Thirty-six governorships are on the ballot in 2026, with voters choosing state executives who will shape policy, budgets and election administration for the next several years. The class is evenly divided between 18 Democratic-held and 18 Republican-held seats. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
This guide tracks every 2026 governor race, the incumbent or open-seat status, the general-election field and the latest Cook Political Report rating. Candidate and ballot information will continue to be updated through Election Day.
2026 governor elections at a glance
- 36 governor races are scheduled for November 3, 2026
- 18 Democratic-held and 18 Republican-held seats are up for election
- 15 incumbents are term-limited, creating an unusually large group of open races
- Five races are currently rated Toss-up by Cook: Alaska, Georgia, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin
- Rhode Island’s major-party field is set: Democrat Helena Foulkes faces Republican Aaron Guckian.
Complete list of 2026 governor races and candidates
Table last updated October 3, 2026. Candidate and ballot status will be revised as developments occur through Election Day. Race ratings reflect the Cook Political Report ratings current through October 1, 2026. Use the search box to find a state or candidate.
| State | Incumbent / Seat Status | Democratic Candidate | Republican Candidate | Cook Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Kay Ivey (R) — term-limited | Doug Jones | Tommy Tuberville | Solid R |
| Alaska | Mike Dunleavy (R) — term-limited | Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins | Dave Bronson; Treg Taylor; Bernadette Wilson | Toss-up |
| Arizona | Katie Hobbs (D) — running | Katie Hobbs | Andy Biggs | Lean D |
| Arkansas | Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) — running | Fredrick Love | Sarah Huckabee Sanders | Solid R |
| California | Gavin Newsom (D) — term-limited | Xavier Becerra | Steve Hilton | Solid D |
| Colorado | Jared Polis (D) — term-limited | Phil Weiser | Victor Marx | Solid D |
| Connecticut | Ned Lamont (D) — running | Ned Lamont | Ryan Fazio | Solid D |
| Florida | Ron DeSantis (R) — term-limited | David Jolly | Byron Donalds | Lean R |
| Georgia | Brian Kemp (R) — term-limited | Keisha Lance Bottoms | Rick Jackson | Toss-up |
| Hawaii | Josh Green (D) — running | Josh Green | Gary Cordery | Solid D |
| Idaho | Brad Little (R) — running | Terri Pickens | Brad Little | Solid R |
| Illinois | JB Pritzker (D) — running | JB Pritzker | Darren Bailey | Solid D |
| Iowa | Kim Reynolds (R) — retiring | Rob Sand | Zach Lahn | Lean D |
| Kansas | Laura Kelly (D) — term-limited | Cindy Holscher | Ty Masterson | Lean R |
| Maine | Janet Mills (D) — term-limited | Hannah Pingree | Robert B. Charles | Solid D |
| Maryland | Wes Moore (D) — running | Wes Moore | Dan Cox | Solid D |
| Massachusetts | Maura Healey (D) — running | Maura Healey | Mike Minogue | Solid D |
| Michigan | Gretchen Whitmer (D) — term-limited | Jocelyn Benson | John James | Lean D |
| Minnesota | Tim Walz (D) — retiring | Amy Klobuchar | Lisa Demuth | Solid D |
| Nebraska | Jim Pillen (R) — running | Lynne Walz | Jim Pillen | Solid R |
| Nevada | Joe Lombardo (R) — running | Aaron Ford | Joe Lombardo | Toss-up |
| New Hampshire | Kelly Ayotte (R) — running | Cinde Warmington | Kelly Ayotte | Likely R |
| New Mexico | Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) — term-limited | Deb Haaland | Gregg Hull | Solid D |
| New York | Kathy Hochul (D) — running | Kathy Hochul | Bruce Blakeman | Solid D |
| Ohio | Mike DeWine (R) — term-limited | Amy Acton | Vivek Ramaswamy | Toss-up |
| Oklahoma | Kevin Stitt (R) — term-limited | Cyndi Munson | Mike Mazzei | Solid R |
| Oregon | Tina Kotek (D) — running | Tina Kotek | Christine Drazan | Lean D |
| Pennsylvania | Josh Shapiro (D) — running | Josh Shapiro | Stacy Garrity | Solid D |
| Rhode Island | Dan McKee (D) — defeated in primary | Helena Foulkes | Aaron Guckian | Solid D |
| South Carolina | Henry McMaster (R) — term-limited | Jermaine Johnson | Alan Wilson | Solid R |
| South Dakota | Larry Rhoden (R) — running | Dan Ahlers | Larry Rhoden | Solid R |
| Tennessee | Bill Lee (R) — term-limited | Jerri Green | Marsha Blackburn | Solid R |
| Texas | Greg Abbott (R) — running | Gina Hinojosa | Greg Abbott | Lean R |
| Vermont | Phil Scott (R) — running | Amanda Janoo | Phil Scott | Solid R |
| Wisconsin | Tony Evers (D) — retiring | David Crowley | Tom Tiffany | Toss-up |
| Wyoming | Mark Gordon (R) — term-limited | Kenneth Casner | Eric Barlow | Solid R |
Governor races to watch in 2026
The most competitive contests are concentrated in a mix of open seats and closely divided states. Cook Political Report currently rates <strong>Alaska, Georgia, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin as Toss-ups</strong>. Arizona, Iowa, Michigan and Oregon are rated Lean Democratic, while Florida, Kansas and Texas are rated Lean Republican. New Hampshire is rated Likely Republican.
Major open-seat contests
- Georgia: Term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp leaves an open race between Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson.
- Ohio: Republican Gov. Mike DeWine is term-limited, producing a closely watched contest between Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.
- Wisconsin: Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is retiring. Democrat David Crowley and Republican Tom Tiffany are competing for the open seat.
- Michigan: Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited. Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James lead the major-party tickets, while independent Mike Duggan adds another important dimension to the race.
- Iowa: Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is retiring, and Cook currently rates the open-seat contest Lean Democratic.
How this guide is maintained
Candidate and ballot status is compiled from official state election filings and current election coverage, including Ballotpedia’s 2026 gubernatorial election coverage. Race ratings follow the latest available Cook Political Report governor ratings. The overall election count and term-limit status are also cross-checked against the 270toWin governor election map.
Ratings describe the current competitive position of a race, not a prediction of the final result. This page will be updated when candidate or ballot status changes, ratings move or other material race developments occur.