Uncontested races: U.S. Congress edition
Introduction
At BallotReady, we have regularly provided groundbreaking analysis on the trend of uncontested races across our democracy in each of the past 6 cycles. Typically, up to 70% of all open seats on the ballot go uncontested each cycle, with only one or no candidate having filed to run.
In 10% of elections last cycle, no new candidates filed, leading to canceled elections or seats filled by appointment instead.
According to our data, the rate of uncontested races increases significantly down the ballot, with up to 80% of local school board, city council, and judicial elections offering voters no real choice each cycle.
However, as we find in this analysis, uncontested races are also an issue at the congressional level. Some members of Congress — including the current Speaker of the House — regularly face no challengers in either their primary or general elections.
In this report, we take a closer look at those districts, compare uncontested races for Democrats and Republicans, examine primaries versus generals, and identify the repeat offenders — congressional districts that go uncontested cycle after cycle.
To see the full list of uncontested congressional races over the past four cycles, based exclusively on BallotReady research, sign up today.
Dozens of congressional districts go uncontested during general elections every cycle, including 23 uncontested races in 2024.
Stat to know: Following the redistricting cycle in 2020, the number of uncontested congressional elections rose in 2022 and then again in 2024.
Republicans typically contest more congressional races than Democrats although both saw increases in uncontested races in 2024.
Stat to know: In each of the past 4 cycles, Democrats have contested fewer congressional races than Republicans.
Over 50 congressional primaries went uncontested in 2024, and many were outright cancelled due to a lack of challengers.
Stat to know: Primaries for U.S. Senate seats in New York and Delaware also went uncontested in 2024. Elections were cancelled and the incumbents won automatically.
9 districts that went uncontested in 2024 have also gone uncontested in prior cycles.
Stat to know: There are 4 districts that went uncontested in both 2024 and 2022, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s.
