The National Conference of State Legislatures has this summary of the election results for state legislative races earlier this month.  Republicans gained approximately 675 legislative seats.  Republicans have clear majorities in both chambers of state legislatures for the first time since the 19th century in Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina.  For the first time since the 19th century, there are more Republican state legislators than Democratic state legislators in the south.

Republicans also made huge gains in the state legislative elections in Maine and New Hampshire.  Both houses of the New Hampshire went from Democratic majorities to super-majorities (more than 2/3rds) for Republicans.  In Maine, the House went from 95 Democrats and 55 Republicans, to 77 Republicans, 73 Democrats, and one Green (whose ballot label was independent).  In Minnesota, Republicans hold a majority in the State Senate for the first time since 1970.

The Hawaii State Senate that convenes early next year will have 24 Democrats and one Republican.  See this story.  Thanks to Sam Harley for the link.

Newly elected Alabama State Senator Robert Cameron “Cam” Ward says he will re-introduce his ballot access bill in 2011.  Ward was a state representative between 2003 and this year.  In his last term in the House, he introduced a bill to lower the non-presidential petitions from 3% of the last gubernatorial vote, to 1.5% of the last gubernatorial vote.

The 2009 bill passed the House committee that handles election law bills, but it made no further headway.  The 2009 bill also had a drafting error.  It had been intended to include both independent petitions, and petitions for new parties, but it only covered independent candidates.  The 2011 bill will not contain this error.  Ward was elected to the Senate this month from the 14th district.  He had no opponent in the general election and is a Republican.  He represents the area south of Birmingham.  Thanks to Joshua Cassity, chair of the Alabama Constitution Party, for this news.