| Election Name: | 2002 United States state legislative elections |
| Country: | United States |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2001 United States state legislative elections |
| Previous Year: | 2001 |
| Next Election: | 2003 United States state legislative elections |
| Next Year: | 2003 |
| Seats For Election: | 91 legislative chambers in 46 states |
| Election Date: | November 5, 2002 |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Map Size: | 320px |
| Map2 Image: | US2002statelowerhouses.svg |
| Map2 Size: | 320px |
| Map2 Caption: | Map of lower house elections: |
| 1Data1: | 48 |
| 2Data1: | 53 |
| 3Data1: | 5 |
| 1Data2: | 48 |
| 2Data2: | 43 |
| 3Data2: | 5 |
| Party3: | Coalition |
| 1Data3: | 1 |
| 2Data3: | 0 |
| 3Data3: | 1 |
| 1Blank: | Chambers before |
| 2Blank: | Chambers after |
| 3Blank: | Overall change |
| Colour3: | d9b2d9 |
The 2002 United States state legislative elections were held on November 5, 2002, halfway through President George W. Bush's first term in office. This was a unique election in which the incumbent Republican party performed surprisingly well for a midterm election. Elections were held for 91 legislative chambers, with all states but Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia holding elections in at least one house. [1] Three territorial chambers in two territories and the District of Columbia were up as well.
Republicans flipped control of six chambers: the Colorado Senate, the Georgia Senate for the first time since 1873, the Missouri House of Representatives for the first time since 1955, the Texas House of Representatives for the first time since 1873, the Washington Senate, and the Wisconsin Senate. Meanwhile, Democrats flipped control of the Illinois Senate. Additionally, the Arizona Senate went from a Democratic-led coalition to Republican control. The Maine Senate went from an evenly divided power-sharing government to a Democratic one. while the Oregon Senate went from Republican to tied.
Republicans had initially won control of the North Carolina House of Representatives by one seat, but Republican Michael P. Decker switched parties to become a Democrat, producing a tied chamber.[2]
Republicans won a trifecta in Texas for the first time since 1873, and in Missouri for the first time since 1923. As a result, Republicans held a majority of state legislative seats for the first time in half a century.[3]
Regularly-scheduled elections were held in 91 of the 99 state legislative chambers in the United States. Nationwide, regularly-scheduled elections were held for 6,381 of the 7,383 legislative seats. Many legislative chambers held elections for all seats, but some legislative chambers that use staggered elections held elections for only a portion of the total seats in the chamber. The chambers not up for election either hold regularly-scheduled elections in odd-numbered years, or have four-year terms and hold all regularly-scheduled elections in presidential midterm election years.
Note that this table only covers regularly-scheduled elections; additional special elections took place concurrently with these regularly-scheduled elections.
| State | Upper House[4] | Lower House | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats up | Total | % up | Term | Seats up | Total | % up | Term | |||
| Alabama | 35 | 35 | 35 | 4 | 105 | 105 | 105 | 4 | ||
| Alaska | 19 | 20 | 95 | 4 | 40 | 40 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Arizona | 30 | 30 | 100 | 2 | 60 | 60 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Arkansas | 35 | 35 | 100 | 2/4 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 2 | ||
| California | 20 | 40 | 50 | 4 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Colorado | 18 | 35 | 51 | 4 | 65 | 65 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Connecticut | 36 | 36 | 100 | 2 | 151 | 151 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Delaware | 21 | 21 | 100 | 2/4 | 41 | 41 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Florida | 40 | 40 | 100 | 2/4 | 120 | 120 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Georgia | 56 | 56 | 100 | 2 | 180 | 180 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Hawaii | 25 | 25 | 100 | 2/4 | 51 | 51 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Idaho | 35 | 35 | 100 | 2 | 70 | 70 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Illinois | 59 | 59 | 100 | 2/4 | 118 | 118 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Indiana | 25 | 50 | 50 | 4 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Iowa | 25 | 50 | 50 | 4 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Kansas | 0 | 40 | 0 | 4 | 125 | 125 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Kentucky | 19 | 38 | 50 | 4 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Louisiana | 0 | 39 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 105 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Maine | 35 | 35 | 100 | 2 | 151 | 151 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Maryland | 47 | 47 | 47 | 4 | 141 | 141 | 141 | 4 | ||
| Massachusetts | 40 | 40 | 100 | 2 | 160 | 160 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Michigan | 38 | 38 | 100 | 4 | 110 | 110 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Minnesota | 67 | 67 | 100 | 2/4 | 134 | 134 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Mississippi | 0 | 52 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 122 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Missouri | 17 | 34 | 50 | 4 | 163 | 163 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Montana | 25 | 50 | 50 | 4 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Nebraska | 25 | 49 | 51 | 4 | N/A (unicameral) | |||||
| Nevada | 10 | 21 | 48 | 4 | 42 | 42 | 100 | 2 | ||
| New Hampshire | 24 | 24 | 100 | 2 | 400 | 400 | 100 | 2 | ||
| New Jersey | 0 | 40 | 0 | 2/4 | 0 | 80 | 0 | 2 | ||
| New Mexico | 0 | 42 | 0 | 4 | 70 | 70 | 100 | 2 | ||
| New York | 62 | 62 | 100 | 2 | 150 | 150 | 100 | 2 | ||
| North Carolina | 50 | 50 | 100 | 2 | 120 | 120 | 100 | 2 | ||
| North Dakota | 23 | 47 | 49 | 4 | 47 | 94 | 50 | 4 | ||
| Ohio | 16 | 33 | 48 | 4 | 99 | 99 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Oklahoma | 24 | 48 | 50 | 4 | 101 | 101 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Oregon | 15 | 30 | 50 | 4 | 60 | 60 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Pennsylvania | 25 | 50 | 50 | 4 | 203 | 203 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Rhode Island | 38 | 38 | 100 | 2 | 75 | 75 | 100 | 2 | ||
| South Carolina | 46 | 46 | 100 | 4 | 124 | 124 | 100 | 2 | ||
| South Dakota | 35 | 35 | 100 | 2 | 70 | 70 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Tennessee | 16 | 33 | 48 | 4 | 99 | 99 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Texas | 16 | 31 | 52 | 2/4 | 150 | 150 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Utah | 15 | 29 | 52 | 4 | 75 | 75 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Vermont | 30 | 30 | 100 | 2 | 150 | 150 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Virginia | 0 | 40 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Washington | 25 | 49 | 51 | 4 | 98 | 98 | 100 | 2 | ||
| West Virginia | 17 | 34 | 50 | 4 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Wisconsin | 16 | 33 | 48 | 4 | 99 | 99 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Wyoming | 15 | 30 | 50 | 4 | 60 | 60 | 100 | 2 | ||
| Total | 1280 | 1971 | 65 | N/A | 4595 | 5411 | 85 | N/A | ||
| State | Previous UH | Result | Party control | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | D 24-11 | D 25-10 | Democratic Hold | ||||
| Alaska | R 14-6 | R 12-8 | Republican Hold | ||||
| Arizona | Coal. 18-12 | R 17-13 | Republican Takeover | ||||
| Arkansas | D 27-8 | D 27-8 | Democratic hold | ||||
| California | D 26-14 | D 25-15 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Colorado | D 18-17 | R 18-17 | Republican Takeover | ||||
| Connecticut | D 21-15 | D 21-15 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Delaware | D 13-8 | D 13-8 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Florida | R 25-15 | R 26-14 | Republican hold | ||||
| Georgia | D 32-24 | R 30-26 | Republican Takeover | ||||
| Hawaii | D 22-3 | D 20-5 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Idaho | R 32-3 | R 28-7 | Republican hold | ||||
| Illinois | R 32-27 | D 32-26-1 | Democratic Takeover | ||||
| Indiana | R 32-18 | R 32-18 | Republican hold | ||||
| Iowa | R 30-20 | R 29-21 | Republican hold | ||||
| Kentucky | R 20-18 | R 21-17 | Republican hold | ||||
| Maine | Split | 17-17-1 | D 18-17 | Democratic Takeover | |||
| Maryland | D 34-13 | D 33-14 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Massachusetts | D 34-6 | D 34-6 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Michigan | R 23-15 | R 22-16 | Republican hold | ||||
| Minnesota | D 39-27-1 | D 35-31-1 | Democratic Hold | ||||
| Missouri | R 18-16 | R 20-14 | Republican hold | ||||
| Montana | R 31-19 | R 29-21 | Republican hold | ||||
| Nebraska | Unicameral and non–partisan Senate with 49 members | ||||||
| Nevada | R 12-9 | R 13-8 | Republican hold | ||||
| New Hampshire | R 13-11 | R 18-6 | Republican Hold | ||||
| New York | R 36-25 | R 37-25 | Republican Hold | ||||
| North Carolina | D 28-22 | D 28-22 | Democratic Hold | ||||
| North Dakota | R 32-17 | R 31-16 | Republican hold | ||||
| Ohio | R 21-12 | R 22-11 | Republican hold | ||||
| Oklahoma | D 30-18 | D 28-20 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Oregon | R 16-14 | Split | 15-15 | Split Takeover | |||
| Pennsylvania | R 30-20 | R 29-21 | Republican hold | ||||
| Rhode Island | D 44-6 | D 32-6 | Democratic hold | ||||
| South Carolina | R 25-21 | R 26-20 | Republican hold | ||||
| South Dakota | R 24-11 | R 26-9 | Republican hold | ||||
| Tennessee | D 18-15 | D 18-15 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Texas | R 16-15 | R 19-12 | Republican hold | ||||
| Utah | R 20-9 | R 21-8 | Republican hold | ||||
| Vermont | D 16-14 | D 19-11 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Washington | D 25-24 | R 25-24 | Republican Takeover | ||||
| West Virginia | D 28-6 | D 24-10 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Wisconsin | D 18-15 | R 18-15 | Republican takeover | ||||
| Wyoming | R 20-10 | R 20-10 | Republican hold | ||||
| State | Previous LH | Result | Party control | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | D 67-38 | D 63-42 | Democratic Hold | ||||
| Alaska | R 27-13 | R 27-13 | Republican hold | ||||
| Arizona | R 36-24 | R 39-21 | Republican hold | ||||
| Arkansas | D 72-28 | D 70-30 | Democratic hold | ||||
| California | D 50-30 | D 48-32 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Colorado | R 38-27 | R 37-28 | Republican Hold | ||||
| Connecticut | D 100-51 | D 94-57 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Delaware | R 26-15 | R 29-12 | Republican hold | ||||
| Florida | R 77-43 | R 81-39 | Republican hold | ||||
| Georgia | D 105-74-1 | D 107-72-1 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Hawaii | D 32-19 | D 36-15 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Idaho | R 61-9 | R 54-16 | Republican hold | ||||
| Illinois | D 62-56 | D 66-52 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Indiana | D 53-47 | D 51-49 | Democratic Hold | ||||
| Iowa | R 56-44 | R 54-46 | Republican Hold | ||||
| Kansas | R 79-46 | R 80-45 | Republican hold | ||||
| Kentucky | D 64-36 | D 65-35 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Maine | D 88-62-1 | D 80-67-3-1 | Democratic Hold | ||||
| Maryland | D 106-35 | D 98-43 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Massachusetts | D 137-23 | D 135-23-1 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Michigan | R 59-51 | R 62-48 | Republican Hold | ||||
| Minnesota | R 70-64 | R 81-53 | Republican Hold | ||||
| Missouri | D 84-78 | R 90-73 | Republican Takeover | ||||
| Montana | R 58-42 | R 53-47 | Republican Hold | ||||
| Nebraska | Unicameral and non–partisan Senate with 49 members | ||||||
| Nevada | D 27-15 | D 23-19 | Democratic hold | ||||
| New Hampshire | R 256-144 | R 278-122 | Republican Hold | ||||
| New Mexico | D 42-28 | D 43-27 | Democratic hold | ||||
| New York | D 98-52 | D 102-48 | Democratic hold | ||||
| North Carolina | D 62-58 | Split | 60-60 | Split Takeover | |||
| North Dakota | R 69-29 | R 66-28 | Republican hold | ||||
| Ohio | R 60-39 | R 62-37 | Republican Hold | ||||
| Oklahoma | D 53-48 | D 53-48 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Oregon | R 32-27-1 | R 35-35 | Republican Hold | ||||
| Pennsylvania | R 104-99 | R 110-93 | Republican Hold | ||||
| Rhode Island | D 85-15 | D 63-11-1 | Democratic hold | ||||
| South Carolina | R 71-53 | R 73-51 | Republican hold | ||||
| South Dakota | R 50-20 | R 49-21 | Republican hold | ||||
| Tennessee | D 58-41 | D 54-45 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Texas | D 78-72 | R 88-62 | Republican Takeover | ||||
| Utah | R 51-24 | R 56-19 | Republican hold | ||||
| Vermont | R 83-62-4-1 | R 82-63-4-1 | Republican hold | ||||
| Washington | D 50-48 | D 52-46 | Democratic hold | ||||
| West Virginia | D 75-25 | D 68-32 | Democratic hold | ||||
| Wisconsin | R 56-43 | R 58-41 | Republican Hold | ||||
| Wyoming | R 46-14 | R 45-15 | Republican hold | ||||
| Territory | Previous | Result | Party control | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guam | R 8-7 | D 9-6 | Democratic Takeover | ||||
| Washington D.C. | D 11-2 | D 11-2 | Democratic Hold |