State legislative special elections, 2011

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2011 State Legislative
Special Elections
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Across the nation, special elections are frequently conducted to fill vacancies in state legislatures. As of 2011, 27 states were using special elections to fill legislative vacancies. In two states, Illinois and Indiana, special elections were used in limited circumstances. In 2011, 95 state legislative seats were filled through special elections in 23 states.

Breakdown of 2011 special elections

The reasons for special elections were as follows:

  • 1 due to a general election tie
  • 4 due to criminal prosecution
  • 14 due to retirement
  • 14 due to legislator's passing
  • 27 due to a legislator's election to or candidacy for another office
  • 35 due to political appointments

The partisan breakdown for vacancies was as follows:

The breakdown of partisan pickups was as follows:

Republican pickup winners:

  1. Fred Mills, Jr. (R) Louisiana State Senate, District 22
  2. Jonathan Perry (R) Louisiana State Senate, District 26
  3. Keiko Orrall (R) Massachusetts House of Representatives, Twelfth Bristol District
  4. Len Suzio (R) Connecticut State Senate, District 13
  5. Noreen Kokoruda (R) Connecticut House of Representatives, District 101
  6. Peter Durant (R) Massachusetts House of Representatives, Sixth Worcester District
  7. Bruce Cozart (R) Arkansas House of Representatives, District 24

Democratic pickup winners:

  1. Jennifer Daler (D) New Hampshire House of Representatives, Hillsborough 4
  2. Peter Leishman (D) New Hampshire House of Representatives, Hillsborough 3
  3. Robert Perry (New Hampshire) (D) New Hampshire House of Representatives, Strafford 3
  4. Steve Doyle (D) Wisconsin State Assembly, District 94

Legend

These symbols denote the status of each special election:

☑ : This election has been decided.
RunoffArrow.jpg : This election has proceeded to a runoff.
☐ : This election has not yet occurred.

Results

The following candidates won a special election in 2011:

  1. Anthony Brindisi (D) New York State Assembly District 116
  2. Antonio Parkinson (D) Tennessee House of Representatives, District 98
  3. Audrey Gibson (D) Florida State Senate, District 1
  4. Barbara Watson (Florida) (D) Florida House of Representatives, District 103
  5. Becky Duncan Massey (R) Tennessee State Senate, District 6
  6. Beth Gaines (R) California State Assembly District 4
  7. Beth Turner (R) Maine House of Representatives, District 11
  8. Bill Stanley (R) Virginia Senate District 19
  9. Bob Hensgens (R) Louisiana House of Representatives District 47
  10. Bobby Sanchez (D) Connecticut House of Representatives, District 25
  11. Brandon Ellington (D) Missouri House of Representatives, District 41
  12. Bruce Cozart (R) Arkansas House of Representatives, District 24
  13. Carlo Leone (D) Connecticut State Senate District 27
  14. Carly Melin (D) Minnesota House of Representatives, District 5B
  15. Casey Eure (R) Mississippi House of Representatives, District 116
  16. Chad Nimmer (R) Georgia House of Representatives, District 178
  17. Charles Williams (R) Georgia House of Representatives, District 113
  18. Charlie Stallworth (D) Connecticut House of Representatives, District 126
  19. Chris Eaton (D) Minnesota State Senate, District 46
  20. Chris Taylor (Wisconsin) (D) Wisconsin State Assembly, District 48
  21. Chrissy Sommer (R) Missouri House of Representatives, District 15
  22. Cynthia Dill (D) Maine State Senate District 7
  23. Dan Fox (D) Connecticut House of Representatives, District 148
  24. Dan Quart (D) New York State Assembly District 73
  25. Dave Craig (Wisconsin) (R) Wisconsin State Assembly, District 83
  26. David Sessions (R) Alabama House of Representatives District 105
  27. Derrick Simmons (D) Mississippi State Senate, District 12
  28. Dickie Drake (R) Alabama House of Representatives District 45
  29. Duey Stroebel (R) Wisconsin State Assembly, District 60
  30. Edward Southard (R) South Carolina House of Representatives, District 100
  31. Emory West Dunahoo, Jr. (R) Georgia House of Representatives, District 25
  32. Fred Mills, Jr. (R) Louisiana State Senate, District 22
  33. Gordon Helsel (R) Virginia House of Delegates District 91
  34. Greg Childers (R) Oklahoma State Senate, District 43
  35. Greg Gregory (R) South Carolina State Senate, District 16
  36. Greg Habeeb (R) Virginia House of Delegates District 8
  37. Greg Treat (R) Oklahoma State Senate, District 47
  38. Hudson Hallum (D) Arkansas House of Representatives District 54
  39. Jack Whitver (R) Iowa State Senate District 35
  40. James Albis (D) Connecticut House of Representatives, District 99
  41. James Beverly (D) Georgia House of Representatives, District 139
  42. Jeff Hayden (D) Minnesota State Senate, District 61
  43. Jennifer Daler (D) New Hampshire House of Representatives, Hillsborough 4
  44. Jill Billings (D) Wisconsin State Assembly, District 95
  45. Jim Carns (R) Alabama House of Representatives District 48
  46. Joe Verrengia (D) Connecticut House of Representatives, District 20
  47. John Carson (Georgia) (R) Georgia House of Representatives, District 43
  48. John Lawn (D) Massachusetts House of Representatives, Tenth Middlesex District
  49. John Raney (R) Texas House of Representatives, District 14
  50. John Wilkinson (R) Georgia State Senate, District 50
  51. Dustin Hightower (R) Georgia House of Representatives, District 68
  52. Jonathan Perry (R) Louisiana State Senate, District 26
  53. Joni Ernst (R) Iowa State Senate District 48
  54. Jose Oliva (R) Florida House of Representatives, District 110
  55. Joshua Putnam (R) South Carolina House of Representatives, District 10
  56. Judy Morgan (D) Missouri House of Representatives, District 39
  57. Judy Schwank (D) Pennsylvania State Senate, District 11
  58. Keiko Orrall (R) Massachusetts House of Representatives, Twelfth Bristol District
  59. Kerry Roberts (R) Tennessee State Senate, District 18
  60. Kevin Janvrin (R) New Hampshire House of Representatives, Rockingham 14
  61. Kevin Johnson (South Carolina) (D) South Carolina House of Representatives, District 64
  62. Kimberly Monaghan (D) Maine House of Representatives, District 121
  63. Len Suzio (R) Connecticut State Senate, District 13
  64. Liz Mathis (D) Iowa State Senate, District 18
  65. Maria Donatucci (D) Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 185
  66. Mary Jo McGuire (D) Minnesota State Senate, District 66
  67. Michael Simanowitz (D) New York State Assembly District 27
  68. Mike Crane (R) Georgia State Senate District 28
  69. Mike Huval (R) Louisiana House of Representatives District 46
  70. Miriam Paris (D) Georgia State Senate, District 26
  71. Nancy Collins (R) Mississippi State Senate, District 6
  72. Noreen Kokoruda (R) Connecticut House of Representatives, District 101
  73. Oscar Braynon (D) Florida State Senate, District 33
  74. Peter Durant (R) Massachusetts House of Representatives, Sixth Worcester District
  75. Peter Leishman (D) New Hampshire House of Representatives, Hillsborough 3
  76. Phil Miller (D) Connecticut House of Representatives, District 36
  77. Phillip Goldfeder (D) New York State Assembly District 23
  78. Rafael Espinal (D) New York State Assembly, District 54
  79. Raymond Wallace (R) Maine House of Representatives, District 24
  80. Raymond Walter (R) New York State Assembly District 148
  81. Regina Huff (R) Kentucky House of Representatives, District 82
  82. Robert Dickey (R) Georgia House of Representatives, District 136
  83. Robert Perry (New Hampshire) (D) New Hampshire House of Representatives, Strafford 3
  84. Russell Jolly (D) Mississippi State Senate, District 8
  85. Sean Ryan (D) New York State Assembly District 144
  86. Shalonn Curls (D) Missouri State Senate, District 9
  87. Sharon Runner (R) California State Senate, District 17
  88. Steve Doyle (D) Wisconsin State Assembly, District 94
  89. Ted Gaines (R) California State Senate, District 1
  90. Ted Lieu (D) California State Senate District 28
  91. Terry Gerratana (D) Connecticut State Senate, District 6
  92. Terry Rogers (R) Georgia House of Representatives, District 10
  93. Tracy McCreery (independent) Missouri House of Representatives District 83
  94. Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D) Massachusetts House of Representatives, Third Berkshire District
  95. Wesley Bishop (D) Louisiana House of Representatives, District 101

Special elections by date

2011 state legislative special elections
Office Former incumbent Primary election date General election date
California State Senate District 1 Dave Cox (R) N/A January 4, 2011
Iowa State Senate District 48 Kim Reynolds (R) N/A January 4, 2011
Mississippi State Senate District 6 Patrick Nunnelee (R) N/A January 11, 2011
Mississippi House of Representatives District 116 Steven Palazzo (R) N/A January 11, 2011
Oklahoma State Senate District 47 Todd Lamb (R) N/A January 11, 2011
Virginia State Senate District 19 Robert Hurt (R) N/A January 11, 2011
Virginia House of Delegates District 8 Morgan Griffith (R) N/A January 11, 2011
Iowa State Senate District 35 Larry Noble (R) N/A January 18, 2011
Louisiana State Senate District 22 Troy Hebert (I) N/A January 22, 2011
Louisiana State Senate District 22 Cedric Richmond (D) N/A January 22, 2011
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 185 Robert Donatucci (D) N/A February 1, 2011
Georgia House of Representatives District 136 Tony Sellier (R) N/A February 15, 2011
Georgia House of Representatives District 178 Mark Williams (R) N/A February 15, 2011
Minnesota House of Representatives District 5B Anthony Sertich (D) February 1, 2011 February 15, 2011
California State Senate District 28 Jenny Oropeza (D) N/A February 15, 2011
California State Senate District 17 George Runner (R) N/A February 15, 2011
Louisiana State Senate District 26 Nick Gautreaux (D) N/A February 19, 2011
Connecticut State Senate District 6 Donald DeFronzo (D) N/A February 22, 2011
Connecticut State Senate District 13 Thomas Gaffey (D) N/A February 22, 2011
Connecticut State Senate District 27 Andrew McDonald (D) N/A February 22, 2011
Connecticut House of Representatives District 20 David D. McCluskey (D) N/A February 22, 2011
Connecticut House of Representatives District 25 John C. Geragosian (D) N/A February 22, 2011
Connecticut House of Representatives District 36 James Field Spallone (D) N/A February 22, 2011
Connecticut House of Representatives District 99 Michael Lawlor (D) N/A February 22, 2011
Connecticut House of Representatives District 101 Deborah Heinrich (D) N/A February 22, 2011
Connecticut House of Representatives District 126 Christopher Caruso (D) N/A February 22, 2011
Missouri State Senate District 9 Yvonne Wilson (D) N/A February 22, 2011
Florida State Senate District 33 Frederica Wilson (D) February 8, 2011 March 1, 2011
Florida House of Representatives District 103 Oscar Braynon (D) February 8, 2011 March 1, 2011
Mississippi State Senate District 12 Johnnie Walls (D) N/A March 1, 2011
Maine House of Representatives District 11 Everett McLeod, Sr. (R) N/A March 1, 2011
Tennessee State Senate District 18 Diane Black (R) January 20, 2011 March 8, 2011
Tennessee House of Representatives District 98 Ulysses Jones, Jr. (D) January 20, 2011 March 8, 2011
Virginia House of Delegates District 91 Tom Gear (R) N/A March 8, 2011
Arkansas House of Representatives District 24 Rick Saunders (D) N/A March 8, 2011
Pennsylvania State Senate District 11 Michael O'Pake (D) N/A March 15, 2011
Louisiana House of Representatives District 46 Fred Mills, Jr. (R) N/A April 2, 2011
South Carolina House of Representatives District 64 Cathy Harvin (D) February 15, 2011 April 5, 2011
South Carolina State Senate District 16 Michael Mulvaney (R) February 22, 2011 April 12, 2011
Connecticut House of Representatives District 148 Carlo Leone (D) N/A April 12, 2011
Minnesota State Senate District 66 Ellen Anderson (D) March 29, 2011 April 12, 2011
Louisiana House of Representatives District 47 Jonathan Perry (R) N/A April 30, 2011
California State Assembly District 4 Ted Gaines (R) March 8, 2011 May 3, 2011
Wisconsin State Assembly District 60 Mark Gottlieb (R) April 5, 2011 May 3, 2011
Wisconsin State Assembly District 83 Scott Gunderson (R) N/A May 3, 2011
Wisconsin State Assembly District 94 Mike Huebsch (R) April 5, 2011 May 3, 2011
Maine State Senate District 7 Lawrence Bliss (D) N/A May 10, 2011
Massachusetts House of Representatives Tenth Middlesex District Peter Koutoujian (D) April 12, 2011 May 10, 2011
Massachusetts House of Representatives Sixth Worcester District Geraldo Alicea (D) April 12, 2011 May 10, 2011
Alabama House of Representatives District 105 Spencer Collier (R) March 22, 2011 May 10, 2011
New Hampshire House of Representatives District Hillsborough 4 Robert Mead (R) N/A May 17, 2011
Georgia House of Representatives District 113 Hank Huckaby (R) N/A June 21, 2011
Florida House of Representatives District 110 Esteban Bovo, Jr. (R) May 24, 2011 June 28, 2011
Arkansas House of Representatives District 54 Fred Smith (D) N/A July 12, 2011
Georgia State Senate District 26 Robert Brown (D) N/A July 19, 2011
Georgia House of Representatives District 139 David Lucas, Sr. (D) N/A July 19, 2011
New Hampshire House of Representatives District Strafford 3 Martin Harty (R) June 7, 2011 August 9, 2011
Wisconsin State Assembly District 48 Joseph Parisi (D) July 12, 2011 August 9, 2011
Maine House of Representatives District 121 Cynthia Dill (D) N/A August 16, 2011
Alabama House of Representatives District 48 Greg Canfield (R) N/A August 30, 2011
South Carolina House of Representatives District 10 Daniel Cooper (R) July 12, 2011 August 30, 2011
New Hampshire House of Representatives District Rockingham 14 Gary Wheaton (R) July 5, 2011 August 30, 2011
New York State Assembly District 23 Audrey Pheffer (D) N/A September 13, 2011
New York State Assembly District 27 Nettie Mayersohn (D) N/A September 13, 2011
New York State Assembly District 54 Darryl Towns (D) N/A September 13, 2011
New York State Assembly District 73 Jonathan Bing (D) N/A September 13, 2011
New York State Assembly District 116 RoAnn Destito (D) N/A September 13, 2011
New York State Assembly District 144 Sam Hoyt (D) N/A September 13, 2011
Georgia House of Representatives District 43 Bobby Franklin (R) N/A September 20, 2011
Massachusetts House of Representatives Twelfth Bristol District Stephen Canessa (D) August 23, 2011 September 20, 2011
New Hampshire House of Representatives District Hillsborough 3 Robert Huxley (R) N/A September 20, 2011
South Carolina House of Representatives District 100 C. David Umphlett, Jr. (R) N/A September 27, 2011
Oklahoma State Senate District 43 Jim Reynolds (R) August 9, 2011 October 11, 2011
Florida State Senate District 1 Anthony Hill (D) September 20, 2011 October 18, 2011
Massachusetts House of Representatives Third Berkshire District Christopher Speranzo (D) September 20, 2011 October 18, 2011
Minnesota State Senate District 46 Linda Scheid (D) September 13, 2011 October 18, 2011
Minnesota State Senate District 61 Linda Berglin (D) September 13, 2011 October 18, 2011
Georgia House of Representatives District 10 Rick Austin (R) N/A November 8, 2011
Georgia House of Representatives District 25 James Mills (R) N/A November 8, 2011
Georgia State Senate District 28 Mitch Seabaugh (R) N/A November 8, 2011
Georgia State Senate District 50 Jim Butterworth (R) N/A November 8, 2011
Iowa State Senate District 18 Swati Dandekar (D) N/A November 8, 2011
Maine House of Representatives District 24 Frederick Wintle (R) N/A November 8, 2011
Mississippi State Senate District 8 Carl Gordon (D) N/A November 8, 2011
Missouri House of Representatives District 15 Sally Faith (R) N/A November 8, 2011
Missouri House of Representatives District 39 Jean Peters-Baker (D) N/A November 8, 2011
Missouri House of Representatives District 41 Shalonn Curls (D) N/A November 8, 2011
Missouri House of Representatives District 83 Jake Zimmerman (D) N/A November 8, 2011
New York State Assembly District 148 James Hayes (R) N/A November 8, 2011
Tennessee State Senate District 6 Jamie Woodson (R) September 27, 2011 November 8, 2011
Texas House of Representatives District 14 Fred Brown (R) N/A November 8, 2011
Wisconsin State Assembly District 95 Jennifer Shilling (D) October 11, 2011 November 8, 2011
Alabama House of Representatives District 45 Owen Drake (R) August 30, 2011 November 29, 2011
Georgia House of Representatives District 68 Tim Bearden (R) N/A December 6, 2011
Kentucky House of Representatives District 82 Dewayne Bunch (R) N/A December 20, 2011

Historical data

State breakdown by year

The table below details how many state legislative special elections were held in a state in a given year. From 2010 to 2023, Georgia held the most state legislative special elections with 79. Pennsylvania held the second-most special elections with 65.

Partisan breakdown by year

The average number of special elections per even year between 2011 and 2023 (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022) was 61, while the average per odd year was 80. The most special elections in a single year during that same time frame was 99, which happened in 2018.

The table below details how many state legislative seats changed parties as the result of a special election between 2011 and 2023. The numbers on the left side of the table reflect how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the numbers on the right side of the table show how many vacant seats each party won in special elections.

State legislative special election vacancies and results, 2011-2023
Year Total elections held Vacancies before elections Seats held after elections Net change
Democratic Party Democrats Republican Party Republicans Minor party Democratic Party Democrats Republican Party Republicans Minor party
2023 53 33 20 0 33 20 0 -
2022 54 36 18 0 36 18 0 -
2021 66 33 33 0 33 33 0 -
2020 59 21 38 0 27 32 0 +6 D, -6 R
2019 77 39 38 0 36 40 1 -3 D, +2 R, +1 I
2018 99 42 57 0 50 49 0 +8 D, -8 R
2017 98 45 53 0 56 42 0 +11 D, -11 R
2016* 65 37 28 0 39 24 2 +2 D, -4 R
2015* 89 42 46 1 38 50 1 -4 D, +4 R
2014 40 22 18 0 19 21 0 -3 D, +3 R
2013 84 51 33 0 48 36 0 -3 D, +3 R
2012 46 23 23 0 25 21 0 +2 D, -2 R
2011* 95 49 45 1 46 48 1 -3 D, +3 R
Averages 71 36 35 N/A 37 35 N/A N/A
*Please see the year-specific pages for information regarding minor-party candidates.

Seats that changed partisan control by year

See also: State legislative special election changes in party control since 2010

Current as of January 10, 2024 (updated annually)
Since 2010, 116 state legislative seats have switched partisan control, or flipped, in special elections. The chart below shows the number of special elections that resulted in partisan changes in each year:

Flipped seats in state legislative special elections
Year Total special elections Total flips Democratic flips Republican flips Other flips
2023 53 4 2 2 0
2022 54 2 1 1 0
2021 66 6 3 3 0
2020 59 8 7 1 0
2019 77 8 2 5 1
2018 99 16 12 4 0
2017 98 17 14 3 0
2016 65 9 5 2 2
2015 89 16 5 9 2
2014 40 5 1 4 0
2013 84 7 1 6 0
2012 46 7 5 2 0
2011 95 11 4 6 1
2010 30 0 0 0 0
Total 955 116 62 48 6


See also

Footnotes

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