There are a record few uncontested incumbents in this year’s state legislative general elections. Of the 4,888 incumbents running for re-election, 979 of them (20%) are uncontested and guaranteed re-election.
Ballotpedia uses the number and percentage of incumbents in uncontested general elections to help determine the overall competitiveness of an election cycle. A larger number of uncontested general elections indicates lower competitiveness, as there are fewer opportunities for voters to elect a non-incumbent. A smaller number indicates more of those opportunities.
Among Democratic incumbents, 25% are uncontested in 2026, down 20% from 2022. Among Republican incumbents, 16% are uncontested in 2026, down 60% from 2022.
