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Open seats in state legislative elections, 2021

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Last updated on November 18, 2024
2021 State Legislative Competitiveness
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There were 220 state legislative seats up for election on November 2, 2021, in two states. Of that total, there were 17 open seats, guaranteeing at least 8% of all seats would be won by newcomers. This was down from 2017 (9%) but higher than in 2013 (7%).

An open seat is one where no incumbent filed to run, meaning it is guaranteed to be won by a newcomer. Learn more about the terms and methodologies used in this analysis.

Ballotpedia uses the number and percentage of open seats to help determine the overall competitiveness of an election cycle. A greater number of open seats guarantees more newcomers entering legislatures and typically results in more candidates running for office. A smaller number of open seats guarantees fewer newcomers and typically results in fewer candidates running for office.

In 2021:

  • There were seven open Democratic seats, those most recently held by Democrats at the time of filing.
  • There were 10 open Republican seats, those most recently held by Republicans at the time of filing.
  • The total number of open seats—17—was down from 20 in 2017, the last time only New Jersey and Virginia held elections, representing a 15% decrease.



    • Open state legislative seats, 2021
    Chamber Seats
    Democratic Republican Other Total
    # %
    House 180 6 7 0 13 7.2%
    Senate 40 1 3 0 4 10.0%
    Total 220 7 10 0 17 7.7%


    Click [show] on the table below to view open seat statistics by state in 2021. Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

    Historical comparison

    The chart below shows a breakdown of open seats from 2011 to 2021. The "Other" value includes seats left open by minor party and independent officeholders.

    See also

    Footnotes

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