2002 United States state legislative elections
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. Three territorial chambers in two territories and the District of Columbia were up as well.
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91 legislative chambers in 46 states | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Map of upper house elections: Democrats gained control Democrats retained control Republicans gained control Republicans retained control Split body formed 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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.
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.