Governor races flip as Democrats take 22 of 36 seats

Democrats secured 22 of the 36 governorships up for election this cycle, according to Ballotpedia data as of 4:00 PM ET on November 6. Republicans won 12 of the races, while two seats remain uncalled. This result gives Democrats a majority of governorships for the first time since before the 2010 elections, reversing a long-standing Republican hold on the office nationwide.

The shift in power was driven by five states that changed party control, all moving from Republican to Democratic leadership. These flips occurred in Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, and Michigan. No states changed from Democratic to Republican control, marking a significant net gain for the Democratic Party in executive offices across the country.

Texas played a central role in this realignment. Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott. This victory makes Hinojosa the state’s first Latina governor and the first Democrat to hold the office in more than 30 years. Her win ended a long period of Republican dominance in the state’s executive branch.

In Georgia, voters elected Keisha Lance Bottoms as the state’s first Democratic senator in more than two decades and the first Black woman governor in the country. The former Atlanta mayor campaigned on lowering costs and expanding healthcare access. Her victory adds another key Southern state to the Democratic column of gubernatorial offices.

The 18 to 18 split of incumbent seats before the election created a highly competitive landscape. Democrats held 18 of the 36 seats up for election, while Republicans held the other 18. To gain a national majority, Democrats needed a net gain of two governorships. They achieved this goal by retaining their incumbents and winning key open seats and contested races.

Nineteen of the 36 governorships were open seats, meaning no incumbent was on the general election ballot. This high number of open competitions allowed for greater volatility in results. Among the 15 incumbent governors who were term limited, six were Democrats and nine were Republicans. Three other governors who were eligible to run chose not to, including Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.

Ballotpedia identified nine races as battlegrounds, including Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The results in these states determined much of the final partisan balance. Democrats successfully defended their incumbents in several of these competitive states while also capturing seats previously held by Republicans.

The Republican Party had held a majority of governorships nationwide since 2010. In that year, they gained a net six offices while Democrats lost a net seven. The 2026 results mark a dramatic reversal of that trend. The National Council of State Legislatures noted that this election is likely to be the one with the most legislative seats and chambers changing parties since the 2010 election, when Republicans took over governments across the country amid the Great Recession.

In the South Central region, the results reflect a broader Democratic surge. Beyond Texas and Georgia, the party made gains in other Southern states. The shift in Texas is already having an impact, with local leaders in cities like Houston adjusting policies on immigration enforcement to align with the new state leadership. Governor Abbott had previously aligned the state closely with federal immigration crackdowns.

The final tally of 22 Democratic and 12 Republican governors, with two seats still pending, solidifies the Democratic position in statehouses. This control allows the party to pursue legislative agendas on issues such as cost of living, healthcare, and oversight of the administration. The two uncalled races, one previously held by a Democrat and one by a Republican, could further adjust the final counts as votes are tallied.

The election results stand as a significant check on the administration, with Democrats now holding the governor’s office in at least 28 states when combining the new winners with those who retained their seats. This majority provides a platform for increased scrutiny of federal policies and a stronger voice in national political discussions.