Major party competition in state legislative elections, 2021

2021 State Legislative Competitiveness
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2021 State legislative competitiveness
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There were 220 state legislative seats up for election on November 2, 2021, across two states: New Jersey and Virginia. This page analyzes major party competition in those state legislative races. Major party competition exists when both a Democratic and a Republican candidate run for the same seat.

State legislative elections in 2021 saw a decade-high rate of major party competition. Of the 220 seats up for election, 204 (92.7%) had major party competition. One of the two major parties were likely to win the remaining 16 seats (7.3%) due to there being no major party competition.^[1][2]

This was the first election cycle since at least 2011 where over 90% of state legislative seats up for election nationwide were contested by both major parties, a statistic primarily driven by increased competitiveness in the Virginia House of Delegates: in 2011, 59% of the chamber's seats were uncontested compared to 9% in 2021.

In 2021:

The table below shows a national overview of major party competition broken down by party and chamber. Figures under "Democratic" and "Republican" represent seats likely to be won by the respective party due to lack of major party competition with "Total" representing the sum. Figures under "Contested" represent the remaining seats with major party competition. Percentages are calculated as a percentage of all seats up for election.

Major party competition by state

Two states—New Jersey and Virginia—held state legislative elections in 2021. New Jersey held elections in the House and Senate. Virginia held elections in the House.

The chart below shows the number of uncontested Democratic and Republican seats. Uncontested seats are those without major party competition and are likely to be won by the respective party. Contested seats are those with competition between both major parties. Use the links on the graphic to view state- or chamber-specific information or to switch between viewing figures as raw numbers or percentages of all seats up for election.

The table below shows a state-by-state and national overview of major party competition broken down by party and chamber. Figures under "Democratic" and "Republican" represent seats likely to be won by the respective party due to lack of major party competition with "Total" representing the sum. Figures under "Contested" represent the remaining seats with major party competition. Percentages are calculated as a percentage of all seats up for election.

Historical context

The percentage of state legislative seats contested between both major parties in 2021 (92.7%) was a decade-high. Between 2011 and 2021, only the 2021 election cycle saw a rate of major party competition higher than 90%. Likewise, the percentage of seats with no major party competition (7.3%) was a decade-low.

The chart below shows historical information regarding major party competition in state legislative elections in the four states that hold elections in odd-numbered years—Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia—from 2011 to 2021.

Chamber-specific information

Three chambers—the New Jersey General Assembly, New Jersey State Senate, and Virginia House of Delegates—held elections in 2021. The charts below show major party competition figures in those specific chambers since 2011 beginning with the Virginia House of Delegates. Use the links on the chart to view chamber-specific information from New Jersey.

From 2011 to 2021, the Virginia House of Delegates saw the largest changes in major party competition. In 2011, less than a majority of seats (41%) were contested by both major parties. In 2021, 91% of seats had major party competition, an increase of 50 percentage points over the decade. The shift in this chamber began in 2017 when Democrats contested 57% more seats than they had in 2015. Both parties continued to increase the number of seats they were contesting in the 2019 and 2021 election cycles.

State legislative elections in New Jersey tended to have higher levels of major party competition throughout the decade, with both chambers seeing at least 90% of seats contested by both major parties in each election cycle from 2011 to 2021. In the New Jersey State Senate, 2021, tied with 2013, represented the largest number of uncontested seats over the preceding decade at two (5.0%). In the General Assembly, the largest number of uncontested seats was eight (10%) in 2015.

Compared to 2020

See also: Major party candidates with major party competition in the November 2020 state legislative elections

Most states hold state legislative elections in even years, with 5,875 state legislative seats most recently up for election on November 3, 2020. This section provides a brief comparison with topline major party competition figures from the 2020 state legislative elections.

• Democrats contested 82.7% of all state legislative seats. 1,019 state legislative seats (17.3% of all state legislative seats) did not feature a Democratic candidate and were likely to be won by a Republican.
• Republicans contested 82.4% of all state legislative seats. 1,032 seats (17.6% of all state legislative seats) did not feature a Republican candidate and were likely to be won by a Democrat.
• In 11 states, more than half of all seats did not have major party competition.
• In four states, more than 90% of all candidates had major party competition.

Click [show] on the table below to see details of seats up for election without major party competition in each state.

See also

• State legislative elections, 2021
• Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 11, 2021
  • Open seats in state legislative elections, 2021
  • State legislative incumbents in contested primaries, 2021
  • 2021 primary election competitiveness in state government
  • Incumbents defeated in state legislative elections, 2021

Footnotes

v • e Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections Background A "Competitiveness Index" for capturing competitiveness in state legislative elections • Creating an absolute measure for the "Competitiveness Index" in state legislative elections • Year-by-year comparison of results • Factors Affecting Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections 2023 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Impact of term limits • Open seats • Contested primaries • Incumbents in contested primaries • Major party competition • Incumbents defeated • Primary statistics 2022 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Impact of term limits • Open seats • Contested primaries • Incumbents in contested primaries • Major party competition • Incumbents defeated • Primary statistics 2021 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Major party competition • Open seats • Impact of term limits • Incumbents in contested primaries • Primary competitiveness • Incumbents defeated 2020 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Major party candidates with major party opposition • Open seats • Impact of term limits • Incumbents in contested primaries • Primary competitiveness • Incumbents defeated 2019 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Major party candidates with major party opposition • Open seats • Impact of term limits • Primary competitiveness • Incumbents defeated 2018 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Major party candidates with major party opposition • Open seats • Aftermath of the 2016 presidential election 2017 Primary competitiveness • Open seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition • Incumbents defeated 2016 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition • Incumbents defeated 2015 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition • States Compared by Competitiveness • Incumbents defeated • Victorious challengers • List of candidates with no primary or general election opposition 2014 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition • States Compared by Competitiveness • Incumbents defeated • Victorious challengers • List of candidates with no primary or general election opposition 2013 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition • States Compared by Competitiveness • Incumbents with no primary or general election opposition • Incumbents defeated • Victorious challengers • List of candidates with no major party opposition 2012 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition • States Compared by Competitiveness • Incumbents with no primary or general election opposition • Incumbents defeated • Victorious challengers • List of candidates with no major party opposition • Impact of term limits 2011 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition • States Compared by Competitiveness • Incumbents with no primary or general election opposition • Incumbents defeated • Victorious challengers • List of candidates with no major party opposition • Impact of term limits 2010 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats •Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition • States Compared by Competitiveness • Incumbents with no primary or general election opposition • Incumbents defeated • Victorious challengers • List of candidates with no major party opposition • Impact of term limits 2009 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition 2007 Competitiveness Analysis Main Page • Open Seats • Incumbents with no primary challenger • Major party candidates with major party opposition

v • e State legislatures Legislatures Alabama (H, S) · Alaska (H, S) · Arizona (H, S) · Arkansas (H, S) · California (A, S) · Colorado (H, S) · Connecticut (H, S) · Delaware (H, S) · Florida (H, S) · Georgia (H, S) · Hawaii (H, S) · Idaho (H, S) · Illinois (H, S) · Indiana (H, S) · Iowa (H, S) · Kansas (H, S) · Kentucky (H, S) · Louisiana (H, S) · Maine (H, S) · Maryland (H, S) · Massachusetts (H, S) · Michigan (H, S) · Minnesota (H, S) · Mississippi (H, S) · Missouri (H, S) · Montana (H, S) · Nebraska · Nevada (A, S) · New Hampshire (H, S) · New Jersey (GA, S) · New Mexico (H, S) · New York (A, S) · North Carolina (H, S) · North Dakota (H, S) · Ohio (H, S) · Oklahoma (H, S) · Oregon (H, S) · Pennsylvania (H, S) · Rhode Island (H, S) · South Carolina (H, S) · South Dakota (H, S) · Tennessee (H, S) · Texas (H, S) · Utah (H, S) · Vermont (H, S) · Virginia (H, S) · Washington (H, S) · West Virginia (H, S) · Wisconsin (A, S) · Wyoming (H, S) 2024 State legislative elections (2024) • State legislative special elections (2024) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2024 Session Dates 2023 State legislative elections (2023) • State legislative special elections (2023) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2023 Session Dates Historical elections 2022 •  2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000 Features of state legislatures How vacancies are filled in state legislatures • States with a full-time legislature • State legislatures with term limits • Comparison of state legislative salaries • When state legislators assume office after a general election • Population represented by state legislators • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures • State legislative sessions • Resign-to-run law • State legislature candidate requirements by state • Official names of state legislatures • State legislative chambers that use multi-member districts • Factors Affecting Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections State senates Length of terms of state senators • State senators • Partisan composition of state senates • State senators sorted by year first elected State houses Length of terms of state representatives • State representatives • Partisan composition of state houses • State representatives sorted by year first elected Leadership positions President of the Senate • President Pro Tempore • Senate Majority Leader • Senate Minority Leader • House Majority Leader • House Minority Leader • State Speaker of the House