How Many State Legislatures Are Republican Controlled 2018

The Kentucky House, which will take a Republican majority in 2017 for the first time in almost a century. (AP photograph)

(CNSNews.com) – Republicans added to their historic 2014 gains in the nation'due south state legislatures with the addition of five state Business firm chambers and two state Senate chambers in final week's election, while Democratic control was reduced to levels not seen since the Ceremonious War.

Republicans are at present in control of a record 67 (68 pct) of the 98 partisan state legislative chambers in the nation, more than twice the number (31) in which Democrats accept a bulk, co-ordinate to the bipartisan National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

"That'south more than at any other time in the history of the Republican Party," according to NCSL. "They also concord more full seats, well over 4,100 of the seven,383, than they have since 1920."

Side by side year, the GOP will control both legislative chambers in 32 states - an all-time high, co-ordinate to NCSL - while Democrats will have total command of just 13 state legislatures.

In 24 of the 32 states with Republican-controlled legislatures, voters have also elected Republican governors. In dissimilarity, Democrats have a "political trifecta" in only six states.

Since 2009, when President Obama took part, his party has lost a total of 919 seats in state legislatures nationwide, according to NCSL information.

In 2009, Democrats had full control of 27 state legislatures, and held a majority in at least i chamber in 8 more states where power was divided. In dissimilarity, Republicans controlled just xiv land legislatures.

During Obama's first year in function, Democrats held 1,024 of the ane,971 total state Senate seats in the nation, compared to 889 in Republican hands. They also held 3,058 of the total 5,411 state House seats, compared to ii,334 for Republicans.

In addition, at that place were 28 Democratic governors, compared to 22 Republican governors.

Nonetheless, near the end of Obama's two terms in role, the partisan remainder in the nation's country legislatures has been completely reversed.

As of Nov. vii, 2016, there are simply 823 Democratic state senators out of a total of 1,972 seats nationwide, according to NCSL data. Meanwile, Republicans take increased their ranks to 1,089.

Also, of the v,411 country House seats, at that place are now three,029 Republicans compared to 2,340 Democrats – a mirror prototype of both parties' condition in 2009.

(Source: National Conference of State Legislatures)

The Democrats' prior advantage in the nation'due south governors' mansions when Obama took office has also been lost. There are currently 31 Republican governors, eighteen Autonomous governors and 1 Independent (Gov. Bill Walker of Alaska).

"Republicans grabbed more of America's statehouses and governors' mansions during the Obama administration than at any time in the modern era," the Washington Post's Amber Phillips reported.

Last week's celebrated flip of the Kentucky House - the last Democrat-controlled legislative bedchamber in the Due south - to Republican hands for the first fourth dimension in nearly 100 years underscores the point.

In 2010, Democrats in the Kentucky House held a solid 65-35 majority. Six years later, the GOP at present has a supermajority, and will control 62 of the chamber's 100 seats.

"Democrats are now basically extinct in the Southward," Phillips noted.

"Republicans bested expectations," said Dan Diorio, a policy expert at NCSL. "Having already reached the elevation of control in party history, Republicans will maintain a similar level of control in a twelvemonth when many expected Democrats to net seats and chambers."

"Anyone who said that Donald Trump was going to be a drag on downwardly-ticket races is certainly eating their words right now," Lisa Nelson, CEO of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) told CNSNews.com.

"When I talk to the states, well-nigh of them say they picked up state Senate or House seats considering of Donald Trump. And I think that's because of the forgotten man or woman people are talking about, who hadn't shown upward to vote in the past."

Although most of the mainstream media failed to predict that Trump would win, those following state legislative races were not surprised by his victory, Nelson added.

"People in usa saw this race tightening hands a week before the election. In particular, I was talking to somebody in Wisconsin who said they were going to selection upwards seats considering of Donald Trump on the ticket, and sure plenty they did," she told CNSNews. "A lot of those voters 'came domicile' in the last week or two. They were talking, but a lot of the media wasn't listening."

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