Democrats flip multiple governor races including Texas, Georgia, and Ohio

In the November 2026 midterm elections, Democrats flipped key governorships in Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, and Nevada to secure a majority of U.S. governors' seats for the first time since 2010. Fueled by economic anxiety and opposition to President Donald Trump's federal policies, the election produced landmark firsts: Keisha Lance Bottoms became the nation's first Black woman elected governor in Georgia, and Gina Hinojosa became Texas's first Latina governor after unseating incumbent Greg Abbott.

Democratic state gubernatorial election victories

• ▪In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley won the state's open governor seat in November 2026
• ▪In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated three-term Republican Governor Greg Abbott to win the November 2026 gubernatorial election despite facing a well-financed incumbent
• ▪Democrats flipped governorships in Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, and Nevada during the November 2026 midterm elections
• ▪In Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican billionaire Rick Jackson to win the November 2026 gubernatorial race
• ▪In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the November 2026 gubernatorial election
• ▪In Iowa, Democrat Rob Sand defeated Republican Zach Lahn in the November 2026 open gubernatorial race

Historic milestones in 2026 governor races

• ▪Democrat Gina Hinojosa became the first Latina governor in Texas history and the state's first Democratic governor in over thirty years after winning in November 2026
• ▪Republican Byron Donalds became Florida's first Black governor after defeating David Jolly in the November 2026 election
• ▪Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in United States history after winning Georgia's 2026 gubernatorial race
• ▪Democrat Aaron Ford became Nevada's first Black governor after winning the state's 2026 gubernatorial election
• ▪Democrat Deb Haaland became the first female Native American elected governor in United States history after winning New Mexico's 2026 gubernatorial election

Implications of Democratic gubernatorial majority

• ▪Democratic victories in the November 2026 elections gave the party control of a majority of U.S. governorships for the first time since 2010
• ▪With the 2026 election results, Democrats will hold at least 27 of the 50 state governorships starting in 2027

Impact of Donald Trump on state races

• ▪Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott skipped President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Texas prior to the November 2026 election
• ▪Voter discontent with U.S. President Donald Trump and his low approval ratings contributed to Republican gubernatorial losses across multiple states in November 2026
• ▪Democratic candidates in the November 2026 midterm elections linked their Republican opponents to Donald Trump's federal agenda, including abortion restrictions, immigration policies, and tax laws that cut healthcare subsidies

Key issues in governor campaigns

• ▪Voter anxiety over the rising cost of living, including prices for food and gasoline, driven by federal policies and tariffs, served as a primary issue in the 2026 governor races
• ▪Local economic and environmental issues, including data-center energy costs, water rights, public school funding, and local cancer rates, featured prominently in various state gubernatorial campaigns