November 2, 2010, was an historic Election Day in terms of what happened in congressional elections. But it also was historic at the state level. Not only did Republicans experience a net gain of six governor seats, but they also had big gains in state legislative houses. According to the Christian Science Monitor:
“Some 53 percent of state legislative seats will be held by the GOP, the most since 1928... Democrats will retain control in at least 16 states, Republicans will wield power in at least 25, and control will be split in at least five... Although some newly Republican legislatures had been under divided control, six states saw a major upset in which Democrats lost both chambers: Alabama, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Regionally, the most prominent move toward the political right came in the Midwest. Democrats retained clout in the Northeast and much of the Southwest (including Nevada and New Mexico), while Republicans added to their strength in the South.”
