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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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A claim about state legislative election results that circulated widely on social media Tuesday evening said that the GOP has failed to flip a single seat since President Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory and return to office in January 2025.
The assertion focuses narrowly on state legislative seat flips, not congressional races, governorships, or party switches, and compares outcomes in special and off‑year elections held since Trump’s election win.
In a statement shared with Newsweek, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) President Heather Williams said: “The DLCC has been on the ground all cycle recruiting quality candidates and supporting strong campaigns across every corner of the country. We have a proven strategy for winning back power in the states for Democrats, and we have built undeniable momentum heading into the midterms."
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Kiersten Pels, the Republican National Committee's National press secretary, told Newsweek: “Ken Martin [Democratic National Committee chair] is desperately trying to spin state legislative specials as some kind of national ‘wave,’ even though these races have never been predictive of general elections.
"The reality is that Democrats are consumed by infighting, factional warfare, and competing agendas that are tearing their party apart. Meanwhile, Republicans remain united behind President Trump and his America First policies that are lowering costs, strengthening our economy, and delivering real results for American families."
The Claim
In a post on X viewed more than 250,000 times at the time of writing, user Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) wrote: “Ever since Trump won, Republicans haven't been able to flip a single state legislative seat. Democrats flipped 28."
He added: "Tonight makes 30."
The post and reply were published and then edited at approximately 8:00 p.m. ET on March 24, 2026, and circulated widely online, with more than 24,000 likes, 2,400 reposts, and more than 450 bookmarks at the time of writing.
Cole's post came as the trend continued Tuesday night, when Democrat Emily Gregory flipped Florida House District 87, defeating Republican Jon Maples in a special election for a seat previously held by the GOP.
The Facts
Several national news outlets and election trackers have reported on state legislative special and off‑year elections held since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
An NBC News report on Gregory's victory in Florida stated that Democrats had flipped multiple Republican‑held state legislative seats during Trump’s second term, while Republicans had not flipped any seats held by Democrats during the same period.
When special elections and 2025 off‑year state legislative races—such as those in Virginia and New Jersey—are counted together, Democrats still show gains while Republicans show none.
On March 12, POLITICO reported that "Democrats have flipped 28 Republican‑held state legislative seats… Republicans are at zero."
A similar pattern is reflected in data compiled by The Downballot, which maintains a running tracker of state legislative special elections for the 2025–26 cycle that now puts the total number of seats the Democrats have flipped at 30.
That tracker lists Democratic gains only, with no Republican flips of Democratic‑held seats recorded as of late March 2026.
There are also important limits to Cole's claim.
The figures apply only to state legislative seats, not U.S. House or Senate races, governorships, or party switches.
They also reflect a partial election cycle, covering special and off‑year elections rather than a full midterm.
The Ruling
True.
Based on reporting and election tracking, Republicans have not flipped a single Democratic‑held state legislative seat since Trump won the 2024 election, while Democrats have now flipped 30 Republican‑held seats over the same period, as of late March 2026.
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