Record GOP dominance of state legislatures -- all in one map

Not only did the Republican Party take control of the Senate and solidify its lock on the House and score some surprising gains in governorships, their hold over state legislatures is now at a record level for the modern era, as The Washington Post map above demonstrates.

Here's how WaPo described the new reality:

"Bolstered by national voter sentiment, tens of millions of dollars in outside spending and improved field programs, Republicans picked up Democratic-held governorships in deep blue states such as Massachusetts, Maryland and Illinois, as well as in Arkansas. The wins swell the ranks of Republican governors to at least 31, near a high water mark in the modern era.

"Republican gains extended to state legislative chambers as well. Before Election Day, the GOP controlled 59 of 98 partisan legislative chambers across the country. On Tuesday, preliminary results showed Republicans had won control of both the Nevada Assembly and Senate, the Colorado Senate and state House chambers in Minnesota, New Mexico, Maine, West Virginia and New Hampshire.

"That would give the party control of 67 chambers, five more than their previous record in the modern era, set after special elections in 2011 and 2012.

"It also would give Republicans total control of 24 states, in which they hold the governor’s mansion and both chambers of the state legislature (Nebraska’s unicameral legislature is technically nonpartisan, but in practice Republicans control the chamber by a wide margin). Democrats, by contrast, are likely to control all three legs of the governing stool in only six states."