Democrats take Arizona governorship and both chambers of state legislature

First such sweep since 1966; Gov. Hobbs wins re-election

Party claims trifecta in at least 6 states, including Michigan and Pennsylvania

A Kansas resident fills out a ballot at the Douglas County Clerk Election Office in Lawrence, Kansas, on Oct. 14 (local time). [AFP]
A Kansas resident fills out a ballot at the Douglas County Clerk Election Office in Lawrence, Kansas, on Oct. 14 (local time). [AFP]

Democrats made significant gains in key battleground states in the US midterm elections, with Arizona delivering the most dramatic result: the party swept the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature for the first time in 60 years. Similar sweeps in Michigan, Pennsylvania and other states are reshaping the political landscape across the country.

Major US media outlets reported that Democrats achieved what is known as a "trifecta" in Arizona on Friday (local time), capturing the governorship and both the state Senate and state House. It was the first time the party had accomplished this in Arizona since 1966.

Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs won re-election, and the party's gains extended to the state legislature as well.

In the state Senate, Democrats secured 17 of 30 seats to claim a majority, while Republicans won 10. The remaining three seats had yet to be called. It was the first time Democrats had held a majority in the Arizona state Senate since the early 1990s.

In the state House, Democrats won 31 of 60 seats for a majority, while Republicans took only 16, with 13 seats still undecided. The result ended six decades of Republican control of the chamber.

Democrats also claimed trifectas in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Wisconsin, bringing the total number of states where the party controls the governorship and both legislative chambers to at least six, including Arizona.

Even Texas, a traditional Republican stronghold, saw its political map redrawn. Democrats seized control of the state House, which Republicans had dominated since 2003, and Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa won the governorship — the first Democrat to hold the office in 32 years.

Democrats also flipped the lower chambers in Maine and North Carolina, and took control of both chambers of the New Hampshire legislature.

The results are expected to have a significant impact on the balance of power at the state level. When a single party controls the governorship and both legislative chambers, it faces far less opposition in drafting budgets and passing major legislation. With Democrats securing unified control in multiple states simultaneously, shifts in state-level policy are widely anticipated.


boo@heraldcorp.com