NEWS RELEASE
Date: November 7, 2002
Media Contact: Gene Rose 303-856-1518 / Bill Wyatt 202-624-8667
Republicans Make Historic Strides
in 2002 State Legislative Elections
GOP gains more state legislative chambers, about 200 legislative seats in mid-term elections
DENVER - Republicans had a surprisingly strong showing in state legislative elections on Tuesday, wrestling control of at least five state legislative chambers, tying two others and possibly having more Republican legislators than Democrats for the first time since the 1950s.
Preliminary results compiled by the National Conference of State Legislature indicate the GOP became the first party of presidential power to gain state legislative seats in a mid-term election cycle since records were kept. Historically, the President's party has lost an average of more than 350 seats in every mid-term election cycle since at least 1938.
"Just when you thought the numbers couldn't get any closer, they did," said NCSL election expert Tim Storey. "Republicans could end up with a majority of all seats for the first time since 1952."
NCSL said, as a result of Tuesday's elections, Republicans next year will assume control of:
· the Texas House, for the first time since 1870
· the Arizona Senate, which was previously tied
· the Colorado Senate, which Democrats won in 2000 for the first time since 1962
· the Missouri House, for the first time since 1955
· the Wisconsin Senate
Three chambers were tied: the Indiana House and the North Carolina House, both of which were previously controlled by Democrats, and the Oregon Senate, previously controlled by Republicans. Close races in the North Carolina House will result in automatic recounts.
Republicans will control two key southern states for the first time since Reconstruction, as a result of Tuesday's elections. With a Republican legislature and governor, Texas will be controlled by Republicans for the first time since 1870. Mark Sanford's gubernatorial win gives Republicans control of state government in South Carolina.
Illinois Democrats took control of the state Senate, and won the governor's office which has been held by Republicans for the past 25 years. They now control state government for the first time since 1977 as a result of also winning the governor's office for the first time since 1977. Democrats also took over political control of the Oregon Senate and held the North Carolina Senate and Oklahoma House, potential GOP takeover targets.
Partisan Control
Voters on Tuesday had to choose winners in more than 84 percent of the nation's state legislative seats. In 46 states, the fate of 6,214 of the nation's 7,382 state legislative seats was in voters' hands. Prior to the election, Democrats controlled 51 percent of the nation's total state legislative seats, or an approximate 200-seat advantage over Republicans.
As of Wednesday afternoon:
· Republicans control 21 legislatures, up from 17. Republican states are: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
· Democrats control 17 legislatures, down from 18. Democrat states are: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee and West Virginia.
· Eleven states have split party control, down from 14. Those states are: Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.
· The Nebraska Unicameral is nonpartisan.
Redistricting
Term limits and redistricting guaranteed that turnover in the 2002 elections would be higher than at anytime in the last decade. The number of legislators forced to either leave or run for other offices included 322 term limited legislators in 11 states where term limits have taken effect. NCSL election expert Tim Storey says both played a key role in the 2002 elections.
"There is zero doubt in my mind that redistricting was the key factor in making majorities vulnerable in these states," Storey said. "Most of the chambers that switched party control occurred in states where redistricting plans were drawn by a commission or a court. Redistricting and term limits were especially significant in the Missouri House elections."
Policy Issues
With more than 200 ballot measures, voters across America took action on several key policy issues, including taxes, education, health care and the initiative process itself. Tax cuts were rejected in Arkansas and Massachusetts while education measures mostly found success. In Idaho, voters appear to be rejecting term limits. Ballot measure results are available on the NCSL Web site, www.ncsl.org.
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