Washington, D.C., isn’t the only capital city that will soon see major change as a result of Tuesday’s election. State capitals across the nation will see dramatic changes, too.
Just as a Republican tide lifted the party to a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, the GOP wave also brought the party significant gains in governors’ offices, state legislatures and other statewide offices across the nation.
Governors’ Races
The folks at R&R’s Washington office know a little about governors’ races. Mike Pieper, our Executive Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, used to run the Republican Governors’ Association; I once ran the Democratic Governors’ Association.
But in our time working on and following governors’ races, we haven’t seen a year quite like this, with the trend breaking so decisively for one party and half the states getting new governors in the same year.
In 37 governors’ races, Republicans claimed victory in 23 states, including 11 that previously had Democratic governors. The Republican gains occurred in Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Democrats won 10 races and picked up previous Republican seats in California, Hawaii and Vermont.
An independent, former Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee, won in Rhode Island. Three races – in Connecticut, Minnesota and Illinois – remain undecided.
Nationally, Republicans now control 29 governors’ offices – the highest number for the party since the mid-1990s. Democrats hold 17 seats.
And half of the 50 states will have new governors by early 2011 – the largest turnover of governors’ offices in generations. The roster of new governors will include at least 17 Republicans, five Democrats, one independent and new governors from Connecticut and Minnesota, where incumbents did not seek re-election.
That’s a lot of change, and a lot of that change will be focused on fiscal policy.
Many of the successful Republican candidates ran on platforms calling for cutting spending and holding the line on tax increases. At a time when many states face huge budget deficits, at least 12 of the nation’s new governors (11 Republicans and one Democrat) have ruled out increasing taxes, according to an analysis by Stateline.org. Those new governors will soon take office in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maine, New York, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
State Legislatures
If you are a new governor with a new agenda, it sure helps to have a friendly legislature. And after Tuesday, there are not only more Republican governors, but more GOP governors with Republican legislative support.
Republicans made dramatic gains in state legislative races across the nation, picking up more than 650 seats previously held by Democrats. Republicans now control more state legislative seats than at any time since 1928.
Republicans won control of 19 legislative chambers across the nation. The GOP picked up both legislative chambers in Alabama, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Wisconsin. Republicans gained majorities in previously Democratic-controlled state House chambers in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Results are not final in the New York Senate, Oregon House and Senate and Washington Senate.
Some of the legislative changes were historic. In North Carolina, Republicans control both houses of the legislature for the first time since 1870. In Alabama, the GOP took charge of both chambers for the first time since Reconstruction.
In the Rust Belt states, Republicans now control governors’ offices and both legislative chambers in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin and Indiana.
These legislative gains by Republicans will affect not only coming debates over taxation and fiscal policy but also the once-a-decade redrawing of Congressional and legislative district maps. Of the 18 states expected to gain or lose Congressional seats, Republicans now hold legislative majorities in 10 states.
Other Statewide Offices
Here, the Republican trend continued.
Republican candidates won 16 of 30 state attorney general races, picking up previous Democratic seats in Arizona, Oklahoma, Georgia, Ohio and Kansas.
On a night of losses at most levels, Democrats fared better at re-electing incumbent attorneys general. Democratic AGs were re-elected in Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico and Vermont. The Democratic candidate also is clinging to a narrow lead for the open seat in California, a race still too close to call. And Democrats held on to the AG positions in New York and Connecticut, where the current office-holder moved up to higher offices.
In other statewide contest, Republicans won 10 of 12 races for independently elected lieutenant governor, a net gain of three, and the GOP won 17 of 26 races for secretary of state, picking up six from Democrats.
These gains in the lower-ticket statewide races mean that Republicans not only have a deep roster of officials for the present, but also a deep bench of political talent for other statewide races for higher office in the future.
