Political party strength in U.S. states

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Political party strength in U.S. states

The following table shows all the U.S. states and to what party (Democratic or Republican) their state governors belong. Also indicated is the majority party of the state legislatures' upper and lower houses as well as U.S. Senate representation. Nebraska's legislature

Nebraska Legislature

The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative branch of the Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the Lincoln, Nebraska, Lancaster County, Nebraska....
is unicameral, i.e., it has only one legislative house and is officially non-partisan, though party affiliation still has an unofficial influence on the legislative process.)

Throughout most of the 20th century, although the Republican party often held power at a national level, the Democratic party held almost uncontested power at the state level, especially in the solid South

Solid South

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Nebraska Legislature

Solid South

Solid South refers to the electoral support of the Southern United States for the Democratic Party candidates for nearly a century from 1877, the end of the Reconstruction era of the United States, to 1964, during the middle of the African-American Civil Rights Movement ....
, where the Republican Party was virtually nonexistent. (For much of the 20th century, North Dakota was a one-party Republican state, the only one in the country.)

However, in the 1970s and 1980s, the Republicans slowly increased their strength in the state legislatures, especially in the South, where the increasingly conservative

American conservatism

Conservatism in the United States is a major United States political ideology. In contemporary American politics, it is often associated with the Republican Party ....
Republican party took the place of the Democrats, who had been weakened by their party's support for the Civil Rights Movement

Civil rights movement

The Civil Rights Movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring approximately between 1960 to 1980. It was accompanied by much civil unrest and popular rebellion....
starting in the 1940s. In the 1990s, the Republicans finally overtook the Democrats in holding majorities in statehouses and governorships.

Currently, majority control of overall seats in the state legislature has been changing every few years. As of the U.S. gubernatorial elections of 2006, the Democratic party holds an outright majority of 669 with 3,989 seats over the Republican party's 3,320 in number of seats elected on a partisan ballot. Of the 7,382 seats in all of the state legislatures combined, independents and third parties account for only 17 members, not counting the 49 members of the Nebraska Legislature

Nebraska Legislature

Current party strength

State	Governor	Upper House Majority	Lower House Majority	Senior U.S. Senator	Junior U.S. Senator	U.S. House Delegation
Alabama Alabama Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....	Republican	Democratic 19-13-3^(c)	Democratic 61-43-1^(c)	Republican	Republican	Republican 4-3
Alaska Alaska Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....	Republican	Coalition Alaska Senate The Alaska Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the State legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The Senate consists of 20 members, each of whom represents a district of about 31,347 people .... 12-7^(e)-1^(c)	Republican 22-18	Republican	Democratic	Republican 1-0
Arizona Arizona The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....	Republican	Republican 18-12	Republican 35-25	Republican	Republican	Democratic 5-3
Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States of the United States. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River....	Democratic	Democratic 27-8	Democratic 71-28-1^(a)	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 3-1
California California California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....	Republican	Democratic 26-14	Democratic 51-29	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 33-19-1^(c)
Colorado Colorado The State of Colorado is a U.S. state located in the Mountain States of the United States of America. Colorado may also be considered to be a part of the Western United States and Southwestern United States regions of the United States....	Democratic	Democratic 21-14	Democratic 38-27	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 5-2
Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The state borders New York to the west and south , Massachusetts to the north, and Rhode Island to the east....	Republican	Democratic 24-12	Democratic 114-37	Democratic	Independent^(a)	Democratic 5-0
Delaware Delaware Delaware is a U.S. state located on the East Coast of the United States in the Mid-Atlantic States region of the United States. The state takes its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, a British nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor, after whom Cape Henlopen was originally named....	Democratic	Democratic 16-5	Democratic 24-17	Democratic	Democratic	Republican 1-0
Florida Florida Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....	Republican	Republican 26-14	Republican 76-44	Democratic	Republican	Republican 15-10
Georgia Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....	Republican	Republican 34-22	Republican 105-75	Republican	Republican	Republican 7-6
Hawaii Hawaii File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....	Republican	Democratic 23-2	Democratic 45-6	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 2-0
Idaho Idaho The State of Idaho is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and Capital is Boise, Idaho....	Republican	Republican 28-7	Republican 52-18	Republican	Republican	Split 1-1
Illinois Illinois The State of Illinois is a U.S. state of the United States, the 21st to be admitted to the United States. Illinois is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern United States state and the fifth most populous state in the nation....	Democratic	Democratic 37-22	Democratic 70-48	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 11-7-1^(c)
Indiana Indiana The State of Indiana was the 19th U.S. state admitted into the union. It is located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America....	Republican	Republican 33-17	Democratic 52-48	Republican	Democratic	Democratic 5-4
Iowa Iowa The State of Iowa is a U.S. state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It is bordered by Minnesota to the north, Wisconsin and Illinois to the east, Nebraska and South Dakota to the west, and Missouri to the south....	Democratic	Democratic 32-18	Democratic 56-44	Republican	Democratic	Democratic 3-2
Kansas Kansas The State of Kansas is a Midwestern U.S. state in the Central United States of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the United States "Heartland"....	Democratic	Republican 31-9	Republican 77-48	Republican	Republican	Republican 3-1
Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a U.S. state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is normally included in the group of Southern United States , but it is uncommonly included, geographically and culturally, in the Midwestern United States....	Democratic	Republican 21-16-1^(b)	Democratic 65-35	Republican	Republican	Republican 4-2
Louisiana Louisiana The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....	Republican	Democratic 22-15-2^(c)	Democratic 53-50-2	Democratic	Republican	Republican 6-1
Maine Maine The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....	Democratic	Democratic 20-15	Democratic 96-54-1^(b)	Republican	Republican	Democratic 2-0
Maryland Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....	Democratic	Democratic 33-14	Democratic 104-36-1	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 7-1
Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north....	Democratic	Democratic 35-5	Democratic 144-16	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 10-0
Michigan Michigan Michigan is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Anishinaabe language term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....	Democratic	Republican 21-17	Democratic 67-43	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 8-7
Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with just over five million residents....	Republican	Democratic 46-21	Democratic 87-47	Democratic	vacant	Democratic 5-3
Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....	Republican	Democratic 27-25	Democratic 74-48	Republican	Republican	Democratic 3-1
Missouri Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska....	Democratic	Republican 23-11	Republican 89-74	Republican	Democratic	Republican 5-4
Montana Montana Montana is a U.S. state in the Western United States. The western third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges; other 'island' ranges are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains....	Democratic	Republican 27-23	Democratic 50-50	Democratic	Democratic	Republican 1-0
Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a U.S. state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and Western United States.Nebraska probably gets its name from the archaic Chiwere language words ?? Br?sge or the Omaha-Ponca language N? Bth?ska meaning "flat water," after the Platte River that flows through the state....	Republican	Unicameral legislature Nebraska Legislature The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative branch of the Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the Lincoln, Nebraska, Lancaster County, Nebraska.... ^(d): Non-partisan Non-partisan democracy Non-partisan democracy is a system of Representative democracy or organization such that universal and periodic elections take place without reference to political party.... (official) Republican 32-17 (unofficial)		Democratic	Republican	Republican 3-0
Nevada Nevada Nevada is a U.S. state located in the Western United States of the United States of America. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas, Nevada....	Republican	Democratic 12-9	Democratic 28-14	Democratic	Republican	Democratic 2-1
New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States of America. The state was named after the southern English Counties of England of Hampshire....	Democratic	Democratic 14-10	Democratic 225-175	Republican	Democratic	Democratic 2-0
New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....	Democratic	Democratic 23-17	Democratic 48-32	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 8-5
New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a U. S. State located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. Inhabited by Native Americans in the United States populations for many centuries, it has also has been part of the Spanish Empire viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S....	Democratic	Democratic 27-15	Democratic 45-25	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 3-0
New York New York The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....	Democratic	Democratic 32-30	Democratic 109-41	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 25-3-1^(c)
North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....	Democratic	Democratic 30-20	Democratic 68-52	Republican	Democratic	Democratic 8-5
North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States and Western United States regions of the United States of America. North Dakota is the 19th largest state by area in the US; it is the 48th most populous, with just over 640,000 residents as of 2006....	Republican	Republican 26-21	Republican 58-36	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 1-0
Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region , Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads in North America....	Democratic	Republican 21-12	Democratic 53-46	Republican	Democratic	Democratic 10-8
Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma is a U.S. state and a sovereignty located in the South Central United States and Southern United States of the United States of America ....	Democratic	Republican 26-22	Republican 61-40	Republican	Republican	Republican 4-1
Oregon Oregon Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....	Democratic	Democratic 18-12	Democratic 36-24	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 4-1
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....	Democratic	Republican 30-20	Democratic 104-99	Republican	Democratic	Democratic 12-7
Rhode Island Rhode Island Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a U.S. state in the New England region of the United States....	Republican	Democratic 33-4-1^(b)	Democratic 69-6	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 2-0
South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....	Republican	Republican 27-19	Republican 71-53	Republican	Republican	Republican 4-2
South Dakota South Dakota South Dakota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America. It is named after the Lakota people and Sioux Sioux Native Americans in the United States tribes....	Republican	Republican 21-14	Republican 46-24	Democratic	Republican	Democratic 1-0
Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....	Democratic	Republican 19-14	Split Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the U.S. state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.... 49-49-1^(f)	Republican	Republican	Democratic 5-4
Texas Texas Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....	Republican	Republican 19-12	Republican 76-74	Republican	Republican	Republican 20-12
Utah Utah The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....	Republican	Republican 21-8	Republican 53-22	Republican	Republican	Republican 2-1
Vermont Vermont Vermont is a U.S. state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. The state ranks 43rd by land area, , and 45th by total area....	Republican	Democratic 23-7	Democratic 95-48-7	Democratic	Independent^(a)	Democratic 1-0
Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....	Democratic	Democratic 21-19	Republican 53-45-2^(b)	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 6-5
Washington	Democratic	Democratic 31-18	Democratic 64-34	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 6-3
West Virginia West Virginia West Virginia is a U.S. state in the Appalachian, Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Ohio on the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland on the northeast....	Democratic	Democratic 28-6	Democratic 79-21	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 2-1
Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. state in the United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States. It borders two of the five Great Lakes and four U.S....	Democratic	Democratic 18-15	Democratic 52-46-1^(a)	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic 5-3
Wyoming Wyoming The State of Wyoming is a sparsely populated U.S. state in the Northwestern United States of the United States. The majority of the state is dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountains, while the easternmost section of the state is a high altitude prairie region known as the High Plains ....	Democratic	Republican 23-7	Republican 41-19	Republican	Republican	Republican 1-0

Totals
Governor	State Upper House Majority	State Lower House Majority	U.S. Senate	U.S. House of Representatives
Democratic 28-22	Democratic 28-21-1^(e)	Democratic 33-15-1^(d) ^(f)	Democratic 56-41-2^(a) -1^(c)	Democratic 254-178-3^(c)

(a) Independents caucusing with Democratic Party.

(b) Independents caucusing with Republican Party.

(c) Vacancy.

(d) Nebraska has no lower house.

(e) The Alaska State Senate has a coalition majority of Democrats and Republicans.

(f) The Tennessee House of Representatives has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, with a speaker who is officially from neither party.

Regional breakdowns

Local and regional political circumstances often influence party strength.

State government

Governor

Upper	Lower

Federal congressional and senate delegations

Senate	House of Representatives

Historical party strength

The following table shows how many state legislatures were controlled outright by each party.

Year	Democrats	Republicans	Split
1938	21	19	6
1940	21	17	8
1942	19	24	3
1944	19	24	3
1946	17	25	4
1948	19	16	11
1950	19	21	6
1952	16	26	4
1954	19	20	7
1956	22	19	5
1958	30	7	11
1960	27	15	6
1962	25	17	6
1964	32	6	10
1966	23	16	9
1968	20	20	8
1970	23	16	9
1972	26	16	7
1974	37	4	8
1976	35	4	10
1978	31	11	7
1980	29	15	5
1982	34	11	4
1984	26	11	12
1986	28	9	12
1988	29	8	12
1990	30	6	13
1992	25	8	16
1994	18	19	12
1996	20	18	11
1998	20	17	12
2000	16	18	15
2002	18	17	14
2003	16	21	12
2004	17	21	11
2005	20	20	9
2007	24	16	9
2008	23	15	12
2009	27	15	8