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. Six chambers in three territories and the District of Columbia were up as well.

The 2004 elections created narrow legislative divisions across the country. Both parties flipped seats and chambers across the country, with most Democratic gains coming from the Northeast and West and most Republican gains coming from the South. Over 20 states featured statehouses controlled by fewer than four seats, and nearly 30 states featured divided governments. Both parties took advantage of heavy spending from 527 organizations.

Republicans won control of four chambers from the Democrats. The institution of term limits contributed to the Republican takeover of the Oklahoma House of Representatives for the first time since 1923, and favorable redistricting aided Republicans in winning the Georgia House of Representatives (and a trifecta) for the first time ever. Republicans additionally won the Tennessee Senate, for the time since 1870, and the Indiana House of Representatives.

Democrats performed better than Republicans overall at the state-legislative level, despite their defeat in the concurrent presidential election, winning control of eight additional chambers. Favorable redistricting enabled the Democratic takeover of the Montana Legislature and their retaking of control of the North Carolina House of Representatives, which was previously tied. Additionally, they took control of the Washington Senate; the Oregon Senate, which was previously tied; both houses of the Colorado General Assembly for the first time since 1963, and the Vermont House of Representatives. The Iowa Senate became tied after previously being controlled by the Republicans prior to the election. 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.

The Democrats also regained the title of holding the most legislative seats across the country, winning one more seat than the Republicans.

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. 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 TermAlabama03504010504Alaska192095440401002Arizona3030100260601002Arkansas35351002/41001001002California204050480801002 Colorado183551465651002 Connecticut363610021511511002 Delaware21211002/441411002 Florida40401002/41201201002 Georgia565610021801801002 Hawaii25251002/451511002 Idaho3535100270701002 Illinois59591002/41181181002 Indiana25505041001001002 Iowa25505041001001002 Kansas404010041251251002 Kentucky19385041001001002 Louisiana03904010504 Maine353510021511511002 Maryland04704014104 Massachusetts404010021601601002 Michigan038041101101002 Minnesota06702/41341341002 Mississippi05204012204 Missouri17345041631631002 Montana25505041001001002 Nebraska2549514 N/A (unicameral) Nevada102148442421002 New Hampshire242410024004001002 New Jersey04002/408002 New Mexico4242100470701002 New York626210021501501002 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 Total1280197165N/A4595541185N/A

Electoral predictions

Analysts expected a high level of competitiveness among chambers held by both parties, although not to the same extent as the 2002 elections, which took place following most states' legislative redistricting. The application of newly enacted term limits in some states was expected to have little effect, with the exception of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and the close nature of the concurrent presidential election made the effects of potential presidential coattails difficult to predict.

As the election progressed and George W. Bush's chances at winning re-election appeared to increase, outlooks changed on very few legislative chambers. Republicans made minor inroads in states in the South, especially in Oklahoma in the Georgia House of Representatives while Democrats appeared stronger in states in the Northeast and Northwest, such as Vermont and Washington. Due to the presidential election's heavy focus on foreign policy issues such as the Iraq War, the likelihood of coattails reaching all the way down to state legislative races appeared increasingly thin. The majority of state legislative chambers and individual races also remained out of reach for opposition parties due to the prevalence of partisan gerrymandering.

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

StateChamberLast electionRothenbergResultAlaskaSenateR 12–8 R 12–8House of RepresentativesR 27–13 R 26–14ArizonaSenateR 17–13 R 18–12House of RepresentativesR 38–22 R 38–22ArkansasSenateD 27–8 D 27–8House of RepresentativesD 70–30 D 72–28CaliforniaState SenateD 25–15 D 25–15State AssemblyD 48–32 D 48–32ColoradoSenateR 18–17 D 18–17House of RepresentativesR 37–28 D 35–30ConnecticutState SenateD 21–15 D 24–12House of RepresentativesD 94–57 D 99–52DelawareSenateD 13–8 D 13–8House of RepresentativesR 29–12 R 26–15FloridaSenateR 26–14 R 26–14House of RepresentativesR 81–39 R 84–36GeorgiaState SenateR 30–26 R 34–22House of RepresentativesD 107–72–1 R 99–80–1HawaiiSenateD 20–5 D 20–5House of RepresentativesD 36–15 D 41–10IdahoSenateR 28–7 R 28–7House of RepresentativesR 54–16 R 57–13IllinoisSenateD 32–26–1 D 31–27–1House of RepresentativesD 66–52 D 65–53IndianaSenateR 32–18 R 33–17House of RepresentativesD 51–49 R 52–48IowaSenateR 29–21 25–25House of RepresentativesR 54–46 R 51–49KansasSenateR 30–10 R 30–10House of RepresentativesR 80–45 R 83–42KentuckySenateR 21–17 R 22–15House of RepresentativesD 65–35 D 57–43MaineSenateD 18–17 D 18–17House of RepresentativesD 80–67–3–1 D 76–73–1–1MassachusettsSenateD 34–6 D 34–6House of RepresentativesD 135–23–1 D 137–23 MichiganHouse of RepresentativesR 62–48 R 58–52 MinnesotaHouse of RepresentativesR 81–53 R 68–66MissouriSenateR 20–14 R 23–11House of RepresentativesR 90–73 R 97–66MontanaSenateR 29–21 D 27–23House of RepresentativesR 53–47 D 50–50NevadaSenateR 13–8 R 12–9AssemblyD 23–19 D 26–16New HampshireSenateR 18–6 R 16–8House of RepresentativesR 278–122 R 249–151 New MexicoSenateD 24–18 D 24–18House of RepresentativesD 43–27 D 42–28New YorkState SenateR 37–25 R 35–27State AssemblyD 102–48 D 104–46North CarolinaSenateD 28–22 D 29–21House of RepresentativesR 61–59 D 63–57North DakotaSenateR 31–16 R 32–15House of RepresentativesR 66–28 R 67–27OhioSenateR 22–11 R 22–11House of RepresentativesR 62–37 R 61–38OklahomaSenateD 28–20 D 26–22House of RepresentativesD 53–48 R 57–44OregonState Senate15–15 D 17–13House of RepresentativesR 35–25 R 33–27PennsylvaniaState SenateR 29–21 R 30–20House of RepresentativesR 110–93 R 110–93Rhode IslandSenateD 32–6 D 33–5House of RepresentativesD 63–11–1 D 59–16South CarolinaSenateR 25–21 R 26–20House of RepresentativesR 73–51 R 74–50South DakotaSenateR 26–9 R 25–10House of RepresentativesR 49–21 R 50–20TennesseeSenateD 18–15 R 17–16House of RepresentativesD 54–45 D 53–46TexasSenateR 19–12 R 19–12House of RepresentativesR 88–62 R 87–63UtahState SenateR 22–7 R 21–8House of RepresentativesR 56–19 R 56–19VermontSenateD 19–11 D 21–9House of RepresentativesR 73–70–4–3 D 83–60–6–1WashingtonState SenateR 25–24 D 26–23House of RepresentativesD 52–46 D 55–43West VirginiaSenateD 24–10 D 21–13House of DelegatesD 68–32 D 68–32WisconsinSenateR 18–15 R 19–14State AssemblyR 58–41 R 60–39WyomingSenateR 20–10 R 23–7House of RepresentativesR 45–15 R 46–14

Maps

State summaries

Alaska

All of the seats of the Alaska House of Representatives and half of the Alaska Senate were up for election. Republicans maintained control of both chambers. +Alaska SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican1212Democratic88Total2020

+Alaska House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican2726 1Democratic1314 1Total4040

Arizona

All of the seats of the Arizona Legislature were up for election. Republicans maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Arizona SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican1718 1Democratic1312 1Total3030 +Arizona House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican3938 1Democratic2022 2Independent10 1Total6060

Arkansas

All of the seats of the Arkansas House of Representatives and half of the Arkansas Senate were up for election. Democrats maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Arkansas SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic2727Republican88Total3535 +Arkansas House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic7072 2Republican3028 2Total100100

California

All of the seats of the California House of Representatives and half of the California Senate were up for election. Democrats maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +California State SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic2525Republican1515Total4040 +California State AssemblyPartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic4848Republican3232Total8080

Colorado

All of the seats of the Colorado House of Representatives and half of the Colorado Senate were up for election. Democrats won control of both chambers from the Republicans. +Colorado SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic1718 1Republican1817 1Total3535 +Colorado House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic2835 7Republican3730 7Total6565

Connecticut

All of the seats of the Connecticut Legislature were up for election. Democrats maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Connecticut State SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic2124 3Republican1512 3Total3636 +Connecticut House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic9499 5Republican5752 5Total151151

Delaware

All of the seats of the Delaware House of Representatives and half of the Delaware Senate were up for election. Democrats maintained control of the Senate while Republicans maintained control of the House. +Delaware SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic1313Republican88Total2121 +Delaware House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican2926 3Democratic1215 3Total4141

Florida

All of the seats of the Florida House of Representatives and half of the Florida Senate were up for election. Republicans maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Florida SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican2626Democratic1414Total4040 +Florida House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican8184 3Democratic3542 3Total120120

Georgia