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Democrats Pick Up 7 Legislative Chambers

Their victories mirrored their numerical gains in the governors' races.

colorado-senate-midterms-2018
The Democrats took control of the Colorado Senate.
(AP/David Zalubowski)
Last Updated at 12:00 p.m. ET

Mirroring their strong numerical gains in the nation’s governorships, Democrats on Election Night seized control of seven legislative chambers.

The Democrats flipped the Republican-held Colorado Senate, Maine Senate, Minnesota House and both chambers in New Hampshire. In addition, the tied Connecticut Senate became a Democratic supermajority, while the New York Senate -- previously controlled by a Republican-led coalition with renegade Democrats -- also went to the Party.

The Democrats protected several vulnerable chambers as well, including the Connecticut House, the Delaware Senate and the Maine House.

The best news for the Republicans is that they protected several of their own vulnerable chambers, including the Arizona Senate, the Iowa House, the Michigan House, the Minnesota Senate and the Wisconsin Senate.

The remaining chamber rated competitive by Governing prior to the election was not yet decided. That chamber is the Alaska House, which had been controlled by the Democrats in concert with a group of renegade Republicans.

Democrats achieved supermajorities in not only the Connecticut Senate but also the Oregon House and Senate, the Delaware House, the Illinois House, and the Nevada Assembly. The Democrats also busted Republican supermajorities in Michigan's Senate, North Carolina's House and Senate, and Pennsylvania's Senate.

Louis Jacobson is a GOVERNING contributor.
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