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2021 United States state legislative elections
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2021 United States state legislative elections were held on November 2, 2021. Three legislative chambers in two states, New Jersey and Virginia, held regularly scheduled elections. These off-year elections coincided with other state and local elections, including gubernatorial elections in both states.
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November 2, 2021
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3 legislative chambers 2 states | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Map of upper house elections: Democrats retained control Special elections held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Map of lower house elections: Democrats retained control Republicans gained control Special elections held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
As a result of the elections, New Jersey retained its Democratic trifecta, while a divided government was established in Virginia, as Republicans won back the lower house of the Virginia legislature, which they lost two years earlier.
Summary table
Regularly scheduled elections were held in 3 of the 99 state legislative chambers in the United States. Nationwide, regularly scheduled elections were held for 220 of the 7,383 legislative seats. This table only covers regularly scheduled elections; additional special elections took place concurrently with these regularly scheduled elections.
| State | Upper House | Lower House | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats up | Total | % up | Term | Seats up | Total | % up | Term | |
| New Jersey | 40 | 40 | 100 | 2 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 2 |
| Virginia | 0 | 40 | 0 | 4 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 2 |
Electoral predictions
Most election predictors use:
- "Tossup": No advantage
- "Tilt": Advantage that is not quite as strong as "lean"
- "Lean": Slight advantage
- "Likely": Significant, but surmountable, advantage
- "Safe" or "Solid": Near-certain chance of victory
| State | PVI[1] | Chamber | Last election |
Sabato Oct. 18, 2021[2] |
Elections Daily Nov. 1, 2021[3][4] |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | D+6 | Senate | D 25–15 | Safe D | Safe D | D 24–16 |
| General Assembly | D 52–28 | Safe D | Safe D | D 46–34 | ||
| Virginia | D+2 | House of Delegates | D 55–45 | Tilt D | Tossup | R 52–48 |
State summaries
New Jersey
Senate results
General Assembly results
All seats of the New Jersey Senate and the New Jersey General Assembly were up for election. One Senator and two Assembly members were elected to two-year terms in each district.[5] Democrats retained majority control in both chambers, but they lost seats in each as well, despite their candidates generally outrunning governor Phil Murphy in the concurrent gubernatorial election.[6] Most stunningly, Senate president Stephen Sweeney lost re-election to a political newcomer who spent less than $2,500 on his campaign.[7]
| Party | Leader | Before | After | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stephen Sweeney (defeated) | 25 | 24 |  1 | |
| Republican | Thomas Kean Jr. (retired) | 15 | 16 |  1 | |
| Total | 40 | 40 | |||
| Party | Leader | Before | After | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Craig Coughlin | 52 | 46 | 6 | |
| Republican | Jon Bramnick (retired) | 28 | 34 | 6 | |
| Total | 80 | 80 | |||
Virginia
All seats of the Virginia House of Delegates are up for election; the Virginia Senate did not hold regularly-scheduled elections in 2021. Delegates are elected to two-year terms in single-member districts. Democrats had recently gained control of the House in 2019; however, they lost their majority to the Republicans in this election.[8][7]
| Party | Leader | Before | After | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Todd Gilbert | 45 | 52 | 7 | |
| Democratic | Eileen Filler-Corn | 55 | 48 | 7 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |||
Special elections
Various states held special elections for legislative districts throughout the year. Neither party made net gains, with Democrats picking up 3 seats in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, New Hampshire House of Representatives, and Maine House of Representatives, while Republicans picked up 3 seats in the Connecticut State Senate, Iowa House of Representatives, and Texas House of Representatives.[9]
Alabama
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| House | 33 | Ronald Johnson | Republican | 1978 | Incumbent died July 14, 2020, of liver cancer.[10] New member elected January 19, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| Senate | 26 | David Burkette | Democratic | 2018 (special) |
Incumbent resigned September 1, 2020, for private reasons.[12] New member elected March 2, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| Senate | 14 | Cam Ward | Republican | 2010 | Incumbent resigned December 7, 2020, to become the Director of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles.[14] New member elected July 13, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| House | 73 | Matt Fridy | Republican | 2014 | Incumbent resigned January 18, 2021, to join the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals.[16] New member elected July 13, 2021. Republican hold. |
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| House | 78 | Kirk Hatcher | Democratic | 2018 | Incumbent resigned March 3, 2021, to join the Alabama Senate.[17][18] New member elected September 7, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
California
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| Senate | 30 | Holly Mitchell | Democratic | 2013 (special) |
Incumbent resigned December 6, 2020, to join the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.[20] New member elected March 2, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| Assembly | 79 | Shirley Weber | Democratic | 2012 | Incumbent resigned January 29, 2021, to become Secretary of State of California.[22] New member elected April 6, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| Assembly | 54 | Sydney Kamlager | Democratic | 2018 (special) |
Incumbent resigned March 11, 2021, to join the State Senate.[24] New member elected May 18, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| Assembly | 18 | Rob Bonta | Democratic | 2012 | Incumbent resigned April 22, 2021, to become Attorney General of California.[26] General election held June 29. New member elected in runoff August 31, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
Connecticut
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| Senate | 27 | Carlo Leone | Democratic | 2011 (special) |
Incumbent resigned January 5, 2021, to become Senior ConnDOT advisor.[28] New member elected March 2, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | 112 | J.P. Sredzinski | Republican | 2014 | Incumbent resigned February 17, 2021, for private reasons.[30] New member elected April 13, 2021. Republican hold. |
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| House | 145 | Patricia Miller | Democratic | 2008 | Incumbent resigned March 8, 2021, to join the State Senate. New member elected April 27, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| Senate | 36 | Alexandra Kasser | Democratic | 2018 | Incumbent resigned June 22, 2021, due to divorce proceedings.[33] New member elected August 17, 2021. Republican gain. |
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| House | 116 | Michael DiMassa | Democratic | 2016 | Incumbent resigned October 25, 2021, after being arrested for wire fraud.[34] New member elected December 14, 2021. Democratic hold. |
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Georgia
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| House | 90 | Pam Stephenson | Democratic | 2004 | Incumbent resigned September 10, 2020, due to dementia.[35] New member elected March 9, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | 34 | Bert Reeves | Republican | 2014 | Incumbent resigned April 30, 2021, to become vice-president of university relations at Georgia Institute of Technology.[37] General election held June 15. New member elected in runoff July 13, 2021. Republican hold. |
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| House | 156 | Greg Morris | Republican | 1998 | Incumbent resigned April 13, 2021, to join the Georgia Department of Transportation.[39] General election held June 15. New member elected in runoff July 13, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| House | 165 | Mickey Stephens | Democratic | 2008 | Incumbent died August 14, 2021, of illness.[41] New member elected November 2, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
Iowa
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| Senate | 41 | Mariannette Miller-Meeks | Republican | 2018 | Incumbent resigned January 2, 2021, to become a U.S. Representative.[42] New member elected January 26, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| House | 37 | John Landon | Republican | 2012 | Incumbent died July 29, 2021, of cancer.[44][45] New member elected September 14, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| House | 29 | Wes Breckenridge | Democratic | 2016 | Incumbent resigned September 10, 2021, to take a job with the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.[47] New member elected October 12, 2021.[48] Republican gain. |
|
| Senate | 1 | Zach Whiting | Republican | 2018 | Incumbent resigned October 30, 2021, to take a job with the Texas Public Policy Foundation.[50] New member elected December 14, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
Kentucky
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| Senate | 22 | Tom Buford | Republican | 1990 | Incumbent died July 6, 2021, of cancer.[51] New member elected November 2, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| House | 51 | John "Bam" Carney | Republican | 2008 | Incumbent died July 17, 2021, of pancreatitis.[52] New member elected November 2, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| House | 89 | Robert Goforth | Republican | 2018 (special) |
Incumbent resigned August 24, 2021, due to domestic assault proceedings.[53] New member elected November 2, 2021. Republican hold. |
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Louisiana
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| House | 82 | Charles Henry | Republican | 2019 | Incumbent resigned January 12, 2021, for private reasons.[54] New member elected April 24, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| Senate | 7 | Troy Carter | Democratic | 2015 | Incumbent resigned May 10, 2021, to become a U.S. Representative.[56] New member elected June 12, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | 102 | Gary Carter Jr. | Democratic | 2015 | Incumbent resigned July 2, 2021, to join the State Senate.[58] New member elected November 13, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | 16 | Frederick D. Jones | Democratic | 2019 | Incumbent resigned July 16, 2021, to become a Fourth Judicial District Court judge.[59] New member elected November 13, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| Senate | 27 | Ronnie Johns | Republican | 2011 | Incumbent resigned July 23, 2021, to become chairman of the Louisiana State Gaming Control Board.[60] New member elected November 13, 2021. Republican hold. |
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Maine
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| Senate | 14 | Shenna Bellows | Democratic | 2016 | Incumbent resigned December 2, 2020, to become Secretary of State of Maine.[61] New member elected March 9, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | 86 | Justin Fecteau | Republican | 2018 | Incumbent resigned July 4, 2021, to take a teaching job outside his district.[63] New member elected November 2, 2021. Democratic gain. |
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Massachusetts
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| House | Suffolk 19 | Robert DeLeo | Democratic | 1990 | Incumbent resigned December 29, 2020, to work at Northeastern University.[64] New member elected March 30, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | Essex 4 | Bradford Hill | Republican | 1998 | Incumbent resigned September 15, 2021, to become a commissioner with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.[66] New member elected November 30, 2021. Democratic gain. |
|
Michigan
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| Senate | 8 | Peter Lucido | Republican | 2018 | Incumbent resigned December 31, 2020, to become Macomb County Prosecutor.[68] New member elected November 2, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| Senate | 28 | Peter MacGregor | Republican | 2014 | Incumbent resigned December 31, 2020, to become Kent County Treasurer.[69] New member elected November 2, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
Mississippi
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| Senate | 32 | Sampson Jackson | Democratic | 1991 | Incumbent resigned June 30, 2021, for private reasons.[70] General election held November 2, 2021 New member elected in runoff November 23. Democratic hold. |
|
| Senate | 38 | Tammy Witherspoon | Democratic | 2015 | Incumbent resigned June 30, 2021, to become mayor of Magnolia.[70] New member elected November 2, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | 29 | Abe Marshall Hudson Jr. | Democratic | 2016 (special) |
Incumbent resigned August 30, 2021, for private reasons.[72] New member elected outright after the November 2, 2021, general election was cancelled. Democratic hold. |
|
Missouri
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| House | 45 | Kip Kendrick | Democratic | 2014 | Incumbent resigned January 6, 2021, to become Senator Greg Razer's chief of staff.[74] New member elected April 6, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
New Hampshire
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| House | Hillsborough 21 | Dick Hinch | Republican | 2008 | Incumbent died December 9, 2020, of COVID-19.[76] New member elected April 13, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| House | Merrimack 23 | Samantha Fox | Democratic | 2018 | Incumbent resigned January 12, 2021, to take a job outside her district.[78] New member elected June 8, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | Hillsborough 7 | David Danielson | Republican | 2012 | Incumbent died May 22, 2021, of cancer.[79] New member elected September 7, 2021. Democratic gain. |
|
| House | Cheshire 9 | Douglas Ley | Democratic | 2012 | Incumbent died June 10, 2021, of cancer.[80] New member elected October 26, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | Rockingham 6 | Anne Copp | Republican | 2020 | Incumbent resigned August 5, 2021, after moving out of her district.[81] New member elected December 7, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
New York
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| Senate | 30 | Brian Benjamin | Democratic | 2017 (special) |
Incumbent resigned September 7, 2021, to become Lieutenant Governor of New York.[82] New member elected November 2, 2021.[83] Democratic hold. |
|
| Assembly | 86 | Victor M. Pichardo | Democratic | 2013 (special) |
Incumbent resigned September 10, 2021, for private reasons.[84] New member elected November 2, 2021.[85] Democratic hold. |
|
Oklahoma
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| Senate | 22 | Stephanie Bice | Republican | 2014 | Incumbent resigned December 31, 2020, to become a U.S. Representative.[87] New member elected April 6, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
Pennsylvania
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| House | 59 | Mike Reese | Republican | 2008 | Incumbent died January 2, 2021, of a brain aneurysm.[89] New member elected May 18, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| Senate | 48 | Dave Arnold | Republican | 2020 (special) |
Incumbent died January 17, 2021, of brain cancer.[91] New member elected May 18, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| Senate | 22 | John Blake | Democratic | 2010 | Incumbent resigned February 15, 2021, to take a position under U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright.[93] New member elected May 18, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | 60 | Jeff Pyle | Republican | 2004 | Incumbent resigned March 16, 2021, for health reasons.[95] New member elected May 18, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| House | 113 | Martin Flynn | Democratic | 2012 | Incumbent resigned June 9, 2021, to join the State Senate.[97] New member elected November 2, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | 164 | Margo L. Davidson | Democratic | 2010 | Incumbent resigned July 22, 2021, after being arrested for campaign finance violations.[98] New member elected November 2, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
Rhode Island
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Senator | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| Senate | 3 | Gayle Goldin | Democratic | 2012 | Incumbent resigned August 17, 2021, to join the United States Department of Labor under the Biden administration.[99] New member elected November 2, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
Tennessee
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| House | 29 | Mike Carter | Republican | 2012 | Incumbent died May 15, 2021, of pancreatic cancer.[100] New member elected September 14, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
Texas
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| House | 68 | Drew Springer | Republican | 2012 | Incumbent resigned January 6, 2021, to join the Texas Senate.[102] New member elected February 23, 2021. Republican hold.[103] |
|
| House | 10 | Jake Ellzey | Republican | 2020 | Incumbent resigned July 30, 2021, to become a U.S. Representative.[105] General election held August 31. New member elected in runoff September 28, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| House | 118 | Leo Pacheco | Democratic | 2018 | Incumbent resigned August 19, 2021, to teach public administration at San Antonio College.[107] General election held September 28.[106] New member elected in runoff November 2, 2021.[108] Republican gain |
|
Virginia
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates[110] |
| House | 90 | Joseph Lindsey | Democratic | 2014 (special) |
Incumbent resigned November 15, 2020, to become a Fourth Judicial District judge.[111] New member elected January 5, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| House | 2 | Jennifer Carroll Foy | Democratic | 2017 | Incumbent resigned December 12, 2020, to focus on her campaign for governor of Virginia.[113] New member elected January 5, 2021. Democratic hold. |
|
| Senate | 38 | Ben Chafin | Republican | 2014 (special) |
Incumbent died January 1, 2021, of COVID-19.[115] New member elected March 23, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
Wisconsin
| District | Incumbent | This race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | No. | Representative | Party | First elected |
Results | Candidates |
| Senate | 13 | Scott L. Fitzgerald | Republican | 1994 | Incumbent resigned January 1, 2021, to become a U.S. Representative.[117] New member elected April 6, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| Assembly | 89 | John Nygren | Republican | 2006 | Incumbent resigned December 2, 2020, to become executive director of the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans.[119] New member elected April 6, 2021. Republican hold. |
|
| Assembly | 37 | John Jagler | Republican | 2012 | Incumbent resigned April 23, 2021, to join the State Senate.[120] New member elected July 13, 2021. Republican hold. |
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Notes
- The Alaska House of Representatives is controlled by a coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and independents. The minority caucus consists of Republicans who are not part of the majority coalition.