Our most recent book is titled Divided We Stand: The 2020 Elections and American Politics. Among other things, it discusses state and congressional elections. Democrats did surprisingly well in state legislatures.
Democrats took control of the Michigan legislature this week, handing the party full power over the state government for the first time in nearly 40 years as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer beat back a Republican challenger Tuesday night.
In Michigan and elsewhere, Democrats not only held onto governorships in battlegrounds like Wisconsin and Kansas but also outperformed expectations in many key statehouse races, delivering a blow to Republicans who have dominated many of the chambers for a decade or more.
Democrats flipped the Republican stronghold in the Minnesota Senate, notching a trifecta as Democratic Gov. Tim Walz won reelection. The unified government in St. Paul opens the door for Walz and his allies in the statehouse to reach a deal on how to spend a $12 billion budget surplus. The Legislature adjourned earlier this year after gridlock stalled spending negotiations.
Democrats are also threatening the Republican majorities in the Pennsylvania House and Senate. And while results in Arizona — another top target for Democrats — remain unclear, Republicans just hold narrow two-seat majorities in both the Arizona House and Senate.
