Ballotpedia: Battlegrounds

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Battlegrounds are elections that Ballotpedia expects to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive or compelling. These races receive additional coverage and emphasis on Ballotpedia. This page explains how we define battlegrounds and lists those we have identified since 2017.

Factors for determining the competitiveness of a race include the following:

  • Electoral history of the jurisdiction (be it a school district, city, congressional district, or state)
  • Whether it is an open-seat race (if the incumbent is not seeking re-election)
  • If a notable challenger enters a race
  • Race ratings (for U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and gubernatorial elections)
  • Polling results

Many factors in addition to and beyond competitiveness may make a race particularly compelling or meaningful to the balance of power in governments. These include the following:

  • For primary elections, whether the race features significant intra-party conflict
  • Whether the result may have an effect on redistricting
  • Whether the result stands to influence trifecta or triplex status for state-level races (state executives and state legislatures)
  • If the election occurs alongside a noteworthy event, such as changes to district lines or campaign finance laws
  • Whether the race stands to influence which faction or party controls a city council, school board, mayorship, state executive office, state legislature, chamber of Congress, or other governing body/office
  • If the race has attracted significant levels of satellite spending or endorsements from influencers

How we choose battleground elections

Ballotpedia conducts regular reviews of federal and state elections to look for primaries and general elections that meet our criteria as battlegrounds. A review of federal and state executive elections is conducted after each state's filing deadline passes. Our staff also conduct weekly reviews of races nominated for battleground coverage by readers and staffers. Finally, Ballotpedia conducts a regular review of its list of battlegrounds to consider whether any races no longer meet our criteria.

Due to the number of individual state legislative races ongoing in any given year, Ballotpedia takes a different approach when identifying state legislative battlegrounds. Rather than identifying individual battleground races, Ballotpedia identifies state legislative chambers that meet our overall battleground criteria, then designates individual races ongoing in those chambers as battleground districts. For primaries, we look for intraparty conflict which follows a common theme across the chamber, whether it might be disagreements over leadership roles, power-sharing agreements, or ongoing disputes on policy within a caucus. For general elections, we look for chambers that have the potential to change partisan control and for those where the majority party has a chance to gain or lose a supermajority.

Battleground elections covered by Ballotpedia

This section lists battleground elections Ballotpedia has covered since 2017. To suggest a race we should include as a battleground, email us.

2023

In 2023, Ballotpedia covered 51 battleground primaries and general elections. This figure includes 2 battleground elections for federal office, 22 state-level battlegrounds, and 13 municipal battleground.

State battlegrounds

Local battlegrounds

Federal battlegrounds

2022

In 2022, Ballotpedia covered 226 battleground primaries and general elections. This figure includes 123 battleground elections for federal office, 94 state-level battlegrounds, and 2 municipal battleground.

2021

In 2021, Ballotpedia covered 70 battleground primaries and general elections. This figure includes 12 state-level battlegrounds, 44 municipal battlegrounds, and 12 battleground elections for federal office.

State battlegrounds

Local battlegrounds

Federal battlegrounds

2020

In 2020, Ballotpedia covered 271 battleground primaries and general elections. This figure includes 194 battleground elections for federal office, 62 state-level battlegrounds, and 7 municipal battlegrounds.

See the following pages for in-depth coverage by battleground type:

2019

See also: Battleground elections, 2019

In 2019, Ballotpedia covered 56 battleground elections. This figure includes 18 state-level battlegrounds, 30 local government battlegrounds, and 6 battleground special elections for federal office.

State battlegrounds

Local battlegrounds

Federal special election battlegrounds

2018

See also: Battleground elections, 2018

In 2018, Ballotpedia covered 382 battleground elections. This number includes 215 federal elections, 151 state-level elections, and 16 local elections. See our 2018 battlegrounds hub for a full list of battleground elections in 2018.

2017

In 2017, Ballotpedia covered 23 battleground elections. This number includes five state-level elections, 13 local elections, and five special federal elections.

See also

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