On 3 November 2026, Americans voted in the midterm elections — and 36 states chose a governor. In 18 of those states, there was no incumbent on the ballot, so a whole new group of leaders is taking over. The Democratic Party flipped five governorships — Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas — and the night produced a string of firsts: the first Black woman elected governor of any US state, the first Latina governor of Texas, the first Black governor of Florida, and the first Native American woman to serve as a state governor. This page lists every new governor, what is historic about each one, and what happens next — in plain language, without taking sides.
The history-makers
Four results stood out on election night because they broke barriers that had stood for the whole history of the United States.
Keisha Lance Bottoms — Georgia (Democrat)
The former Atlanta mayor — and a former official in the Biden administration — defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson by 54.2% to 45.8%, with 97% of the vote counted. She is the first Black woman ever elected governor of any US state, and in Georgia she is both the first Black person and the first woman to hold the office. Her win flips Georgia's governorship to the Democrats after 24 years of Republican control.
Gina Hinojosa — Texas (Democrat)
Hinojosa defeated three-term Republican Governor Greg Abbott by 52.8% to 45.8%, with 92.2% of the vote counted. She is the first Latina governor of Texas and the first Democrat elected governor of the state since Ann Richards — ending more than three decades of Republican control of the governor's office.
Byron Donalds — Florida (Republican)
The US congressman defeated Democrat David Jolly to succeed outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis. Donalds is the first Black governor of Florida and the first Black Republican elected governor of any state — proof that the night's historic milestones crossed party lines.
Deb Haaland — New Mexico (Democrat)
The former US Secretary of the Interior defeated Republican Gregory D. Hull, a businessman and former mayor of Rio Rancho. Haaland is the first Native American woman to serve as a state governor anywhere in the United States.
Three more new governors also made history. In Michigan, Democrat Jocelyn Benson will become the first female Native American governor. In Nevada, Democrat Aaron Ford defeated Republican Governor Joe Lombardo by 51.7% to 44.2% and will be Nevada's first Black governor — the Democrats' fifth governorship flip of the night. In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley, the Milwaukee County Executive, won the race to replace retiring Democratic Governor Tony Evers, according to CBS News — he would be Wisconsin's first Black governor.
The five flips
Democrats flipped five governorships that Republicans held before the election:
| State | New governor | Defeated | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) | Rick Jackson (R) | 54.2% – 45.8%; first Black woman governor in US history |
| Iowa | Rob Sand (D) | — | Won the open seat, succeeding Republican Governor Kim Reynolds |
| Nevada | Aaron Ford (D) | Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) | 51.7% – 44.2%; Nevada's first Black governor |
| Ohio | Amy Acton (D) | Vivek Ramaswamy (R) | 52.0% – 44.7%; one of the bitterest fights of the midterms |
| Texas | Gina Hinojosa (D) | Gov. Greg Abbott (R) | 52.8% – 45.8%; first Latina governor of Texas |
Ohio was one of the most expensive and closely watched races of the night: Acton, a former state health director, defeated Republican businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. In Iowa, Sand's win took a seat the Republicans had held under Governor Kim Reynolds.
Every new governor, state by state
Beyond the five flips, several more states elected new governors in open races — leaders taking over from governors who could not or did not run again.
| State | New governor | Party | What is new |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Xavier Becerra | Democrat | Former California Attorney General; succeeds Gavin Newsom |
| Colorado | Phil Weiser | Democrat | Colorado Attorney General; race was never in doubt |
| Florida | Byron Donalds | Republican | First Black governor of Florida |
| Georgia | Keisha Lance Bottoms | Democrat | First Black woman governor in US history |
| Iowa | Rob Sand | Democrat | Flipped the seat from Republicans |
| Michigan | Jocelyn Benson | Democrat | First female Native American governor |
| Nevada | Aaron Ford | Democrat | Nevada's first Black governor |
| New Mexico | Deb Haaland | Democrat | First Native American woman governor |
| Ohio | Amy Acton | Democrat | Flipped the seat from Republicans |
| Oklahoma | Mike Mazzei | Republican | Former state senator and state budget secretary; beat Cyndi Munson |
| Tennessee | Marsha Blackburn | Republican | First woman elected governor of Tennessee |
| Texas | Gina Hinojosa | Democrat | First Latina governor of Texas |
| Wisconsin | David Crowley | Democrat | Milwaukee County Executive; Wisconsin's first Black governor (CBS News) |
In all, Democrats won 22 of the 34 governor's races that had been decided on election night, according to Associated Press race calls.
Re-elected — not new governors
Several well-known governors won another term on the same night. They are not new governors, and they stay in offices they already hold:
- Pennsylvania — Josh Shapiro (Democrat), re-elected with 60.2% of the vote against Republican Stacy Garrity (38.5%).
- Illinois — JB Pritzker (Democrat), re-elected.
- Maryland — Wes Moore (Democrat), re-elected — one of only a handful of Black governors ever.
- Massachusetts — Maura Healey (Democrat), re-elected.
- New York — Kathy Hochul (Democrat), re-elected as governor. She is not a new governor — she already held the office and won another term.
Still to be decided
Two governor's races were still uncalled as of 7 November 2026. In Kansas, Democrat Cindy Holscher led Republican Mike Masterson by about 5,500 votes — 50.3% to 49.7% with 98.3% counted. In Alaska, the governor's race was also still uncalled. These pages will be updated when the races are called — the results above are the races the Associated Press has called so far, not certified final counts.
What happens next
- January 2027: most new governors are sworn in early in the new year and take over their state governments.
- Certification: states certify their official results over the coming weeks — final vote shares may move slightly from the election-night counts.
- New agendas: the new governors will set their states' budgets, education, health care and housing policies — and in the five flipped states, the change of party means a change of direction.
- 2028 watch: governors are often talked about as future presidential candidates. None of the new governors has announced a 2028 run — that is speculation for now.
🔗 See also
Frequently asked questions
Who are the new governors elected in the 2026 midterms?
Thirteen states have newly elected governors so far, including Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Gina Hinojosa in Texas, Byron Donalds in Florida, Deb Haaland in New Mexico, Amy Acton in Ohio, Aaron Ford in Nevada, Jocelyn Benson in Michigan, Xavier Becerra in California, Phil Weiser in Colorado, Rob Sand in Iowa, Mike Mazzei in Oklahoma, Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee and David Crowley in Wisconsin.
Which governorships flipped parties in 2026?
Democrats flipped five governorships: Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas. All five were held by Republicans before the 3 November 2026 election.
Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?
Keisha Lance Bottoms is the former mayor of Atlanta and a former official in the Biden administration. She won Georgia's governorship with 54.2% of the vote and is the first Black woman ever elected governor of any US state.
Who is Gina Hinojosa?
Gina Hinojosa is a Democrat who defeated three-term Republican Governor Greg Abbott in Texas with 52.8% of the vote. She is the first Latina governor of Texas and the first Democrat elected governor there since Ann Richards.
Was Kathy Hochul a new governor in 2026?
No. Kathy Hochul was re-elected as governor of New York in 2026 — she already held the office and won another term. She is not one of the newly elected governors.
When do the new governors take office?
Most new governors are sworn in early in January 2027, when their states' new terms begin. Exact dates vary by state.
Which governor's races are still uncalled?
As of 7 November 2026, the Kansas governor's race was still uncalled — Democrat Cindy Holscher led Republican Mike Masterson by about 5,500 votes — and Alaska's governor's race was also uncalled.
Are the midterm governor results final?
Not yet. The results here are Associated Press race calls as of 7 November 2026. States certify their official results in the weeks after an election, and final vote shares may move slightly.
Sources
- Governing — Meet the New Governors
- Associated Press — 2026 election results
- AP race calls via Political.org — 2026 midterm results explained
- Reuters — US politics coverage
Figures are Associated Press race calls and official vote counts as of 7 November 2026; states certify their official results in the weeks after an election, and final totals may move slightly.