Last time each party won a statewide office per state

[ElectionsGuy]

Last time Democrats won any statewide office:

Last time Republicans won any statewide office:

Key:

>90: 2014
>80: 2012-13
>70: 2010-11
>60: 2008-09
>50: 2006
>40: 2004
>30: 2002
>30 Opposite: 2000
>40 Opposite: 1998
>50 Opposite: 1996
>60 Opposite: 1994

[Figueira]

I know that the TX Democratic Party collapsed badly in the 90s under King George, but I would've never guessed that it is the most Republican state on this map. Oregon being more Democratic than MA/CT/CA/HI is also surprising. People often underestimate how Atlas red OR is. Oh, and R.I.P. Virginia Republicans Great work, thanks.

MA/CT/CA/HI have all had Republican governors recently (MA has one now).

I'm guessing this includes US Senate elections? Otherwise Oregon would be some shade of red.

[ElectionsGuy]

I know that the TX Democratic Party collapsed badly in the 90s under King George, but I would've never guessed that it is the most Republican state on this map. Oregon being more Democratic than MA/CT/CA/HI is also surprising. People often underestimate how Atlas red OR is. Oh, and R.I.P. Virginia Republicans Great work, thanks.

MA/CT/CA/HI have all had Republican governors recently (MA has one now).

I'm guessing this includes US Senate elections? Otherwise Oregon would be some shade of red.

It includes Presidential, US Senate, any statewide executive, and at-large house elections (though that isn't applicable in any case). If it didn't include US Senate elections, it would be 1988! I didn't realize how bad of shape the Oregon GOP is in.

[Miles]

Should Idaho be the D >30% pink?

It elected a Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2002.

[ElectionsGuy]

Should Idaho be the D >30% pink?

It elected a Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2002.

Damn, I always thought Superintendents were nonpartisan offices.

[Vega]

Hawaii is misleading since they have one partisan statewide office - the Governor.

[TDAS04]

Texas is definitely striking.  It's interesting that Republicans didn't take complete control of the legislature until the 2002 elections, but George W. Bush was clearly successful in altering the partisan character of the state.

[Zioneer]

A Democratic Attorney General won in 1996 in Utah, and I can't tell how the map key works, so you may be correct in the color for that one.

[Indy Texas]

Texas is definitely striking.  It's interesting that Republicans didn't take complete control of the legislature until the 2002 elections, but George W. Bush was clearly successful in altering the partisan character of the state.

2002 was the last time any statewide races in Texas were remotely competitive. David Dewhurst actually had to make a sincere effort to get elected Lieutenant Governor that year. Some people thought Ron Kirk was going to be the first African-American US Senator from Texas.

It's worth noting that the Republicans won the state house in 2002 even with a map that the Democrats worked very hard to try to shore themselves up with. And then you had Tom DeLay orchestrate another redrawing a year later and in 2004, every non-minority, non-urban Democrat had their career go up in flames, apart from a few in East Texas.

[bgwah]

I think limiting this to Governor and Senator (and perhaps Presidential elections) might be more relevant. The number of statewide elected offices that are partisan varies widely, but every state has a Governor, two Senators, and votes in Presidential elections.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I think limiting this to Governor and Senator (and perhaps Presidential elections) might be more relevant. The number of statewide elected offices that are partisan varies widely, but every state has a Governor, two Senators, and votes in Presidential elections.

I agree.

[IceSpear]

This is why winning Texas any time in the next couple decades is a pipe dream. The state doesn't care about particular candidates, it's straight ticket R every single time, no exceptions.

[Fuzzybigfoot]

This is why winning Texas any time in the next couple decades is a pipe dream. The state doesn't care about particular candidates, it's straight ticket R every single time, no exceptions.

Hillary is conceding Texas?!?!?!

#Hillaryunder500EVS

#RIP

[ElectionsGuy]

I think limiting this to Governor and Senator (and perhaps Presidential elections) might be more relevant. The number of statewide elected offices that are partisan varies widely, but every state has a Governor, two Senators, and votes in Presidential elections.

I agree.

Same scale.

Democrats:

Utah - 1980

Republicans:

[Senate Minority Leader Lord Voldemort]

It seems like Democratic states are more likely to vote in a periodic Republican than Republican states are willing to vote in a periodic Democrat.

[Miles]

^ Republican states, at least those in the south, have fewer swing voters who are willing to cross over.

[sg0508]

When is the last time the GOP won ANYTHING statewide in OR? Does that state still have a Republican Party?

[Senate Minority Leader Lord Voldemort]

When is the last time the GOP won ANYTHING statewide in OR? Does that state still have a Republican Party?

Probably Smith for '02 Senate.

[Skill and Chance]

It seems like Democratic states are more likely to vote in a periodic Republican than Republican states are willing to vote in a periodic Democrat.

That is fascinating.  It's probably the first time in US history that that has been true.  Bush having a such good midterm in 2002 might be skewing this a bit, but overall D+10 states seem much more comfortable with R governors than vice versa.

Among close states, MN, VA and NC stick out as potentially having something special going on (in the case of NC, for R's).

[jimrtex]

It's worth noting that the Republicans won the state house in 2002 even with a map that the Democrats worked very hard to try to shore themselves up with. And then you had Tom DeLay orchestrate another redrawing a year later and in 2004, every non-minority, non-urban Democrat had their career go up in flames, apart from a few in East Texas.

The 2002 redistricting was done by the Legislative Redistricting Board.  They simply had to undo the Richards gerrymander of the 1990s.  In East Texas, there aren't many options, the counties have to be combined in ways that they fit together.   An incumbent Democrat might find himself in a district with his home county, and three new counties.  He really wasn't an incumbent.  You had wholesale county switches where all the county officers would become Republican, and there was no longer the need to be Republican at the top of the ticket, and Democrat at the bottom, so why be Democrat in the middle?

Travis County had three Democrats who lived within a block of each other.  It was simple and fair to put them into the same district.  Because voters prefer to live in Republican districts, balancing population also results in Republican gains.

The 2001 legislative districts were the first since the 1950s that was not modified mid-decade.

The legislature did not redistrict congressional districts in 2001.  They did so in 2003.

[JoeyJoeJoe]

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Which was the county which every elected Democrat did so at the same time - Shackelford or Throckmorton?

[jimrtex]

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Which was the county which every elected Democrat did so at the same time - Shackelford or Throckmorton?

Throckmorton in 2012.

In Texas, primaries are conducted by the political parties, and in particular the county political parties.  If there is no county chair for a party, there will be no primary.  You can run as an independent, but that requires a bit of effort, while filing in the primary just requires the filing fee. 

There is little political competition for county offices.  So everyone may just go along and be a "Democrat".  No one is going to vote against Bobby who running for sheriff or Mary Sue for county clerk because they're a "Democrat".  The only detriment is that you can't vote for statewide offices, and perhaps for legislature. 

Even if there were a Republican party and primary, voters might pick the Democratic primary because that is where the local officials are chosen.

All the news accounts for Throckmorton County were in early May, a few weeks before the delayed primary, and were associated with restoration of the county courthouse, and include some state dignitaries such as the Ag Commissioner and the state party chair.

The candidates would have had to file in March, and more likely in December 2011.  So they may have just taken advantage of the county event to get reporters from Abilene to notice.   There was also a  bunch in Coke County who switched, and that was reported in the San Angelo media in April.

[Del Tachi]

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Which was the county which every elected Democrat did so at the same time - Shackelford or Throckmorton?

Throckmorton in 2012.

In Texas, primaries are conducted by the political parties, and in particular the county political parties.  If there is no county chair for a party, there will be no primary.  You can run as an independent, but that requires a bit of effort, while filing in the primary just requires the filing fee. 

There is little political competition for county offices.  So everyone may just go along and be a "Democrat".  No one is going to vote against Bobby who running for sheriff or Mary Sue for county clerk because they're a "Democrat".  The only detriment is that you can't vote for statewide offices, and perhaps for legislature. 

Even if there were a Republican party and primary, voters might pick the Democratic primary because that is where the local officials are chosen.

All the news accounts for Throckmorton County were in early May, a few weeks before the delayed primary, and were associated with restoration of the county courthouse, and include some state dignitaries such as the Ag Commissioner and the state party chair.

The candidates would have had to file in March, and more likely in December 2011.  So they may have just taken advantage of the county event to get reporters from Abilene to notice.   There was also a  bunch in Coke County who switched, and that was reported in the San Angelo media in April.

True in Mississippi as well.  Turnout in the Democratic Primary this August is expected to be twice as high as turnout in the GOP primary.