2010 United States elections

none February 2026 January 2025 2010 Midterm elections November 2 Democratic Party (US)Barack Obama (D) 112th 38 of 100 seats(34 seats of Class III + 5 special elections)The Class 2 Senate seat in Illinois held concurrent regular and special elections in November 2010. That special election is not included in the total number of seats contested. Democratic hold Republican +6 2010 Senate election results map #CA001A Republican gain#94C6DF Democratic hold #F38883 Republican hold All 435 voting seats Republican gain Republican +6.8% Republican +63 350px|alt=2010 House election results map 2010 House election results map #94C6DF Democratic hold #F48984 Republican hold #0272B1 Democratic gain #CB001A Republican gain 39 (37 states, 2 territories) Republican +6 2010 gubernatorial election results map #0772B1 Democratic gain #CA001A Republican gain#94C6DF Democratic hold #F38883 Republican hold#666666 Independent gain Elections were held in the United States on November 2, 2010, in the middle of Democratic President Barack Obama's first term. Republicans ended unified Democratic control of Congress and the presidency by winning a majority in the House of Representatives and gained seats in the Senate despite Democrats holding Senate control. Republicans gained seven seats in the Senate (including a special election held in January 2010) but failed to gain a majority in the chamber. In the House of Representatives, Republicans won a net gain of 63 seats, the largest shift in seats since the 1948 elections. In state elections, Republicans won a net gain of six gubernatorial seats and flipped control of twenty state legislative chambers, giving them a substantial advantage in the redistricting that occurred following the 2010 United States census. The election was widely characterized as a "Republican wave" election, and President Obama called it "a shellacking."Halloran Liz Obama Humbled by Election 'Shellacking' NPR November 3, 2010 https://www.npr.org/2010/11/03/131046118/obama-humbled-by-election-shellacking The heavy Democratic losses in 2010 were mainly attributed to the passing of the Affordable Care Act along with a poor economic recovery from the Great Recession and large budget deficits. This marked the first election since 1858 that yielded a Republican-controlled House and a Democratic-controlled Senate. Issues Candidates and voters in 2010 focused on national economic conditions and the economic policies of the Obama administration and congressional Democrats. Attention was paid to public anger over the Wall Street bailout signed into law by President George W. Bush in late 2008. Voters were also motivated for and against the sweeping reforms of the health care system enacted by Democrats in 2010, as well as concerns over tax rates and record deficits.Jeffrey M. Jones, "Americans Give GOP Edge on Most Election Issues; Greatest Republican advantages on terrorism, immigration, federal spending", Gallup, September 1, 2010 At the time of the election, unemployment was over 9%, and had not declined significantly since Barack Obama had become president. Further eroding public trust in Congress were a series of scandals that saw Democratic representatives Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters, as well as Republican senator John Ensign, all accused of unethical or illegal conduct in the months leading up to the 2010 election.July 2025 Immigration reform had become an important issue in 2010, particularly following the passage of Arizona Senate Bill 1070, officially known as the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. The Act greatly enhanced the power of Arizona's law enforcement agencies to investigate the immigration status of suspected illegal immigrants and to enforce state and national immigration laws.July 2025 The Act also required immigrants to carry their immigration documentation on their person at all times. Its passage by a Republican-led legislature and its subsequent and very public signing by Jan Brewer, the Republican Governor of Arizona, ignited protests across the Southwest and galvanized political opinion among both pro-immigration Latino groups and Tea Party activists, many of whom supported stronger measures to stem illegal immigration.July 2025 The passage of the controversial Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also contributed to the low approval ratings of Congress, particularly Democrats, in the months leading up to the election.July 2025 Many Republicans ran on a promise to repeal the law, and beat incumbent Democratic opponents who had voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.July 2025 Federal elections Congressional elections Senate elections 2010 United States Senate elections On January 19, 2010, a special election was also held for the Class I seat in Massachusetts, as a result of the death of incumbent Senator Ted Kennedy. Republican Scott Brown won the seat. The 34 seats in the United States Senate Class III were up for election. In addition, the Class I/II seats held by appointed Senators Ted Kaufman of Delaware, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Carte Goodwin of West Virginia were contested in special elections on the same day. Republicans picked up six seats, but Democrats retained a majority in the Senate. House of Representatives elections 2010 United States House of Representatives elections All 435 voting seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election. Additionally, elections were held to select the delegates for the District of Columbia and four of the five U.S. territories. The only seat in the House not up for election was that of the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, who serves a four-year term and faced election in 2012. Republicans won the nationwide popular vote for the House of Representatives by a margin of 6.8 pointsStatistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010 http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2010election.pdf U.S. House of Reps, Office of the Clerk 10 April 2017 and picked up 63 seats, taking control of the chamber for the first time since the 2006 elections. This represented the largest single-election shift in House seats since the 1948 elections and the largest midterm election shift since the 1938 elections. The only seat Democrats flipped without unseating a Republican was Delaware's lone House seat, going to former Lt. Governor John Carney.https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/11/in-redistricting-year-gop-gains-a-big-edge/66128/ In Redistricting Year, GOP Gains a Big Edge The Atlantic November 4, 2010 November 4, 2010https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/national-affairs/blogs/NationalAffairs_May2010/231048/66235 https://web.archive.org/web/20101108080022/http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/national-affairs/blogs/NationalAffairs_May2010/231048/66235 dead November 8, 2010 Four More Lessons from the GOP Landslide Rolling Stone November 4, 2010 November 4, 2010 State elections thumb|upright=1.4|Partisan control of state governments after the 2010 elections:#93c5dd Democrats maintained trifecta#0971b0 Democrats gained trifecta#ff9998 Republicans maintained trifecta#ca0020 Republican gained trifecta#dfe85d Divided government maintained#979e24 Divided government established#514242 Officially non-partisan legislature Gubernatorial elections 2010 United States gubernatorial elections 37 state and two territory United States governors were up for election. Republicans picked up a net of six state governorships; Democrats won control of five governorships previously controlled by Republicans, but Republicans took 11 governorships. Other statewide elections In many states where the following positions are elected offices, voters elected state executive branch offices (including Lieutenant Governors (though some will be voted for on the same ticket as the gubernatorial nominee), Secretary of state, state Treasurer, state Auditor, state Attorney General, state Superintendent of Education, Commissioners of Insurance, Agriculture or, Labor, etc.) and state judicial branch offices (seats on state Supreme Courts and, in some states, state appellate courts). Future Vice President Kamala Harris won the 2010 California Attorney General election by less than 1%.http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/steve-cooley-kamala-harris-attorney-general.html Kamala Harris wins attorney general's race as Steve Cooley concedes Los Angeles Times November 24, 2010 November 24, 2010 November 17, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161117161047/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/steve-cooley-kamala-harris-attorney-general.html/ live State legislative elections 2010 United States state legislative elections Republicans made substantial gains in state legislatures across the nation. Twenty chambers flipped from Democratic to Republican control, giving Republicans full control of eleven state legislatures and control of one chamber in Colorado, Iowa, and New York.Storey Tim GOP Makes Historic State Legislative Gains in 2010 http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_tim_storey/gop_makes_historic_state_legislative_gains_in_2010 2014-07-29 Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen Report, LLCBalz Dan November 14, 2010 The Republican takeover in the states https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/13/AR2010111304276.html June 4, 2013 Washingtonpost.com Additionally, Republicans gained enough seats in the Oregon House of Representatives to produce a 30-30 party split, pushing Democrats into a power-sharing agreement that resulted in the election of two "co-speakers" (one from each party) to lead the chamber.Cole Michelle January 11, 2011 Oregon House makes history by electing two co-speakers http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/01/for_the_first_time_in_history.html 2014-07-29 The Oregonian Republicans gained a net of 680 seats in state legislative races, breaking the previous record of 628 flipped seats set by Democrats in the post-Watergate elections of 1974.November 4, 2010 Devastation: GOP Picks Up 680 State Leg. Seats http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/11/devastation-gop.php dead https://web.archive.org/web/20121028132627/http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/11/devastation-gop.php October 28, 2012 November 4, 2010 Six states saw both chambers switch from Democrat to Republican majorities: Alabama (where the Republicans won a majority and a trifecta for the first time since 1874), Maine (for the first time since 1975 and a trifecta for the first time since 1965), Minnesota (for the first time since 1915 in partisan elections and 1973 in non-partisan elections), New Hampshire, North Carolina (for the first time since 1896), and Wisconsin. In addition, by picking up the lower chambers in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, MontanaPrior to the 2010 election, the 100 seats in the Montana House of Representatives were evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, but the Democratic Party controlled the chamber by virtue of holding the governor's office. and Pennsylvania, Republicans gained control of both chambers in an additional five states. Furthermore, Republicans picked up one chamber from Democrats in Colorado, Iowa, and New York to split control in those states. They expanded majorities in both chambers in Texas, Florida, and Georgia.Taylor Jessica November 16, 2010 Democrats' losses ran wide, deep https://www.politico.com/story/2010/11/democrats-losses-ran-wide-deep-045160 February 29, 2024 PoliticoDaigneau Elizabeth 2010-11-03 2010 State Legislatures: GOP Chalks Up Historic Gains https://www.governing.com/archive/2010-state-legislatures-republicans-historic-gains.html 2024-02-29 Governing en Local elections On November 2, 2010, various cities, counties, school boards, and special districts (in the United States) witnessed elections. Some elections were high-profile. Luzerne County, Pennsylvania: The voters of Luzerne County adopted a home rule charter by a margin of 51,413 to 41,639.Voters say 'yes' to home rule - News. Standard Speaker (2010-11-03). Retrieved on 2013-07-23.http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/departments_agencies/bureau_of_elections/election-results-archive Luzerne County : Election Results Archive www.luzernecounty.org 18 March 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180111220601/http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/departments_agencies/bureau_of_elections/election-results-archive 11 January 2018 dead dmy-all This changed the county's government from a board of county commissioners to a council-manager form of government. The following year (in 2011), the first general election for the new assembly was held. The first council members were sworn in on January 2, 2012.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UoGiwHEvpA https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/7UoGiwHEvpA 2021-11-17 live Luzerne County Council members sworn in - The Times Leader reports timesleadervideo 2 January 2012 18 March 2018 YouTube High-profile mayoral elections are listed below: Honolulu, Hawaii: Incumbent mayor Mufi Hannemann resigned on July 20, 2010, to run for Governor of Hawaii. The city's Managing Director Kirk Caldwell served as acting mayor until Peter Carlisle was elected in a special election on September 18. Louisville, Kentucky: Incumbent mayor Jerry Abramson declined to run for a third consecutive term in order to run for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 2011. Greg Fischer was elected as the successor. New Orleans, Louisiana: Incumbent mayor Ray Nagin was term-limited out of office. Mitch Landrieu was elected as the new mayor on February 6. Washington, D.C.: Incumbent mayor Adrian Fenty was defeated in the Democratic primary by Vincent C. Gray, who then went on to win the general election. Turnout Approximately 82.5 million people voted.https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2010/nov/03/us-midterm-elections-2010-turnout-says-a-lot Turnout: says a lot November 3, 2010 November 3, 2010 London The Guardian Michael Tomasky Turnout increased relative to the previous U.S. midterm elections without any significant shift in voters' political identification.http://www.tnr.com/blog/william-galston/78918/its-the-ideology-stupid-midterm-elections It's the Ideology, Stupid: Midterm elections The New Republic November 4, 2010 November 4, 2010 Table of federal and state results Political party strength in U.S. states Bold indicates a change in control. Note that not all states held gubernatorial, state legislative, and United States Senate elections in 2010. StatePartisan Voter Index by State, 1994-2014 http://cookpolitical.com/file/filename.pdf Cook Political Report 19 May 2016 27 November 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141127052333/http://cookpolitical.com/file/filename.pdf dead PVI in 2010 Before 2010 elections2010 State and Legislative Partisan Composition http://www.ncsl.org/documents/statevote/LegisControl_2010.pdf National Conference of State Legislatures 19 May 2016 After 2010 elections2011 State and Legislative Partisan Composition http://www.ncsl.org/documents/statevote/LegisControl_2011.pdf National Conference of State Legislatures 19 May 2016 State PVI Governor State leg. US Senate US House Governor State leg. US Senate US HouseAlabama 113 R+13 Rep Dem Rep Rep 5–2 Rep Ref Rep Rep Rep 6–1Alaska 113 R+13 Repm Splitm Split Rep 1–0 Repm Splitm Split Rep 1–0Arizona 106 R+6 Rep Rep Rep Dem 5–3 Rep Rep Rep Ref Rep 5–3Arkansas 109 R+9 Dem Dem Dem Dem 3–1 Dem Deml Split Ref Rep 3–1California 93 D+7 Rep Dem Dem Dem 34–19 Del Dem Dem Dem Dem 34–19 Colorado100 Even Dem Dem Dem Dem 5–2 Deml Split Dem Ref Rep 4–3 Connecticut 93 D+7 Rep Dem DemS Split D/ILieberman Joe Lieberman was elected as an independent but continued to caucus with Senate Democrats. Connecticut's other Senator was a Democrat. Dem 5–0 Del Dem Dem DemS Split D/ILieberman Dem 5–0 Delaware 93 D+7 Dem Dem Dem Rep 1–0 Dem Dem Dem Del Dem 1–0 Florida 102 R+2 Ind Repm Split Rep 15–10 Ref Rep Repm Split Rep 19–6 Georgia 107 R+7 Rep Rep Rep Rep 7–6 Rep Rep Rep Rep 8–5 Hawaii 88 D+12 Rep Dem Dem m Split 1–1 Del Dem Dem Dem Del Dem 2–0 Idaho 117 R+17 Rep Rep Rep m Split 1–1 Rep Rep Rep Ref Rep 2–0 Illinois 92 D+8 Dem Dem Dem Dem 12–7 Dem Deml Split Ref Rep 11–8 Indiana 106 R+6 Repm Splitm Split Dem 5–3 Rep Ref Rep Ref Rep Ref Rep 6–3 Iowa 99 D+1 Dem Demm Split Dem 3–2 Ref Repl Splitm Split Dem 3–2 Kansas 111 R+11 Dem Rep Rep Rep 3–1 Ref Rep Rep Rep Rep 4–0 Kentucky 110 R+10 Demm Split Rep Rep 4–2 Demm Split Rep Rep 4–2 Louisiana 110 R+10 Rep Demm Split Rep 6–1 Rep Demm Split Rep 6–1 Maine 95 D+5 Dem Dem Rep Dem 2–0 Ref Rep Ref Rep Rep Dem 2–0 Maryland 91 D+9 Dem Dem Dem Dem 7–1 Dem Dem Dem Dem 6–2 Massachusetts 88 D+12 Dem Demm Split Dem 10–0 Dem Demm Split Dem 10–0 Michigan 96 D+4 Demm Split Dem Dem 8–7 Ref Rep Ref Rep Dem Ref Rep 9–6 Minnesota 98 D+2 Rep Dem Dem Dem 5–3 Del Dem Ref Rep Demm Split 4–4 Mississippi 110 R+10 Rep Dem Rep Dem 3–1 Rep Dem Rep Ref Rep 3–1 Missouri 103 R+3 Dem Repm Split Rep 5–4 Dem Repm Split Rep 6–3 Montana 107 R+7 Demm Split Dem Rep 1–0 Dem Ref Rep Dem Rep 1–0 Nebraska 113 R+13 Rep NP m Split Rep 3–0 Rep NP m Split Rep 3–0 Nevada 99 D+1 Rep Demm Split Dem 2–1 Rep Demm Split Ref Rep 2–1 New Hampshire 98 D+2 Dem Demm Split Dem 2–0 Dem Ref Repm Split Ref Rep 2–0 New Jersey 96 D+4 Rep Dem Dem Dem 8–5 Rep Dem Dem Dem 7–6 New Mexico 98 D+2 Dem Dem Dem Dem 3–0 Ref Rep Dem Dem Dem 2–1 New York 90 D+10 Dem Dem Dem Dem 26–2 Deml Split Dem Dem 21–8 North Carolina 104 R+4 Dem Demm Split Dem 8–5 Dem Ref Repm Split Dem 7–6 North Dakota 110 R+10 Rep Rep Dem Dem 1–0 Rep Repl Split Ref Rep 1–0 Ohio 101 R+1 Demm Splitm Split Dem 10–8 Ref Rep Ref Repm Split Ref Rep 13–5 Oklahoma 117 R+17 Dem Rep Rep Rep 4–1 Ref Rep Rep Rep Rep 4–1 Oregon 96 D+4 Dem Dem Dem Dem 4–1 Deml Split Dem Dem 4–1 Pennsylvania 98 D+2 Demm Split Dem Dem 12–7 Ref Rep Ref Rep Ref Spilt Ref Rep 12–7 Rhode Island 89 D+11 Rep Dem Dem Dem 2–0 Ind Dem Dem Dem 2–0 South Carolina 108 R+8 Rep Rep Rep Rep 4–2 Rep Rep Rep Rep 5–1 South Dakota 109 R+9 Rep Repm Split Dem 1–0 Rep Repm Split Ref Rep 1–0 Tennessee 109 R+9 Dem Rep Rep Dem 5–4 Ref Rep Rep Rep Ref Rep 7–2 Texas 110 R+10 Rep Rep Rep Rep 20–12 Rep Rep Rep Rep 23–9 Utah 120 R+20 Rep Rep Rep Rep 2–1 Rep Rep Rep Rep 2–1 Vermont 87 D+13 Rep Dem DemS Split D/ISanders Bernie Sanders was elected as an independent but caucused with Senate Democrats. Vermont's other Senator was a Democrat. Dem 1–0 Del Dem Dem DemS Split D/ISanders Dem 1–0 Virginia 102 R+2 Repm Split Dem Dem 6–5 Repm Split Dem Ref Rep 8–3 Washington 95 D+5 Dem Dem Dem Dem 6–3 Dem Dem Dem Dem 5–4 West Virginia 108 R+8 Dem Dem Dem Dem 2–1 Dem Dem Dem Ref Rep 2–1 Wisconsin 98 D+2 Dem Dem Dem Dem 5–3 Ref Rep Ref Repl Split Ref Rep 5–3 Wyoming 120 R+20 Dem Rep Rep Rep 1–0 Ref Rep Rep Rep Rep 1–0 United StatesEven Dem 26–23 Dem 27–14 Dem 59–41 Dem 255–178 Rep 29–20 Rep 25–16 Dem 53–47 Rep 242–193 Washington, D.C. 057 D+43 Demdc Washington, D.C. does not elect a governor or state legislature, but it does elect a mayor and a city council. Demdcrowspan=6 Dem Dem Demrowspan=6 Dem American Samoarowspan=5 NP/DAS-governor Although elections for governor of American Samoa are non-partisan, Governor Togiola Tulafono affiliates with the Democratic party at the national level. NP Dem NP/DAS-governor NP Dem Guam Rep Dem Dem Rep Dem Dem N. Mariana Islands CP Rep IndCNMI-delegate Northern Marianas Islands Delegate Gregorio Sablan was elected as an independent in 2008 and caucused with the Democrats in Congress after taking office in 2009. CP Rep DemCNMI-delegate2 Sablan was re-elected as a Democrat in 2010. Puerto Rico PNP/RPR-governor Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuño is a member of the New Progressive Party but affiliates with the Republican Party at the national level. PNP PNP/DPR-rescommish Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi, was elected as a member of the New Progressive Party and has caucused with the Democrats since taking office in 2009. PNP/RPR-governor PNP PNP/DPR-rescommish U.S. Virgin Islands Dem Dem Dem Dem Dem Dem Subdivision PVI Governor State leg. U.S. Senate U.S. House Governor State leg. U.S. Senate U.S. House Subdivision and PVI Before 2010 elections After 2010 elections Notes 30em References Further reading 10.4135/9781483330846 Change and Continuity in the 2008 Elections 2010 Abramson Paul Aldrich John Rohde David 9781604265200 https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BB16539199 Bullock, Charles S., et al. Key States, High Stakes: Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, and the 2010 Elections (2011) 10.1002/j.1538-165X.2011.tb00693.x The Republican Resurgence in 2010 2011 Jacobson Gary C. Political Science Quarterly 126 27–52 free Sabato, Larry. Who Got in the Booth? A Look Back at the 2010 Elections (2011) External links 2010 Midterm Election Debates on C-SPAN Wesleyan Media Project: 2010 Political Advertising Analysis at Wesleyan University National newspapers Elections 2010 at The New York Times Campaign 2010 at The Washington Post National radio Election 2010 at NPR National TV 2010 Election at ABC News Campaign 2010 on C-SPAN Campaign 2010 at CBS News Election Center at CNN Elections at Fox News Decision 2010 at MSNBC 2010 Category:November 2010 in the United States 2010