Democrats flipped Virginia’s House and Senate Nov. 5, giving the party a trifecta — control of both state legislative chambers and the governorship — for the first time since 1993.
Farther west, Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear’s apparent win over incumbent Republican Gov. Matt Bevin means Republicans will lose their trifecta in the state.
These results add to a string of Democratic state-level victories since 2016.
Most states had divided governments historically, but unprecedented gains by Republicans in the 2010 elections gave them complete control of the government in nearly half of all states. This swept in an era of budget cuts, tougher abortion restrictions and loosening gun laws. The timing of the wave allowed the party to redraw state district lines, helping them maintain legislative control in tougher election years.
The low point for Democrats came after the 2016 elections, when they held onto full control of just six state governments: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Oregon and Rhode Island. The following summer, the governor of West Virginia switched parties, giving Republicans a new trifecta in the state.
