Democrats clinch a majority of governorships for first time in 16 years

Democrats clinched a majority of governorships for the first time in 16 years in Tuesday’s elections, further punctuating the party’s success across the map.

Seizing on a broadly toxic political climate for Republicans, Democrats flipped control of four governor’s mansions in states President Donald Trump carried in 2024, while maintaining power in several other battleground states.

Democratic candidates wrested control of governor’s mansions in Georgia, Iowa, Texas and Ohio.

The most shocking flip came in Texas — a state Trump won two years ago by nearly 14 points, where the last Democratic governor was elected more than three decades ago.

Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa defeated three-term GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, overcoming a massive spending deficit to become the state’s first Latina chief executive.

Democrats also made history in Georgia, where former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson, flipping control of the battleground state office for the first time in 24 years. Bottoms’ victory means she will become the first Black female governor in U.S. history.

Bottoms is one of three Black gubernatorial candidates who won Tuesday, along with Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in Maryland and Republican Byron Donalds in Florida. There has never been more than one Black governor serving at a time before.

In Iowa, State Auditor Rob Sand beat Republican Zach Lahn, making him the first Democrat to be elected to lead the state in two decades. Trump won Iowa in 2024 by 13 points.

And in Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton beat Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, succeeding Republican Mike DeWine.

Republicans had entered Tuesday’s elections with a 26-24 majority in governor’s races.

“This incredible milestone marks a new era of Democratic leadership in states across the country,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said in a statement. “Democratic governors and the DGA pulled off this amazing turnaround by competing and winning everywhere, staying focused on the biggest issues impacting Americans every day, and always standing up for our values.”

In the statement, the DGA said that Democrats governors were “set to represent the majority of states for the first time since 2010.”

Thirty-six gubernatorial contests were on the ballot this year.

Democrats also held on to gubernatorial power in critical swing states.

In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley defeated GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany to succeed two-term Democrat Tony Evers.

Meanwhile, Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs won re-election over Republican Andy Biggs, casting herself as a moderate in a state Trump won by 5 percentage points in 2024.

In Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro won re-election by more than 20 points, while in Michigan, Democrat Jocelyn Benson defeated Republican John James to succeed Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Democratic candidates remain locked in tight races in Nevada and Kansas early Wednesday.

In Kansas, state Sen. Cindy Holscher was locked in a tight contest with Republican Ty Masterson. Despite Kansas’ history as a solidly Republican state, it has had a Democratic governor for the last eight years.

In battleground Nevada, state Attorney General Aaron Ford is facing off against GOP Gov. Joe Lombardo.