State legislative special elections, 2015

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2015 State Legislative
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Across the nation, special elections are frequently conducted to fill vacancies in state legislatures. A total of 25 states use special elections to fill legislative vacancies. In two states, Illinois and Indiana, special elections are used in limited circumstances. In 2015, 89 state legislative seats were filled through special elections in 27 states.

See also: State legislative elections, 2015 and State legislative special elections, 2016

Breakdown of 2015 special elections

In 2015, the reasons prompting state legislative special elections were as follows:

The partisan breakdown for vacancies were as follows:

Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not total vacant seats.

Partisan Change from Special Elections
Party As of Vacancy After Special Election
     Democratic Party 42 38*
     Republican Party 46 50*
     Independent 1 1
Total 89 89

*In 2015, Democrats lost nine seats in special elections, but gained six seats. Republicans lost five seats in special elections, but gained eight seats.
*Although Edwin Gomes won election to the Connecticut State Senate as a Working Families Party candidate, after swearing in he was listed as a Democratic senator.
*Although Diane Richardson won election to the New York State Assembly as a Working Families Party candidate, after swearing in she was listed as a Democratic representative.
*Although Jay Mathis won election to the Mississippi House of Representatives as a Nonpartisan candidate, after swearing in he was listed as a Republican representative.

Special elections by date

2015 state legislative special elections
Office Former incumbent Filing deadline Primary election date General election date
Georgia House of Representatives District 120 Mickey Channell (R) December 10, 2014 N/A January 6, 2015
Georgia House of Representatives District 50 Lynne Riley (R) November 21, 2014 N/A January 6, 2015
Iowa House of Representatives District 4 Dwayne Alons (R) December 23, 2014 N/A January 6, 2015
Texas House of Representatives District 123 Michael Villarreal (D) December 22, 2014 N/A January 6, 2015
Texas House of Representatives District 17 Tim Kleinschmidt (R) December 22, 2014 N/A January 6, 2015
Texas State Senate District 26 Leticia Van de Putte (D) December 22, 2014 N/A January 6, 2015
Virginia House of Delegates District 34 Barbara Comstock (R) November 16, 2014 N/A January 6, 2015
Virginia House of Delegates District 63 Roz Dance (D) December 3, 2014 N/A January 6, 2015
Texas House of Representatives District 13 Lois Kolkhorst (R) December 29, 2014 N/A January 13, 2015
Virginia House of Delegates District 74 Joseph Morrissey (D) December 23, 2014 N/A January 13, 2015
Arkansas State Senate District 16 Michael Lamoureux (R) December 1, 2014 January 13, 2015 February 10, 2015
Iowa House of Representatives District 23 Mark Costello (R) January 27, 2015 N/A February 10, 2015
Florida House of Representatives District 13 Reggie Fullwood (D) October 22, 2014 December 16, 2014 February 17, 2015
Louisiana House of Representatives District 26 Herbert Dixon (D) January 9, 2015 N/A February 21, 2015
Louisiana House of Representatives District 49 Simone Champagne (R) January 9, 2015 N/A February 21, 2015
Louisiana House of Representatives District 66 Hunter Greene (R) January 9, 2015 N/A February 21, 2015
Louisiana House of Representatives District 8 Jeff Thompson (R) January 9, 2015 N/A February 21, 2015
Connecticut House of Representatives District 107 David Scribner (R) N/A N/A February 24, 2015
Connecticut House of Representatives District 129 Auden Grogins (D) N/A N/A February 24, 2015
Connecticut State Senate District 23 Andres Ayala, Jr. (D) N/A N/A February 24, 2015
Kentucky State Senate District 27 Walter Blevins (D) January 13, 2015 N/A March 3, 2015
Maine House of Representatives District 93 Elizabeth Dickerson (D) N/A N/A March 10, 2015
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 170 Brendan Boyle (D) N/A N/A March 24, 2015
Massachusetts House of Representatives Eleventh Worcester District Matthew Beaton (R) N/A N/A March 31, 2015
Massachusetts House of Representatives First Suffolk District Carlo Basile (D) N/A March 3, 2015 March 31, 2015
Florida House of Representatives District 17 Ronald Renuart (R) December 2, 2014 January 27, 2015 April 7, 2015
Florida House of Representatives District 24 Travis Hutson (R) December 2, 2014 January 27, 2015 April 7, 2015
Florida State Senate District 6 John Thrasher (R) December 2, 2014 January 27, 2015 April 7, 2015
Oklahoma State Senate District 11 Jabar Shumate (D) January 21, 2015 N/A April 7, 2015
Wisconsin State Senate District 20 Glenn Grothman (R) January 6, 2015 February 17, 2015 April 7, 2015
South Carolina House of Representatives District 63 Kristopher Crawford (R) January 5, 2015 February 24, 2015 April 14, 2015
Florida House of Representatives District 64 James Grant (R) December 12, 2014 February 10, 2015 April 21, 2015
Texas House of Representatives District 124 Jose Menendez (D) March 10, 2015 N/A April 21, 2015
New Hampshire House of Representatives District Rockingham 13 Ann M. Howe (R) N/A N/A April 28, 2015
Mississippi House of Representatives District 45 Bennett Malone (D) April 6, 2015 N/A May 5, 2015
New York State Assembly District 43 Karim Camara (D) N/A N/A May 5, 2015
California State Senate District 21 Stephen Knight (R) January 23, 2015 March 17, 2015 May 19, 2015
California State Senate District 37 Mimi Walters (R) January 23, 2015 March 17, 2015 May 19, 2015
California State Senate District 7 Mark DeSaulnier (D) January 23, 2015 March 17, 2015 May 19, 2015
New Hampshire House of Representatives District Rockingham 32 Brian F. Dobson (R) February 6, 2015 March 31, 2015 May 19, 2015
Pennsylvania State Senate District 5 Mike Stack (D) N/A N/A May 19, 2015
Rhode Island House of Representatives District 33 Donald Lally, Jr. (D) March 27, 2015 May 5, 2015 June 9, 2015
Georgia House of Representatives District 24 Mark Hamilton (R) May 20, 2015 N/A June 16, 2015
Georgia House of Representatives District 55 Tyrone Brooks, Sr. (D) April 30, 2015 N/A June 16, 2015
Georgia House of Representatives District 146 Larry O'Neal (R) June 3, 2015 N/A July 14, 2015
Georgia House of Representatives District 155 Jay Roberts (R) June 3, 2015 N/A July 14, 2015
Georgia House of Representatives District 48 Harry Geisinger (R) June 3, 2015 N/A July 14, 2015
Georgia House of Representatives District 80 Mike Jacobs (R) June 3, 2015 N/A July 14, 2015
Oklahoma House of Representatives District 73 Kevin Matthews (D) May 6, 2015 N/A July 14, 2015
Virginia House of Delegates District 74 Joseph Morrissey (I) June 16, 2015 N/A July 21, 2015
Wisconsin State Senate District 33 Paul Farrow (R) May 26, 2015 June 23, 2015 July 21, 2015
Utah House of Representatives District 58 Jon Cox (R) July 23, 2015 N/A July 30, 2015
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 161 Joe Hackett (R) N/A N/A August 4, 2015
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 87 Glen Grell (R) N/A N/A August 4, 2015
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 174 John Sabatina, Jr. (D) N/A N/A August 11, 2015
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 191 Ronald Waters (D) N/A N/A August 11, 2015
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 195 Michelle Brownlee (D) N/A N/A August 11, 2015
New Hampshire House of Representatives District Rockingham 20 Dennis B. Sweeney (R) May 15, 2015 July 7, 2015 August 25, 2015
Oklahoma House of Representatives District 85 David Dank (R) May 6, 2015 July 14, 2015 September 8, 2015
Delaware House of Representatives District 18 Michael Barbieri (D) N/A N/A September 12, 2015
South Carolina House of Representatives District 106 Nelson Hardwick (R) June 8, 2015 July 28, 2015 September 15, 2015
Tennessee House of Representatives District 14 Ryan Haynes (R) July 2, 2015 August 12, 2015 September 29, 2015
Wisconsin State Assembly District 99 Chris Kapenga (R) August 4, 2015 September 1, 2015 September 29, 2015
South Carolina State Senate District 45 Clementa Pinckney (D) July 13, 2015 September 1, 2015 October 20, 2015
Georgia House of Representatives District 122 Ben Harbin (R) September 16, 2015 N/A November 3, 2015
Georgia House of Representatives District 92 Tonya Anderson (D) September 30, 2015 N/A November 3, 2015
Georgia State Senate District 43 Ronald Ramsey (D) September 16, 2015 N/A November 3, 2015
Iowa House of Representatives District 5 Chuck Soderberg (R) October 9, 2015 N/A November 3, 2015
Maine House of Representatives District 19 William Noon (D) N/A N/A November 3, 2015
Maine House of Representatives District 23 Michael Shaw (D) N/A N/A November 3, 2015
Massachusetts State Senate Second Plymouth & Bristol District Thomas Kennedy (D) September 1, 2015 October 6, 2015 November 3, 2015
Minnesota House of Representatives District 46A Ryan Winkler (D) June 22, 2015 August 11, 2015 November 3, 2015
Missouri House of Representatives District 29 Noel Torpey (R) September 15, 2015 N/A November 3, 2015
Missouri House of Representatives District 36 Kevin McManus (D) September 15, 2015 N/A November 3, 2015
Missouri House of Representatives District 89 John Diehl, Jr. (R) September 15, 2015 N/A November 3, 2015
New Jersey State Senate District 5 Donald Norcross (D) March 30, 2015 June 2, 2015 November 3, 2015
New York State Assembly District 128 Sam Roberts (D) N/A September 10, 2015 November 3, 2015
New York State Assembly District 29 William Scarborough (D) N/A N/A November 3, 2015
New York State Assembly District 46 Alec Brook-Krasny (D) N/A N/A November 3, 2015
New York State Senate District 19 John L. Sampson (D) N/A N/A November 3, 2015
New York State Senate District 52 Thomas Libous (R) N/A N/A November 3, 2015
Pennsylvania State Senate District 37 Matthew Smith (D) N/A N/A November 3, 2015
Texas House of Representatives District 118 Joe Farias (D) September 2, 2015 N/A November 3, 2015
Washington House of Representatives District 30b Roger Freeman (D) May 15, 2015 August 4, 2015 November 3, 2015
Washington House of Representatives District 9a Susan Fagan (R) May 15, 2015 August 4, 2015 November 3, 2015
New Hampshire House of Representatives District Strafford 1 Robbie Parsons (R) N/A September 22, 2015 November 10, 2015
Georgia State Senate District 20 Ross Tolleson (R) November 4, 2015 N/A December 1, 2015
Iowa House of Representatives District 21 Jack Drake (R) November 13, 2015 N/A December 8, 2015
Minnesota House of Representatives District 3A David Dill (D) August 31, 2015 September 29, 2015 December 8, 2015

Historical data

State breakdown by year

The table below details how many state legislative special elections were held in a state in a given year. From 2010 to 2024, Georgia held the most state legislative special elections with 82. Pennsylvania held the second-most special elections with 69.

See also

Footnotes

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