Incumbent Reelection Rates 1994

Incumbent Reelection Rates in 1994
State Legislative Elections

Last Update: 10/30/96

1994 was a year in which there was unusually large turnover in the membership of state legislatures. It was widely viewed as an election year in which large numbers of incumbents were swept out of office as Republicans made enormous gains. But most of the change in state legislative races occurred in open seats where incumbents were not seeking reelection. The table below shows that more than 9 out of every 10 legislators who ran for reelection won. In nine of the 42 state senates that held elections and in the Wyoming House of Representatives, every incumbent who ran won reelection. The only chambers in which incumbent reelection rates were less than 80 percent were the Wyoming Senate and the Nevada, North Carolina and Washington Houses. Through experience, name recognition and a preponderance of seats that are safe for one party, incumbents have advantages in election races, even in years when one party gains large numbers of seats.

	Senate Incumbents			House Incumbents
	Running	Reelected	Percentage	Running	Reelected	Percentage
Alabama	23	20	87%	85	68	80%
Alaska	9	8	89%	35	30	86%
Arizona	20	20	100%	43	41	95%
Arkansas	12	11	92%	78	71	91%
California	15	13	87%	58	53	91%
Colorado	13	12	92%	57	50	88%
Connecticut	27	27	100%	128	119	93%
Delaware	6	6	100%	35	34	97%
Florida	16	14	88%	102	91	89%
Georgia	52	48	92%	169	158	93%
Hawaii	4	4	100%	34	33	97%
Idaho	30	28	93%	64	57	89%
Illinois	19	18	95%	107	92	86%
Indiana	24	22	92%	93	84	90%
Iowa	15	15	100%	74	71	96%
Kansas	0	0	NA	107	91	85%
Kentucky	16	14	88%	99	80	81%
Louisiana	0	0	NA	NA	NA	NA
Maine	22	19	86%	96	80	83%
Maryland	30	28	93%	98	80	82%
Massachusetts	35	34	97%	136	134	99%
Michigan	27	26	96%	93	91	98%
Minnesota	0	0	NA	118	107	91%
Mississippi	0	0	NA	NA	NA	NA
Missouri	13	9	69%	140	133	95%
Montana	10	8	80%	71	61	86%
Nebraska	20	18	90%	NA	NA	NA
Nevada	8	6	75%	30	23	77%
New Hampshire	18	15	83%	320	271	85%
New Jersey	0	0	NA	NA	NA	NA
New Mexico	0	0	NA	58	49	84%
New York	59	59	100%	143	136	95%
North Carolina	43	35	81%	109	81	74%
North Dakota	18	15	83%	83	77	93%
Ohio	15	12	80%	89	84	94%
Oklahoma	22	22	100%	86	80	93%
Oregon	12	10	83%	42	39	93%
Pennsylvania	20	19	95%	185	181	98%
Rhode Island	39	39	100%	91	85	93%
South Carolina	0	0	NA	112	102	91%
South Dakota	31	28	90%	57	51	89%
Tennessee	13	12	92%	80	74	93%
Texas	30	26	87%	135	129	96%
Utah	10	10	100%	69	59	86%
Vermont	25	23	92%	125	107	86%
Virginia	0	0	NA	NA	NA	NA
Washington	16	15	94%	78	58	74%
West Virginia	12	10	83%	83	72	87%
Wisconsin	16	16	100%	91	87	96%
Wyoming	9	7	78%	49	49	100%
Total	874	806	92%	4,235	3,804	90%

For more information on Turnover - contact Tim Storey elections-info@ncsl.org.

Incumbent Reelection Rates in 1994 State Legislative Elections

Last Update: 10/30/96

Incumbent Reelection Rates in 1994
State Legislative Elections