As the dust settles from the 2024 U.S. general elections, shifts in state legislative control and new leadership dynamics are set to reshape the 2025 political landscape. Republicans will continue to dominate most legislative chambers, though with a few notable changes. With key wins and losses, states like Alaska, Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania stand out for their evolving power structures and choosing new leadership. This overview highlights the most significant changes in partisan control, the formation of power-sharing coalitions, and emerging leadership trends across U.S. state legislatures.
Alaska Power-Sharing Coalitions Set New House Leadership
On November 6, 2024, it was announced that bipartisan majorities will control the House and Senate in Alaska. Republicans will lose the majority in the Alaska House of Representatives, with Rep. Bryce Edgmon (I) set to take over as Speaker in 2025. In the Alaska State Senate, the current bipartisan majority will remain in place with Sen. Gary Stevens (R) as Senate President, Sen. Cathay Giessel (R) as Majority Leader, and Sen. Bill Wielechowski (D) as Rules Committee Chair.
Michigan House Flips to Republican Control for 2025
Much national attention was paid to how Michigan voted for U.S. president and U.S. senator. However, for those with state-level interests, Michigan will be heading back to a divided government. For the 2024 legislative session, Democrats held a trifecta with Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Democratic majorities in both Michigan Legislature chambers for the first time in 40 years, including a 56–54 majority in the Michigan House of Representatives (no Michigan Senate seats were up for election in 2024). However, Republicans flipped four House seats to take back the majority after two years in the minority. House Republicans will head into 2025 with a 58–52 majority.
Notably, House Republicans chose the current Minority Leader, Rep. Matt Hall (R), to be the next Speaker of the House. Additionally, current House Speaker Joe Tate (D) indicated he would not run for Minority Leader next session. Instead, House Democrats chose Rep. Ranjeev Puri (D) to serve as Minority Leader.
Potential Even Split in Minnesota House Requires Power-Sharing Agreement
In 2024, Minnesota’s government was also a Democratic trifecta, like Michigan. All 134 House seats were up for election in 2024. It appears the chamber will be divided evenly between the Republican Party and the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL; affiliated with the national Democratic Party), 67–67. However, DFL candidates lead in two districts by razor-thin margins, 28 votes in 14B and 13 votes in 54A. Due to the close margins, the two races will likely head to a recount. Assuming the DFL candidates maintain those leads, both parties must work out a power-sharing agreement to dictate how the House will operate for the next session.
While an evenly split house is rare, it happened before in 1979.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats will maintain a one-seat majority in the Minnesota Senate following Ann Johnson Stewart’s victory in Minnesota’s State Senate District 45 special election, the only state senate race in Minnesota in 2024.
Pennsylvania’s Legislature Remains Divided; House Republicans Get New Leader
Republicans saw success at various levels in Pennsylvania in 2024, with Donald Trump winning the state, Dave McCormick ousting Sen. Bob Casey (although Casey had not yet conceded as of November 12, despite AP calling the race), a Republican sweep of statewide row offices (Attorney General, Auditor General, and Treasurer), and Republican challengers ousting two incumbents in Congress—U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright and U.S. Rep. Susan Wild.
However, things did not change as much down ballot. Pennsylvania’s State Senate will head into 2025 split 28–22 in favor of Republicans, as it was for the 2023–24 session. While Democrats flipped a Harrisburg-based senate district, Republicans flipped a northeast Philadelphia state senate seat. In the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Republicans failed to regain control after two years in the minority. Days after the election, incumbent Rep. Frank Burns (D) secured victory in Cambria County, which voted nearly 70% for President-elect Donald Trump.
With a Democratic majority in the State House into 2025, current Minority Leader Bryan Cutler (R) announced that he would not run for Leader next session. On November 12, the House Republican Caucus chose Rep. Jesse Topper to serve as Minority Leader for the next session.
Supermajorities on Both Sides Solidify in Key States
In Iowa, Republicans will hold a 67-member supermajority in the Iowa House of Representatives and a 35-member supermajority in the Iowa Senate, the largest in either chamber since 1970. Similarly, Idaho will see an expanded supermajority in the Idaho Legislature after Republicans picked up three seats between both chambers. In South Carolina, Republicans expanded their majority in the South Carolina Senate after likely adding four Senate seats to give themselves a 34–12 two-thirds supermajority. On the House side, Republicans maintained an 87-seat majority in the 124-member chamber. Meanwhile, in West Virginia, Democrats will go from three seats in the State Senate this year to only two next year, compared to 32 Republican seats. Additionally, at least nine of the 100 House Delegates will be Democrats compared to 11 this year. Additionally, Republicans will maintain supermajorities in Tennessee, Kansas, Indiana, and North Dakota.
On the Democratic side, Democrats are expected to end a Republican supermajority in North Carolina while maintaining a supermajority in Illinois and (as of November 12) coming up just short of supermajorities in New York, Washington, Colorado, and the Oregon House.
From The Experts
Expert insights from the authors at Duane Morris Government Strategies.
Ryan Stevens
As we look at the new makeup of state legislatures in 2025, it’s clear that the dynamics of power-sharing and partisan control will play a pivotal role in shaping policy at the state level. With new leadership emerging and supermajorities solidifying across key states, we’re entering a unique period where collaboration and party strategy will be central to advancing legislative agendas.
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