Democrats are fighting to control most of the nation's governorships after Tuesday's midterm elections, a feat the party has not managed since its 2006 gains under a second-term Republican president.
Republicans hold 26 of the 50 governor's offices, even though Democratic governors lead states home to 60% of Americans. This year, 36 states covering roughly 80% of the population are picking governors, and 19 of those seats are open.
Meghan Meehan-Draper, who runs the Democratic Governors Association, said the party wants a majority of states, not only of the population.
Our goal is not just the majority of the population, but the majority of states,
Meghan Meehan-Draper, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association
The unexpectedly wide battlefield reflects President Donald Trump's weak approval ratings, which are weighing on Republicans. Contests are close in large states like Texas and Florida, in swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin, and in GOP strongholds like Iowa and Ohio. Trump spent the final weeks holding rallies in Republican territory alongside gubernatorial hopefuls.
The outcome could shape how much resistance Trump faces from statehouses. His administration has sparred mostly with Democratic-run states over National Guard deployments, immigration enforcement, strings attached to federal money and his push for more federal say over elections, including limits on voting by mail.
Where each party sees openings
Democrats see their strongest pickup chances in Alaska, Georgia, Iowa and Ohio, where term limits bar the incumbents from running. In Nevada, Attorney General Aaron Ford is trying to unseat Republican Joe Lombardo. Voters in Georgia and Alaska last chose a Democratic governor in 1998, and Iowa and Ohio last did so in 2006.
Republicans' top target is Kansas, a reliably conservative state where term limits are forcing out Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. They also hope to win Wisconsin, where U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany faces Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who narrowly won his primary, as well as Michigan's open seat and Oregon, where Gov. Tina Kotek faces Christine Drazan for a second time.
Ohio and Texas draw attention
Ohio's race drew national notice after Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign ran an ad in which Democrat Amy Acton's estranged mother criticized her. The mother lost custody of her children decades ago after Acton's stepfather was indicted for raping Acton as a child. Leaders of both parties, including Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, condemned the spot, while Trump praised it and Vice President JD Vance defended it.
In Texas, which has not elected a Democrat statewide since 1994, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa made a tight race of her bid against Gov. Greg Abbott, who is serving his third term. She began as a long shot with far less money than Abbott. Latino political figures asked the Democratic Governors Association in September for $10 million on her behalf; it gave $1 million. Abbott stayed away from Trump's rally in the state.
Republicans are working to keep Florida, where U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds faces Democrat David Jolly, a onetime Republican member of Congress. Democrats Xavier Becerra in California and Gov. Kathy Hochul in New York are expected to win easily.
Stakes reaching into 2028
Governorships are on the ballot in all six 2024 presidential swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Those winners could hold real sway over how the 2028 presidential election is run, as Trump seeks greater federal control of voting.
Several Democratic incumbents on the ballot are seen as potential 2028 White House contenders, among them Maryland's Wes Moore, Illinois' JB Pritzker and Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro. Analysts say big wins and strong fundraising would signal their strength to donors and activists.
The night could also make history. Hinojosa would be the first Latina governor, and Deb Haaland of New Mexico would be the first Native American woman to run a state. Besides Moore, seven Black major-party nominees are running for governor; only three Black governors have been elected in the past 250 years.
