Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

Incumbents defeated in state legislative elections, 2023

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Competitiveness Report Banner.png
Last updated on April 29, 2025
2023 State Legislative Competitiveness
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
2025 »
« 2021
Analyses
Annual Report
Open seats • Contested primaries • Incumbents in contested primaries • Major party competition • Uncontested incumbents • Incumbents defeated
Primary statistics
2023 elections
2023 Election Analysis Hub • State legislative • State executive officials
Reports by year


There were 578 state legislative seats up for election on November 7, 2023, across four states: Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia. This page analyzes incumbents defeated in those state legislative races. An incumbent may be defeated at two points in an election cycle: during a primary election or other nominating contests and during a general election.[1][2]

In 2023, 29 incumbents lost their re-election bids: 13 in general elections and 16 in primaries. This was more than in 2021 (22) but fewer than in 2019 (31).

On this page, you will find:

Incumbents defeated in general elections

In state legislative general elections, 13 incumbents lost to challengers, 3.1% of incumbents running for re-election. This was similar to the percentage of incumbents defeated in 2019 (3.4%), the last time all four states held elections.

An average of 4.3% of incumbents were defeated in odd-year general elections from 2011 to 2023, while an average of 6% of incumbents were defeated in even-year general elections from 2010 to 2022.

In 2023 general elections:

  • Two Democratic incumbents lost, 1% of the 178 Democratic incumbents who ran and 2% of the 93 contested Democratic incumbents.
  • Nine Republican incumbents lost, 4% of the 243 Republican incumbents who ran and 9% of the 100 contested Democratic incumbents.
  • Two minor party or independent incumbents lost, 50% of the four minor party or independent incumbents who ran and 66.7% of the three contested minor party or independent incumbents.
  • The total number of incumbents defeated in general elections—13—is fewer than in 2019 (14), the last time all four states held elections, representing a 7% decrease.

    • In 2023

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Virginia is unique in that it is the only state, as of this writing, where parties can decide not to hold a primary and select their candidates via nominating contests like conventions instead.
    2. ↑ Ballotpedia counts an incumbent defeat in a convention as a primary election defeat and includes that defeat in any overall totals.
    3. ↑ Includes two independent or minor party candidates who lost in the general election.
    4. ↑ Includes one independent or minor party candidate who lost in the general election.
    5. ↑ Includes one independent or minor party candidate who lost in the general election.
    v • e
    Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections
    Background
    Competitive Analysis Main Logo.JPG
    2024
    2023
    2022
    2021
    2020
    2019
    2018
    2017
    2016
    2015
    2014
    2013
    2012
    2011
    2010
    2009
    2007
    v • e
    2023 Election Analysis
    General Analysis
    State legislatures
    State executives
    Ballot measures
    Local
    v • e
    State legislatures
    Legislatures
    Alabama (H, S) · Alaska (H, S) · Arizona (H, S) · Arkansas (H, S) · California (A, S) · Colorado (H, S) · Connecticut (H, S) · Delaware (H, S) · Florida (H, S) · Georgia (H, S) · Hawaii (H, S) · Idaho (H, S) · Illinois (H, S) · Indiana (H, S) · Iowa (H, S) · Kansas (H, S) · Kentucky (H, S) · Louisiana (H, S) · Maine (H, S) · Maryland (H, S) · Massachusetts (H, S) · Michigan (H, S) · Minnesota (H, S) · Mississippi (H, S) · Missouri (H, S) · Montana (H, S) · Nebraska · Nevada (A, S) · New Hampshire (H, S) · New Jersey (GA, S) · New Mexico (H, S) · New York (A, S) · North Carolina (H, S) · North Dakota (H, S) · Ohio (H, S) · Oklahoma (H, S) · Oregon (H, S) · Pennsylvania (H, S) · Rhode Island (H, S) · South Carolina (H, S) · South Dakota (H, S) · Tennessee (H, S) · Texas (H, S) · Utah (H, S) · Vermont (H, S) · Virginia (H, S) · Washington (H, S) · West Virginia (H, S) · Wisconsin (A, S) · Wyoming (H, S)
    SLP badge.png
    2025
    2024
    2023
    Historical elections
    2022 •  2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000
    Features of
    state legislatures
    State senates
    State houses
    Leadership positions
    Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Incumbents_defeated_in_state_legislative_elections,_2023&oldid=10360401"