Election Day Numerology

by Tim Storey

A few numbers to help frame the 2008 legislative elections. Here goes...

• Total U.S. state legislative seats:  7,382
• Total seats having 2008 regular elections: 5,823
• Pre-election number of Democratic controlled legislatures:  23
• Pre-election number of Republican controlled legislatures: 14
• Pre-election number of legislatures with divided control: 12
• Nonpartisan, unicameral legislatures: 1 (Nebraska)
• Pre-election number of Democratic controlled legislative bodies: 55
• Pre-election number of Republican controlled legislative bodies: 41
• Tied legislative bodies: 2 (Oklahoma and Tennessee Senates)  
• Percentage of legislative seats currently held by Democrats: 53.9%
• Percentage of legislative seats currently held by Republicans: 44.7%
• Percentage of seats currently held by third parties: .3%
• Percentage of seats currently nonpartisan or vacant: 1.1%
• Total candidates running for legislative seats in 2008: 10,094
• Number of Democratic legislative candidates: 4,936 
• Number of Republican legislative candidates: 4,363
• Number of third party legislative candidates: 795
• Number of "Blue Enigma Party" legislative candidates: 2 (Delaware)
• Number of legislative incumbents not running for re-election in 2008 general election due to retirement, term limits, primary loss or other reason:  1,062
• Pre-election 2008 turnover in states with elections: 16.7% 
• Number of NCSL staff working throughout election night to help track and analyze legislative elections and statewide ballot measures: 35   

You read that last item correctly.  An impressive team of NCSL staff will stay up through the night collecting and analyzing election results.  We look forward to hearing from The Thicket readers about election results in your state.  You can call NCSL's election night headquarters at 303-856-1344 or send a message to The Thicket by clicking on "Contact us" at the top right. 

We will be posting election observations, results and information here in the Thicket and on NCSL's StateVote page over the next several days, so stay tuned.
  
 

Comments

[Lurker]

"Blue Enigma" ? What was that for?