Hosta

Elections to state legislatures were held on November 4, 2008, alongside other elections, in which Democrats scored significant gains in a blue wave election. Elections were held for 85 legislative chambers, with all states but Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Alabama, Maryland, and Virginia holding elections in at least one house. Michigan and Minnesota held elections for their lower, but not upper houses.^[1]

The New Hampshire Senate saw the election of the first-ever female majority. This is the first time this has occurred in any chamber of any state legislature in United States history.^[2] In New York, the Democrats obtained a trifecta for the first time since 1935.^[3]

The Democrats took control of six legislative bodies to the Republicans' four. Democrats took control of the Delaware House of Representatives, for the first time since 1985, the Montana House of Representatives, the Nevada Senate, and the New York State Senate, for the first time since 1966, the Ohio House of Representatives, and the Wisconsin State Assembly. Republicans took control of the Montana Senate; both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly,^[4] for the first time since Reconstruction; and the Oklahoma Senate, for the first time in state history.

Results

State-by-state

Upper houses

State	Previous UH	Result	Party control
Alaska	Coal. 15-5	Coal. 16-4	Coalition Hold
Arizona	R 17-13	R 18-12	Republican hold
Arkansas	D 27-8	D 27-8	Democratic hold
California	D 25-15	D 25-15	Democratic hold
Colorado	D 20-15	D 21-14	Democratic hold
Connecticut	D 23-13	D 24-12	Democratic hold
Delaware	D 13-8	D 16-5	Democratic hold
Florida	R 26-14	R 26-14	Republican hold
Georgia	R 34-22	R 34-22	Republican hold
Hawaii	D 20-5	D 23-2	Democratic hold
Idaho	R 28-7	R 28-7	Republican hold
Illinois	D 37-22	D 37-22	Democratic hold
Indiana	R 33-17	R 33-17	Republican hold
Iowa	D 30-20	D 32-18	Democratic hold
Kansas	R 30-10	R 31-9	Republican hold
Kentucky	R 22-15-1	R 21-16-1	Republican hold
Maine	D 28-17	D 20–15	Democratic Hold
Massachusetts	D 35-5	D 35-5	Democratic hold
Missouri	R 21-13	R 23-11	Republican hold
Montana	D 26-24	R 27-23	Republican Takeover
Nebraska	Unicameral and non–partisan Senate with 49 members
Nevada	R 11-10	D 12-9	Democratic Takeover
New Hampshire	D 14-10	D 14-10	Democratic Hold
New Mexico	D 24-18	D 27-15	Democratic hold
New York	R 32-30	D 32-30	Democratic takeover
North Carolina	D 31-19	D 30-20	Democratic Hold
North Dakota	R 26-21	R 26-21	Republican hold
Ohio	R 21-12	R 21-12	Republican hold
Oklahoma	D 24-24^[c]	R 26-22	Republican Takeover
Oregon	D 19-11	D 18-12	Democratic hold
Pennsylvania	R 29-21	R 30-20	Republican hold
Rhode Island	D 33–5.	D 33-4-1	Democratic hold
South Carolina	R 27-19	R 27-19	Republican hold
South Dakota	R 20-15	R 21-14	Republican hold
Tennessee	16-16-1^[b]	R 19-14	Republican Takeover
Texas	R 20-11	R 19-12	Republican hold
Utah	R 21-8	R 21-8	Republican hold
Vermont	D 23-7	D 23-7	Democratic hold
Washington	D 31-18	D 31-18	Democratic hold
West Virginia	D 23-11	D 26-8	Democratic hold
Wisconsin	D 18-15	D 18-15	Democratic Hold
Wyoming	R 23-7	R 23-7	Republican hold

Lower houses

State	Previous LH	Result	Party control
Alaska	R 23-17	R 22-18	Republican hold
Arizona	R 33-27	R 36-24	Republican hold
Arkansas	D 72-28	D 71-27-1	Democratic hold
California	D 48-32	D 50-29-1	Democratic hold
Colorado	D 39-26	D 38-27	Democratic Hold
Connecticut	D 107-44	D 114-37	Democratic hold
Delaware	R 23-18	D 24-17	Democratic Takeover
Florida	R 77-43	R 76-44	Republican hold
Georgia	R 106-74	R 105-74-1	Republican hold
Hawaii	D 43-8	D 45-6	Democratic hold
Idaho	R 51-19	R 52-18	Republican hold
Illinois	D 67-51	D 70-48	Democratic hold
Indiana	D 51-49	D 52-48	Democratic Hold
Iowa	D 54-46	D 57-43	Democratic Hold
Kansas	R 78-47	R 77-48	Republican hold
Kentucky	D 63-37	D 65-35	Democratic hold
Maine	D 90-59-2	D 95-55-1	Democratic Hold
Massachusetts	D 144-15-1	D 144-15-1	Democratic hold
Michigan	D 58-52	D 67-43	Democratic Hold
Minnesota	D 85-48-1	D 87-47	Democratic Hold
Missouri	R 97-66	R 92-71	Republican hold
Montana	R 50-49-1	50-50 ^[d]	Democratic takeover
Nebraska	Unicameral and non–partisan Senate with 49 members
Nevada	D 27-15	D 28-14	Democratic hold
New Hampshire	D 239-160-1	D 225-175	Democratic Hold
New Mexico	D 42-28	D 45-25	Democratic hold
New York	D 106-42-1-1	D 107-41-1-1	Democratic hold
North Carolina	D 68-52	D 68-52	Democratic Hold
North Dakota	R 61-33	R 58-36	Republican hold
Ohio	R 53-46	D 53-46	Democratic takeover
Oklahoma	R 57-44	R 61-40	Republican hold
Oregon	D 31-29	D 36-24	Democratic Hold
Pennsylvania	D 102-101	D 104-99	Democratic Hold
Rhode Island	D 60-15	D 69-6	Democratic hold
South Carolina	R 73-51	R 73-51	Republican hold
South Dakota	R 50-20	R 46-24	Republican hold
Tennessee	D 53-46	R 50-49	Republican Takeover
Texas	R 77-71	R 76-74	Republican hold
Utah	R 55-20	R 53-22	Republican hold
Vermont	D 93-49-6-2	D 95-48-5-2	Democratic hold
Washington	D 63-35	D 62-36	Democratic hold
West Virginia	D 72-28	D 71-29	Democratic hold
Wisconsin	R 52-47	D 52-46-1	Democratic takeover
Wyoming	R 43-17	R 41-19	Republican hold

Partisan control of state governments after the 2008 elections:

Democrats maintained trifecta

Democrats gained trifecta

Republicans maintained trifecta

Divided government maintained

Divided government established

Officially non-partisan legislature

Notes

^ ^a ^b The Alaska Senate was controlled by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans. The minority caucus consists of Republicans who were not part of the majority coalition.
^ ^a ^b Following the defection of Senator Micheal R. Williams from the Republican party, no party controlled the Tennessee Senate. Thus the chamber is not included in the total here.
^ The Oklahoma Senate were evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, but the Democratic Party controlled the chamber by virtue of holding the governor's office.
^ The Montana House of Representatives were evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, but the Democratic Party controlled the chamber by virtue of holding the governor's office.

References

^ https://ballotpedia.org/State_legislative_elections,_2008
^ "New Hampshire Senate Makes History". ABC News. December 7, 2008.
^ "New York - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
^ Whitehouse, Ken. "Tennessee Republicans win slim majority in State House". Nashville Post. Retrieved 2023-02-07.

[AKSenate-1] The Alaska Senate was controlled by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans. The minority caucus consists of Republicans who were not part of the majority coalition.

[TNSenate-2] Following the defection of Senator Micheal R. Williams from the Republican party, no party controlled the Tennessee Senate. Thus the chamber is not included in the total here.

[7] The Oklahoma Senate were evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, but the Democratic Party controlled the chamber by virtue of holding the governor's office.

[8] The Montana House of Representatives were evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, but the Democratic Party controlled the chamber by virtue of holding the governor's office.

[3] ttps://ballotpedia.org/State_legislative_elections,_2008

[4] "New Hampshire Senate Makes History". ABC News. December 7, 2008.

[5] "New York - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-04-22.

[6] Whitehouse, Ken. "Tennessee Republicans win slim majority in State House". Nashville Post. Retrieved 2023-02-07.

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