Across 31 states with completed candidate filing data, an average of 23% of incumbent state legislators are running in contested primaries this year — the second-highest share since 2010, trailing only 2022. At the same time, the average share of open seats, at 17.4%, is the second-lowest since 2010.
Among the 31 states with completed 2026 candidate-filing data — Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and West Virginia — three patterns emerge compared to those states across even-year cycles since 2010:
