According to an analysis from CivxNow partner the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the status quo prevailed at the state level with the incumbent party elected in all 11 gubernatorial contests and Republicans maintaining control of 57 state chambers.
- Democrats lost majorities in two House chambers, Michigan and Minnesota, and now control 39 chambers to the 41 they held prior to the election.
- Across states, Republicans netted 50 seats, below the average of 78 in presidential election years, and Democrats made gains in Montana and Wisconsin.
- Trifectas, with unified party control of the governorship and both legislative chambers, exist in 38 states—23 Republican and 15 Democratic—leaving 12 states with divided control.
New and Returning Faces in State-Level Education Positions
Turning to state education agencies, according to the Education Commission of States (ECS):
- Four chief state school officers were elected. Incumbents and established champions of civic learning Kirsten Baesler (R-ND) and Chris Reykdal (D-WA) were joined by newcomers Susie Hedalen (R-MT) and Maurice Green (D-NC).
- Additionally, voters weighed in on 50 state school board seats across nine states, yielding 27 new members and returning 23 incumbents.
Opportunities Abound for Civics in the New Year
As state legislators pre-file bills for the coming spring session, NCSL identified common themes in education policy, including still-depressed student attendance and learning loss since the pandemic, and personalized and relevant student learning opportunities. Comprehensive civic learning not only motivates students to attend school consistently, but also propels literacy gains, alongside fostering civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
In partnership with our State Policy Task Force and CivxNow State Affiliates, we anticipate opportunities to advance key priorities from the CivxNow State Policy Menu in the coming biennium, including appropriations for teacher professional learning, civic seals, and middle school civics course requirements.
Celebrating Our Coalition and Preparing for the Work Ahead
As we look ahead to the new year, the CivxNow Coalition has much to celebrate among its 360+ members. Since 2021, 24 states adopted 38 policies to strengthen K–12 civic education, and Congress quadrupled federal funding for civics. Our collective work begins in the new year with challenges and opportunities alike. We are deeply appreciative of our coalition members’ commitment to students’ civic development.
