The overall political party balance in the Legislature is important since a joint convention of both bodies elects the Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and State Auditor. The Republican party controlled that joint convention from 1917 through 1974 except for 1965-1966 and 2011-2012.
Since 1974 the Democratic party has had an overall majority with the exception of 1979-80, when the Republican party still did not achieve a majority. With a 92-90 margin over the Democrats, two unenrolled (“independent”) legislators held the balance of power. During that session, Democrats retained all the offices noted above.
In 2010, the Republican Party gained control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the governor’s office. [click the chart to enlarge]
The four legislators elected in 2002 with no ties to either major party, one Green Independent and three unenrolled (not affiliated with any party) marked the largest number not affiliated with the Democrats or Republicans since the election of 1914. In the 2012 election, the number increased to five members. Members may change enrollment at any time, even after their election. It is not unusual for several changes to occur during the two-year legislative sessions.
In 2018 voters chose a Democrat, Janet Mills, as Governor. They also elected 89 Democratic members of the House of Representatives, a 16 seat increase of the previous election. By this margin, Democrats held 110 seats counting both the House and Senate.
An overall majority in the legislature may not mean dominance in both chambers – the House and the Senate. When a split in control exists, or when one party controls both chambers but the governor is of another party, compromise or gridlock will emerge, often depending on the leadership qualities of the governor.
House | Senate | Legislature | |||||||
Period | Rep. | Dem. | Other | Rep. | Dem. | Other | Rep. | Dem. | Other |
1911-12 | 64 | 87 | 8 | 23 | 72 | 110 | |||
1913-14 | 72 | 72 | 7 | 21 | 10 | 93 | 82 | 7 | |
1915-16 | 69 | 78 | 4 | 17 | 14 | 86 | 92 | 4 | |
1917-18 | 105 | 46 | 28 | 3 | 133 | 49 | |||
1919-20 | 110 | 41 | 29 | 2 | 139 | 43 | |||
1921-22 | 135 | 16 | 31 | 0 | 166 | 16 | |||
1923-24 | 116 | 35 | 28 | 3 | 144 | 38 | |||
1925-26 | 121 | 39 | 30 | 1 | 151 | 40 | |||
1927-28 | 129 | 22 | 30 | 1 | 159 | 23 | |||
1929-30 | 135 | 16 | 31 | 0 | 166 | 16 | |||
1931-32 | 120 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 151 | 31 | |||
1933-34 | 93 | 57 | 1 | 26 | 7 | 119 | 64 | 1 | |
1935-36 | 96 | 55 | 22 | 11 | 118 | 66 | |||
1937-38 | 124 | 27 | 29 | 4 | 153 | 31 | |||
1939-40 | 125 | 26 | 30 | 3 | 155 | 29 | |||
1941-42 | 129 | 22 | 31 | 2 | 160 | 24 | |||
1943-44 | 137 | 14 | 32 | 1 | 169 | 15 | |||
1945-46 | 137 | 14 | 31 | 2 | 168 | 16 | |||
1947-48 | 127 | 24 | 30 | 3 | 157 | 27 | |||
1949-50 | 126 | 25 | 28 | 5 | 154 | 30 | |||
1951-52 | 126 | 24 | 1 | 31 | 2 | 157 | 26 | 1 | |
1953-54 | 127 | 24 | 31 | 2 | 158 | 26 | |||
1955-56 | 117 | 34 | 27 | 6 | 144 | 40 | |||
1957-58 | 100 | 51 | 25 | 8 | 125 | 59 | |||
1959-60 | 93 | 58 | 21 | 12 | 114 | 70 | |||
1961-62 | 112 | 39 | 30 | 3 | 142 | 42 | |||
1963-64 | 110 | 41 | 29 | 5 | 139 | 46 | |||
1965-66 | 70 | 81 | 5 | 29 | 75 | 110 | |||
1967-68 | 94 | 57 | 24 | 10 | 118 | 67 | |||
1969-70 | 85 | 66 | 18 | 14 | 103 | 80 | |||
1971-72 | 80 | 71 | 18 | 14 | 98 | 85 | |||
1973-74 | 79 | 72 | 22 | 11 | 101 | 83 | |||
1975-76 | 59 | 91 | 1 | 19 | 14 | 78 | 105 | 1 | |
1977-78 | 63 | 88 | 21 | 12 | 84 | 100 | |||
1979-80 | 73 | 77 | 1 | 19 | 13 | 1 | 92 | 90 | 2 |
1981-82 | 67 | 84 | 17 | 16 | 84 | 100 | |||
1983-84 | 58 | 93 | 10 | 23 | 68 | 116 | |||
1985-86 | 66 | 85 | 11 | 24 | 77 | 109 | |||
1987-88 | 63 | 87 | 1 | 15 | 20 | 78 | 107 | 1 | |
1989-90 | 53 | 98 | 15 | 20 | 68 | 118 | |||
1991-92 | 54 | 97 | 13 | 22 | 67 | 119 | |||
1993-94 | 60 | 91 | 15 | 20 | 75 | 111 | |||
1995-96 | 73 | 78 | 16 | 18 | 1 | 89 | 96 | 1 | |
1997-98 | 69 | 81 | 1 | 15 | 19 | 1 | 84 | 100 | 2 |
1999-00 | 71 | 79 | 1 | 14 | 20 | 1 | 85 | 99 | 2 |
2001-02 | 61 | 89 | 1 | 17 | 17 | 1 | 78 | 106 | 2 |
2003-04 | 67 | 80 | 4 | 17 | 18 | 84 | 98 | 4 | |
2005-06 | 73 | 76 | 2 | 16 | 19 | 89 | 95 | 2 | |
2007-08 | 59 | 90 | 2 | 17 | 18 | 76 | 108 | 2 | |
2009-10 | 54 | 96 | 1 | 15 | 20 | 69 | 116 | 1 | |
2011-12 | 78 | 71 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 1 | 97 | 86 | 3 |
2013-14 | 58 | 89 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 1 | 73 | 108 | 5 |
2015-16 | 69 | 78 | 3 | 20 | 15 | 1 | 89 | 93 | 4 |
2017-18 | 71 | 77 | 3 | 18 | 17 | 0 | 89 | 94 | 3 |
2018-19 | 70 | 73 | 8 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 84 | 94 | 8 |
2019-20 | 57 | 89 | 5 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 71 | 110 | 5 |