Democrats spend millions to challenge Republican control of state legislatures

More than 6,100 seats in state legislatures will be contested in the 2026 midterm elections, and Democrats are pouring millions of dollars into an effort to cut into Republican control of the chambers that write most state laws on education, taxes, reproductive rights, crime and social media access.

Republicans control the legislature in 28 states, compared with 18 for Democrats; the remaining four are divided between the parties or run under power-sharing deals.

John Kennedy, a political science professor at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, said state governments "have a greater impact on our everyday lives than what takes place in Washington D.C."

Parties pick their targets

Both national party committees are selecting races to promote. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, citing an anti-incumbent mood and low popularity for President Trump, called the moment a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to "capture new majorities."

A Republican State Leadership Committee strategy memo from April said 2026 brings "a political environment that is likely to be one of the most challenging for state Republicans in recent years," and that the group would take a "defensive-first posture" to hold its seats.

Democratic money is focused on flipping Republican-held chambers in Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. In Arizona, Republicans hold a four-seat Senate majority and a six-seat House advantage; if Democrats take both, Governor Katie Hobbs, if re-elected, would have an easier time rolling back school vouchers and appointing agency leaders.

Democrats elsewhere want to break Republican supermajorities that allow legislatures to override Democratic governors' vetoes, as in North Carolina and Kansas, if they hold the governor's office there.

Pennsylvania a key test

Pennsylvania may offer the clearest chance of a shift. Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro is in a constant policy battle with a split legislature — Democrats hold a narrow House majority, Republicans a four-seat Senate majority. Democrats have not won a trifecta, or full control of the executive and legislative branches, in more than 30 years, and the result could come down to a few close Senate races in Philadelphia's suburbs.

Shapiro, running for re-election, has listed his goals for "the first 30 days" of a trifecta: raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, codifying abortion rights, building more affordable housing and taking on utilities that raise rates. Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania, but Democrats want to reduce restrictions and add clearer language; Republican lawmakers have blocked those moves. Kennedy said Shapiro would pursue "a very ambitious agenda."

Shapiro's Republican challenger, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, said at their only debate that the governor treats the divided legislature as an "excuse," and that "real leadership" means calling leaders to the table to negotiate.

New Hampshire and the longer trend

In New Hampshire, Democrats hope to win a majority in the 400-member state House as a check on Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte, who is seeking re-election. Such gains would counter a Republican strategy that began with sweeping state legislative wins in the 2010 midterms and continued through redistricting, Kennedy said. After mid-decade congressional redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections, some legislatures might redraw their own districts next cycle.

Source: NPR News.