2011 United States state legislative elections
November 8, 2011
8 legislative chambers
4 states
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Party Republican Democratic Coalition
Chambers before 57 40[lower-alpha 1] 1[lower-alpha 2]
Chambers after 62 35 1[lower-alpha 2]
Overall change Increase 5[lower-alpha 3] Decrease 5 Steady
Map of upper house elections:
     Democrats retained control
     Republicans gained control
     No regularly-scheduled elections
Map of lower house elections:
     Democrats retained control
     Republicans gained control      Republicans retained control
     No regularly-scheduled elections

The 2011 United States state legislative elections were held on November 8, 2011. Eight legislative chambers in four states held regularly scheduled elections. These off-year elections coincided with other state and local elections, including gubernatorial elections in four states.[1]

These were the first elections to be affected by redistricting after the 2010 census.[2] Additionally, the first wave of recall elections occurred in Wisconsin, while Republicans lost seats, they maintained a narrow majority. A second wave would occur in 2012.

Republicans flipped control of the Virginia Senate, thereby establishing a trifecta. In Mississippi, Republicans won the state House for the first time since 1876, and solidified control of the state Senate after several Democrats switched parties earlier in the year, giving Republicans control of the chamber. Republicans obtained a trifecta in the state for the first time since 1876 as a result. In Louisiana, Republicans solidified control of both houses of the legislature after several Democrats switched parties at the beginning of the year, which gave Republicans control of both chambers and a trifecta for the first time since 1873.

Summary table

Regularly scheduled elections were held in 8 of the 99 state legislative chambers in the United States. Nationwide, regularly scheduled elections were held for 578 of the 7,383 legislative seats. 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 Term
Louisiana 39 39 100 4 105 105 100 4
Mississippi 52 52 100 4 122 122 100 4
New Jersey 40 40 100 2/4[lower-alpha 4] 80 80 100 2
Virginia 40 40 100 4 100 100 100 2

State summaries

Louisiana

All seats of the Louisiana State Senate and the Louisiana House of Representatives were up for election to four-year terms in single-member districts. Republicans flipped both chambers through party switching and special elections earlier in the year, and then retained majority control in both chambers in the general election.

Louisiana State Senate
Party Before After Change
Republican 22 24 Increase 2
Democratic 17 15 Decrease 2
Total 39 39
Louisiana House of Representatives
Party Before After Change
Republican 57 58 Increase 1
Democratic 46 45 Decrease 1
Independent 2 2 Steady
Total 105 105

Mississippi

All seats of the Mississippi State Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives were up for election to four-year terms in single-member districts. Republicans won a majority in the lower house. They had previously won a majority in the upper house through party switching and special elections earlier in the year, and then retained a majority in the general election.

Mississippi State Senate
Party Before After Change
Republican 27 31 Increase 4
Democratic 24 21 Decrease 3
Total 52 52
Mississippi House of Representatives
Party Before After Change
Republican 54 64 Increase 10
Democratic 68 58 Decrease 10
Total 122 122

New Jersey

All seats of the New Jersey Senate and the New Jersey General Assembly were up for election. In 2011, senators were elected to two-year terms in single-member districts, while Assembly members were elected to two-year terms in two-member districts.[3] Democrats retained majority control in both chambers.

Senate
Party Before After Change
Democratic 24 24 Steady
Republican 16 16 Steady
Total 40 40
General Assembly
Party Before After Change
Democratic 47 48 Increase 1
Republican 33 32 Decrease 1
Total 80 80

Virginia

All seats of the Senate of Virginia and the Virginia House of Delegates were up for election in single-member districts. Senators were elected to four-year terms, while delegates serve terms of two years. Republicans maintained control of the lower chamber and won control of the upper chamber because the Republican lieutenant governor broke the ties in the now-evenly split body.

Senate of Virginia
Party Before After Change
Democratic 22 20 Decrease 2
Republican 18 20 Increase 2
Total 40 40
Virginia House of Delegates
Party Before After Change
Democratic 39 32 Decrease 7
Republican 59 67 Increase 8
Independent 2 1 Decrease 1
Total 100 100

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The Oregon House of Representatives was tied in the 2011-2013 session; the chamber is not counted towards the total here.
  2. 1 2 The Alaska Senate was controlled by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans. The minority caucus consists of Republicans who were not part of the majority coalition.
  3. ↑ Republicans took control of the Mississippi State Senate, the Louisiana House of Representatives, and the Louisiana State Senate through party switching and special elections earlier in the year.
  4. ↑ The upper houses of Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Texas use a 2-4-4 term length system.

References

  1. ↑ "State legislative elections, 2011". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  2. ↑ "State legislative elections, 2011". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  3. ↑ "New Jersey Secretary of State". state.nj.us.
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