WASHINGTON, DC, Nov. 4, 2026 — Democrats will hold a majority of the nation's governorships for the first time in 16 years after flipping five states President Donald Trump carried in 2024, according to AP projections and NBC News.

AP's governor results page, read at 12:29 p.m. Wednesday, showed 28 governors' offices for Democrats and 20 for Republicans, with two races still to be called. Democrats led in both: Alaska and Kansas. The count includes governors who weren't up for election this year.

Republicans held a 26-24 edge in governorships going into Tuesday, NBC News reported. Thirty-six governor's races were on the ballot.

The five flips

These are AP's projected results, with vote shares from AP's results pages as of late Wednesday morning:

  • Texas: Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa beat Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who was seeking a fourth term, 52.8% to 45.7%, with 98% of votes counted. AP called the race at 11:17 p.m. Tuesday. (AP results)
  • Georgia: Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms beat Republican Rick Jackson 54.3% to 45.7%, with 99% counted, for the seat held by term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. AP called it at 9:24 p.m. (AP results)
  • Iowa: State Auditor Rob Sand beat Republican Zach Lahn 55.5% to 44.5%, with 99% counted. AP called it at 11:12 p.m. (AP results)
  • Ohio: Democrat Amy Acton, a physician, beat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy 52.3% to 44.4%, with 98% counted, to succeed Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. AP called it at 10:49 p.m. (AP results)
  • Nevada: Attorney General Aaron Ford beat Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo 51.7% to 44.2%, with 87% counted. AP called it at 4:46 a.m. Wednesday. (AP results)

Why the wins stand out

Texas hadn't elected a Democratic governor in more than three decades, and Trump won the state by nearly 14 points two years ago, NBC reported. Hinojosa will be the state's first Latina governor.

In Texas, Hinojosa led in both Collin and Denton counties, two suburban counties that favored Trump in the last three presidential elections, AP's Decision Team noted on its results page.

Bottoms' win means she'll be the first Black woman governor in U.S. history, NBC reported. When AP called Georgia, Jackson was "significantly underperforming Donald Trump's showing in every part of the state," AP's Decision Team wrote.

In Iowa, which Trump won by 13 points in 2024, Sand will be the first Democrat elected governor in two decades, NBC reported. AP noted the state last elected a Democratic governor in 2006 and that Sand was Iowa's only Democrat in statewide elected office.

In Ohio, Acton led in northern Ohio and in the Cincinnati and Dayton area, regions Trump carried in 2024, AP's Decision Team wrote.

Races still out

  • Kansas: Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher led Republican Ty Masterson, the state Senate president, 50.3% to 49.7%, with 98% of votes counted, about 5,600 votes apart, AP's page showed at 12:19 p.m. Kansas has had a Democratic governor for the last eight years, NBC noted.
  • Alaska: Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins had 49.2% to Republican Bernadette Wilson's 29.2%, with Republicans Dave Bronson at 14.2% and Treg Taylor at 7.5%, with 74% of votes counted, AP showed as of its 6:45 a.m. update. The race goes to ranked-choice tabulation if no one gets a majority of first-choice votes. The seat's held by term-limited Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

Democrats held swing states, too

Democrats also kept several battleground governorships, NBC reported. In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley beat Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany to succeed Democrat Tony Evers. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs won re-election over Republican Andy Biggs. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro won re-election by more than 20 points, and in Michigan, Democrat Jocelyn Benson beat Republican John James to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

NBC counted five Black candidates who won governor's races Tuesday: Bottoms, Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Republican Byron Donalds in Florida, Crowley in Wisconsin and Ford in Nevada. More than one Black governor has never served at the same time before, NBC reported.

Both parties react

"This incredible milestone marks a new era of Democratic leadership in states across the country," said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, in a statement reported by NBC.

President Donald Trump blamed Abbott for his loss. "If Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, hadn't become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn't have lost," Trump wrote on Truth Social, ABC News reported.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Texas a longtime anchor for the party. "If the Republican Party doesn't have Texas as an anchor, then we are not going to be viable moving forward," he said Wednesday, FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.

Florida's race

Florida went the other way. Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds beat Democrat David Jolly 50.0% to 48.7%, AP projected, calling the race at 9:09 p.m. Tuesday, AP's Florida results show as of 12:27 p.m. Wednesday. AP had Donalds at 4,132,275 votes to Jolly's 4,024,554.

Donalds campaigned on continuing Gov. Ron DeSantis's agenda and called Jolly "too far left for Florida," while Jolly, a former Republican congressman who became a Democrat, attacked Donalds's close ties to Trump, NBC News reported. Donalds backed Amendment 3, the homestead property tax cut, and Jolly said he'd vote against it, The Independent Florida Alligator reported. Launchpad's morning statewide results story covers the full Florida ballot. Florida's results are unofficial until the state certifies them Nov. 16.

AP will update the Alaska and Kansas tallies as more ballots are counted.

Sources: AP election results pages for governor, Texas, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Nevada, Kansas, Alaska and Florida; NBC News; ABC News; FOX 13 Tampa Bay; The Independent Florida Alligator.

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