Explaining Increased Contestation in the 2018 State Legislative Elections

Abstract

<jats:p>State legislative elections in the United States have long exhibited relatively low contestation rates. Between 2002 and 2016, for example, the percentage of state legislative seats fully contested by the two major parties in even-year elections never reached more than 63.6% and was as low as 54.6%.<jats:sup>1</jats:sup> Indeed, some states always see fewer than one third of their legislative seats contested. It is not surprising that local media around the country routinely lament the low level of competition in statehouse races.<jats:sup>2</jats:sup></jats:p>

Timing Their Positions: Cosponsorship in the State Legislature

“…If position-taking is an activity undertaken by legislators in pursuit of reelection, then legislators who ran uncontested in their previous general election likely feel less pressure to sponsor legislation that will gain them favor with their constituents. State legislative elections have long exhibited low rates of contested elections, particularly in states with a dominant party (Burden and Snyder 2021;Myers 2020). When legislators do not face electoral challengers, they may be slower to cosponsor.…”