Democrats flip 5 governorships, including Texas and Georgia
Democrats flipped governor's offices in Georgia, Iowa, Texas, Ohio and Nevada on Tuesday and are set to hold a majority of governorships for the first time since 2010. Keisha Lance Bottoms becomes the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history, and Gina Hinojosa unseated Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
Democrats flipped five governor's offices on Tuesday, all in states President Donald Trump carried in 2024: Georgia, Iowa, Texas, Ohio and Nevada, NBC News reported based on AP race calls. Republicans entered the night with a 26-24 edge in governorships, and 36 seats were on the ballot.
Why it matters
Governors sign or veto state budgets and set policy on schools, taxes and energy projects. Hinojosa opposed the $1 billion private-school voucher program Abbott championed and has pledged to replace Education Commissioner Mike Morath, NPR reported. She will likely face a Republican-led Legislature. "Getting any meaningful legislation through is going to require them to find something they can agree on and that's not going to be easy," Trinity University political scientist David Crockett told NPR.
More context
The flips: In Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms beat Republican Rick Jackson and will become the first Black woman governor in U.S. history. In Texas, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, 52, defeated three-term Gov. Greg Abbott, 68, and will be the state's first Latina governor and its first Democratic governor since Ann Richards left office in 1995, NPR reported. In Iowa, Democrat Rob Sand won. In Ohio, Amy Acton beat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to succeed Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. In Nevada, Democrat Aaron Ford beat Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo.
Holds: Democrats also kept governorships in swing states. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs beat Republican Andy Biggs, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro won by more than 20 points, Jocelyn Benson beat Republican John James in Michigan and David Crowley beat Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds won.
A first: Five Black candidates won governor's races Tuesday: Bottoms, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Donalds, Crowley and Ford, NBC News reported. There has never been more than one Black governor serving at the same time.
Both sides: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association, called it "a new era of Democratic leadership in states across the country" in a statement reported by NBC News. Republicans' bright spot came in Florida with Donalds' win, while Trump told Fox News that gasoline prices, not the Iran war, hurt his party.
What's still unknown: Kansas, where Democrats have held the governorship for eight years, was too close to call between Democrat Cindy Holscher and Republican Ty Masterson, NBC News reported.
3 listed sources
- NBC News, Democrats flip governorships, extending party inroads in red states, Nov. 4, 2026
- NPR, Gina Hinojosa defeats Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Nov. 3, 2026
- CNBC, 2026 midterm election results live updates, Nov. 4, 2026
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Race calls are the Associated Press's, as reported by NBC News, NPR and CNBC early Wednesday, Nov. 4. The Kansas governor's race was uncalled at writing. The governorship majority comes from the Democratic Governors Association's statement as reported by NBC News. Both photos are file images, not from election night.
Like US Brief? You can support it with a tip.