State-by-State Leadership Change Analysis
Alabama
Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed declined to run for another term as the leader of his chamber, and Sen. Garlan Gudger was quickly nominated by the Republican majority caucus to replace him.
Alaska
The House flipped, albeit not in the typical partisan fashion that we see in most states. Instead, a coalition of Democrat, Republican, and independent representatives have formed a majority and returned former Speaker Bryce Edgmon to the speakership once more. No changes are anticipated in the Senate.
American Samoa
No new information available at this time.
Arizona
It appears Republicans will hold both chambers. If so, there will be a new speaker with Ben Toma departing the legislature, but Senate President Warren Petersen will likely hold his position.
Arkansas
House Speaker Matthew Shepherd did not run for the post after serving three consecutive terms. The House Republican Caucus has elected Rep. Brian Evans as the speaker-designate, and he is expected to be formally elected when the House reconvenes. Other changes in the house include majority leader, as Rep. Howard Beaty will replace Rep. Marcus Richmond, and a new minority Leader in Rep. Andrew Collins. No changes projected on the senate side.
California
The eye-catching changes in the California Legislature took place in the last year-and-a-half, as the presiding officer positions changed hands in the middle of the term. Now, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire are expected to maintain their positions, but Speaker Pro Tempore Jim Wood did not run for reelection and will need to be replaced.
Colorado
Senate President Steve Fenberg has hit his term limit and is departing the legislature, opening the door to a competitive race for the gavel, with current President Pro Tempore James Coleman seen as a favorite. House Speaker Pro Tempore Chris Kennedy is also term limited and will not return to the legislature for this term.
Connecticut
No changes anticipated.
Delaware
House Speaker Valerie Longhurst suffered a surprise upset in her primary earlier in 2024, which means that the House will need to pick a new speaker for the coming term. House Minority Leader Michael Ramone launched a run for governor this year and will also need to be replaced.
District of Columbia
No changes anticipated.
Florida
With its relatively short term limits and highly-structured leadership election traditions, Florida typically has a frequent and predictable transfer of power in its top leadership positions. This year, Rep. Danny Perez is slated to replace outgoing Speaker Paul Renner, and current Majority Leader Ben Albritton will replace outgoing Senate President Kathleen Passidomo. The House speaker pro tempore, senate president pro tempore, and both minority leaders were also term limited this year.
Georgia
Both House Minority Leader James Beverly and Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler are retiring this year, but no changes are projected on the majority side.
Guam
The chamber flipped to the Republicans, so we expect a new speaker.
Hawaii
House Speaker Scott Saiki lost a closely contested primary and will not be returning to the legislature for this term. Rep. Nadine Nakamura, has already been elected to replace him as speaker.
Idaho
Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Winder was yet another top leader that lost in the primaries, and Majority Leader Kelly Arthur Anthon is in pole position to take the gavel.
Illinois
No changes anticipated.
Indiana
No changes anticipated.
Iowa
The Iowa House will look much the same. The Senate leadership could change. Recently, the Iowa lieutenant governor stepped down, which could lead to a legislator taking the spot. Additionally, Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver (the top leader in Iowa Senate) announced a health challenge and it's to be seen if he will remain in his leadership position.
Kansas
No changes anticipated.
Kentucky
There will be a new Senate majority floor leader as Sen. Damon Thayer is retiring after 22 years in the state senate.
Louisiana
No new information available at this time. This is not an election year for the Louisiana Legislature and no changes are expected.
Maine
Term limits have triggered a slew of changes, with the House speaker, Senate president, and both chambers’ majority leaders all departing this year. Sen. Mattie Daughtry has already been named as the incoming Senate president. A fascinating race for speaker will see a former speaker, Ryan Fecteau, returning to the legislature and immediately running for his old post. He’ll face several opponents, including current Assistant House Majority Leader Kristen Cloutier.
Maryland
No changes anticipated.
Massachusetts
No changes anticipated.
Michigan
After flipping the House, the new Republican majority has announced that Rep. Matt Hall will become speaker in the next session.
Minnesota
The Minnesota House is poised to be a tie! A relative rarity in state legislatures. If that is the case, we will closely watch how the parties divvy up leadership responsibilities. Will it be co-speakers? Will one party hold the speakership and the other the majority leader? We shall see.
Mississippi
No new information available at this time. This is not an election year, and no changes are expected.
Missouri
Term limits are turning over almost the entire leadership structure, including both top leaders. The exceptions are current House Majority Floor Leader Jon Patterson, who has already been tapped by his caucus as the next speaker of the House, and current Senate Majority Floor Leader Cindy O'Laughlin.
Montana
Current House Speaker Matt Regier was termed out in the house, but he won a seat in the Senate and looks poised to mount a campaign to become the new senate president. Also running are another former speaker Greg Hertz and incumbent Jason Ellsworth. There will be significant turnover in the House leadership as Reps. Brandon Ler and Bill Mercer vie to replace Regier as speaker, and the other positions will also need to be filled out due to term limits and departures.
Nebraska
No changes anticipated.
Nevada
Senate President Pro Tempore Pat Spearman is term limited, but not other leadership changes are projected.
New Hampshire
It seems Republicans will hold both chambers in New Hampshire, a state notorious for its every-cycle party switching. This cycle will break that trend. If that holds, Sherm Packard stands to retain the speakership. In the Senate, Jeb Bradley retired, and Sharon Carson is poised to become Senate president.
New Jersey
No new information available at this time - this is not an election year for the New Jersey Legislature. No changes expected.
New Mexico
No changes anticipated.
New York
No changes anticipated.
North Carolina
House Speaker Tim Moore is stepping away from state legislature-and almost a decade as speaker-to run for Congress. Rep. Destin Hall is slated to become the new speaker in January. On the senate side, President Pro Tempore Phil Berger will continue his run as the active longest-serving chamber leader in the country.
North Dakota
No changes anticipated.
Northern Mariana Islands
No new information available at this time.
Ohio
Senate President Matt Huffman is term limited in the Senate and instead ran this year for a seat in the House. Reports indicate that he will immediately seek to be elected as speaker, setting up a competitive race against current Speaker Jason Stephens. House Majority Floor Leader Bill Seitz is also term limited and will be replaced this year. Reports out of the Senate say Rob McColley will seek the Senate presidency.
Oklahoma
Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert has been elected by the Republican caucus to replace outgoing Speaker Charles McCall. At under 31 years old, Hilbert will most likely be the youngest current top leader in the country-and one of the youngest ever. Rep. Josh West is slated to step in as the new house majority floor leader. On the senate side, Sen. Lonnie Paxton has been elected as president pro tempore-designate, and the new minority leader will be Sen. Julia Kirt.
Oregon
No leadership changes are projected in Oregon. However, there are still several new-ish faces due to leadership turnover that took place in 2024-including a new Speaker of the House Julie Fahey and, as of this summer, a new Senate Majority Leader Kathleen Taylor.
Pennsylvania
Neither chamber flipped during this cycle, so we expect to see the leaders of both chambers remain in place for the coming term.
Puerto Rico
Both chambers are expected to flip, resulting in new leadership.
Rhode Island
Senate President Dominick Ruggerio fended off a leadership challenge within his caucus and is expected to continue as the leader of his chamber. Sen. Val Lawson has been named as the new Senate majority leader.
South Carolina
No changes anticipated.
South Dakota
Both top leaders are term limited, so the legislature will see a new House speaker and Senate president pro tempore in 2025. The minority leaders in both chambers were also termed out in this cycle.
Tennessee
No changes anticipated.
Texas
House Speaker Dade Phelan survived a close primary election and now faces an intra-party challenge for the speaker's gavel, with the main competition coming from Rep. David Cook.
U.S. Virgin Islands
By tradition, the President of the Senate switches every two years between the islands.
Utah
The speaker and Senate president will hold on to their titles, but a competitive race for other leadership positions in the Senate has led to Kirk Cullimore being named as the new majority leader.
Vermont
Current House Speaker Jill Krowinski is being challenged for the position by Independent Rep. Laura Sibilia.
Virginia
No new information available at this time - this is not an election year, and no changes expected.
Washington
Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig is retiring, along with President Pro Tempore Karen Keiser, leaving some significant new positions to be filled for the coming session. Sen. Jamie Pedersen has been elected to replace Billig as majority leader.
West Virginia
Senate President Craig Blair was another top leader to fall in a primary, and his position will be up for grabs heading into 2025. On the House side, both the speaker pro tempore and majority leader decided to step away from the legislature.
Wisconsin
No changes anticipated.
Wyoming
It's customary for the presiding officers in Wyoming to step aside after two years on the job, so expect to see new faces in both roles, along with other changes that will trickle down the leadership hierarchy. On the Senate side, Bo Biteman has been nominated as Senate president, and Chip Nieman will be the new House speaker.