Democrats Win a Majority of Governorships for the First Time Since 2010

Democrats will hold a majority of the nation’s governorships for the first time since 2010 after flipping five Republican-held seats in Tuesday’s elections.

The flips

According to race calls compiled on Wednesday morning, Democrats picked up:

Georgia, where former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the open seat. The Associated Press reported she is the first Black woman elected governor of any state.

Iowa, where Rob Sand won the open seat.

Nevada, where Attorney General Aaron Ford defeated Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo.

Ohio, where Amy Acton, the state’s former health director, defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.

Texas, where Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott, becoming the first Democrat to win the Texas governorship since the 1990s.

Democratic holds and firsts

In New Mexico, former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland won, becoming the first Native American woman elected governor. In Minnesota, Sen. Amy Klobuchar was elected governor, and in Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson won.

Republican bright spots

Republicans held Florida, where Rep. Byron Donalds won by about one percentage point. The party kept several other governorships in states with strong Republican traditions.

Still uncalled

The governor’s races in Alaska and Kansas remained uncalled as of Wednesday morning.

Why governors matter

Governors sign or veto state budgets and laws, appoint judges in many states, and oversee election administration. A Democratic majority of governors will shape state policy on health care, education and taxes, and will matter in the run-up to the 2028 presidential election.

A reversal from 2010

The 2010 midterms, held two years into President Barack Obama’s first term, gave Republicans large gains in governorships and state legislatures. That wave allowed the party to shape redistricting for a decade. This year’s results move in the opposite direction, two years into Trump’s second term.

The legislative picture

Democrats also flipped at least seven state legislative chambers, including both chambers in Wisconsin and New Hampshire, the Pennsylvania Senate, the North Carolina House and the Minnesota House, according to the early results summary.

Combined with Democratic control of Congress, the results mark the party’s broadest gains at the state level in more than a decade.

Developing: some details in this report are preliminary or unconfirmed and are identified as such in the text.

Sources: Associated Press.