Nine States Elect Firsts as Governors Change in 2026 Midterms

Voters in nine states elected new governors on Tuesday, creating a new class of state leaders who will assume office in January. The results mark a shift in demographic representation at the state level, with candidates breaking racial and gender barriers in their respective jurisdictions. These nine officials will take control of state budgets, legislatures, and policy agendas, replacing incumbent or former leaders.

Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia will become the first Black woman elected governor of any state in the United States. The 56-year-old Democrat defeated Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire health care executive. Bottoms served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022 and later advised former President Joe Biden. Her victory ends a more than 20-year streak of Republican governors in Georgia, making her the first Democrat to win the state's top executive office in that span.

Deb Haaland of New Mexico will be the first Native American woman to serve as governor. The Democrat defeated Republican Gregg Hull to win the race. Haaland previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as Interior Secretary under the Biden administration. She also became one of the first Native American women elected to Congress and the first Native American cabinet secretary.

Latino representation expanded in two major states. Xavier Becerra will be the first elected Latino governor of California. The Democrat defeated Republican Steve Hilton, a political outsider, in a comfortable victory. Becerra served as California attorney general, a member of Congress, and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. He will succeed Gavin Newsom. In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Greg Abbott. Hinojosa, a state representative, becomes the first Latina governor of Texas and the first Democratic governor of the state in more than 30 years.

Florida and Wisconsin elected their first Black governors. Byron Donalds, a Republican and member of Congress since 2021, won in Florida. He defeated Democrat David Jolly after campaigning on affordability and the continuation of conservative policies. Donalds had the support of President Trump and a large financial war chest. In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley defeated Republican Tom Tiffany. Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, suspended his campaign during the primary before reentering with the support of outgoing Governor Tony Evers. He campaigned on his record as a deal maker who works across the political aisle.

Three other states elected women governors for the first time. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican senator, won in Tennessee. She defeated Democrat Jerri Green and multiple independent candidates. Her campaign focused on curtailing immigration, confronting China, and cutting government spending. Amy Klobuchar, a Democratic senator, won in Minnesota. She defeated Republican Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House. Klobuchar becomes the first woman governor of Minnesota. Both Blackburn and Klobuchar were expected to win, though Blackburn's margin was narrower than projected.

Amy Acton won in Ohio in one of the larger upsets of the election night. The Democrat will be the first woman and first Jewish governor of the state. Acton served as Ohio's chief public health officer during the pandemic. She defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in a race marked by intense negative campaigning and a widely criticized attack ad. Acton becomes the first Democrat to hold the Ohio governorship in two decades.

These nine new governors will begin their terms in January. Their elections reflect changes in voter demographics and political alignments in their respective states. The winners include four Democrats, four Republicans, and one independent candidate not specified in the results, though all but one are party-affiliated. The new leaders will face immediate challenges in staffing their cabinets and setting legislative agendas for the coming session.