The Most Recent Competitive Statewide Partisan Election in Each State

Forty states have hosted at least one statewide race decided by single digits since the 2018 cycle

Smart Politics has published numerous reports over the years illustrating how the nation is churning out more and more states that look like partisan silos.

Coming out of the 2024 election, Smart Politics published articles documenting how 38 states are in the midst of record major party winning streaks in presidential elections, how the 119th Congress set the record for the fewest split U.S. Senate delegations, and how the number of single party state congressional delegations reached a 70-year high in January 2025.

But even with red states getting redder and blue states getting bluer, from time to time even states with significant partisan tilts still host competitive elections for some statewide office.

The circumstances for a competitive race (defined in this report as a margin of victory in the single digits) may be due to an incumbent retiring, a scandal plaguing the dominant party in the state, or a nominee of the underdog party riding a national partisan wave en route to what otherwise would be a more decisive loss.

This report shines a light on the most recent competitive partisan statewide general election in each of the 50 states. Here are a few summary highlights:

• 21 states hosted a competitive statewide election during the 2024 election cycle
• 40 states have had at least one statewide race decided by single digits since the 2018 cycle
• Only one state has not had a competitive statewide general election during the 21st Century (Utah)

Alabama (2017 special, U.S. Senate): Democrat Doug Jones defeated former Republican Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore by 1.6 points

Alaska (2024, U.S. House): Republican Nick Begich unseated two-term Democratic U.S. Representative Mary Peltola by 2.5 points (Begich led by 2.0 points before the ranked choice voting instant runoff)

Arizona (2024, U.S. Senate, President): Democratic U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego edged former Republican journalist Kari Lake by 2.4 points in an open seat race while Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris by 5.5 points at the top of the ticket

Arkansas (2014, Attorney General): Republican attorney Leslie Rutledge flipped an open seat by 8.4 points over Democratic State Representative Nate Steel during a cycle in which the GOP  took complete control of the state

California (2018, Insurance Commissioner): Democrats swept the state as they have for every cycle since 2008, but Democratic State Senator Ricardo Lara only defeated independent (and former GOP Insurance Commissioner) Steve Poizner by 5.7 points

Colorado (2020, U.S. Senate): Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper unseated one-term Republican U.S. Senator Cory Gardner by 9.3 points

Connecticut (2022, Treasurer): Democrat Erick Russell defeated GOP State Representative Harry Arora by 7.5 points in an open seat race

Delaware (2022, Treasurer, Attorney General, Auditor): Democratic incumbents for Treasurer (Colleen Davis) and Attorney General (Kathleen Jennings) beat Republicans Gregory Coverdale and Julienne Murray by 7.3 and 7.7 points respectively while Democratic attorney Lydia York defeated attorney Janice Lorrah by 8.4 points after winning her party’s nomination against incumbent Auditor Kathleen McGuiness

Florida (2020, President): Before Democrats seemingly fell off the rails in Florida just a few short years ago, President Trump defeated Joe Biden by just 3.4 points

Georgia (2024, President): Trump edged Vice President Kamala Harris by 2.8 points

Hawaii (2004, President): U.S. Senator John Kerry beat President George W. Bush by 8.7 points

Idaho (2018, Superintendent of Public Instruction): Republican incumbent Sherri Ybarra eked out a 2.9-point win over Cindy Wilson in a state where Democrats last won a statewide race in 2002

Illinois (2016, Comptroller): Chicago City Clerk and former Democratic State Representative Susana Mendoza unseated appointed Comptroller Leslie Munger by 5.0 points in a special election

Indiana (2018, U.S. Senate): Republican State Representative Mike Braun unseated one-term U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly by 5.9 points

Iowa (2022, Auditor, Attorney General): In a GOP friendly cycle statewide, Democratic Auditor Rob Sand was able to eke out a 0.2-point victory over real estate agent Todd Halbur but 10-term Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller lost a 1.7-point rematch against his 2010 opponent, attorney Brenna Bird

Kansas (2022, Attorney General, Governor): Former Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach beat prosecutor Chris Mann by 1.6 points in an open seat race while Democratic Governor Laura Kelly won reelection at the top of the ticket by 2.2 points over sitting Attorney General Derek Schmidt

Kentucky (2023, Governor): Democratic Governor Andy Beshear won a second term with a 5.1-point win over Attorney General Daniel Cameron in the deep red state

Louisiana (2019, Governor): Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards defeated GOP construction executive Eddie Rispone by 2.7 points [The election for state Insurance Commissioner was also decided by single digits that cycle, but was contested only by two Republican candidates].

Maine (2024, President): Kamala Harris carried the state by 6.9 points over Trump

Maryland (2014, Governor): Republican Larry Hogan won the open seat race against Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown by 3.8 points in the decidedly blue state

Massachusetts (2014, Governor): Similarly, Republican health care CEO Charlie Baker flipped the governorship with a 1.9-pint win against Attorney General Martha Coakley

Michigan (2024, U.S. Senate, President): Democratic U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin held her party’s open seat by 0.3 points against former U.S. Representative Mike Rodgers while Trump defeated Harris by 1.4 points

Minnesota (2024, President): Harris defeated Trump by 4.2 points as the DFL ran up its statewide election victory streak to 28 straight contests

Mississippi (2023, Governor): Embattled Republican Governor Tate Reeves escaped with a 3.2-point win against Public Service Commissioner Brandon Pressley

Missouri (2018, Auditor, U.S. Senator): Appointed Democratic Auditor Nicole Galloway beat attorney Saundra McDowell by 5.8 points and Republican State Attorney General Josh Hawley unseated two-term U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill by 5.8 points

Montana (2024, U.S. Senator): Republican Bridger Aerospace CEO Tim Sheehy unseated three-term U.S. Senator Jon Tester by 7.7 points

Nebraska (2024, U.S. Senator): Republican U.S. Senator Deb Fischer won a third term with a 6.7-point victory against independent mechanic Dan Osborn

Nevada (2024, U.S. Senator, President): Democratic U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen was elected to a second term by 1.6 points over former U.S. Army Captain Sam Brown while Trump defeated Harris by 3.1 points at the top of the ticket

New Hampshire (2024, President, Governor): Harris carried the state by 2.8 points over Trump while former GOP U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte won an open gubernatorial seat by 9.3 points against former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig

New Jersey (2024, President, U.S. Senator): Harris beat Trump by 5.9 points and Democratic U.S. Representative Andy Kim won an open seat by 9.6 points against real estate developer Curtis Bashaw

New Mexico (2024, President): Harris carried the state by 6.0 points over Trump

New York (2022, Governor, Attorney General): Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul defeated GOP U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin by 6.4 points and Democratic Attorney General Letitia James was elected to a second term by 9.3 points over attorney Michael Henry

North Carolina (2024, Supreme Court Associate Justice, Auditor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Attorney General, President, Commissioner of Insurance, Treasurer, Commissioner of Labor, Commissioner of Agriculture, and three seats on the Court of Appeals): Perhaps the most evenly divided state in the nation in statewide races, in 2024 Republicans won the offices of Auditor (1.7 points), Court of Appeals Seat 12 (1.8), President (3.2), Court of Appeals Seat 15 (3.4), Commissioner of Insurance (4.2), Court of Appeals Seat 14 (4.6), Treasurer (4.9), Commissioner of Labor (5.5), and Commissioner of Agriculture (7.7). Democrats won contests for Supreme Court Associate Justice (0.1 points), Lieutenant Governor (1.9), Secretary of State (2.1), Superintendent of Public Instruction (2.4), and Attorney General (2.9).

North Dakota (2018: Secretary of State): Republican Secretary of State (running as an independent) Alvin Jaeger defeated State Representative Joshua Boschee by 8.1 points. [Jaeger lost the GOP nominating convention and ended his campaign. His opponent, Will Gardner, subsequently withdrew from the race under scandal but it was too late for Jaeger to get on the primary ballot. Jaeger then ran as an independent in the general election.].

Ohio (2024, U.S. Senator): GOP businessman Bernie Moreno unseated three-term Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown by 3.6 points

Oklahoma (2010, Insurance Commissioner): Republican insurance agent John Doak unseated Democratic Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland by 9.0 points as the GOP swept all statewide offices

Oregon (2024, Treasurer, Attorney General): Democratic State Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward won an open seat by defeating fellow State Senator Brian Boquist by 6.1 points while Democratic State House Speaker Dan Rayfield held the open Attorney General seat for his party with an 8.9-point victory against attorney Will Lathrop

Pennsylvania (2024, U.S. Senator, President, Attorney General, Auditor General, Treasurer): Republicans swept five competitive statewide elections for U.S. Senator (0.2 points), President (1.7), Attorney General (4.6), Auditor General (5.2), and Treasurer (6.3 points)

Rhode Island (2022, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer): Democratic Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos held her seat with a 8.1-point victory over Aaron Guckian and Democrat and former Central Falls Mayor James Diossa scored an 8.9-point win in the open race for Treasurer against North Kingstown finance director James Lathrop

South Carolina (2018, Governor): Republican Governor Henry McMaster defeated long-serving State Representative James Smith by 8.0 points

South Dakota (2018, Governor): Republican U.S. Representative Kristi Noem edged State Senator Billie Sutton by 3.4 points in the deep red state

Tennessee (2006, U.S. Senator): Republican and former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker scored a 2.7-point win against U.S. Representative Harold Ford, Jr.

Texas (2024, U.S. Senator): Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz was reelected to a third term by 8.5 points over U.S. Representative Colin Allred

Utah (1996, Attorney General): Democratic Attorney General Jan Graham defeated prosecutor and 1992 GOP nominee Scott Burns by 6.4 points

Vermont (2024, Lieutenant Governor): Former Democratic State Senator turned Republican John Rodgers unseated Progressive Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman by 1.7 points

Virginia (2024, President, U.S. Senator): Harris carried Virginia by 5.8 points over Trump while Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Kaine was elected to a third term by 8.9 points over former U.S. Navy Captain Hung Cao

Washington (2024, Commissioner of Public Lands): Former Democratic State Representative and sitting King County Councilor Dave Upthegrove beat former U.S. Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler by 5.5 points

West Virginia (2018, U.S. Senator): Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin won a third term by 3.3 points against Attorney General Patrick Morrissey

Wisconsin (2024, U.S. Senator, President): Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin was reelected to a third term by 0.9 points against bank executive Eric Hovde as Trump also carried the state at the top of the ticket by 0.9 points

Wyoming (2008, U.S. House): Former GOP Treasurer Cynthia Lummis held the open seat for her party with a 9.8-point victory against businessman Gary Trauner

Follow Smart Politics on X.