4 States with State Legislative Elections in 2023
There are no off-years in state and local elections. We need to be engaged between every midterm cycle and General Election. That’s where the magic happens…and by magic, we mean doing the hard work to help young, diverse candidates get elected to office.
Filing deadlines for these state legislative races are still months away — which means, there is still plenty of time to jump into the ring. If you take anything away from this list, let it be this: you should run. Join us at runforwhat.net.
Mississippi
Mississippi is first on this list because their filing deadline is nearly one week away. That isn’t a lot of time to decide once-and-for-all if you’re going to run for something. But don’t let that close deadline scare you — red states like Mississippi still need progressive candidates to run (and win). It might be a long shot, but your campaign could inspire others to do the same. Mississippi’s filing deadline is February 1, 2023 — make a game-time decision and run for a seat in the legislature.
New Jersey
Although the Garden State is widely regarded as one of the most liberal states in the country, 2021’s Gubernatorial was too close for comfort. The New Jersey legislature is under Democratic control in both chambers. Though that fact feels safe, there is no certainty in today’s politics. New Jersey’s filing deadline is March 27, 2023 — if you’re thinking about running in New Jersey, now is the time to go for it.
Virginia
Similarly to New Jersey, the 2021 Gubernatorial election in Virginia was a close one — one that ended up in GOP victory. MAGA Republican Glenn Youngkin has been doing the right-wing’s bidding for the culture war, but the state’s legislature is split: with the State Senate being held by Democrats and the House of Delegates being held by Republicans. With the Virginia State Senate up for the first time four years, things could look very different come November 7, 2023. Virginia’s filing deadline is April 6, 2023 — there has never been a better time to run in the Old Dominion.
Louisiana
Louisiana has a unique majority-vote system — all candidates compete in the same primary and a candidate can win the entire election right then and there with more than 50% of the vote. If no one wins more than 50%, the top two candidates — regardless of party affiliation — advance to the general election. Louisiana might be considered a deep red state, but there’s potential with a voting system so unique. Louisiana’s filing deadline is August 10, 2023 — plenty of time to launch your campaign for the Louisiana House of Representatives.
November might feel far away — but filing deadlines, the primaries, and the general election for these states will come faster than you think. If you’ve been considering the idea of becoming an elected official — you should do it. An odd year might be your moment to get a seat at the table.
P.S.: If you aren’t ready to run — make sure you’re ready to vote. (Speaking of voting, a handful of states are having state legislative special elections throughout the first half of this year. You should make sure you’re aware of them via Ballotpedia).
