Democrats buck midterm history to win control of four states
Bucking historic midterm election trends, Democrats wrested control of state legislative chambers away from Republicans in Michigan and Minnesota while also gaining full control of state capitols in Maryland and Massachusetts.
The Democrats’ gains in Tuesday’s elections gave them power to set the agenda on topics ranging from state taxes and spending to contentious social issues in four states that previously had politically divided governments.
Democrats also gained legislative seats in Pennsylvania, another important presidential swing state where Republican lawmakers have held majorities against a Democratic governor.
Future control of several legislatures — including Republican-led Arizona’s and Democratic-led Nevada’s — remained unclear Wednesday as votes were still being counted. The New Hampshire House clerk said results show an almost even partisan divide in the 400-member chamber. That could set the stage for either unprecedented bipartisanship or major gridlock.
Democrats were thrilled with the results so far, especially since the president’s party almost always suffers legislative losses during midterm elections.
“By all accounts, this election should have been a landslide for Republicans. Instead, their so-called red wave is looking more like a puddle,” said Jessica Post, president of the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.
Republicans entered the election with full control of both legislative chambers and the governor’s office in 23 states, compared to 14 for Democrats, with the rest divided.
Democrats already controlled both legislative chambers in Maryland and Massachusetts but picked up their governorships by capturing seats being vacated by Republicans.
Even with Democratic gains, Republicans still will control more states and more total legislative seats.
Only twice since 1900 had the president’s party posted a net increase in state legislative seats during a midterm election — in 1934 during the Great Depression and in 2002, a year after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
This year, “it’s becoming apparent that if either side gains seats, it’s going to be a narrow margin relative to history,” said Ben Williams, the NCSL’s principal for elections and redistricting.
Republicans said going into the election that they would be happy to keep what they held, though they had targeted several states for potential gains.
Despite some losses, Republicans withstood bigger Democratic spending in some states and “an incredibly challenging political environment” to maintain a majority of state legislatures, said Andrew Romeo, communications director for the Republican State Leadership Committee.
A summertime U.S. Supreme Court’s decision ending a half-century of national abortion rights — and returning the issue to states — gave Democrats a new campaign theme to counter Republican ads blaming Democrats for rising inflation and economic concerns.
In Michigan, voters passed a state constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion rights while narrowly electing Democratic legislative majorities. Lawmakers were running for the first time in new districts drawn by an independent citizens committee that gave Democrats a better chance than the previous districts draw by the GOP-led Legislature.
State Sen. Jeremy Moss, campaign co-chair for Michigan’s Senate Democrats, said voters would see a different policy focus.
“We really have to restore the dignity of Michigan’s middle and working class,” Moss said. “That includes uplifting labor rights. That includes reversing this tax shift that Republicans placed upon them. That includes pushing forward on equal protection under the law.”