents 2 2 Total 100 100
Territorial summaries Northern Mariana Islands
All seats of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives and half of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate are up for election. Senators are elected to four-year terms and Representatives are elected to two-year terms.
House of Representatives Party Before After Change Republican 12 9 3 Democratic 1 0 1 Independents 3 4 1Covenant Party 4 7 3 Total 20 20 Senate Party Before After Change Republican 3 5 2 Coalition 6 0 6 Independents 0 4 4 Total 9 9
Special elections New Jersey DistrictIncumbentThis raceChamberNo.RepresentativePartyFirst electedResultsCandidatesSenate6James BeachDemocratic2009 (appointed)Incumbent appointed January 3, 2009, upon resignation of predecessor.Incumbent elected to finish term November 3, 2009.Democratic hold.Senate23Marcia A. KarrowRepublican2009 (appointed)Incumbent appointed February 8, 2009.Incumbent retired.Republican hold.
See also 2009 United States gubernatorial elections
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