In the wake of Typhoid Barry, the Democratic Party’s casualties are wide and deep. At the state legislature level, they are at their weakest since the 1920s. You might say a Great Depression has already started for them. John Fund at NRO brings us the summary by Tim Storey of the National Conference of State Legislatures:

The Republican wave that swept over the states left Democrats at their weakest point in state legislatures since the 1920s.

Everything went in the direction of the GOP as Republicans seized new majorities in the West Virginia House, Nevada Assembly and Senate, New Hampshire House, Minnesota House and New York Senate, The West Virginia Senate is now tied.

Control of several legislative chambers was still up in the air early Wednesday as counting continued in several tight races that will determine control of the Colorado Senate, New Mexico House and Maine Senate.

The lone bright spot for Democrats was holding majorities in the Iowa Senate and Kentucky House.

The overall number of divided state governments will increase with changes in governor in places such as Massachussets, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Maryland along with the legislatures in West Virginia, Minnesota and New York.

The Vermont legislature will have to choose the state’s governor because incumbent Democrat Peter Shumlin did not pass the 50 percent threshold. The Democratic Legislature will almost certainly install Shumlin as governor.

This hands Republicans an opportunity to demonstrate what commonsense governance can accomplish at the state level.  With voters’ remorse rising on Obama, who had no executive experience at all before taking office as president, an experienced and accomplished governor with a good track record will look like a good bet, if the GOP nominates one.