The 2002 United States state legislative elections were held on November 5, 2002, halfway through President George W. Bush's first term in office. This was a unique election in which the incumbent Republican party performed surprisingly well for a midterm election. Elections were held for 91 legislative chambers, with all states but Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia holding elections in at least one house. Three territorial chambers in two territories and the District of Columbia were up as well.
Republicans flipped control of six chambers: the Colorado Senate, the Georgia Senate for the first time since 1873, the Missouri House of Representatives for the first time since 1955, the Texas House of Representatives for the first time since 1873, the Washington Senate, and the Wisconsin Senate. Meanwhile, Democrats flipped control of the Illinois Senate. Additionally, the Arizona Senate went from a coalition government to Republican control. The Maine Senate went from an evenly divided power-sharing government to a Democratic one, while the Oregon Senate went from Republican to tied.
Republicans had initially won control of the North Carolina House of Representatives by one seat, but Republican Michael P. Decker switched parties to become a Democrat, producing a tied chamber.
Republicans won a trifecta in Texas for the first time since 1873, and in Missouri for the first time since 1923. After the elections, Republicans held a majority of state legislative seats for the first time in half a century.Storey, Tim. The Book of the States 2005. The Council of State Governments. Retrieved 2010-01-01
Summary table Regularly scheduled elections were held in 91 of the 99 state legislative chambers in the United States. Nationwide, regularly scheduled elections were held for 6,381 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 TermAlabama35353541051051054Alaska192095440401002Arizona3030100260601002Arkansas35351002/41001001002California204050480801002 Colorado183551465651002 Connecticut363610021511511002 Delaware21211002/441411002 Florida40401002/41201201002 Georgia565610021801801002 Hawaii25251002/451511002 Idaho3535100270701002 Illinois59591002/41181181002 Indiana25505041001001002 Iowa25505041001001002 Kansas040041251251002 Kentucky19385041001001002 Louisiana03904010504 Maine353510021511511002 Maryland47474741411411414 Massachusetts404010021601601002 Michigan383810041101101002 Minnesota67671002/41341341002 Mississippi05204012204 Missouri17345041631631002 Montana25505041001001002 Nebraska2549514 N/A (unicameral) Nevada102148442421002 New Hampshire242410024004001002 New Jersey04002/408002 New Mexico0420470701002 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
Redistricting
The 2002 elections were the first held after redistricting following the 2000 census. All states holding elections in 2002 did so under new maps drawn in accordance with the new census results with the exception of Montana, which implements its new maps four years after the census as opposed to two. In a majority of states, legislative redistricting is controlled by the state legislature, often subject to gubernatorial veto. This allows for widespread gerrymandering, in which the party in power draws legislative boundaries to favor itself. A few states delegate redistricting power to an independent or bipartisan redistricting commission, often with the goal of minimizing or eliminating partisan gerrymandering.
In Texas, despite the state's divided government, Republicans fully controlled the redistricting process because they held four of the five seats on the state's backup redistricting commission. This allowed them to draw maps greatly favorable to themselves in an attempt to win control of the Texas House of Representatives for the first time since Reconstruction. In Oregon, the state's Democratic Secretary of State drew the state's maps after its divided government failed to approve plans.
Electoral predictions Ratings are designated as follows:
"Tossup": Competitive, no advantage "Lean": Competitive, slight advantage "Likely": Not competitive, but opposition could make significant gains "Solid": Not competitive at all
StateChamberLast electionCookResultAlabamaSenateD 23–12 D 25–10House of RepresentativesD 69–36 D 63–42AlaskaSenateR 14–6 R 12–8House of RepresentativesR 27–13 R 27–13ArizonaSenateCoal. 18–12 R 17–13House of RepresentativesR 36–24 R 38–22ArkansasSenateD 27–8 D 27–8House of RepresentativesD 72–28 D 70–30CaliforniaState SenateD 26–14 D 25–15State AssemblyD 50–30 D 48–32ColoradoSenateD 18–17 R 18–17House of RepresentativesR 38–27 R 37–28ConnecticutState SenateD 21–15 D 21–15House of RepresentativesD 100–51 D 94–57DelawareSenateD 13–8 D 13–8House of RepresentativesR 26–15 R 29–12FloridaSenateR 25–15 R 26–14House of RepresentativesR 77–43 R 81–39GeorgiaState SenateD 32–24 R 30–26House of RepresentativesD 105–74–1 D 107–72–1HawaiiSenateD 22–3 D 20–5House of RepresentativesD 32–19 D 36–15IdahoSenateR 32–3 R 28–7House of RepresentativesR 61–9 R 54–16IllinoisSenateR 32–27 D 32–26–1House of RepresentativesD 62–56 D 66–52IndianaSenateR 32–18 R 32–18House of RepresentativesD 53–47 D 51–49IowaSenateR 30–20 R 29–21House of RepresentativesR 56–44 R 54–46 KansasHouse of RepresentativesR 79–46 R 80–45KentuckySenateR 20–18 R 21–17House of RepresentativesD 64–36 D 65–35MaineSenateD 17–17–1 D 18–17House of RepresentativesD 88–62–1 D 80–67–3–1MarylandSenateD 32–15 D 33–14House of DelegatesD 106–35 D 98–43MassachusettsSenateD 34–6 D 34–6House of RepresentativesD 137–23 D 135–23–1MichiganSenateR 23–15 R 22–16House of RepresentativesR 58–52 R 63–47MinnesotaSenateD 39–27–1 D 35–31–1House of RepresentativesR 69–65 R 81–53MissouriSenateR 18–16 R 20–14House of RepresentativesD 87–76 R 90–73MontanaSenateR 31–19 R 29–21House of RepresentativesR 58–42 R 53–47NevadaSenateR 12–9 R 13–8AssemblyD 27–15 D 23–19New HampshireSenateR 13–11 R 18–6House of RepresentativesR 256–144 R 278–122 New MexicoHouse of RepresentativesD 42–28 D 43–27New YorkState SenateR 36–25 R 37–25State AssemblyD 98–52 D 102–48North CarolinaSenateD 35–15 D 28–22House of RepresentativesD 62–58 60–60North DakotaSenateR 32–17 R 31–16House of RepresentativesR 69–29 R 66–28OhioSenateR 21–12 R 22–11House of RepresentativesR 60–39 R 62–37OklahomaSenateD 30–18 D 28–20House of RepresentativesD 53–48 D 53–48OregonState SenateR 16–14 15–15House of RepresentativesR 32–27–1 R 35–25PennsylvaniaState SenateR 30–20 R 29–21House of RepresentativesR 104–99 R 110–93Rhode IslandSenateD 44–6 D 32–6House of RepresentativesD 85–15 D 63–11–1 South CarolinaHouse of RepresentativesR 71–53 R 73–51South DakotaSenateR 24–11 R 26–9House of RepresentativesR 50–20 R 49–21TennesseeSenateD 18–15 D 18–15House of RepresentativesD 58–41 D 54–45TexasSenateR 16–15 R 19–12House of RepresentativesD 78–72 R 88–62UtahState SenateR 20–9 R 22–7House of RepresentativesR 51–24 R 56–19VermontSenateD 16–14 D 19–11House of RepresentativesR 83–62–4–1 R 73–70–4–3WashingtonState SenateD 25–24 R 25–24House of RepresentativesD 50–48 D 52–46West VirginiaSenateD 28–6 D 24–10House of DelegatesD 75–25 D 68–32WisconsinSenateD 18–15 R 18–15State AssemblyR 56–43 R 58–41WyomingSenateR 20–10 R 20–10House of RepresentativesR 46–14 R 45–15
Maps
State summaries Alabama
All of the seats of the Alabama House of Representatives and half of the Alabama Senate were up for election. Democrats maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Alabama SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic2425 1Republican1110 1Total3535 +Alabama House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic6763 4Republican3842 4Total105105
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 SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican1412 2Democratic68 2Total2020
+Alaska House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican2727Democratic1313Total4040
Arizona
All of the seats of the Arizona Legislature were up for election. Republicans maintained control of the House and gained control of the Senate. +Arizona SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican1217 23Democratic1513 2Total3030 +Arizona House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican3639 3Democratic2421 3Total6060
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 RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic7270 2Republican2830 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 SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic2625 1Republican1415 1Total4040 +California State AssemblyPartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic5048 2Republican3032 2Total8080
Colorado
All of the seats of the Colorado House of Representatives and half of the Colorado Senate were up for election. Republicans won control of the Senate and maintained control of the House +Colorado SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican1718 1Democratic1817 1Total3535 +Colorado House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican3837 1Democratic2728 1Total6565
Connecticut
All of the seats of the Connecticut Legislature were up for election. Democrats maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Connecticut SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic2121Republican1515Total3636 +Connecticut House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeDemocratic10094 6Republican5157 6Total151151
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 RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican2629 3Democratic1512 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 SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican2526 1Democratic1514 1Total4040 +Florida House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican7781 4Democratic4339 4Total120120
Georgia
All of the seats of the Georgia Legislature were up for election. Republicans gained control of the Senate due to post-election party switching, while Democrats maintained control of the House. +Georgia State SenatePartyBeforeAfterChangeRepublican2430 6Democratic3226 6Total5656