Top Stories from the States: Here’s What You Missed on State Legislatures

It’s more critical than ever to stay on top of a news cycle driven by the Trump administration’s reckless and dangerous MAGA agenda, and we’re here to give you the rundown of the most important stories you may have missed. From Democrats’ historic opportunity to build generational power in the states on November 3rd to the DLCC’s expansive Target Races and Target Map driving momentum, dive into each story below to get the latest on our efforts to flip key seats, secure new Democratic majorities, and build long-term governing power nationwide.

Stateline: Democrats have a shot at flipping state legislatures across the country

“Since President Donald Trump’s second term began, Democrats have flipped a dozen seats in special elections in Arkansas, Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Texas, according to tracking by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democrats at the state level. They also flipped another 18 seats in last year’s general elections in New Jersey and Virginia.

Republicans have not flipped a single Democratic legislative seat.

“2026 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally transform state legislative power,” said Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

The committee is touting record numbers of Democratic candidates running for office in some states and has announced plans to spend a record $50 million on state legislative races this year, with aims of flipping more than 650 legislative seats. And just as in 2024, the state of the economy — and ever-rising prices — are proving a central campaign message.”

The New York Times: Red State, Blue Governor: It Could Happen in Iowa. Would It Matter?

“Breaking a supermajority in states with divided government has become a priority in a highly polarized era. Democrats did it in North Carolina in 2024, giving Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, a backstop — on paper, anyway. In Vermont, Republicans ousted more than two dozen Democratic lawmakers, thanks to pocketbook issues, aiding Gov. Phil Scott, a moderate Republican.

Now the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee wants to crack Republican supermajorities in states with competitive governor’s races, including Ohio and Kansas. The Republican State Leadership Committee, vowing to “withstand sustained pressure,” hopes to block a Democratic supermajority in Nevada that would weaken Gov. Joe Lombardo, should he win re-election.”

Newsweek: 100 counties likely to decide the 2026 midterms

“Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), told Newsweek that “2026 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally shift the balance of power in state legislatures nationwide.”

Williams said Democrats had already “flipped 30 seats since Trump was elected” and were now building on that momentum ahead of November.

She added that the DLCC is supporting “hundreds of must-win races around the country this November.” 

The organization told Newsweek it is currently tracking more than 500 districts nationally and has identified more than 160 target races, arguing that the most competitive contests are spread across a much wider map than traditional swing-state narratives suggest.

That assessment reflects part of the logic behind Newsweek’s county-level approach.”

Pod Save America Podcast with DLCC President Heather Williams

DLCC President Heather Williams appeared on Pod Save America – one of the country’s leading political podcasts – to speak on how voters can build durable Democratic power in November, how state legislatures show up for their communities, and where the opportunities lie on our Target Map, where we’re targeting over 500 races in November, to combat Republicans’ attack on democracy and our fundamental rights.

The DLCC is hitting the ground running with under 90 days to go until Election Day on November 3rd. The DLCC’s work in these final weeks – and the support we receive from grassroots Democrats – can determine whether:

• Democrats flip eight chambers blue
• Republicans lose supermajority control in ten chambers
• Hundreds of legislative seats flip from red to blue

In addition to over 500 Target Races in 2026, we’re launching monthly lists of our Top 10 Races to put your eyes on. Check out our August races here. Thank you for being in this fight with us.