2010 United States state legislative elections

2010 United States state legislative elections

← 2009 November 2, 2010 2011 →
88 legislative chambers in 46 states
Majority party Minority party Third party   Party Republican Democratic Coalition Chambers before 37 61 1[b] Chambers after 57 40 1[b] Overall change 20 21[a]
Map of upper house elections:      Democrats retained control      Republicans gained control      Republicans retained control      Coalition retained control      Non-partisan legislature      No regularly-scheduled elections
Map of lower house elections:      Democrats retained control      Republicans gained control      Republicans retained control      Split body formed      Non-partisan legislature      No regularly-scheduled elections

The 2010 United States state legislative elections were held on November 2, 2010, halfway through President Barack Obama's first term in office. Elections were held for 88 legislative chambers, with all states but Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia holding elections in at least one house. Kansas and New Mexico held elections for their lower, but not upper houses. Four territorial chambers in three territories and the District of Columbia were up as well. The winners of this election cycle served in their respective legislatures for either two or four-year terms, depending on state election rules.

Owing to the slow recovery from the Great Recession, the unpopularity of Democratic president Barack Obama, and the highly-publicized and chaotic passage of the Affordable Care Act, Republicans scored record gains. They net a total of 680 seats and took control of 20 legislative chambers, while the Democrats lost 21 chambers.

The Republican victories gave the party unprecedented power over the redrawing of congressional and state legislative districts following the 2010 census. They also used their newfound majorities to pass conservative legislation in a number of states, weakening labor unions, restricting abortion access, cutting taxes, and reducing government regulation.
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