Attorney General elections, 2022

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As a result of the 2022 elections, the partisan composition of state attorneys general was 27 Republicans and 23 Democrats. In three states—Arizona, Iowa, and Vermont—the office changed party control, resulting in a net gain of one office for Democrats and a net loss of one office for Republicans.

All 50 states have an attorney general who serves as the state's chief legal officer. The attorney general is responsible for enforcing state law and advising the state government on legal matters. In many states, attorneys general play a large role in the law enforcement process. Seventeen states impose some form of term limits on attorneys general.

Voters decided who would control 34 of 50 state attorney general offices on November 8. Thirty offices were up for election, and four offices’ appointment authorities were on the ballot. Before the election, the nationwide partisan balance of attorneys general was 22 Democrats and 28 Republicans.

In addition, two U.S. territories held elections for attorney general in 2022: Guam and Northern Mariana Islands.

Ballotpedia considered the following states' attorney general elections to be battlegrounds: Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin.

A state government triplex describes when one political party holds the following three positions in a state's government: governor, attorney general, and secretary of state.


Partisan balance

The following chart displays the number of attorney general offices held by each party as of the 2022 elections and immediately after the elections took place.

U.S. attorneys general partisan breakdown
Party As of November 2022 After the 2022 elections
     Democratic Party 22 23 (+1)
     Republican Party 28 27 (-1)
Total 50 50

Historical control

In 1977, the Democratic Party held a total of 27 elected attorney general offices to the Republican Party's 16. The Democratic lead in attorney general offices would be maintained through the 1990s, as opposed to the other three top executive offices, which became majority-Republican following the 1994 midterm elections. In the 2010 midterm elections, the Republican Party gained a lead in elected attorney general offices, with 22 elected attorneys general to the Democrats' 21. The Democratic victory in the 2013 Virginia election for attorney general caused the party to briefly regain a 22-21 majority of elected attorney general offices. This lead was lost in the 2014 midterm elections. After that point, the Republican Party continued to grow its majority control of elected attorney general offices.

List of attorney general elections

There were 16 Democratic-held attorney general offices and 14 Republican-held attorney general offices on the ballot in 2022. The table below shows which states held attorney general elections in 2022.

Attorney General elections, 2022
State Incumbent Incumbent running? Election winner Last time office flipped 2020 presidential result 2018 attorney general result[1] 2022 election result
Alabama Republican Party Steve Marshall Yes Republican Party Steve Marshall 1994 R+25.4 R+17.7 R+36.0
Arizona Republican Party Mark Brnovich No Democratic Party Kris Mayes 2010 D+0.3 R+3.4 D+0.0
Arkansas Republican Party Leslie Rutledge No Republican Party Tim Griffin 2014 R+27.6 R+26.4 R+35.2
California Democratic Party Rob Bonta Yes Democratic Party Rob Bonta 1998 D+29.2 D+27.2 D+18.2
Colorado Democratic Party Phil Weiser Yes Democratic Party Phil Weiser 2018 D+13.5 D+6.5 D+11.7
Connecticut Democratic Party William Tong Yes Democratic Party William Tong 1958 D+20.1 D+6.0 D+15.6
Delaware Democratic Party Kathy Jennings Yes Democratic Party Kathy Jennings 2005 D+18.9 D+22.6 D+7.6
Florida Republican Party Ashley B. Moody Yes Republican Party Ashley B. Moody 2002 R+3.3 R+6.0 R+21.2
Georgia Republican Party Chris Carr Yes Republican Party Chris Carr 2010 D+0.2 R+2.6 R+5.3
Idaho Republican Party Lawrence Wasden Yes Republican Party Raúl Labrador 1994 R+30.7 R+30.8 R+25.2
Illinois Democratic Party Kwame Raoul Yes Democratic Party Kwame Raoul 2002 D+17.0 D+12.0 D+10.0
Iowa Democratic Party Tom Miller Yes Republican Party Brenna Bird 1978 R+8.2 D+53.7 R+1.8
Kansas Republican Party Derek Schmidt No Republican Party Kris Kobach 2010 R+14.6 R+18.0 R+1.6
Maryland Democratic Party Brian Frosh No Democratic Party Anthony Brown 1954 D+33.2 D+29.7 D+30.0
Massachusetts Democratic Party Maura Healey No Democratic Party Andrea Joy Campbell 1968 D+33.5 D+38.9 D+25.2
Michigan Democratic Party Dana Nessel Yes Democratic Party Dana Nessel 2018 D+2.8 D+17.1 D+8.6
Minnesota Democratic Party Keith Ellison Yes Democratic Party Keith Ellison 1970 D+7.1 D+3.9 D+0.8
Nebraska Republican Party Doug Peterson No Republican Party Mike Hilgers 1951 R+19.1 R+100.0 R+39.8
Nevada Democratic Party Aaron Ford Yes Democratic Party Aaron Ford 2018 D+2.4 D+0.4 D+7.9
New Mexico Democratic Party Hector Balderas No Democratic Party Raul Torrez 1990 D+10.8 D+28.4 D+10.6
New York Democratic Party Letitia James Yes Democratic Party Letitia James 1998 D+23.2 D+27.2 D+8.6
North Dakota Republican Party Drew Wrigley Yes Republican Party Drew Wrigley 2000 R+33.3 R+35.4 R+42.2
Ohio Republican Party Dave Yost Yes Republican Party Dave Yost 2010 R+8.1 R+4.4 R+20.8
Oklahoma Republican Party John O’Connor Yes Republican Party Gentner Drummond 2010 R+33.1 R+28.0 R+47.6
Rhode Island Democratic Party Peter Neronha Yes Democratic Party Peter Neronha 1998 D+20.8 D+60.7 D+23.2
South Carolina Republican Party Alan Wilson Yes Republican Party Alan Wilson 1994 R+11.7 R+10.2 R+100.0
South Dakota Republican Party Mark Vargo No Republican Party Marty J. Jackley 1974 R+26.2 R+10.4 R+100.0
Texas Republican Party Ken Paxton Yes Republican Party Ken Paxton 1998 R+5.6 R+3.6 R+9.7
Vermont Democratic Party T.J. Donovan No Democratic Party Charity Clark 1996 D+35.1 D+40.2 D+30.2
Wisconsin Democratic Party Josh Kaul Yes Democratic Party Josh Kaul 2018 D+0.7 D+0.6 D+1.4

Battlegrounds

Ballotpedia identified six of the 30 attorney general elections that took place in 2022 as battlegrounds: Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin.

Of the six, four were in states with Democratic incumbents and two were in states with Republican incumbents. Three took place in states where the incumbent was a member of a different party than the candidate who won the 2020 presidential election in the state.

Battleground map

The following map displays all states that held elections for attorney general in 2022 shaded by the incumbent's or most recent incumbent's political affiliation. Battlegrounds are highlighted in brighter colors. Hover over a state for more information.

Sabato's Crystal Ball 2022 competitive analysis

In September 2022, Sabato's Crystal Ball released an analysis of state attorney general election competitiveness. The analysis grouped 30 races into three categories:

  • Republican seat, not competitive
  • Democratic seat, not competitive
  • Competitive seat

The table below shows how Sabato's Crystal Ball rated each election. Click here to read the full analysis.[2]

Sabato's Crystal Ball 2022 Attorney General election competitiveness
State Incumbent Sabato's Crystal Ball rating Incumbent running?
Alabama Republican Party Steve Marshall Republican seat, not competitive Yes
Arkansas Republican Party Leslie Rutledge Republican seat, not competitive Incumbent is term-limited
Florida Republican Party Ashley B. Moody Republican seat, not competitive Yes
Nebraska Republican Party Doug Peterson Republican seat, not competitive No
North Dakota Republican Party Drew Wrigley Republican seat, not competitive Yes
Ohio Republican Party Dave Yost Republican seat, not competitive Yes
Oklahoma Republican Party John O'Connor Republican seat, not competitive Incumbent defeated in primary
South Carolina Republican Party Alan Wilson Republican seat, not competitive Yes
South Dakota Republican Party Mark Vargo Republican seat, not competitive No
Idaho Republican Party Lawrence Wasden Competitive seat Incumbent defeated in primary
Texas Republican Party Ken Paxton Competitive seat Yes
Georgia Republican Party Chris Carr Competitive seat Yes
Kansas Republican Party Derek Schmidt Competitive seat No
Arizona Republican Party Mark Brnovich Competitive seat Incumbent is term-limited
Iowa Democratic Party Tom Miller Competitive seat Yes
Wisconsin Democratic Party Josh Kaul Competitive seat Yes
Nevada Democratic Party Aaron Ford Competitive seat Yes
Minnesota Democratic Party Keith Ellison Competitive seat Yes
Michigan Democratic Party Dana Nessel Competitive seat Yes
New Mexico Democratic Party Hector Balderas Competitive seat Incumbent is term-limited
Colorado Democratic Party Phil Weiser Competitive seat Yes
California Democratic Party Rob Bonta Democratic seat, not competitive Yes
Connecticut Democratic Party William Tong Democratic seat, not competitive Yes
Delaware Democratic Party Kathy Jennings Democratic seat, not competitive Yes
Illinois Democratic Party Kwame Raoul Democratic seat, not competitive Yes
Maryland Democratic Party Brian Frosh Democratic seat, not competitive No
Massachusetts Democratic Party Maura Healey Democratic seat, not competitive No
New York Democratic Party Letitia James Democratic seat, not competitive Yes
Rhode Island Democratic Party Peter Neronha Democratic seat, not competitive Yes
Vermont Democratic Party T.J. Donovan Democratic seat, not competitive No

Offices that flipped in 2018

See also: Attorney General elections, 2018

In 2018, the previous midterm election year, the same 30 attorney general offices were on the ballot. Democrats gained control of four offices from Republicans.

Attorney general offices that changed party control, 2018 elections
State Pre-election control Post-election control
Colorado Cynthia Coffman Republican Party Phil Weiser Democratic Party
Michigan Bill Schuette Republican Party Dana Nessel Democratic Party
Nevada Adam Laxalt Republican Party Aaron Ford Democratic Party
Wisconsin Brad Schimel Republican Party Josh Kaul Democratic Party

State government triplexes

See also: State government triplexes

A state government triplex is a term to describe when one political party holds the following three positions in a state's government: governor, attorney general, and secretary of state.[3] In states where the attorney general or secretary of state are appointed by the governor, Ballotpedia considers the office to be held by the governor's party for the purposes of defining triplexes.[4]

Important dates and deadlines

The table below lists important dates throughout the 2022 election cycle, including filing deadlines and primary dates.

Primary dates and filing deadlines, 2022
State Primary date Primary runoff date Filing deadline for primary candidates Source
Alabama 5/24/2022 6/21/2022 1/28/2022
2/11/2022 (congressional)
Source
Alaska 8/16/2022 N/A 6/1/2022 Source
Arizona 8/2/2022 N/A 4/4/2022 Source
Arkansas 5/24/2022 6/21/2022 3/1/2022 Source
California 6/7/2022 N/A 3/11/2022 Source
Colorado 6/28/2022 N/A 3/15/2022 Source
Connecticut 8/9/2022 N/A 6/7/2022 Source
Delaware 9/13/2022 N/A 7/12/2022 Source
Florida 8/23/2022 N/A 6/17/2022 Source
Georgia 5/24/2022 6/21/2022 3/11/2022 Source
Hawaii 8/13/2022 N/A 6/7/2022 Source
Idaho 5/17/2022 N/A 3/11/2022 Source
Illinois 6/28/2022 N/A 3/14/2022 Source
Indiana 5/3/2022 N/A 2/4/2022 Source
Iowa 6/7/2022 N/A 3/18/2022 Source
Kansas 8/2/2022 N/A 6/1/2022 Source
Kentucky 5/17/2022 N/A 1/25/2022 Source
Louisiana 11/8/2022 N/A 7/22/2022[5] Source
Maine 6/14/2022 N/A 3/15/2022 Source
Maryland 7/19/2022 N/A 4/15/2022 Source
Massachusetts 9/6/2022 N/A 5/31/2022
6/7/2022 (Congress and statewide office)
Source
Michigan 8/2/2022 N/A 4/19/2022 Source
Minnesota 8/9/2022 N/A 5/31/2022 Source
Mississippi 6/7/2022 6/28/2022 3/1/2022 Source
Missouri 8/2/2022 N/A 3/29/2022 Source
Montana 6/7/2022 N/A 3/14/2022 Source
Nebraska 5/10/2022 N/A 2/15/2022 Source
Nevada 6/14/2022 N/A 3/18/2022 Source
New Hampshire 9/13/2022 N/A 6/10/2022 Source
New Jersey 6/7/2022 N/A 4/4/2022 Source
New Mexico 6/7/2022 N/A 3/24/2022 Source
New York 6/28/2022; 8/23/2022 (congressional and state senate only) N/A 4/7/2022; 6/10/2022 (congressional and state senate only) Source
North Carolina 5/17/2022 7/5/2022 (if no federal office is involved); 7/26/2022 (if a federal office is involved) 3/4/2022 Source
North Dakota 6/14/2022 N/A 4/11/2022 Source
Ohio 5/3/2022 (Congress and statewide offices)
8/2/2022 (state legislative offices)
N/A 2/2/2022 (U.S. House candidates: 3/4/2022) Source
Oklahoma 6/28/2022 8/23/2022 4/15/2022 Source
Oregon 5/17/2022 N/A 3/8/2022 Source
Pennsylvania 5/17/2022 N/A 3/15/2022 (Congress and statewide offices only)
3/28/2022 (state legislative candidates)
Source
Source
Rhode Island 9/13/2022 N/A 7/15/2022 Source
South Carolina 6/14/2022 6/28/2022 3/30/2022 Source
South Dakota 6/7/2022 N/A 3/29/2022 Source
Tennessee 8/4/2022 N/A 4/7/2022 Source
Texas 3/1/2022 5/24/2022 12/13/2021 Source
Utah 6/28/2022 N/A 3/4/2022 Source
Vermont 8/9/2022 N/A 5/26/2022 Source
Virginia[6] 6/21/2022 N/A 4/7/2022 Source
Washington 8/2/2022 N/A 5/20/2022 Source
West Virginia 5/10/2022 N/A 1/29/2022 Source
Wisconsin 8/9/2022 N/A 6/1/2022 Source
Wyoming 8/16/2022 N/A 5/27/2022


The table below lists changes made to election dates and deadlines in the 2022 election cycle. Items are listed in reverse chronological order by date of change, with the most recent change appearing first.

Record of date and deadline changes, 2022
State Date of change Description of change Source
Louisiana 6/6/2022 A federal district court, in striking down the state's congressional redistricting plan, postponed the deadline for candidates qualifying by petition in lieu of paying the filing fee from June 22, 2022, to July 8, 2022. The court's order did not affect the July 22, 2022, deadline for candidates qualifying by paying the filing fee. Source
Ohio 5/28/2022 Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) called for the state legislative primary to be held on August 2, 2022 (the primary was originally scheduled for May 3, 2022). Source
New York 5/10/2022 A federal district court judge affirmed the decision of a state-level judge to postpone the primaries for congressional and state senate offices to August 23, 2022 (the primary was originally scheduled for June 28, 2022). The state court then issued an order establishing new candidate filing deadlines. Source; Source
Pennsylvania 3/16/2022 The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania fixed March 28, 2022, as the filing deadline for General Assembly candidates. Source
Maryland 3/15/2022 The Maryland Court of Appeals postponed the primary election from June 28, 2022, to July 19, 2022. The court also extended the filing deadline from March 22, 2022, to April 15, 2022. Source
Massachusetts 2/14/2022 Governor Charlie Baker (R) signed a bill into law that rescheduled the state's primary election from September 20, 2022, to September 6, 2022. Source
Ohio 5/28/2022 Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), in response to a federal court order, directed that the primary for state legislative offices be held on August 2, 2022. Source
Utah 2/14/2022 Governor Spencer Cox (R) signed SB170 into law, moving the candidate filing deadline to March 4, 2022. The original filing deadline was set for March 11, 2022. Source
Maryland 2/11/2022 The Maryland Court of Appeals extended the candidate filing deadline from February 22, 2022, to March 22, 2022. Source
Pennsylvania 2/9/2022 The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania suspended the candidate filing period for the primary election, pending resolution of a redistricting dispute. The original filing deadline was set for March 8, 2022. The court later fixed March 15, 2022, as the filing deadline for statewide offices and the U.S. Congress. Source
Alabama 1/24/2022 The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama postponed the filing deadline for primary congressional candidates from January 28, 2022, to February 11, 2022. Source
Kentucky 1/6/2022 Governor Andy Beshear (D) signed HB172 into law, extending the filing deadline for partisan candidates from January 7, 2022, to January 25, 2022. Source
North Carolina 12/8/2021 The Supreme Court of North Carolina ordered the postponement of the statewide primary, originally scheduled for March 8, 2022, to May 17, 2022. The court also suspended candidate filing, which subsequently resumed on February 24, 2022, and concluded on March 4, 2022. Source
North Carolina 2/9/2022 The North Carolina State Board of Elections announced that candidate filing, having been suspended by the state supreme court in December 2021, would resume on February 24, 2022, and conclude on March 4, 2022. Source

About the office

See also: Attorney General (state executive office)

The attorney general is an executive office in all 50 states that serves as the chief legal advisor and chief law enforcement officer for the state government and is empowered to prosecute violations of state law, represent the state in legal disputes and issue legal advice to state agencies and the legislature. In most states, the attorney general has a substantial influence on a state's approach to law enforcement. Attorneys general often set particular law enforcement priorities (e.g. drug law, civil rights violations or sexual crime) and focus extra resources on these issues. This puts them, in the words of the National Association of Attorneys General, at the "intersection of law and public policy."[7][8]

Selection process

The attorney general is directly elected in 43 states. The attorney general is appointed by the state Legislature in Maine, by the state Supreme Court in Tennessee, and by the governor in the remaining five states.

Partisan affiliation

Compensation

According to compensation figures for 2022 compiled by the Council of State Governments in the Book of the States, the highest salary for an attorney general is $220,000 in New York, while the lowest is $82,220 in Oregon. To view the compensation of a particular attorney general, hover your mouse over the state.

Initiate local prosecution

In 47 states—all except Connecticut, North Carolina, and Arkansas—the attorney general has the power to initiate prosecution at the local level, although 28 states place limits on this power.[9]

Supersede local prosecution

In 36 states, the attorney general has the power to take over a case handled by a local prosecutor without instructions from the governor or legislature, although this power is restricted to certain cases in 22 of those states. This differs from general power of oversight over legal matters in a state and the ability of some attorneys general to initiate local prosecution or to step in and provide assistance to a local prosecutor without instructions from the governor or legislature. In Alaska and Delaware, the attorney general's office is responsible for handling all local prosecution by default.[9]

Criminal appeals

The attorney general has the power to represent the state in criminal appeals in 46 states, although this power is restricted in five of those states.[9]


Term limits

A total of 17 states impose some form of term limits on attorneys general.


Analysis of state elections

In 2022, 44 states held elections for executive, legislative, or judicial seats, including elections for 88 of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers, 36 gubernatorial offices, and 32 state supreme court seats.

State legislative elections

State Houses-Tile image.png
See also: State legislative elections, 2022

On November 8, 2022, members in 88 of the country's 99 state legislative chambers were up for election across 46 states. These elections were for 6,278 of the country's 7,383 state legislative seats (85%).

Heading into the election, Democrats controlled 36 chambers and Republicans controlled 62. A bipartisan coalition controlled the Alaska House.

As a result of the election:

  • Democrats gained control of four chambers—the Michigan House and Senate, Minnesota Senate, and Pennsylvania House—bringing their total to 40.[10] Wins in Minnesota and Michigan created new Democratic trifectas in those states. Both had previously been divided governments.
  • In Alaska, a bipartisan coalition gained control of the Senate. The coalition in the House changed from being made primarily of Democrats and independents to one made primarily of Republicans.
  • Republicans lost control of five chambers, bringing their total to 57.

Featured analysis

  • State legislative seats that changed party control in 2022: As a result of the Nov. 8, 2022, elections, partisan composition of all 7,386 state legislative seats changed by less than half a percentage point. Democrats had a net loss of six seats, representing 0.1% of all state legislative seats. Republicans had a net gain of 28 seats, representing 0.4% of all state legislative seats.[11] Independents and minor party officeholders had a net loss of 20 seats, representing 0.2% of all state legislative seats.
  • Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 12, 2022: Competitiveness refers to the presence of choice throughout the election cycle. A greater level of competitiveness means voters have the ability to make more decisions. A lower level of competitiveness equals fewer choices. State legislative competitiveness in 2022 reached its highest level compared to all even-year election cycles since 2010. In 2022, the nationwide State Legislative Competitiveness Index is 36.2, beating out 2018 (36.1) and the 2012 post-redistricting cycle (35.2).

More related articles

State executive elections

State-capitol-utah.jpg
See also: State executive official elections, 2022

State executive offices up for election in 2022 included 36 gubernatorial seats, 30 lieutenant gubernatorial seats, 30 attorney general seats, and 27 secretary of state seats. Including down-ballot races, there were 307 state executive seats up for election across 44 states in 2022.[12]

Of the 36 that held elections for governor, four offices changed party hands. Partisan control changed from Republican to Democratic in Arizona, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Partisan control changed from Democratic to Republican in Nevada, where incumbent Governor Steve Sisolak (D) was the only incumbent governor to lose re-election in 2022.

The partisan control of three lieutenant governors' offices changed. The office switched from Democrat to Republican in Nevada and from Republican to Democrat in Maryland and Massachusetts.

The partisan control of two secretary of State offices changed from Republican to Democrat.

In three states—Arizona, Iowa, and Vermont—the office of attorney general changed party control, resulting in a net gain of one office for Democrats and a net loss of one office for Republicans.

Featured analysis

  • Trifecta vulnerability in the 2022 elections: Thirteen state government trifectas were vulnerable in the 2022 elections, according to Ballotpedia's annual trifecta vulnerability ratings. Democrats defended seven vulnerable trifectas and Republicans defended six. A state government trifecta occurs when one party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. At the time of the 2022 elections, there were 37 state government trifectas: 23 Republican trifectas and 14 Democratic trifectas. The remaining 13 states had a divided government where neither party had a trifecta.
  • State government triplexes: Heading into the November 8 elections, there were 23 Republican triplexes, 18 Democratic triplexes, and 9 divided governments where neither party held triplex control. A state government triplex is a term to describe when one political party holds the following three positions in a state's government: governor, attorney general, and secretary of state.[13] In states where the attorney general or secretary of state are appointed by the governor, Ballotpedia considers the office to be held by the governor's party for the purposes of defining triplexes.[14]
  • Annual State Executive Competitiveness Report: Ballotpedia's 2022 study of competitiveness in state executive official elections found that 37.1% of incumbents did not seek re-election, leaving those offices open. This was higher than in 2020 (35.6%) and 2014 (32.7%) but lower than in 2018 (38.6%) and 2016 (45.2%). The decade average for open offices was 37.8%.

More related articles

State judicial elections

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See also: State judicial elections, 2022

A total of 382 appellate court seats were up for election in 2022. This included 84 supreme court seats and 298 intermediate appellate court seats.

In addition, in the U.S. Territories, the Northern Mariana Islands held retention elections for two judges on the Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court in 2022.

Ballotpedia provided coverage of supreme court and intermediate appellate court elections, as well as local trial court elections for judges within the 100 largest cities in the United States as measured by population.

Featured analysis

  • Partisanship of state supreme court judges: In June 2020, Ballotpedia conducted a study into the partisanship of state supreme court justices. The study placed each justice into one of five categories indicating confidence in their affiliations with either the Democratic or Republican Parties. These categories were Strong Democratic, Mild Democratic, Indeterminate, Mild Republican, and Strong Republican.

More related articles


See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. 2020 election for Vermont.
  2. Sabato's Crystal Ball, "The Attorneys General: A Dozen Races Dot the Competitive Landscape," September 14, 2022
  3. Ballotpedia chose to highlight these offices because they are typically the most visible positions in states and serve important administrative functions.
  4. This is because it is very uncommon for an attorney general or secretary of state appointed by a governor to often be in direct conflict with that governor.
  5. A federal district court, in striking down the state's congressional redistricting plan, postponed the deadline for candidates qualifying by petition in lieu of paying the filing fee from June 22, 2022, to July 8, 2022. The court's order did not affect the July 22, 2022, deadline for candidates qualifying by paying the filing fee.
  6. In Virginia, the Democratic and Republican parties form committees to decide on the method of nomination used for congressional races. These non-primary methods of nomination may take place on a date other than the statewide primary.
  7. The National Association of Attorneys General, "Home," accessed March 26, 2013
  8. Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2012," accessed October 17, 2012
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2017 - Attorneys General: Prosecutorial and Advisory Duties," accessed December 3, 2017
  10. In the Pennsylvania House, Democrats won 102 seats but would enter the legislative session with 99 members due to three vacancies: one due to the death of an incumbent and the others due to resignations to assume higher office. Vacancies are filled by special elections. According to CNalysis, all three vacant districts voted for President Joe Biden (D) by margins of more than 15 percentage points in 2020: Learn more here.
  11. This total includes three seats created in Wyoming during the 2020 redistricting process, which affects the net changes before and after the Nov. 8 elections.
  12. Ballotpedia describes the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state as top-ballot state executive offices. Down-ballot state executive offices that exist in all 50 states include superintendent of schools, insurance commissioner, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner, and public service commissioner. Examples of other down-ballot state executive offices include treasurer, auditor, and comptroller.
  13. Ballotpedia chose to highlight these offices because they are typically the most visible positions in states and serve important administrative functions.
  14. This is because it is very uncommon for an attorney general or secretary of state appointed by a governor to often be in direct conflict with that governor.