Democrats regained the governorship of Kentucky and held the office in Louisiana, despite strong campaign efforts by President Donald Trump for the Republican candidates. Democrats also took control of the state legislature in Virginia. Republicans held the governor's mansion in Mississippi and expanded their control of the Louisiana state legislature and gained seats in the New Jersey state legislature. A major theme in the election results was a suburban revolt against Trump and the Republican Party in general, as these areas swung heavily towards Democratic candidates in local, state, and federal elections.[1][2]
Also during 2019, changes in partisan balance in the House of Representatives happened as the result of members of Congress switching their party affiliation. On July 4, 2019, Rep. Justin Amash declared he would leave the Republican Party but continue to serve in Congress as an independent, turning an evenly split Michigan delegation into a Democratic majority delegation.[17] Following a week of speculation, on December 19, the day after voting against the impeachment of Donald Trump, Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey officially left the Democratic Party to become a Republican.[18]
State elections
Partisan control of states after the 2019 elections.
Three states held gubernatorial elections in 2019:
Kentucky: In the May 21 primaries, one-term incumbent Republican Matt Bevin faced a strong challenge from three opponents in the Republican primary but managed to win with 52.4%; Democratic attorney general Andy Beshear also faced a strong competition from two other challengers in the Democratic primary but managed to win with 37.9%.[19] In the November 5 general election, Andy Beshear defeated Matt Bevin by just 0.4 percent of the vote; however, the Associated Press declared the race too close to call, and Bevin refused to concede on election night, requesting a recanvass.[20] The recanvass showed little change in the vote totals, and Bevin conceded the election on November 14.[21]
Louisiana: One-term Democrat John Bel Edwards defeated Eddie Rispone in a run-off election, securing a second term. In the state's October blanket primary, Edwards faced Republicans U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham[22] and businessman Eddie Rispone, along with three minor candidates. While Edwards received 46.6% of the vote, he did not win a majority and therefore faced a Saturday, November 16 runoff election against Rispone, who received 27.4% of the vote.[23] The runoff election was held on November 16. Despite Republican Donald Trump winning the state by 20 points in 2016, John Bel Edwards was able to narrowly win re-election with 51.3% of the vote against Eddie Rispone's 48.7%.[24]
Mississippi: Two-term Republican Phil Bryant was term-limited in 2019 and therefore ineligible to seek re-election. In the August 6 primary elections, Attorney GeneralJim Hood won the Democratic primary,[25] and on August 27, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves defeated Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. to win the Republican nomination.[26] Though the Associated Press described Hood as the "best-funded Democratic nominee for Mississippi governor since 2003," Reeves won the Mississippi gubernatorial race by a comfortable 51.9% to 46.8% margin.[27]
Regularly-scheduled elections were held in 3 of 43 states that elect attorneys general. The previous Attorney General elections for this group of states took place in 2015. One state attorney general ran for reelection and won, while DemocratJim Hood of Mississippi and Andy Beshear of Kentucky did not run for re-election to run for Governor.[28]
Republicans won every seat in this election, with a net gain of two.[29]
Special elections were also held during the year to fill state legislative seats vacated due to retirement, death, resignation, election to another office, or other reasons. During 2019, special elections were set or run for 77 vacated seats — 39 held by Democrats and 38 held by Republicans. Of the 74 special elections held by year-end, five seats flipped from Democratic to Republican, two flipped from Republican to Democratic, and one flipped from Republican to Independent. None of these changes impacted partisan control of the state legislature.[34]
Judicial
Three states held supreme court elections in 2019.
Louisiana held a special election for the Louisiana Supreme Court to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Justice Greg G. Guidry, for a term to expire in 2029. Attorney William J. Crain defeated Hans J. Liljeberg in the November general election.
In the 2019 elections, Republicans successfully defended their trifecta (unified control of the governorship and the state legislature) in Mississippi, while Democrats defended their trifecta in New Jersey and prevented Republicans from gaining a trifecta in Louisiana. Republicans lost their trifecta in Kentucky, while Democrats gained a trifecta in Virginia.[35] These state elections will impact the redistricting that will follow the 2020 United States census, as many states task governors and state legislators with drawing new boundaries for state legislative and Congressional districts.
Ballot measures
24 binding ballot measures were voted on in seven states.[36]
In Pennsylvania, voters were to consider a constitutional amendment to adopt Marsy's Law protections for crime victims.[37] Just days before the election, however, an injunction was issued blocking the commonwealth from tallying votes on the amendment.[38][39] The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania affirmed the injunction on the eve of the election.[40][41]
In Texas, voters approved nine of ten proposed amendments to the Lone Star State's constitution, most notably Proposition 4, intended to ban a state income tax. Texas is one of only nine U.S. states without a state income tax.[42]
In Washington state, voters narrowly approved Referendum 88, a veto referendum to overturn Initiative 1000, which allowed for affirmative action policies in the areas of public education, employment, and contracting.[43][44] Voters also approved Initiative 976, limiting motor vehicle registration fees used for infrastructure and transit projects; passage of the bill is expected to decrease funding for transportation projects in the state by $4 billion by 2025.[45]
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, a ballot initiative to change how seats in the Legislature of the Virgin Islands are apportioned was defeated due to low voter turnout. A majority of voters approved of the reapportionment plan during the March 30, 2019, special election; however, only about 9 percent of registered voters participated in the election, and a majority of all registered voters was required for the initiative to pass.[46]
Local elections
Mayoral elections
Although most mayorships and other local offices are non-partisan, when looking at party identification of the officeholders, registered Democrats gained three mayorships during 2019 (Phoenix, Arizona; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Wichita, Kansas) and Republicans picked up one (Aurora, Colorado). Following the November elections, registered Democrats have held 62 mayorships (+2) in the 100 largest cities in the United States, registered Republicans hold 29 (+1), and independents hold 4 (−3). The remaining 5 have been nonpartisan or were undetermined.[47]
In Alabama, which was the location of many pivotal moments in the American civil rights movement, several cities elected their first African American mayor in 2019. In the capital city of Montgomery, Probate Judge Steven Reed was elected mayor in a run-off,[82] and in Talladega Timothy Ragland defeated incumbent mayor Jerry Cooper in a run-off.[83] Also, voters in Eastpointe, Michigan, elected council member Monique Owens mayor, making her the city's first African American mayor.[84]
Two large cities elected their first out LGBT+ mayors in 2019. In Chicago, Lori Lightfoot was elected as the city's first female African American mayor and first lesbian mayor[85] in what was only the second-ever mayoral runoff election in the city's history.[86] In Tampa, Florida, Jane Castor also won a run-off election to become the first gay woman to lead a major Florida city.[87]
In Tucson, Arizona, Democrat Regina Romero was elected the city's first female and first Latina mayor.[88] In Boise, Idaho, City Council President Lauren McLean defeated incumbent Dave Bieter to become the first woman elected as mayor in the city and winner of the city's first-ever mayoral run-off election.[89][90][91] Similarly, in Belton, South Carolina, Tiffany Ownbey defeated incumbent Wendell Page, making her the first woman to be elected mayor of the city.[92] In Salt Lake City, Utah, Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall became the city's third female mayor after defeating state senator Luz Escamilla;[93] it was the first time two women had faced each other in a mayoral runoff in the city.[94]
City councilman Dr. An Minh Truong won an open seat for mayor of Haltom City, Texas, making him the first Vietnamese-American mayor in Tarrant County and possibly the first in Texas.[95]
Special Election Runoff in Phoenix, Arizona, city council member Kate Gallego was elected mayor in the March runoff election following the 2018 resignation of Mayor Greg Stanton;[116] Gallego had come in first in the November 2018 special election, but failed to win an outright majority.[117]
Special mayoral election in Port Richey, Florida, attorney Scott Tremblay was elected mayor[118] to replace Vice Mayor Terrence Rowe who was arrested on conspiracy charges 20 days after being elevated to mayor following the arrest of Mayor Dale Massad for practicing medicine without a license.[119]
Special mayoral election in Scranton, Pennsylvania, won by Independent Paige Cognetti following the resignation of Mayor Bill Courtright, who pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges;[120] Cognetti is the first female mayor of the city.[121]
Recall elections
Nationwide, 90 city council members and 45 mayors or vice-mayors were subject to recall efforts, along with 44 school board members and 51 other city, county, or state officials. In total, 87 of these efforts made it to the ballot and slightly more than half were successful in recalling the official; an additional 16 officials resigned before a recall election could be held.[122][123] Mayors were successfully recalled in Wickenburg, Arizona; Brighton, Colorado; Bovill and
Dalton Gardens, Idaho; Albion, Michigan; York, Nebraska; Metolius, Oregon; and Rio Bravo, Texas. Mayors in Elk River, Kooskia, and Sugar City, Idaho, and in Arnegard and Tower City, North Dakota, were retained in office.[124] In Huntington, Oregon, voters recalled Mayor Richard Cummings who'd survived a 2018 recall attempt when he served on the city council.[125]
In Fall River, Massachusetts, voters successfully recalled Mayor Jasiel Correia and re-elected him in the same election. Correia faced recall after being charged with wire fraud and filing false tax returns in 2018. Five candidates, including Correia, qualified to run in the event of a successful recall, and a plurality of voters voted for Correia.[126] In September, Correia was charged with extorting cannabis dispensaries looking to do business in the city; the city council vote to remove him from office, but Correia rejected their authority to do so.[127][128] Correia stood for re-election to a third term, coming in second during the September 17 preliminary election. On October 15, 2019, Correia suspended his campaign,[129] and, ultimately, came in third, behind write-in votes with school board member Paul Coogan winning the election.[130]
Other local elections
Democrats took control of Columbus, Indiana, hometown of Vice President Mike Pence, winning a majority of seats on the city council for the first time since 1981.[131]
In Polk County, Iowa, although most local and municipal races are nonpartisan, candidates running on progressive platforms won 13 city county and school board seats previously held by more conservative officials. Among the winners were Suresh Reddy, the first Indian American, and Scott Syroka, the first Latino, elected to the Johnston, Iowa, city council, as well as Lonnette Dafney and Deshara Bohanna, the first African American members of the West Des Moines and Ankeny school boards, respectively.[137]
In Seattle, an attempt backed by e-commerce giant Amazon to install a more business-friendly city council failed.[138]
In Virginia, Democrats won five of eight seats to flip control of the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors, which has had a Republican majority for more than 20 years.[139] Also, in Loudoun County, Democrats won three seats on the county's Board of Supervisors, giving them a majority for the first time since 2012.[140]
Local referendums
In Denver, voters narrowly approved a citizen-initiated ordinance to effectively decriminalizepsilocybin mushrooms for personal use and possession by adults.[141] The city's voters also defeated an initiative to overturn Denver's ban on urban camping.[142] In the June runoff election, voters passed an ordinance barring city officials from spending tax money on future Olympic bids without first seeking voter approval.[53] In the November general election, Denver voters approved the establishment of a Department of Transportation & Infrastructure for the city.[143]
Jersey City, New Jersey, voters approved strict regulations on short-term rentals, in a major blow to Airbnb and other short-term rental companies.[147]
New York City's Charter Revision Commission placed five questions on the 2019 ballot for voters to decide, including a proposal to adopt ranked choice voting for city elections.[149] Ranked-choice voting was approved by 73.5% of voters,[150] and the four other revisions all passed as well.[151]
Voters in Oklahoma City approved a charter amendment allowing city council members to work for the state or federal government.[152] The bill allows state or federal employees, such as school teachers or park rangers, to serve on the city council.[153]
Phoenix, Arizona, voters rejected ballot initiatives to halt expansion of the Valley Metro Rail light rail system and to cap city spending to help pay down pension debt.[155]
San Juan County, Utah, voters rejected Proposition 10, which would have looked to change the structure of the county government; the proposition was characterized by opponents as an effort to undermine the county's first elected Navajo-majority county commission.[159]
Voters in Tucson, Arizona, narrowly rejected becoming a sanctuary city, which would have limited municipal cooperation with federal immigration law enforcement.[160]
Tribal elections
Several notable Native American tribal governments held elections for tribal leadership in 2019.
Choctaw Nation incumbent Chief Gary Batton was unopposed in seeking a second term,[176] and Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby was unopposed in seeking a ninth consecutive four-year term.[177] Dr. John Creel was unopposed in the election for chief of the Edisto Natchez-Kusso Tribe.[178]
A special election triggered by the resignation of Jicarilla Apache Nation President Levi Pesata in February[190] was won by Legislative Council member Darrell Paiz in a runoff,[191] and Rynalea Whiteman Pena was elected president of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council in a special election following the resignation of prior president L. Jace Killsback.[192] Beth Drost was elected as the first female Tribal Chair of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in a special election following the death of long-time Tribal Chair Norman Deschampe.[193] Michael Fairbanks was elected Tribal Chairman of the White Earth Nation in Minnesota in a special election following the death of prior chairman Terry Tibbetts.[194]
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council Chair Cedric Cromwell faced a September 15 recall election over questions about his management of tribal funds; however, the election was called off on September 12 due to questions about the recall petition process.[197][198]
Spirit Lake Tribe voters in North Dakota approved alcohol sales at the Spirit Lake Casino & Resort, overturning a decades-old ban on alcohol sales on the reservation.[199]
Republican Congressman Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives during the 115th United States Congress, declined to seek re-election in 2018. After Democrats gained a majority in the House of Representatives in the 2018 elections, House Minority Leader and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi sought election to a new term as Speaker of the House. She won election with 220 votes, all of which came from members of the Democratic Party. Most Republican members of the House voted for Kevin McCarthy, who, through a separate election, succeeded Pelosi as House Minority Leader. The remaining votes for Speaker went to several different individuals, including Republican Congressman Jim Jordan and Democratic Congresswoman Cheri Bustos.[202]
Party leadership elections
Several state Democratic and Republican parties also selected new leaders for their organizations during 2019 at party conventions or through other closed processes.
Two Republicans were charged with electoral fraud in Marion County, Ohio. The GOP candidate for Marion city auditor, Robert Landon, and Marion County Republican Party official John Matthews were charged with distributing phony sample ballots, a misdemeanor.[203]
Without providing any evidence, Republican incumbent Matt Bevin said there were "significant irregularities" in the vote count process for Kentucky governor. He refused to concede and asked for a recanvass, which took place on November 14.[204] Democrat Andy Beshear won by only 5,000 votes, and some feared Bevin was trying to steal the election.[205] However, the recanvass did not change the election outcome, and Bevin subsequently conceded.[206]
The following tables show the partisan results of the congressional, gubernatorial, and state legislative election races, as well as party switchers, in 2019. Only the affected congressional districts and states in 2019 are shown. Governorships/legislatures in these affected states that were not up for election in 2019 were already filled in for the "after 2019 elections" section. Bold indicates a change in control.
^ abThe seat for North Carolina's 9th congressional district is counted as vacant due to the voided 2018 election. It was previously held by a Republican.
^Scherer, Jasper; Downen, Robert (December 15, 2019). "Turner Coasts to Second Term". Houston Chronicle. Houston, Texas. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
^"Tribal election could go to recount". Martha's Vineyard Times. Vineyard Haven, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. November 20, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
