MID-TERM ELECTIONS

[HairOfTheDog]

While the Democratic gains in state legislatures got little national attention, they have major implications for 2020's presidential election and for the next decade in Congress. 

Most state legislatures draw district lines, an authority Republicans used to cement their House majority for the last eight years.

Also, with such gains, state-level legislation could be easier to pass on issues like marijuana legalization, abortion, voting rights, gun control, and criminal justice reforms.

The flips:
--Democrats flipped both the state Senate and the state House in New Hampshire.
--Democrats flipped the state Senate in Colorado, Connecticut, Maine and New York.
--Democrats filpped the state House in Minnesota (the state Senate is still Republican, making Minnesota the only split state legislature).
--Republicans flipped the Alaskan House of Representatives.

The bottom line:
--Republicans presently control 30 state legislatures and Democrats control 18 — compared to 31 and 14 before the election. 
--In 21 states, there are both Republican governors and Republican majority legislatures. 
--Democrats have full state control in 14 states.

Refs:
https://www.axios.com/midterms-2018-stat...9b5c8.html
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/09/politics/...index.html