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Political party strength in U.S. states

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The following table shows all the U.S. states and to what party (Democratic or Republican) their state governors belong. Also indicated is the majority party of the state legislatures' upper and lower houses. (Nebraska's legislature has only one house and is officially non-partisan, though party affiliation still has an unofficial influence on the legislative process.)

Throughout most of the 20th century, although the Republican party often held power at a national level, the Democratic party held almost uncontested power at the state level, especially in the solid South, where the Republican party was virtually nonexistent. (For much of the 20th century, North Dakota was a one-party Republican state, the only one in the country.)

However, in the 1970s and 1980s, the Republicans slowly increased their strength in the state legislatures, especially in the South, where the increasingly Republican party took the place of the Democrats, who had been tainted by their party's support for the Civil Rights Movement starting in the 1940s. In the 1990s, the Republicans finally overtook the Democrats in holding majorities in statehouses and governorships.

The Republican lead, however, is based on a slim majority overall, with Democrats holding 3,626 elected seats, only 58 fewer than the Republicans' 3,684.

Current Party Strength

State Governor Upper House Majority Lower House Majority
Alabama
Republican
Democratic 25-10
Democratic 63-42
Alaska
Republican
Republican 12-8
Republican 26-14
Arizona
Democratic
Republican 18-12
Republican 38-22
Arkansas
Republican
Democratic 27-8
Democratic 72-28
California
Republican
Democratic 25-15
Democratic 48-32
Colorado
Republican
Democratic 18-17
Democratic 35-30
Connecticut
Republican
Democratic 24-12
Democratic 99-52
Delaware
Democratic
Democratic 13-8
Republican 26-15
Florida
Republican
Republican 26-14
Republican 84-36
Georgia
Republican
Republican 33-23
Republican 99-81
Hawaii
Republican
Democratic 20-5
Democratic 41-10
Idaho
Republican
Republican 28-7
Republican 57-13
Illinois
Democratic
Democratic 31-27-1
Democratic 65-53
Indiana
Republican
Republican 33-17
Republican 52-48
Iowa
Democratic
Democratic 25-25
Republican 51-49
Kansas
Democratic
Republican 30-10
Republican 83-42
Kentucky
Republican
Republican 23-15
Democratic 57-43
Louisiana
Democratic
Democratic 24-15
Democratic 68-36-1
Maine
Democratic
Democratic 18-17
Democratic 76-73-2
Maryland
Republican
Democratic 33-14
Democratic 98-43
Massachusetts
Republican
Democratic 34-6
Democratic 139-20-1
Michigan
Democratic
Republican 22-16
Republican 58-52
Minnesota
Republican
Democratic 35-31-1
Republican 68-66
Mississippi
Republican
Democratic 28-24
Democratic 75-47
Missouri
Republican
Republican 23-11
Republican 97-66
Montana
Democratic
Democratic 27-23
Republican 50-50
Nebraska
Republican
Republican 34-13-2

Non-partisan unicameral
Nevada
Republican
Republican 12-9
Democratic 26-16
New Hampshire
Democratic
Republican 16-8
Republican 253-147
New Jersey
Democratic
Democratic 22-18
Democratic 47-33
New Mexico
Democratic
Democratic 23-19
Democratic 42-28
New York
Republican
Republican 34-27-1?
Democratic 104-46
North Carolina
Democratic
Democratic 29-21
Democratic 63-57
North Dakota
Republican
Republican 32-15
Republican 66-26-2?
Ohio
Republican
Republican 22-11
Republican 60-39
Oklahoma
Democratic
Democratic 26-22
Republican 57-44
Oregon
Democratic
Democratic 18-12
Republican 33-27
Pennsylvania
Democratic
Republican 30-20
Republican 110-93
Rhode Island
Republican
Democratic 33-5
Democratic 59-16
South Carolina
Republican
Republican 27-19
Republican 74-50
South Dakota
Republican
Republican 25-10
Republican 51-19
Tennessee
Democratic
Republican 17-16
Democratic 53-46
Texas
Republican
Republican 19-12
Republican 87-63
Utah
Republican
Republican 21-8
Republican 56-19
Vermont
Republican
Democratic 21-9
Democratic 83-60-7
Virginia
Democratic
Republican 24-16
Republican 61-37-2
Washington
Democratic
Democratic 26-23
Democratic 55-43
West Virginia
Democratic
Democratic 21-13
Democratic 68-32
Wisconsin
Democratic
Republican 19-14
Republican 60-39
Wyoming
Democratic
Republican 23-7
Republican 46-14

Totals

Governor

  • Democratic: 21
  • Republican: 28
  • Undecided: 1

Upper House Majority

  • Democratic: 25 (949 seats)
  • Republican: 25 (966 seats)
  • 3 seats undecided

Lower House Majority

  • Democratic: 24 (2,709 seats)
  • Republican: 25 (2,686 seats)
  • No lower house: 1
  • 2 seats undecided

Regional Breakdowns

Because local and regional political circumstances often have an influence on party strength, it can be interesting to analyze party strength on a regional basis.

Governor Upper
Governor's Party Upper House majority
Lower
Lower House majority

Historical Party Strength

The following table shows how many legislatures were controlled outright by each party.

Year Democrats Republicans Split
2005 19 20 10
2004 17 21 11
2003 16 21 12
2002 18 17 14
2000 16 18 15
1998 20 17 12
1996 20 18 11
1994 18 19 12
1992 25 8 16
1990 30 6 13
1988 29 8 12
1986 28 9 12
1984 26 11 12
1982 34 11 4
1980 29 15 5
1978 31 11 7
1976 35 4 10
1974 37 4 8
1972 26 16 7
1970 23 16 9
1968 20 20 8
1966 23 16 9
1964 32 6 10
1962 25 17 6
1960 27 15 6
1958 30 7 11
1956 22 19 5
1954 19 20 7
1952 16 26 4
1950 19 21 6
1948 19 16 11
1946 17 25 4
1944 19 24 3
1942 19 24 3
1940 21 17 8
1938 21 19 6

See also: