Political Parties by State 2024

Politics in the United States is often boiled down to the standing of each state. Because of this focus, it’s no surprise that states tend to be all over the spectrum and have a long history of voting one way or another. There are two parties that dominate American politics, and even though their numbers are growing, there are few states that fall in between.

States By Political Party

To understand each state fully, we have taken a look at three types of data that represent the layering of a state’s political affiliation. The data includes

• Legislative majority paired with governor control (as seen in the table above)
• Party affiliation of each state's governor, senate, and house
• Percentage of adults who identify as a Democrat, Republican, or neither

By looking at these different categories, the nuance of the position of each state becomes more apparent. Also, it’s good to note that political affiliation is not an accurate indicator of quality of life, cost of living, income potential, natural beauty (or lack thereof), or weather. Each state is much more than a collection of statistics regarding the political party.

Another factor to consider on this topic would be the registered voters by state.

Democratic Lean

States that currently lean towards the left, meaning their governor and legislature are majorly Democratic, include

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Maine
• Nevada
• New Jersey New Mexico New York
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Washington
• District of Columbia

Republican Lean

The states that currently lean to the right, meaning their governor and legislature are majorly Republican, include

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

Split

The states where there is a split between governor control and the legislative majority include

• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Wisconsin

Special Election Cases

Few states can be defined by one political standing, especially when so many run their governments and voting processes much differently. All the states below have political situations that stand farther away from the norm than their neighbors.

Alaska

A special political situation exists in Alaska where a coalition of various Alaskan leaders runs the State House. The current positions in the Alaska State House are balanced with 15 Democrats, 6 Republicans, and 2 Independents.

Maine

The Presidential Election for Maine is divided into different districts. Most of Maine voted Democratic, but the 2nd District in Maine voted Republican. Further, the Junior U.S. Senator in Maine is held by an Independent leader.

Michigan

The U.S. House of Representatives in Michigan is tied, and neither political party owns the majority. The seats are tied at seven each.

Minnesota

In Minnesota, the U.S. House of Representatives is tied, much like in Michigan. Neither the Republicans nor Democrats own the majority, with the House balanced at four seats each.

Nebraska

Similar to Maine, the Presidential Election is split between various districts in the state. In the most recent 2020 Presidential election, Nebraska mainly voted Democrat, but the 2nd District voted Republican. Additionally, Nebraska has no party voting system, so every candidate runs on the same ballot. (Montana has a similar voting system.)

Pennsylvania

Like Minnesota and Michigan, the U.S. House of Representatives is split in Pennsylvania. Currently, the House is split between nine Republicans and nine Democrats.

Vermont

In Vermont, the U.S. Junior Senator Seat is held by an Independent leader that does not align with either the Democrat or Republican Party.