jlaur (via WBAL NewsRadio)
Thirty-six states have gubernatorial contests on the ballot this year.
Ahead of Election Day, there were 26 Republican governors and 24 Democratic governors.
With 19 incumbents leaving office, there will be a lot of turnover – and an opportunity for Democrats to hold a majority of the posts for the first time since 2010.
The races will also test whether Democrats can capitalize on a midterm environment that has put several Republican-held seats in play. Some campaigns have grown especially bitter, with personal attacks and family history pulled into the fight.
The most competitive contests will offer an early read on both parties’ strength ahead of the 2028 presidential race.
Below are some of the top races to watch in 2026.
- Alaska | Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is challenging three Republicans — Dave Bronson, Treg Taylor and Bernadette Wilson — for the seat being vacated by term-limited Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Kreiss-Tomkins led the crowded August primary, and Democrat Tom Begich later withdrew to consolidate support behind him; Alaska uses ranked-choice voting in the general election.
- Florida | Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds faces Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who joined the Democratic Party in 2025. Republicans have dominated Florida statewide races for years, and Donalds has campaigned with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
- Georgia | Republican healthcare executive Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor, are competing to succeed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Jackson won a bruising Republican runoff against Trump’s pick, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones; Bottoms won the Democratic primary in a seven-candidate field.
- Iowa | Republican Zach Lahn is challenging Democrat Rob Sand, the state auditor and Iowa’s only Democrat holding statewide office, for the open seat left by retiring Gov. Kim Reynolds. Lahn upset Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra in the Republican primary, giving Democrats hope of winning the governorship for the first time in 16 years.
- Kansas | Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is term-limited, leaving Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson and Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher to compete for the open seat. Republicans see the race as a pickup opportunity, though Kansas has a long pattern of electing governors from the party opposite the president’s.
- Michigan | Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Republican U.S. Rep. John James are running to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The contest is part of a broader battle in a closely divided state where control of the governor’s office and Legislature is at stake.
- Nebraska | Republican Gov. Jim Pillen is seeking another term against Democrat Lynne Walz, a former state senator. Republicans have held the governorship since 1999, but the race has drawn added attention amid a difficult national climate for the party and a campaign visit from Trump.
- Nevada | Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is seeking reelection against Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford in a race rated a tossup by election forecasters. Lombardo won the governorship in 2022 by defeating an incumbent, and Democrats are trying to reclaim the office in a key swing state.
- Ohio | Democrat Amy Acton, a physician and former state public health director, is challenging Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate and Trump ally. The campaign drew national attention after Ramaswamy’s ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother prompted backlash.
- Oregon | Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek is seeking reelection in a rematch with Republican Christine Drazan, whom she narrowly defeated in 2022. Recent polls have shown a close contest, with the candidates emphasizing concerns ranging from the economy to conditions in Central and Eastern Oregon.
- Texas | Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is seeking a fourth term against Democrat Gina Hinojosa, a state representative. Hinojosa has mounted a spirited challenge in a state where Democrats have not won a statewide election in more than three decades, while recent polling has suggested a tighter contest than expected.
- Wisconsin | Democrat David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, faces Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Wisconsin’s narrow recent election margins make it a key battleground, and Tiffany has Trump’s endorsement.
