The most competitive state legislative elections that will determine the majorities or supermajorities in nine battleground states
In a high-stakes election year, these ten must-win races will decide whether Democratic majorities are defended, Republican majorities are flipped, or GOP supermajorities are broken. Many of these races will come down to just hundreds of votes. Here are some of the most competitive and consequential elections in this country.
In Arizona, Democrats only need to gain two seats in each chamber to establish a trifecta that can restore public education funding – one of the top issues in this year’s election. Kevin Volk is one of many candidates with a background in teaching, and his tight race in a red district makes winning this seat a top priority. Kevin is tired of watching extremist lawmakers create self-serving legislation while undermining the democratic process. When he wins, he’ll immediately get to work by lowering costs for working families, protecting Arizonans’ access to water, and restoring reproductive freedom.
Building Democratic power in Georgia is critical to combatting the GOP’s attacks on our elections, and Susie Greenberg is one of the candidates with a strong shot at flipping her district blue. She has been dedicated to her community for decades, whether as a court-appointed special advocate for children in the foster care system, a volunteer college counselor, or a grassroots organizer for groups like Moms Demand Action. When Susie wins her election, she’s committed to fighting for reproductive freedom, gun safety legislation, and economic policies that uplift working families.
Vanessa Vaughn West is running for the Kansas House against a Republican who was appointed to a vacant seat and has yet to win an election. Her district voted for Democratic Governor Laura Kelly and helped defeat the 2022 ballot measure that would have stripped abortion protections from the state constitution. Flipping this seat blue is one of our best shots at breaking the GOP supermajority in the Kansas legislature and restoring the governor’s veto power. Vanessa is committed to working with businesses, constituents, and her fellow lawmakers to find sensible solutions for funding public schools, eliminating the sales tax on critical health products, and protecting reproductive freedom.
Democrats flipped the Michigan House and Senate blue in 2022, establishing a trifecta that has passed commonsense gun safety legislation, expanded tax credits for families and seniors, and repealed the state’s archaic 1931 abortion ban. Rep. Jaime Churches won a tight race two years ago, and reelecting her now is critical to defending that one-seat House majority and continuing to make progress for working families. Jaime is an elementary school teacher who is proud to represent the community where she grew up and is ready to push for even bolder legislation like universal pre-k.
None of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s many policy accomplishments would have been possible without a Democratic-controlled legislature, and it’s critical that we hold the House majority this year by reelecting community advocate Rep. Lucy Rehm. During her time in office, Lucy has helped secure funding for Minnesota’s public libraries, reduced social security taxes for seniors, supported local farmers, and addressed food insecurity through statewide programs. She’s a pro-choice champion, committed to protecting bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom – the exact type of leader we need in the legislature.
An unexpected special election means that the Minnesota Senate is now up for grabs, threatening the one-seat majority that Democrats secured in 2022 by just 321 votes. Our candidate in this must-win race is Ann Johnson Stewart, a former state senator, civil engineer, and small business owner who co-founded the state’s Pro-Choice Caucus when she was last in office. As the daughter of two teachers, Ann is keenly aware that strong public schools are foundational to a thriving community, and she’s committed to fighting for education funding while vigorously defending her constituents against the MAGA extremists trying to erode their rights.
In 2022, Democrats were just 11 votes shy of breaking the GOP trifecta in New Hampshire, and this year, we have a chance to get it done by flipping seats like Ben Ming’s Senate district. Ben has been serving in the New Hampshire General Court for the last two years, advocating for public schools and working parents across the Granite State. Now, this lawyer is ready to take his fight to the state Senate and make progress on affordable housing and support for vibrant rural economies.
The Republican supermajority in North Carolina has been wreaking havoc, forcing through an abortion ban and attacks on voting rights. We need to flip just one House seat to break that supermajority and Dante Pittman is the candidate to do it. Community means everything to him, and Dante knows that a strong one is built on equitable access to resources like affordable housing, quality schools, and good jobs. Dante is proud to be the product of North Carolina public schools and will do everything he can to ensure that every student has access to a world-class education, regardless of economic background.
Last cycle, Democrats secured a one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House, winning by just 63 votes and putting an end to GOP control of the chamber. Rep. Brian Munroe was one of those critical victories, flipping his district blue by less than 500 votes. Now, he’s defending his seat against a new Republican challenger in a must-win race. Brian is a Navy veteran and former first responder who’s been an ally to the LGBTQ+ community and a supporter of reproductive freedom in the legislature. He’s committed to protecting the right to vote, improving public education, and protecting the environment – none of which can happen if GOP extremists control the chamber.
For over a decade, Wisconsin was considered one of the most gerrymandered states in the country, allowing Republicans to hold a supermajority in the legislature despite consistently losing the statewide popular vote. Now, new district maps have set the stage for the fairest election in nearly a generation, and Yee Leng Xiong has a chance to flip his district blue and defeat the Republican who authored an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother. A win would make Yee the first Hmong-American to ever serve in the state legislature, where he could fight for an equitable justice system, affordable health care, and a great public education for all Wisconsinites.
The DLCC has a plan to protect freedom and our democracy by securing Democratic wins in state legislatures across the country. State legislative races are shaping the most important issues of our time – including abortion rights, democracy, gun safety, LGBTQ+ rights, climate policy, and workers’ rights. The time to get involved is now. Donate today to have your gift split evenly among these 10 phenomenal candidates running in must-win races.
