Barack Obama's Congressional Exam

In 83 of the 99 state legislative chambers, the Republican Party held more seats following the 2016 general election than it did after the general election in 2008.

During President Barack Obama's (D) presidency, Democrats lost a net 948 state legislative seats, the largest loss of Democratic seats during any presidency since at least 1921. Twenty-nine state legislative chambers in 19 states flipped from Democratic to Republican control compared to the start of Obama's presidency. In ten states these flips resulted in the creation of Republican trifectas, where Republicans controlled both chambers as well as the governorship. Democrats did not gain total control of any chambers by the end of Obama's presidency that they did not already control at its start, however, the Alaska House of Representatives flipped from Republican control to a bipartisan coalition following the 2016 elections.

The loss of 948 Democrat-held state legislative seats was the largest loss of the president's party's state legislative seats since the Herbert Hoover (R) administration, which saw a loss of a net 1,662 Republican state legislative seats from 1929 to 1933. Obama's and Hoover's administrations saw the largest loss of Democratic and Republican state legislative seats, respectively.