Ballotpedia's Gubernatorial Races to Watch

Middleton, Wisconsin--(Newsfile Corp. - October 1, 2026) - Of the 36 governorships on the ballot in 2026, Democrats and Republicans each hold 18. Fifteen incumbent governors are term-limited: six Democrats and nine Republicans. Ballotpedia has identified 10 of the 36 races as battlegrounds, split evenly between five Democratic-held and five Republican-held governorships. Eight of the 10 have no incumbent running.

Three governors who were eligible to run for re-election this year did not run: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D). One governor — Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee — lost in a primary, leaving the general election open.

Ballotpedia selected its 2026 battleground gubernatorial races using the following criteria:

• The results of the 2024 presidential election in each state
• Whether the incumbent was seeking re-election
• Whether the governor's office changed partisan control the last time it was up for election
• How race rating organizations, the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales, rated the race

Races are also identified as battlegrounds if they are particularly compelling or meaningful to the balance of power in governments for other reasons, such as the electoral history of the jurisdiction or polling results. For more information on methodology, click here.

Ballotpedia's gubernatorial elections to watch

• Alaska: Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D), David Bronson (R), Treg Taylor (R), and Bernadette Wilson (R) advanced to the general election from the top-four primary. Incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) is term-limited. A Republican has held the governor's office since Dunleavy was elected in 2018. Alaska's last Democratic governor, Tony Knowles, left office in 2002.

• Arizona: Incumbent Katie Hobbs (D), Andy Biggs (R), Risa Lombardo (G), and Teri Hourihan (No Labels Party) are running. In 2022, Hobbs was elected 50.3% to 49.6%. In the 2024 presidential election, President Donald Trump (R) defeated Kamala Harris (D) 52.2% to 46.7% in the state. As a result, this is one of five governorships Democrats are defending in states Trump won in 2024.

• California: Incumbent Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is term-limited. Xavier Becerra (D) and Steve Hilton (R) are running in the general election. They advanced from the top-two primary on June 2.

• Georgia: Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) and Rick Jackson (R) are running forgovernor in the general election. Incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is term-limited. The last Democrat elected governor was Roy Barnes in 1998.

• Iowa: Rob Sand (D) and Zach Lahn (R) are running in the general election. Incumbent Kim Reynolds (R) is not running for re-election. The last Democrat to be elected governor of Iowa was Chet Culver (D) in 2006. The election will be a factor in determining Iowa's trifecta and triplex status. Heading into the election, Republicans have both a trifecta and a triplex in Iowa.

• Kansas: Cindy Holscher (D) and Ty Masterson (R) are running in the general election. Incumbent Gov. Laura Kelly (D) is term-limited. This governorship is one of five that Democrats are defending this year in a state that President Donald Trump (R) won in the 2024 presidential election.

• Michigan: Incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is term-limited. Jocelyn Benson (D), John James (R), and four other candidates are running in the general election.

• Nevada: Incumbent Joe Lombardo (R), Aaron Ford (D), and Danielle Ford (No Political Party) are running in the general election. The state is one of 11 with a divided government, as Lombardo is a Republican while Democrats hold both chambers of the Legislature and the offices of attorney general and secretary of state.

• Ohio: Amy Acton (D), Vivek Ramaswamy (R), and Don Kissick (L) are running in the general election. Incumbent Mike DeWine (R) is term-limited. Ohio voters last elected a Democratic governor in 2006 when Ted Strickland (D) defeated J. Kenneth Blackwell (R) 61%-37%.

• Wisconsin: Incumbent Tony Evers (D) is not running for re-election. David Crowley (D), Tom Tiffany (R), and Jamie Jo Carothers (Independent, write-in) are running in the general election.

Be sure to use Ballotpedia's gubernatorial election coverage to stay abreast of the latest developments in all 36 gubernatorial elections this year.

About Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia, the encyclopedia of American politics, is the nation's most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections, and policy. And as voters increasingly turn to search engines and AI to learn who and what is on their ballot, independent research ranks Ballotpedia among the sources those tools cite most often. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a small group of volunteers into an essential resource for voters, media, and researchers. A nonprofit dedicated to an educated, engaged electorate and a strong, healthy democracy, Ballotpedia's content is researched, written, and verified by professional editorial staff, and now offers free access to 720,000+ articles at Ballotpedia.org.

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