State Governments Go Blue
Democrats control at least one legislative chamber in two-thirds of the states; there are 28 Democratic governors.

Two years ago, Democrats made modest gains in state legislatures, gaining control of seven more chambers and full control of two additional state legislatures. This year, the shift is a bit more dramatic, where it appears that in nearly all of the chambers that changed hands, Democrats were the victors. This also held true in the gubernatorial races, where Democrats won in six additional states, including Colorado Governor-Elect Bill Ritter, who has pledged support for licensure of landscape architects.

State legislatures are volatile places, and many have changed hands frequently over the years. This year was no different, but the trend was almost exclusively toward the Democrats. Republicans had gains in Montana, where the House became the only body to switch control in favor of the GOP. Elsewhere, Democrats reaped the rewards with the entire Iowa and New Hampshire legislatures changing hands, as well as the Wisconsin Senate and the House in Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, and Oregon—all in favor of the Democrats. The control of the Pennsylvania House is still in dispute with a 102–101 split, depending on a race that will be decided by outstanding absentee ballots.

On November 7, more than two-thirds of the states voted for governor in 2006, leading to a 28 (D) to 22 (R) split between the 50 states. Twenty-three incumbents held on to their seats, but Democrats picked up control in the following states:

• Arkansas—Mike Beebe
• Colorado—Bill Ritter
• Maryland—Martin O’Malley [Bob Ehrlich (R) was the only incumbent governor to lose]
• Massachusetts—Deval Patrick
• New York—Eliot Spitzer
• Ohio—Ted Strickland

In other places where there was an open seat, the controlling party retained the Governor’s Mansion:

• Alaska—Sarah Palin (R)
• Florida—Charlie Crist (R)
• Idaho—C. L. “Butch” Otter (R)
• Iowa—Chet Culver (D)
• Nevada—Jim Gibbons (R)