Elections to state legislatures were held on November 4, 2008, alongside other elections, in which Democrats scored significant gains in a blue wave election. Elections were held for 85 legislative chambers, with all states but Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Alabama, Maryland, and Virginia holding elections in at least one house. Michigan and Minnesota held elections for their lower, but not upper houses. Seven territorial chambers in four territories and the District of Columbia were up.
The New Hampshire Senate saw the election of the first-ever female majority. This is the first time this has occurred in any chamber of any state legislature in United States history. In New York, the Democrats obtained a trifecta for the first time since 1935, and in Delaware for the first time since 1977.
The Democrats took control of six legislative bodies to the Republicans' four. Democrats took control of the Delaware House of Representatives, for the first time since 1985, the Montana House of Representatives, the Nevada Senate, and the New York State Senate, for the first time since 1966, the Ohio House of Representatives, and the Wisconsin State Assembly. Republicans took control of the Montana Senate; both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly, for the first time since 1870; and the Oklahoma Senate, for the first time in state history.
With the Montana Senate and the Montana House of Representatives flipping, this election cycle marked the last time in U.S. history as of where the upper house and lower house, held by different political parties in a state legislature, both flipped in the same cycle.
Summary table Regularly scheduled elections were held in 85 of the 99 state legislative chambers in the United States. Nationwide, regularly scheduled elections were held for 5,948 of the 7,383 legislative seats. Many legislative chambers held elections for all seats, but some legislative chambers that use staggered elections held elections for only a portion of the total seats in the chamber. The chambers not up for election either hold regularly scheduled elections in odd-numbered years, or have four-year terms and hold all regularly scheduled elections in presidential midterm election years.
Note that 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 TermAlaska192095440401002Arizona3030100260601002Arkansas35351002/41001001002California204050480801002 Colorado183551465651002 Connecticut363610021511511002 Delaware21211002/441411002 Florida40401002/41201201002 Georgia565610021801801002 Hawaii25251002/451511002 Idaho3535100270701002 Illinois59591002/41181181002 Indiana25505041001001002 Iowa25505041001001002 Kansas404010041251251002 Kentucky19385041001001002 Louisiana03904010504 Maine353510021511511002 Maryland04704014104 Massachusetts404010021601601002 Michigan038041101101002 Minnesota001002/41341341002 Mississippi05204012204 Missouri17345041631631002 Montana25505041001001002 Nebraska2549514 N/A (unicameral) Nevada102148442421002 New Hampshire242410024004001002 New Jersey04002/408002 New Mexico4242100470701002 New York626210021501501002 North Carolina505010021201201002 North Dakota23474944794504 Ohio163348499991002 Oklahoma24485041011011002 Oregon153050460601002 Pennsylvania25505042032031002 Rhode Island3838100275751002 South Carolina464610041241241002 South Dakota3535100270701002 Tennessee163348499991002 Texas1631522/41501501002 Utah152952475751002 Vermont303010021501501002 Virginia04004010002 Washington254951498981002 West Virginia17345041001001002 Wisconsin163348499991002 Wyoming153050460601002 Total1280197165N/A4595541185N/A
Electoral predictions
Analysts expected Democrats to perform quite well, owing to the strong polling of Democrat Barack Obama in the concurrent presidential election. Despite this, they expected Democrats to only be able to pick up a net handful of chambers from the Republicans owing to the highs they had already reached during the 2006 elections. They saw Democrats' best pickup opportunities in chambers in midwestern presidential battleground states such as the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Ohio House of Representatives, as well as Republican-held chambers in strongly-Democratic states, such as the Delaware House of Representatives and the New York State Senate. Despite Obama's large polling lead, Republicans were expected to be able to win a few chambers in southern states where his potential coattails were seen as weaker in rural areas, such as the Oklahoma Senate and the Tennessee Senate.
Ratings are designated as follows:
"Tossup": Competitive, no advantage "Lean": Competitive, slight advantage "Likely": Not competitive, but opposition could make significant gains "Safe": Not competitive at all
StateChamberLast electionStatelineResultAlaskaSenateCoal. 15–5 Coal. 16–4House of RepresentativesR 23–17 R 22–18ArizonaSenateR 17–13 R 18–12House of RepresentativesR 33–27 R 35–25ArkansasSenateD 27–8 D 27–8House of RepresentativesD 72–28 D 71–28–1CaliforniaState SenateD 25–15 D 25–15State AssemblyD 48–32 D 51–29ColoradoSenateD 20–15 D 21–14House of RepresentativesD 39–26 D 38–27ConnecticutState SenateD 24–12 D 24–12House of RepresentativesD 107–44 D 114–37DelawareSenateD 13–8 D 16–5House of RepresentativesR 23–18 D 24–17FloridaSenateR 26–14 R 26–14House of RepresentativesR 78–42 R 76–44GeorgiaState SenateR 34–22 R 34–22House of RepresentativesR 106–74 R 105–74–1HawaiiSenateD 20–5 D 23–2House of RepresentativesD 43–8 D 45–6IdahoSenateR 28–7 R 28–7House of RepresentativesR 51–19 R 52–18IllinoisSenateD 37–22 D 37–22House of RepresentativesD 66–52 D 70–48IndianaSenateR 33–17 R 33–17House of RepresentativesD 51–49 D 52–48IowaSenateD 30–20 D 32–18House of RepresentativesD 54–46 D 57–43 KansasSenateR 30–10 R 31–9House of RepresentativesR 78–47 R 77–48KentuckySenateR 21–16–1 R 22–15–1House of RepresentativesD 61–39 D 65–35MaineSenateD 18–17 D 20–15House of RepresentativesD 90–59–2 D 95–55–1MassachusettsSenateD 35–5 D 35–5House of RepresentativesD 141–19 D 144–15–1 MichiganHouse of RepresentativesD 58–52 D 67–43 MinnesotaHouse of RepresentativesD 85–49 D 87–47MissouriSenateR 21–13 R 23–11House of RepresentativesR 92–71 R 89–74MontanaSenateD 26–24 R 27–23House of RepresentativesR 50–49–1 D 50–50NevadaSenateR 11–10 D 12–9AssemblyD 27–15 D 28–14New HampshireSenateD 14–10 D 14–10House of RepresentativesD 239–160–1 D 225–175 New MexicoSenateD 24–18 D 27–15House of RepresentativesD 42–28 D 45–25New YorkState SenateR 33–29 D 32–30State AssemblyD 106–42–1–1 D 107–41–1–1North CarolinaSenateD 31–19 D 30–20House of RepresentativesD 68–52 D 68–52North DakotaSenateR 26–21 R 26–21House of RepresentativesR 61–33 R 58–36OhioSenateR 21–12 R 21–12House of RepresentativesR 53–46 D 53–46OklahomaSenateD 24–24 R 26–22House of RepresentativesR 57–44 R 61–40OregonState SenateD 19–11 D 18–12House of RepresentativesD 31–29 D 36–24PennsylvaniaState SenateR 29–21 R 30–20House of RepresentativesD 102–101 D 104–99Rhode IslandSenateD 33–5 D 33–4–1House of RepresentativesD 60–15 D 69–6 South CarolinaSenateR 26–20 R 27–19House of RepresentativesR 73–51 R 73–51South DakotaSenateR 20–15 R 21–14House of RepresentativesR 50–20 R 46–24TennesseeSenate16–16–1 R 19–14House of RepresentativesD 53–46 R 50–49TexasSenateR 20–11 R 19–12House of RepresentativesR 81–69 R 76–74UtahState SenateR 21–8 R 21–8House of RepresentativesR 55–20 R 53–22VermontSenateD 23–7 D 23–7House of RepresentativesD 93–49–6–2 D 94–48–5–3WashingtonState SenateD 32–17 D 31–18House of RepresentativesD 62–36 D 62–36West VirginiaSenateD 23–11 D 26–8House of DelegatesD 72–28 D 71–29WisconsinSenateD 18–15 D 18–15State AssemblyR 52–47 D 52–46–1WyomingSenateR 23–7 R 23–7House of RepresentativesR 43–17 R 41–19
Maps
State summaries
Alaska
All of the seats of the Alaska House of Representatives and half of the Alaska Senate were up for election. The Democratic-led coalition maintained control of the Senate while Republicans maintained control of the House. +Alaska SenatePartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic910 1 rowspan="2" Republican66 154Total2020 +Alaska House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChange Republican2322 1 Democratic1718 1Total4040
Arizona
All of the seats of the Arizona Legislature were up for election. Republicans maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Arizona SenatePartyBeforeAfterChange Republican1718 1 Democratic1312 1Total3030 +Arizona House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChange Republican3335 2 Democratic2725 2Total6060
Arkansas
All of the seats of the Arkansas House of Representatives and half of the Arkansas Senate were up for election. Democrats maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Arkansas SenatePartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic2727 Republican88Total3535 +Arkansas House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic7271 1 Republican2828 Green01 1Total100100
California
All of the seats of the California House of Representatives and half of the California Senate were up for election. Democrats maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +California State SenatePartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic2525 Republican1515Total4040 +California State AssemblyPartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic4851 3 Republican3229 3Total8080
Colorado
All of the seats of the Colorado House of Representatives and half of the Colorado Senate were up for election. Democrats maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Colorado SenatePartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic2021 1 Republican1514 1Total3535 +Colorado House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic3938 1 Republican2627 1Total6565
Connecticut
All of the seats of the Connecticut Legislature were up for election. Democrats maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Connecticut State SenatePartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic2324 1 Republican1312 1Total3636 +Connecticut House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic107114 7 Republican4437 7Total151151
Delaware
All of the seats of the Delaware House of Representatives and half of the Delaware Senate were up for election. Democrats maintained control of the Senate and won control of the House. +Delaware SenatePartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic1316 3 Republican85 3Total2121 +Delaware House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic1925 6 Republican2216 6Total4141
Florida
All of the seats of the Florida House of Representatives and half of the Florida Senate were up for election. Republicans maintained control of both state legislative chambers.
+Florida SenatePartyBeforeAfterChange Republican2626 Democratic1414Total4040 +Florida House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChange Republican7776 1 Democratic4344 1Total120120
Georgia
All of the seats of the Georgia Legislature were up for election. Republicans maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Georgia State SenatePartyBeforeAfterChange Republican3434 Democratic2222Total5656 +Georgia House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChange Republican106105 1 Democratic7475 1Total180180
Hawaii
All of the seats of the Hawaii House of Representatives and half of the Hawaii Senate were up for election. Democrats maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Hawaii SenatePartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic2023 3 Republican52 3Total2525 +Hawaii House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChange Democratic4345 2 Republican86 2Total5151
Idaho
All of the seats of the Idaho Legislature were up for election. Republicans maintained control of both state legislative chambers. +Idaho SenatePartyBeforeAfterChange Republican2828 Democratic77Total3535 +Idaho House of RepresentativesPartyBeforeAfterChange Republican5152 1 Democratic1918 1Total7070
Illinois