Arizona Democrats Poised to Control State Legislature for First Time Since 1966

Sixty years. That is the span since Democrats last held simultaneous control of the governor’s office and both chambers of the Arizona Legislature, and as of 6 a.m. Wednesday, the party stood on the verge of ending that drought. KTAR.com reported that Democrats led in 20 of the 30 Arizona Senate races and in 37 of the 60 state House seats, putting them in position to seize majorities in both chambers for the first time since 1966.

The shift would hand Governor Katie Hobbs, who won reelection, unified control of the state’s lawmaking process for the next two years.

A Six-Decade Wait Ends

Arizona Democrats last held a majority in the Senate in 1992 and in the House in 1966. The party’s last trifecta—control of the governor’s mansion plus both legislative chambers—dates to 1966 as well, meaning that if the early returns hold, 2026 will close a six-decade gap in Democratic governance at the state Capitol.

Can Arizona Democrats Flip the Legislature?

The margins tell the story of the night. In the Senate, Democrats held leads in two-thirds of the races, with only three contests still close enough to plausibly flip: Districts 14 and 16, where Democrats held advantages within four percentage points, and District 29, where a Republican led by a similarly narrow margin. In the House, where each of the 30 districts elects two members, Democrats led in 37 of the 60 seats, a cushion that appeared too large for Republicans to overcome even if several tight races broke their way.

From One-Seat Majorities to Minority Status

Republicans had governed with a 33-27 majority in the House and a 17-13 advantage in the Senate over the past two years, according to the Arizona Legislature’s official roster. The GOP clung to one-seat majorities in the House after the 2018, 2020 and 2022 elections and won the Senate by a single seat in 2020 and 2022.

Democrats arizona house senate legislature election

That fragility reflected a deeper demographic shift: independents have become the state’s largest voting bloc, squeezing both parties and making every district competitive. The early results suggest that in this blue wave cycle, Democrats retained the offices of secretary of state and attorney general alongside Hobbs’s victory.

What Changes on January

Several House races remained close enough that final tallies could shift the count by a seat or two, though not enough, analysts noted, to preserve a Republican majority.