2009 United States elections
| ← 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 → Off-year elections | |
| Election day | November 3 |
|---|---|
| Congressional special elections | |
| Seats contested | 5 |
| Net seat change | Democratic +1 |
| Gubernatorial elections | |
| Seats contested | 3 (2 states, 1 territory) |
| Net seat change | Republican +2 |
| 2009 gubernatorial election results map | |
| Legend | |
| Republican gain Covenant hold | |
Elections were held in the United States on November 3. During this off-year election, the only seats up for election in the United States Congress were special elections held throughout the year. In total, only the seat representing New York's 23rd congressional district changed party hands, increasing the Democratic Party's majority over the Republicans in the United States House of Representatives, 258–177.
However, there were also several gubernatorial races and state legislative elections, and numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races in several major cities, and several types of local offices on the ballot.
Although the number of elections was relatively small considering it was an off-year election, Republicans dominated, flipping the gubernatorial seats in both Virginia and New Jersey. These results represented the first in a pattern of Republican dominance in non-general election years during the Obama presidency. Just one year later in 2010 Republicans gained 63 seats in the House of Representatives, six Senate seats, and 12 Governor's Mansions (net +6 gain). The pattern was repeated in 2014 when Republicans won unified control of Congress.