Nine states elect first Black, Latino, and Native governors in 2026 midterms
Keisha Lance Bottoms, Deb Haaland, and seven other candidates secured historic victories across the country on Tuesday.
By Ella Cox ·
Voters in nine states elected governors who will be the first in their states to hold those specific demographic or gender milestones. The results on Tuesday reshaped state leadership from the South to the Midwest.
Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat and former Atlanta mayor, won the Georgia governorship. At 56, she will be the first Black woman to serve as a state governor in the United States. Her victory over Republican Rick Jackson ends a more than 20 year streak of Republican control in the state.
Deb Haaland, a Democrat of Pueblo Indian descent, won the New Mexico race. She will become the first Native American woman to hold the office. Haaland previously served as Interior secretary under President Joe Biden and as a member of Congress.
Latino representation expanded in two major states. Xavier Becerra, a Democrat and former Health and Human Services secretary, defeated Steve Hilton to become California's first elected Latino governor. In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Greg Abbott. Hinojosa will be the first Latina governor in the state and the first Democrat to win the office in more than 30 years.
Florida and Wisconsin also elected their first Black governors. Byron Donalds, a Republican, won in Florida after campaigning on affordability and continuing the policies of outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis. He defeated Democrat David Jolly. In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley, a Milwaukee County executive, defeated Republican Tom Tiffany. Crowley suspended his campaign during the primary but reentered with the support of outgoing Governor Tony Evers.
Three women secured gubernatorial offices for the first time in their respective states. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, defeated Jerri Green to become the first woman governor of Tennessee. Her campaign focused on immigration and government spending. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, will be the first woman governor of Minnesota after defeating House Speaker Lisa Demuth.
Amy Acton, a Democrat, won the Ohio governorship in a major upset. She defeated Vivek Ramaswamy and will be the first woman and first Jewish person to hold the office. Acton served as the state's chief public health officer during the pandemic. Her victory makes her the first Democrat to serve as Ohio governor in two decades.
