Democrats held leads in both chambers of the Arizona Legislature early Wednesday, putting the party

Democrats held leads in both chambers of the Arizona Legislature early Wednesday, putting the party on the verge of controlling the governor’s office and the state House and Senate together for the first time in 60 years, ktar.com reported.

As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, Democratic candidates led in 20 of the 30 Arizona Senate races and in 37 of the 60 state House seats, according to ktar.com. Unofficial numbers from Arizona election officials showed Democrats ahead in 38 of the 60 House races — one seat more than ktar.com’s count — while the Senate tally matched at 20 of 30.

The shift would give Democrats a “trifecta” — control of the governor’s office and both legislative chambers — for the first time since 1966, ktar.com reported. Gov. Katie Hobbs won reelection, and Democrats also retained the offices of secretary of state and attorney general. Republicans entered the election with a 33-27 majority in the House and a 17-13 advantage in the Senate.

Close Races Still Undecided in Three Districts

Several races remained too close to call. The margins were within 4 percentage points in two Senate races led by Democrats — Districts 14 and 16 — and one race led by a Republican, District 29, ktar.com reported. It appeared unlikely that enough races remained in play for Republicans to maintain their majority in either chamber.

Republicans Had Held Both Chambers for Decades

According to figures from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office cited by fox10phoenix.com, Republicans have held the majority in the State House since at least 1972, the earliest data available on the office’s website. Republicans flipped the Senate in the 1978 election, held it until 1990, regained it in 1992, tied with Democrats after the 2000 election, and have held the majority since 2002.

Democrats last held a Senate majority in 1992 and a House majority in 1966, ktar.com reported. Republicans had clung to one-seat House majorities after the 2018, 2020 and 2022 elections and won the Senate by a single seat in 2020 and 2022.

How the Arizona Legislature Is Structured

Under the Arizona Constitution, the Legislature consists of 30 districts, each electing one senator and two representatives to two-year terms — 90 seats total, fox10phoenix.com reported. If the unofficial numbers hold, Republicans would become the minority party in the Arizona State Legislature for the first time in decades.

Questions Readers Are Asking

How many seats does each chamber of the Arizona Legislature have? The Senate has 30 seats and the House has 60, with each of the state’s 30 legislative districts electing one senator and two representatives, according to the Arizona Constitution cited by fox10phoenix.com.

When did Democrats last control both chambers and the governor’s office in Arizona? Democrats’ last trifecta in Arizona was in 1966, and the party last held House and Senate majorities in 1966 and 1992, respectively, ktar.com reported.

How close are the remaining races? Three Senate races were within 4 percentage points as of 6 a.m. Wednesday — Districts 14 and 16 led by Democrats and District 29 led by a Republican, ktar.com reported.

More on this story: Benitez-Thompson wins NV 2nd district and Ford elected governor

More on Democrats: Democrats Sweep US Midterms as Economic Issues Trump Culture Wars · Democrats Win US Congress Majority in Midterm Elections, Curbing Trump's Agenda · Democrats eye majority of US governors in midterm elections