Thirty-six states will elect governors on Nov. 3, a slate that could change the balance of power in statehouses for the next four years. Republicans hold 26 governorships and Democrats hold 24, according to NPR’s overview of the races published in May.

The landscape

Many current governors are term-limited or not seeking reelection, producing a large number of open seats. NPR reported that the contests looked close in Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin. The report said the national environment appeared to favor Democrats, while noting that term limits could still give Republicans a chance to gain ground.

Ballotpedia, in a February analysis, identified seven battleground governor races: California, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and Wisconsin. Six of the seven have no incumbent seeking reelection; the exception is Nevada, where Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is running. Five of the seven are Democratic-held and two are Republican-held. In 2024, by comparison, Ballotpedia identified two battlegrounds and no governorship changed party control. In 2022 it identified 13, and Democrats gained Arizona while Republicans gained Nevada.

How the raters viewed the races

As of Ballotpedia’s February report, Michigan and Wisconsin were rated toss-ups by the Cook Political Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball and Inside Elections. Those ratings may have changed since, and readers should check current versions.

  • Michigan: Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited. All three raters called it a toss-up.
  • Wisconsin: Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is not running. All three raters called it a toss-up.
  • Nevada: Cook and Inside Elections rated it a toss-up; Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Lean Republican.
  • Kansas: Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is term-limited. Cook and Sabato’s rated it Lean Republican; Inside Elections called it a toss-up.
  • Iowa: Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is not running. Cook and Sabato’s rated it Lean Republican; Inside Elections rated it Likely Republican.
  • Minnesota: Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is not running.
  • California: Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and the race began with a top-two primary on June 2.

The Cook Political Report said earlier, in a January 2025 analysis, that Arizona Democrat Katie Hobbs and Nevada Republican Joe Lombardo were among the most vulnerable incumbents.

Georgia: a close governor’s race

WABE reported on Sept. 30 that an InsiderAdvantage Georgia Survey, as of Sept. 23, showed Republican Rick Jackson leading Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms 48% to 46%, with 6% undecided. In the same survey, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff led Republican Mike Collins 50% to 42% in the U.S. Senate race, with 8% undecided. The split between the two contests raised the question of ticket splitting, which WABE discussed with analysts. WABE also reported that Ossoff raised another $33 million for the final stretch of his campaign. Georgia’s race is open because Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited.

Why governors matter this year

Governors sign or veto state budgets and legislation, appoint judges and agency heads, and in many states play a role in redistricting. Several governors have been central to this year’s congressional map fights, including Florida’s Ron DeSantis, Texas’s Greg Abbott and Louisiana’s Jeff Landry, as reported by NCSL and the Washington Examiner. State executives also manage how federal programs and funding are administered locally, which has made the races a focus for national parties and outside groups.

How the primaries shaped the field

Primaries ran from March through September, according to the schedule NPR published. Michigan and Kansas voted Aug. 4, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Connecticut on Aug. 11, and Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island in September. In Michigan, NPR’s coverage noted that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson had led primary polling against Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson for the Democratic nomination; the final nominees in each state are listed by state election offices.

What to watch

  • Late polling in Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada.
  • Whether the open-seat contests in Kansas and Iowa move toward either party.
  • Early voting and mail ballot deadlines, which vary by state.

Results will determine which party holds a majority of governorships entering 2027, and the count could shift in either direction depending on a small number of close contests.

Sources: NPR (via Michigan Public), Ballotpedia, Cook Political Report, WABE, National Conference of State Legislatures.