The Most Fickle Legislative Chambers

By Karl Kurtz

Reacting to the news that the Washington Senate has a new majority consisting of a coalition of two Democrats and 23 Republicans (Democrats held a nominal 26-23 majority after the 2012 election), a Washington staffer sent us this question: In my 30 years in the Washington Legislature beginning in 1982, the majority in the Senate has changed eight times. Can any other legislative body, house or senate, match that level of voter indecisiveness?

Good question. During the 1982-2012 period, the Washington Senate was one of the kings of swings in party control, tied at eight with the Indiana and Montana houses and tops among senates. The Montana and Maine senates have each switched seven times. The Michigan and Minnesota houses have switched six times over the last 30 years and the North Carolina House and Alaska and Wisconsin senates five each.

Twenty-five of the 99 chambers have had no switches in party control over the 1982-2012 period.

Look for more on the Washington Senate and other coalitions in The Thicket next week.

Comments

[Ron Binns]

Does that count include inconsequential changes, such as the brief flip of the Wisconsin Senate last year after the recall nonsense? No legislative activity occurred after the flip, but they still reorganized the chamber to elect a new President.

[Dave]

Where did you get your information about Maine? The official website says it has only switched five times in that period: http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/history/makeup.htm

[Karl Kurtz]

Ron raises a good question. Our data are only from one election to the next and do not include changes in party control that might have resulted from special elections, coalition formation or the like. This explains our count of seven changes in the Maine Senate (Dave's comment). Immediately after the 2000 election, the Maine Senate was tied, as indicated by a footnote on the Maine history website, so we counted that as a party switch from D to tied. The Dems regained control after the 2002 election, so that counted as another switch from tied to D. The Maine web page shows continued D control in 2001-02 (not tied) because of special elections that took place in 2001 and returned the chamber to D control. The tie only shows up in a footnote.