Voters across the US have elected Democrats to lead many of the biggest states in the nation, marking a sea change in traditional Republican strongholds such as Georgia and Texas in what could have a profound effect on Donald Trump’s remaining term and the ۲۰۲۸ presidential election.
From Keisha Lance Bottoms’ victory in Georgia, making the former Atlanta mayor the first Black woman to be elected governor of any state, to Amy Acton’s win in reliably red Ohio, the results represented a repudiation of Trump, rank corruption in Washington and the power of billionaires to shape American politics. Democrats aimed to win a majority of governorships in the US, something they have not done since the ۲۰۰۶ midterm elections.
One of the biggest prizes of the night was the Texas governorship, with Democratic state representative Gina Hinojosa unseating Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in a stunning upset. Hinojosa will be the first Latina governor of the state, and the first Democrat elected to the Texas governorship in ۳۰ years.
Like Hinojosa’s win, considered unthinkable in the aftermath of Trump’s ۲۰۲۴ victory in Texas, Lance Bottoms’ win in Georgia against billionaire Rick Jackson also represented a stunning flip of a Republican stronghold, where the GOP has held the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature for more than ۲۰ years.
In Ohio, Democrat Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. The campaign drew national attention after Ramaswamy’s campaign aired a much-maligned ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother, who lost custody of her children after her husband was accused of sexually abusing Acton as a child, sharply criticizing her daughter. Acton is the first Democrat elected governor in the state since ۲۰۰۶, and the first woman elected governor of Ohio.
Iowa Democrat Rob Sand pulled off an upset against Republican Zach Lahn, marking a major step towards the party rebuilding its standing in a state that has voted for Donald Trump three times and where the GOP has dominated state politics in recent years.
And in Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley defeated Republican Tom Tiffany to become the state’s first Black governor. Crowley, who withdrew from the race only to rejoin at the urging of the outgoing Democratic governor, Tony Evers, overcame a massive fundraising gap to win the governorship.
Democrats also racked up gubernatorial victories in Pennsylvania, where popular incumbent Josh Shapiro handily defeated Stacy Garrity, and New York, where Kathy Hochul sailed to re-election. Democrat Deb Haaland was elected governor of New Mexico, making her the first Native American woman to win a governorship, while Xavier Becerra, also a Democrat, became California’s first elected Latino governor.
In Florida, Byron Donalds, Republican congressman and a strong Trump ally, edged out the former Republican turned Democrat David Jolly, becoming the Sunshine state’s first Black governor.
While media attention has focused intensely on the battle to control the US Congress, and whether Democrats could not only flip the House of Representatives but also win most of the Senate, upsets in gubernatorial races in traditionally Republican states could reset the map before the ۲۰۲۸ presidential contest.
Most of the so-called swing states that help determine who wins the White House – including Michigan and Wisconsin – are among the ۳۶ states electing governors in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The first two years of Donald Trump’s second term as president have underscored the roles Democratic governors play in serving as a bulwark against Trump’s most excessive policies, including by filing lawsuits and other executive actions. While rules differ state by state, some governors appoint election officials who oversee elections, and can sign legislation to protect voter rights.
Republicans have held a majority of governorships since the ۲۰۱۰ election.
