State legislative special elections, 2023
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State legislative elections Gubernatorial elections • Ballot measures |
In 2023, 53 state legislative special elections were scheduled in 21 states. Between 2011 and 2022, an average of 68 special elections took place each year. See the sections below for additional information on state legislative special elections in 2023.
- Causes: This section provides information on why special elections are held.
- Partisan control: This section provides information on the impact of special elections on the partisan composition of state legislatures.
- Special elections by date: This section lists all special elections held in 2023 in the order they were held.
- Historical data: This section contains data on special elections going back to 2010.
Causes
In 2023, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:
- 10 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
- 32 due to resignation
- 9 due to the death of the incumbent
- 2 due to removal from office
Partisan control
The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:
- 33 Democratic seats
- 20 Republican seats
As of December 1st, 2024, Republicans controlled 55% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 44.12%. Republicans held a majority in 56 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 41 chambers. Two chambers (Alaska House and Alaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions.
Partisan balance of all 7,386 state legislative seats | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Legislative chamber | Other | Vacant | ||||||
State senates | 837 | 1,117 | 3 | 16 | ||||
State houses | 2,421 | 2,944 | 19 | 29 | ||||
Total: | 3,258
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4,061
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22
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45 |
Noteworthy special elections
Special elections by date
Vacancies
Partisan breakdown of vacancies
- See also: State legislative vacancies, 2023
In 2023, there were 155 state legislative vacancies in 44 states.
The process for filling vacancies varies among the state legislatures. Twenty-five states fill vacancies in the state legislature through special elections. Twenty-one states fill vacancies through appointments, and four states fill vacancies through a hybrid system that uses both appointments and special elections. The most common reasons for a state legislative vacancy include officeholders resigning, dying, leaving for a new job, being elected or appointed to a different office, or receiving a legal conviction.
The table below details the partisan breakdown for state legislative vacancies in 2023. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party held after the special elections and appointments took place.
Partisan breakdown of the vacancies (2023) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of vacancy | After vacancy | |
Democratic Party | |||
Republican Party | |||
Independent | |||
Total | 155 | 154 |
Seats that changed party control
The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2023. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections.
Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not the total number of vacant seats.
Partisan Change from Special Elections (2023) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of Special Election | After Special Election | |
Democratic Party | 33 | 33 | |
Republican Party | 20 | 20 | |
Independent | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 53 | 53 |
Flipped seats
In 2023, four seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.
Seats flipped from D to R
- Maine House of Representatives District 45 (June 13)
- Massachusetts State Senate Worcester & Hampshire District (November 8)
Seats flipped from R to D
- Virginia State Senate District 7 (January 10)
- New Hampshire House of Representatives District Rockingham 1 (September 19)
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 | ||||||||
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Year | Total elections held | Vacancies before elections | Seats held after elections | Net change | ||||
Democrats | Republicans | Minor party | Democrats | 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
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 | |||||
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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 |
Click here to see a list of all state legislative seats that have changed partisan control in special elections since 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Days between vacancies and elections by year
The following table tracks the gap between when state legislative vacancies occurred and special elections were held from 2012 through November 15, 2024:
See also
- State legislative elections, 2023
- State legislative elections, 2022
- State legislative elections, 2021
- State legislative elections, 2020
- State legislative elections, 2019
- State legislative elections, 2018
- State legislative special elections, 2022
- State legislative special elections, 2021
- State legislative special elections, 2020
- State legislative special elections, 2019
- State legislative special elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ New Hampshire Bulletin, "Citing poor health, Nottingham Republican House member steps down," April 26, 2023
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Democrats flip key New Hampshire seat, putting them inches from erasing GOP's majority," September 19, 2023
- ↑ Facebook, "Rafter for State Representative," August 4, 2023
- ↑ Elect James Guzofski State Representatives, "Continuing Service To Our Community," accessed August 14, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Daily Kos, "How the New Hampshire House could wind up in an exact tie between Democrats and Republicans," May 31, 2023
- ↑ pennlive.com, "Schlegel Culver seated in Pa. Senate, leaving House with an open seat," February 28, 2023
- ↑ Montour County, "Office of the County Commissioners," accessed May 1, 2023
- ↑ Trevor Finn State Representative, "Home," accessed May 7, 2023
- ↑ The Daily Item, "Four elected to board at Shikellamy," November 2, 2021
- ↑ Michael Stender State House, "Home," accessed April 2, 2023
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania, "Libertarians Enter Special Elections For 108th & 163rd," March 30, 2023
- ↑ Spotlight PA, "Pa. House lawmaker accused of sexual harassment says he will resign," March 8, 2023
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Twitter, "PA House Dems," March 27, 2023
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Politics PA, "Delco GOP Picks Ford As Candidate For HD-163," March 24, 2023
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Alfeia DeVaughn- Goodwin, Ph.D., MPHL, MAR.," accessed April 19, 2023
- ↑ CNalysis, "2020 Presidential by 2020s Legislative Districts," accessed April 2, 2023
- ↑ pennlive.com, "Schlegel Culver seated in Pa. Senate, leaving House with an open seat," February 28, 2023
- ↑ Montour County, "Office of the County Commissioners," accessed May 1, 2023
- ↑ Trevor Finn State Representative, "Home," accessed May 7, 2023
- ↑ The Daily Item, "Four elected to board at Shikellamy," November 2, 2021
- ↑ Michael Stender State House, "Home," accessed April 2, 2023
- ↑ Spotlight PA, "Pa. House lawmaker accused of sexual harassment says he will resign," March 8, 2023
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Alfeia DeVaughn- Goodwin, Ph.D., MPHL, MAR.," accessed April 19, 2023
- ↑ CNalysis, "2020 Presidential by 2020s Legislative Districts," accessed April 2, 2023
- ↑ Wavy.com, "Democrat Rouse defeats GOP’s Adams in 7th District Va. Senate race," January 10, 2023
- ↑ WRIC, "Special election to fill Kiggans’ Virginia Senate seat set for Jan. 10," November 15, 2022
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Want to keep on winning? We have the chance for a huge flip in Virginia next month," December 7, 2022
- ↑ 13 News Now, "Aaron Rouse will run for Virginia Senate seat held by Jen Kiggans," November 14, 2022
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Aaron Rouse, "Priorities," accessed December 20, 2022
- ↑ Wavy, "Rouse, Adams running to fill Va. State Senate seat vacated by Kiggans," November 14, 2022
- ↑ Kevin Adams 2022 campaign website, "My Platform," accessed December 11, 2022
- ↑ Wisconsin Examiner, "Knodl to win tight race for Senate seat, securing Republican supermajority," April 5, 2023
- ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Sen. Alberta Darling Is Retiring," November 26, 2022
- ↑ Jodi Habush Sinykin For State Senate, "Get Involved!" accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ Knodl For State Senate, "Welcome," accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Candidates running for special elections in Virginia are selected through firehouse primaries administered by each political party.
- ↑ This contest was between the candidates who tied in the general election on November 8, 2022.
- ↑ The special election was called for January 9, 2024, but the election was won outright in the primary runoff on October 24, 2023.
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