Republican hold on U.S. state legislatures could slip in election

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

POLITICS | Wed Oct 26, 2016 | 3:04pm EDT

Republican hold on U.S. state legislatures could slip in election

By Karen Pierog | CHICAGO

The Republican Party's grip on U.S. state legislatures could loosen in next month's election as Democrats seek to link Republican candidates to the sinking fortunes of the party's White House candidate, Donald Trump.

Republicans, who have dominated control of legislatures since the mid-term election in 2010, currently hold the majority in 67 of the country's 98 partisan legislative chambers, while Democrats have 31. Nebraska's single chamber is nonpartisan.

More than 80 percent of the nation's 7,383 state legislative seats are up for grabs on Nov. 8 and the race between Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is expected to influence races further down the ballot papers. (See related graphic tmsnrt.rs/2ePmLDI)

The bipartisan National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) estimates 18 legislative chambers in 12 states could switch party control, including in Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, Washington and Wisconsin.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-legislatures-idUSKCN12Q2MQ

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

1. I hope this happens. n/t

[Demsrule86]

2. That could affect the gerrymander and medicaid expansion.

This would, in fact, make America great in that the American government could function once again if the GOP House had to answer to voters for unpopular actions without the protection of a gerrymander.