In the 2022 state legislative election cycle, Alabama saw the highest percentage of seats with no major party competition in the country. Major party competition exists when a ballot contains a candidate from one or both major parties and does not account for minor party candidacy. Oklahoma came in second with 71.2% of races lacking major party competition. Massachusetts came in third with 70.0%. Nationally, the percentage of seats uncontested by either major party was 40.8% in 2022, the highest rate since 2016’s 42.4%.
Alabama’s state legislative elections also saw the highest percentage of seats with no major party competition in the state’s past three election cycles. Out of the 140 seats up for election in the state, 108 (77.1%) lacked major party competition. Seventy-nine of those (56.4%) had only a Republican candidate on the ballot, and 29 (20.7%) had only a Democratic candidate. The Alabama State Legislature holds elections every four years. In 2014, 60.7% of Alabama’s state legislative races lacked major party competition, dropping to 54.3% in 2018.
Alabama was one of nine states in 2022 to be guaranteed a Republican veto-proof supermajority. In Alabama, a simple majority is required to override gubernatorial vetoes. Democrats were not guaranteed a veto-proof supermajority in any chamber in 2022.
Alabama has been a Republican trifecta since 2011. The next regular state legislative elections in the state will be held in 2026.
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