Friday, November 07, 2014
Republicans Gain Supermajority of Legislative Majorities
Please note: This is a working document. As results are verified, changes will be made.
Republican State Leadership Committee President Matt Walter issued
the following statement on the 2014 election:
“Voters overwhelmingly voted for a new, open, innovative future for
their families by electing state level republicans in record numbers
across the nation, including in traditionally blue states. The
key to
our success this year was recruiting diverse candidates and women
candidates who made the critical difference in chamber control in in
key statewide races. Before last night, the all-time Republican high
was 64 chambers in 1920. Now, Republicans will hold a
supermajority of
legislative majorities, with GOP control in 69 chambers. We also
appear on track to eclipse the all-time Republican high of 4,001
Republican state legislative seats held in 1928.”
STATE LEGISLATURES:
(Before election night, Republicans held 60 of 99 legislative chambers,
including the coalition governments in the New York Senate and
Washington Senate and the unicameral legislature in Nebraska).
Republicans have picked up chambers in:
Colorado Senate
Maine Senate
Minnesota House
Nevada Senate
Nevada Assembly
New Hampshire House
New Mexico House
West Virginia House
West Virginia Senate
Outright majority in Washington Senate
Outright majority in New York Senate
Republicans have held the below majorities and supermajorities:
AL Senate (supermajority)
AK House
AK Senate (supermajority)
AZ House
AZ Senate
AR House (expanded majority)
AR Senate (supermajority)
FL House (expanded supermajority)
FL Senate
GA House
GA Senate (supermajority)
IA House (expanded majority)
ID House
ID Senate
IN House (supermajority)
IN Senate (expanded supermajority)
KS House (expanded majority)
KY Senate
MI House (expanded majority)
MI Senate (expanded supermajority)
MO House (expanded supermajority)
MO Senate (expanded supermajority)
MT House
MT Senate
NE
NH Senate
NC House (supermajority)
NC Senate (supermajority)
ND House
ND Senate
NY Senate (outright majority)
OH House (expanded supermajority)
OH Senate (supermajority)
OK House (supermajority)
OK Senate (expanded supermajority)
PA House (expanded majority)
PA Senate (expanded majority)
SC House
SD House
SD Senate
TN House (expanded supermajority)
TN Senate (expanded supermajority)
TX House (expanded majority)
TX Senate
UT House
UT Senate
WA Senate (outright majority)
WI Assembly (expanded majority)
WI Senate (expanded majority)
WY House
WY Senate
Additionally Republicans ended Democratic supermajorities in:
CA Assembly
CA Senate
DE Senate
VT House
Total Legislative Seats
**Note for historical comparison:
The 1928 period of the Roaring 20s economic boom saw the highest number of Republican legislators elected in our nation’s history before the election of 2014, at 4,001 total GOP-held seats. 2010 saw Republicans add 675 seats for a grand total of 3,944 legislative seats, the largest Republican win since 1966. This total was increased to 3,979 in 2012 before the same year’s presidential election. Yesterday, 2014 pre-election totals stood at 3,836 Republican seats to Democrat’s 3,448.
For full perspective, according to National Conference of State Legislatures, the total number of state legislators has remained static at around 7,300 total seats since the US reached 48 states in 1912 will with inclusion of Arizona. 60 total seats were added with the inclusion of Alaska and another 76 seats in Hawaii in 1959. The total number of state legislative seats nationwide is presently at 7,383.
When final votes are tallied, we expect these numbers to exceed these historic marks and confirm the highest number of Republican-held chambers and legislative seats in history.
FUTURE MAJORITY PROJECT
The RSLC notes that Republicans have elected a dozen female statewide officials, including:
Kay Ivey – Lt. Governor, AL
Evelyn Sanguinetti – Lt. Governor, IL*
Kim Reynolds – Lt. Governor, IA
Mary Taylor – Lt. Governor, OH
Rebecca Kleefisch – Lt. Governor, WI
Connie Lawson – Secretary of State, IN
Ruth Johnson – Secretary of State, MI
Shantel Krebs – Secretary of State, SD*
Karyn Polito - Lt. Governor, MA*
Barbara Cegavske – Secretary of State, NV*
Michele Reagan – Secretary of State, AZ*
Dianna Duran – Secretary of State, NM
* Newly elected
The RSLC notes that Republicans have elected diverse statewide officials, including:
John Sanchez – Lt. Governor, NM
Carlos Lopez-Cantera, - Lt. Governor, FL
Evelyn Sanguinetti – Lt Governor, IL*
Boyd Rutherford – Lt. Governor, MD*
Dianna Duran – Secretary of State, NM
*Newly elected
LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS (31)
Pick Ups
AR – Tim Griffin*
IL - Evelyn Sanguinetti
MA - Karyn Polito
MD – Boyd Rutherford
SC – Henry McMaster *
WV – Lieutenant Governor will be chosen by the Republican-controlled State Senate
Holds
NV – Mark Hutchison*
TX – Dan Patrick*
NE – Mike Foley
Re-elections
AL – Kay Ivey*
OH – Mary Taylor
KS – Jeff Colyer
OK – Todd Lamb*
VT – Phil Scott*
WI – Rebecca Kleefisch
NM – John Sanchez
FL – Carlos Lopez-Cantera
IA – Kim Reynolds
MI – Brian Calley
ID – Brad Little
GA – Casey Cagle*
* Independently Elected
SECRETARIES OF STATE (28)
OH – Jon Husted
IN – Connie Lawson
SC – Mark Hammond
AL – John Merrill
WY – Ed Murray
ND – Al Jaeger
CO – Wayne Williams
AR – Mark Martin
SD – Shantel Krebs
MI – Ruth Johnson
GA – Brian Kemp
NV – Barbara Cegavske
AZ – Michele Reagan
IA – Paul Pate
KS – Kris Kobach
ID – Lawerence Denney
NM – Dianna Duran
MD – Secretary of State will be appointed by the governor (Republican Larry Hogan)
RSLC’s newly formed Judicial fairness Initiative also had a successful
night in its inaugural election, winning a close and hard fought
retention election bto the Illinois Supreme Court, as well as winning
seats in Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas to hold Republican
majorities in those states’ courts.
For 12 years, the Republican State Leadership Committee has elected down-ballot Republicans. The RSLC is the umbrella organization for the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee (RLCC), the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association (RLGA), the Republican Secretaries of State Committee (RSSC), the Future Majority Project (FMP), “Right Women, Right Now” (RWRN), the Judicial Fairness Initiative (JFI) and it also manages the new top-level domain for the Republican Party, ‘.gop.’
For more information, please contact Communications Director Jill Bader
Copyright © 2014 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in
Action.
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