84% of state legislative seats are up for election in 2026
In this report, compare open state legislative seats in upcoming elections to current partisan majorities in every chamber.
Introduction
While the midterm fight over partisan majorities in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives is already ramping up, Congress is hardly the only legislative body up for election next year.
According to our research, there are over 6,000 open seats in state legislatures across the country, with partisan majorities in State Senate and State House chambers hanging in the balance in numerous states.
Most state legislative chambers look and operate similarly to Congress, with legislation needing to pass through two chambers to eventually be signed or vetoed by the governor. Unlike Congress, however, state legislatures are actually getting the job done—with nearly 15,000 bills passed in state legislatures in the first half of 2024 compared to just 150 bills passed in Congress over both 2023 and 2024 combined.
These include hundreds of meaningful bills addressing mental health, inflation, AI, abortion, electric vehicles, and other areas where Congress is falling short. It's no wonder that despite the media focus on federal races, investment in state legislative elections is poised to break modern records in the upcoming midterm cycle.
In our latest report, we analyze not only the volume of open seats in state legislative bodies over the next two cycles but also the current partisan majorities in state government chambers across all 50 states.
Contact our team today to discuss how your organization can use this research to invest strategically in next year's state legislative election cycle.
There are over 6,100 open state legislative seats across 46 states in 2026. Meanwhile, partisan majorities in New Jersey and Virginia will be determined this Fall.
There are enough open seats to swing partisan majorities in almost every chamber next year.
Republicans currently have majorities in 30 state house chambers compared to 19 for Democrats. The Minnesota House is the only chamber that is tied.
Democrats have majorities in 20 state senate chambers, Republicans in 29. Nebraska has a unicameral legislature and representatives are elected in nonpartisan elections.
While we try to keep these reports concise and high-level, our team is available to meet with fellow data leaders to address specific questions and provide customized research solutions that save your organization both time and money as you prepare for 2026.
Have questions about the upcoming midterm cycle? Let us know below and we will get back to you soon.