Democrats won control of both chambers of the Arizona Legislature on Friday, November 6, while retaining the governor’s office. The results establish the party's first "trifecta"—control of the executive and both legislative branches—in Arizona since 1966.
The shift follows a term in which Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed more than 540 measures passed by the previously Republican-led Legislature. Those vetoed bills addressed various policies, including taxes, immigration, and voting laws. Republicans had held the Arizona House for 60 years and the Senate since the early 1990s.
The Associated Press confirmed the flips on Friday after calling individual legislative races. Beyond Arizona, Democrats gained full control of state governments in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin. The party also won the Texas House for the first time since 2003 and elected Gina Hinojosa as Texas' first Democratic governor since 1994, though Republicans maintained control of the Texas Senate.
The scale of the nationwide shift is the largest since 2010, according to the National Council of State Legislatures. Democrats now hold at least 28 governorships and took control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress. In other states, the party flipped the lower chambers in Maine and North Carolina and both chambers in New Hampshire, where Republican Kelly Ayotte was reelected.
What happens next depends on final tallies in several remaining contests. While the Arizona results are confirmed, gubernatorial races in Alaska and Kansas remain pending as of November 6. In Arizona, the new Democratic majority will likely begin drafting its legislative agenda for the upcoming session to address the affordability and water issues identified by Gov. Hobbs.