Legislators at-a-glance.

• Position: STATESTATS

Of the 7,382 lawmakers serving in state legislatures, 4,085 are Democrats and 3,220 are Republicans. Several seats are still undecided or vacant, and Nebraska has only nonpartisan legislators. There are also 10 legislators representing third parties. And there are about 35,000 legislative staff serving in the states.

Women will hold 24 percent of all state legislative seats in 2009, a slight increase over 2008 but a six-fold increase since 1969, when just 4 percent of state legislators were women. The Colorado legislature leads the nation with 39 percent women, while New Hampshire will make history with a majority-female State Senate--the first state legislative chamber to do so. The South Carolina Senate will be the only chamber with no female members.

The size of legislatures varies greatly: New Hampshire has a 400-seat House, while Alaska has only 20 senators. The job of a state legislator is full-time in 10 states where the legislature is in session for most of the year and districts are large and demand extensive constituent service. Five state legislatures meet every other year only.

The single largest occupational group in legislatures is full-time legislator, with 16 percent of lawmakers classifying themselves as such. Attorneys make up about 15 percent, and retired citizens make up the third largest group, at approximately 12 percent.

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The average age of a state legislator--56--has increased slightly in recent years as the number of retired legislators has risen.

2008 POST-ELECTION PARTISAN COMPOSITION OF STATE LEGISLATURES Total Senate Senate Senate Total STATE Senate Dem. Rep. other House Alabama 35 21 13 lv 105 Alaska 20 10 10 0 40 Arizona 30 12 18 0 60 Arkansas 35 27 8 0 100 California 40 26 14 0 80 Colorado 35 21 14 0 65 Connecticut 36 24 12 0 151 Delaware 21 16 5 0 41 Florida 40 14 26 0 120 Georgia 56 22 34 0 180 Hawaii 25 23 2 0 51 Idaho 35 7 28 0 70 Illinois 59 37 22 0 118 Indiana 50 17 33 0 100 Iowa 50 32 18 0 100 Kansas 40 9 31 0 125 Kentucky 38 15 22 1 100 Louisiana 39 22 15 2v 105 Maine 35 20 15 0 151 Maryland 47 33 14 0 141 Massachusetts 40 35 5 0 160 Michigan 38 17 21 0 110 Minnesota 67 46 21 0 134 Mississippi 52 27 25 0 122 Missouri 34 11 23 0 163 Montana 50 23 27 0 100 Nebraska 49 -- -- 49 Unicameral...