| ← 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 → Off-year elections | |
| Election day | November 3 |
|---|---|
| Congressional special elections | |
| Seats contested | 3 House mid-term vacancies |
| Net seat change | 0 |
 | |
| Map of the 2015 House special elections Republican hold (3) | |
| Gubernatorial elections | |
| Seats contested | 3 |
| Net seat change | 0 |
 | |
| Map of the 2015 gubernatorial races Republican hold (1) Republican gain (1) Democratic gain (1) | |
The 2015 United States elections were held (for the most part) on Tuesday, November 3. The off-year election included a special election for Speaker of the House. There were also gubernatorial and state legislative elections in a few states; as well as numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local offices on the ballot.
None of the three congressional seats that were up for special elections changed party hands. The Democrats picked up the governorship in Louisiana, while the Republicans picked up the one in Kentucky and held onto the governorship in Mississippi. The Republicans also picked up other various statewide offices. This led NPR to call the 2015 elections "a stinging rebuke to President Obama ... cap[ping] off yet another disappointing election cycle for Democrats", who have performed poorly against the Republicans in midterm and off-year elections during Obama's tenure.[1] According to The Washington Post, the election results were characterized by deepening political polarization, as the Democrats held their own or even gained ground in Democratic-leaning cities and states, while Republican gains were concentrated in Republican-leaning states.[2]
- ^ "Voters Rebuke Democrats At Polls In Another Blow To Obama". NPR. November 4, 2015.
- ^ E.J. Dionne, Jr. (November 4, 2015). "Election Day: Red states get redder, blue states get bluer" Archived 2018-03-08 at the Wayback Machine. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 8, 2018.