GOP wins battle for state legislatures (11/7/2002)

The Election Day victories in Congress by the Republican Party extend into state legislatures, as well.

Prior to November 5, Democrats and Republicans each controlled eighteen state legislatures.  Thirteen states had one chamber controlled by each party.  Nebraska has a one-chamber, non-partisan legislature.

Unofficial 2002 election results show that Democrats will now control the legislatures of sixteen states.  Republicans will control twenty-two legislatures and eleven others will be split.  In the best-case scenario, recounts in the Vermont and Oregon Houses of Representatives could hand Democrats two additional states.  Illinois moved to the Democratic column when they took over the Senate.

The legislatures in Colorado, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin are now totally controlled by the GOP.  Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina and Washington all moved from Democratic control into the split column.

In all, eighty-seven partisan chambers held elections on November 5.  Of those, Republicans posted gains in forty-seven, while Democrats gained in twenty-three.  Seventeen legislative chambers showed no gain for either party.

These results mirror the national trend, which saw the GOP taking over the Senate, strengthening its majority in the House and winning key governorships.

Many sportsmen credit Republicans with being more pro-sportsmen than their Democrat counterparts.  Closer examination has revealed that support for hunting and firearms is more prevalent in rural areas than in urbanized locales.  Rural legislators tend to be Republican.  Many of the new GOP winners are more suburban-based, and will need to be educated about the valuable role that sportsmen have historically played in conservation.

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