State Democrats swept elections across the country as voters bolstered the state legislative firewall against the GOP’s affordability crisis and extremism
WASHINGTON — Last week, state Democrats swept state elections and delivered one of the best election nights in modern history. By the numbers, state Democrats clinched some of the biggest majorities in decades, broke a GOP supermajority, and elected some of the most diverse slates of legislators to date.
These earthquake wins affirmed that voters trust state legislative Democrats to deliver on lowering costs and pushing back against DC dysfunction, and the DLCC has a winning strategy for the historic opportunity 2026 presents to build power and flip seats in statehouses across the country.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“State Democrats reached milestones, smashed records, and delivered wins that reflect voters’ clear rejection of the GOP’s chaos all year. By overwhelming margins, voters backed state Democrats’ vision of lowering costs and expanding opportunities, sending some of the most robust and diverse Democratic slates of legislators to statehouses across the country. The 2026 midterms will be a historic opportunity to capitalize on our momentum this year, and we’re ready to flip more seats and defend our most competitive chambers.”
By the numbers, here are the milestones that state Democrats accomplished:
- Virginia reached a historic 64-seat majority – the largest in nearly four decades.
- There are now more Democratic women than there are Republicans in the statehouse after voters elected 37 Democratic women to the House of Delegates.
- Once legislators are sworn in this January, a record number of women will be serving in the Virginia General Assembly.
- Virginia is now the 16th state in the country with a Democratic trifecta.
- House Democrats flipped 13 seats, including 5 Trump districts.
- All 16 DLCC Spotlight candidates won their races.
- Virginians also elected a record number of Black delegates – all of them Democrats.
- There are now more Democratic women than there are Republicans in the statehouse after voters elected 37 Democratic women to the House of Delegates.
- New Jersey Assembly Democrats built a new supermajority.
- Democrats won every single Spotlight race and flipped at least 4 seats, securing the largest Democratic majority in over 50 years.
- Pennsylvania’s state supreme court will retain a Democratic majority after all three Democratic justices won their retention races
- These key wins help to secure the Democratic majority through the end of 2030, which is essential for redistricting.
- As a reminder: State legislatures play a critical role in the redistricting process, drawing over 300 congressional districts and nearly 6,000 legislative seats across the country.
- Minnesota Democrats protected the DFL Senate majority in the fourth majority-deciding election in the state this year.
- This was the second time DFLers defended their majority in the Minnesota Senate this year.
- This win triggers the third special election in two years in the Minnesota House, which remains tied.
- Mississippi Democrats gained two seats to break the GOP Senate supermajority.
- This marked the 6th GOP supermajority broken by the DLCC in two years and the second one this year, following the Iowa Senate.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the campaign arm of Democratic state legislatures and leads the national strategy for building power and winning new majorities. Over the last three decades, we have strategized cycle over cycle to win majorities and lead the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level, winning nearly a dozen new chamber majorities over the last decade. Our work has ensured that nearly half of Americans are represented by at least one Democratic majority in their statehouse. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class and advancing opportunity, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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