There will be a net gain of one seat for Democrats when state lawmakers convene for their 2021 session in January. That’s despite optimism within the party before Election Day that it could flip the state House and maybe also the Senate.

That optimism came with record amounts of money, both for the candidates themselves and also in the form of outside groups, who shattered previous spending records for legislative races.

But despite that, the GOP will still hold a 31-29 advantage in the House, while Democrats picked up one seat in the Senate, to bring the Republican advantage to 16-14.

Why did the conventional wisdom about candidates who win the money race also winning their elections fail in this case?

To find out, The Show spoke with Ethan Orr, who served in the state House of Representatives in 2013 and 2014 as a Republican from Tucson and is now a professor and associate director for agriculture and natural resources for the cooperative extension at the University of Arizona.

More Stories From KJZZ

• How Changes In Defense Spending Impact AZ Economy
• Cindy McCain Joins Growing Chorus Of Moderate Republicans