Republicans make gains in state legislatures

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In handing the GOP control of the legislature last week, Missouri voters followed a national trend toward electing more Republicans to statehouse seats.

Before Election Day, Democrats controlled 18 state legislatures and Republicans 17. Fourteen states had split legislatures with each party holding a majority in one chamber, including Missouri where Democrats held the House with Republicans running the Senate.

The GOP now controls 21 statehouses, with Democrats running 16 and 12 legislatures split. The unicameral Nebraska legislature is officially nonpartisan.

The gains give Republicans control of more statehouses than they've had since 1952. They also mark the first time in 50 years that GOP legislators outnumber Democratic lawmakers, though just barely. Before the elections, there were 277 more Democrats than Republicans serving in state legislatures. GOP lawmakers now outnumber Democrats by 18 seats nationally.

The results are even more remarkable when considering that the party of the president has lost an average of 350 statehouse seats during every midterm election since at least 1938.

Tim Storey, an analyst with the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver, Colo., said there were no real nationwide trends in terms of issues that helped swing seats to the GOP. The key to the Republican gains, he said, was better success in mobilizing the party faithful to the polls.

"In states where Republicans focused their get-out-the-vote efforts, it paid off handsomely for them," Storey said.

In Missouri, Republicans made a net gain of 14 seats in the House for a 90-73 advantage and picked up two seats in the Senate for a 20-14 majority.

Five previously divided legislatures -- Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin -- went to the GOP. Illinois was the only split state to unite under Democratic leadership. A favorable redistricting map helped Illinois Democrats pick up the Senate and add to their majority in the House.

Democrats lost sole control of Georgia, North Carolina and Washington, which are now divided. Republicans likewise lost Oregon, with one chamber there going to Democrats.

Defections in Georgia

The Republican takeover of the Georgia Senate for the first time since Reconstruction was the biggest surprise nationally, Storey said, as it occurred via post-election defections. Democrats held a two-seat majority following the elections but three Democrats abruptly switched to the GOP on Friday to tilt the balance of power.

Republicans retained the edge in governorships but lost a bit of ground. At least 25 states will have Republican governors with 24 states having Democratic chief executives, including Missouri where Democratic Gov. Bob Holden wasn't up for re-election this year.

As of Monday, the Alabama governor's race hadn't been decided. The Republican candidate was ahead by approximately 3,000 votes but the Democrat was expected to challenge the election in court.

Prior to the elections, Republican governors outnumbered Democrats 27-21 with two independents.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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