Democrats are heading towards major gains in gubernatorial elections, having secured victories in Ohio, Texas, Iowa, Georgia and Wisconsin, according to projections by US media outlets. However, it remains too early to call several other races as of Wednesday morning.
Two candidates have made history. In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in the United States. In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa became the first Hispanic governor in the state's history after defeating the incumbent Republican governor.
A total of 36 gubernatorial races were held, with President Donald Trump's low approval ratings and the cost of living topping voters' concerns, alongside local issues ranging from water rights and data centers to cancer rates.
If Democrats manage to secure a net gain of at least two seats, they will hold the majority of governorships nationwide for the first time since 2010.
Texas state representative Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott, becoming the first Democrat elected to the state's top office since 1990 and the first Hispanic woman to serve as governor in Texas history.
Hinojosa was an unexpected challenger to one of the country's best-known and most well-funded Republican governors. According to The Texas Tribune, Abbott spent nearly eight times as much on his campaign as Hinojosa.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson in the race to succeed Republican Governor Brian Kemp. She became the first Black woman elected governor in the United States and the first Democrat elected governor of Georgia in more than a quarter-century.
Both parties viewed the gubernatorial race as an early test of voter sentiment in a state expected to be a key battleground in the 2028 presidential election.
Rick Jackson spent more than $100 million of his own money on the campaign and endorsed Trump's agenda, while Bottoms sought to mobilize the diverse Democratic coalition that helped Biden win the state in 2020.
Bottoms rose to national prominence in 2020 while serving as Atlanta's mayor during a period marked by protests, unrest and the Covid-19 pandemic. Her electoral base lies in the Atlanta metropolitan area, which has reshaped the political landscape in Georgia.
Democratic physician Amy Acton defeated Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy in a race that attracted national attention over a controversial campaign ad featuring Acton's estranged mother, who disputed Acton's account of a childhood marked by homelessness and sexual abuse.
Acton, a former director of the Ohio Department of Health, said she had been abused by her stepfather, who fled the state after being accused of the abuse and was never prosecuted.
Ohio's reputation as a swing state faded after 2016, when Trump won the state with strong support from working-class voters. Democrats have won only one of the last nine gubernatorial elections there.
State Auditor Rob Sand, the only Democrat currently holding statewide elected office in Iowa, defeated Republican businessman Zach Lahn in the state's first open-seat gubernatorial election since 2006, after Republican Governor Kim Reynolds chose not to seek re-election.
Cancer rates, which rank second-highest in the country in Iowa, were a major campaign issue, alongside the cost of living, education and government accountability.
Lahn championed tax cuts, school choice and a more conservative approach, while Sand criticized the Republicans' financial management and their private school funding programme.
The central question in Wisconsin's gubernatorial race was whether voters wanted a governor aligned with Republican President Trump. Republican Representative Tom Tiffany played down the importance of this association, but Democrat David Crowley tied Tiffany to Trump's agenda and won the race.
Tiffany supported issues such as gun rights and tax cuts, and took part in drafting a federal bill to ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Crowley, meanwhile, focused on supporting abortion rights.
Wisconsin bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and requires a 24-hour waiting period and parental consent for minors.
In a race focused on affordability, Republican Governor Joe Lombardo was locked in a tight contest with Democrat Aaron Ford, the state's attorney general.
Nevada residents voiced concerns over tariffs, a slowdown in tourism and rising fuel prices, giving Ford an opportunity to defeat Lombardo despite the latter's fundraising advantage.
Data centers emerged as a key issue. Ford proposed halting new tax breaks for data centers, while Lombardo defended them as an economic driver, while calling for limits on certain incentives.
Water became a major election issue in drought-stricken Arizona, where Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs sought re-election against Republican Representative Andy Biggs.
Other issues included the cost of living and immigration. Hobbs sought to portray herself as tougher on border security than many Democrats nationally.
Abortion rights also featured prominently. Hobbs supports abortion rights, while Biggs opposes them. Arizona voters approved a constitutional amendment protecting these rights in 2024.
The race in Michigan is among the most competitive, with Democrat Jocelyn Benson facing Republican Representative John James in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Michigan is a swing state that Trump won in 2016 and 2024, while Biden carried it in 2020, making this election one of particular interest.
