According to a new study by the National Institute for Money in State Politics, Wyoming has the third lowest number of contested races for state legislature, tying with Arkansas for the spot. In 36% of its state races, there’s only one name on the ballot. Only Georgia and South Carolina have less competition in their state elections. Researcher Zach Holden says, yes, it’s because Wyoming is dominated by strong partisan politics. But it’s also a state without term limits.
“One of the biggest things that will scare candidates out of running in a race is the presence of an entrenched incumbent. And so in states with term limits they keep a constant churn in the state legislature. Those states typically do have higher levels of contested races,” he says.
Hawaii and Michigan had the most competitive political races, tying for first place with 100% of their races providing more than one name on the ballot.
