Ballotpedia published its 16th Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report analyzing all 6,137 state legislative seats that are up for election on November 3, 2026, in 46 states. Competitiveness in 2026 is the third-highest since 2010, behind only fellow midterm years 2018 (36.1) and 2022 (36.6).
In 2026, the nationwide State Legislative Competitiveness Index is 35.4, above the average of 34.0 between 2010 and 2024.
Compared to 2022, the most recent midterm year and overall most competitive year since 2010, the percentage of open seats is down from 23.8% to 17.3%, the percentage of incumbents in contested primaries is down from 26.8% to 22.8%, and the percentage of seats contested by both major parties in the general election (66.0%) is up from 59.2%, nearly matching the 2018 record of 66.3%.
