Currently there are 27 Republican governors and 23 Democratic governors. In the 2025-2026 cycle, there are elections for governor in 38 states, 2 in 2025 and 36 in 2026. Here is the breakdown.

• 7 Democrats are term limited and are not up for reelection.
• 10 Republicans are term limited and are not up for reelection.
• 11 Democrats are eligible to run for another term and are expected to do so.
• 10 Republicans are eligible to run for another term and are expected to do so.

For the time being, we are assuming all incumbents will run for reelection unless they specifically state that they won't.

The Democratic-held seats are listed first below, in alphabetical order by state, with the Republicans following.

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Click on a name for the candidate's entry in Wikipedia.
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States with Democratic governors

Arizona   

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Katie Hobbs (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Arizona is a purple state so Republicans will definitely contest it. Karrin Taylor Robson (R) ran for governor in 2022 and lost the Republican primary to Kari Lake. Lake found a new job telling the world about King Donald, so she probably won't be back for a rerun. State Treasurer Kimberly Yee (R) also ran for governor and lost the primary to Lake. Either of them could try again.

California

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is term-limited. California is just bursting with politicians who would love to be governor. Over half a dozen have already declared and are running. The best known ones are Toni Atkins, former speaker of the Assembly, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Antonio Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles. Other possible entrants are state AG Rob Bonita and former U.S. representative Katie Porter. On the Republican side, there are half a dozen people who have said they would like to be governor, but none who have a shot at making the top two for the general election. The thing here is that it takes a lot of money to run for governor of California. Not all the wannabes can raise tens of millions of dollars.

Colorado

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Gov. Jared Polis (D) is term-limited. There is a long list of potential candidates. The most likely are SoS Jena Griswold and AG Phil Weiser as they have already won statewide. Reps. Jason Crow and Joe Neguse are also possibilities, among many others. Two potential Republicans are Rep. Greg Lopez and Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen.

Connecticut

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Ned Lamont (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	One state senator, Heather Somers, has expressed interest so far. Perennial candidate Bob Stefanowski is the backup plan so far.

Hawaii

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Josh Green (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Josh Green got 63.5% of the vote last time. It is possible that no serious Republican will even bother challenging him.

Illinois

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
J.B. Pritzker (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	J.B. Pritzker is well known and also a billionaire. Maybe some serious Republican will try a kamikaze mission, but maybe not. What's the point of it?

Kansas

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Gov. Laura Kelly (D) is term-limited. Despite being a red state, Laura Kelly won an open-seat election in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. Probably her #2, Lt. Gov. David Toland, will try to get the Democratic nomination and succeed. No Republican has shown interest yet, but it is still early. There will certainly be one or more.

Maine

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Janet Mills (D) is term-limited and is likely to run for the Senate against Susan Collins. Among Democrats, SoS Shenna Bellow might run and so might Rep. Jared Golden. Former president of the state Senate, Troy Jackson, and former speaker of the state House, Hannah Pingree, might also go after the Democratic nomination. On the Republican side, former Senate majority leader, Garrett Mason, and former U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin might run.

Maryland

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Wes Moore (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Conceivably, former governor Larry Hogan could try to get his old job back, but he just got his ears pinned back in a Senate race, so maybe he got the message. Absent Hogan, Moore is safe.

Massachusetts

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Maura Healey (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Massachusetts is a very blue state, so it takes a very special Republican to beat a sitting Democratic governor.

Michigan   

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is term-limited. At least three high-profile Democrats are thinking about running: SoS Jocelyn Benson, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and state Senate Whip Mallory McMorrow. Tudor Dixon ran in 2022 and could run again. Other possibilities are Pete Hoekstra, John James, Peter Meijer, and Mike Rogers, among many others.

Minnesota

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Tim Walz (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Tim Walz might run for another term, but he hasn't said so yet. Royce White (R), who ran for the Senate in 2024 and was drubbed could run for governor.

New Jersey   

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is term-limited. There will be a gubernatorial election in Nov. 2025 and it will be wild and woolly. The Democratic candidates will include Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, along with Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and many more. On the Republican side, Former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and conservative radio host Bill Spadea are in.

New Mexico

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Gov. Michelle Grisham (D) is term-limited. Potential Democratic candidates include Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Sen. Martin Heinrich, and Albuque Mayor Tim Keller.

New York

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Kathy Hochul (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Kathy Hochul is not especially popular, but it is doubtful that she will draw a serious primary challenger. Possible Republicans are former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Rep, Mike Lawler, Rensselaer County Executive Steven McLaughlin, and former Rep. Marc Molinaro.

Oregon

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Tina Kotek (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Tina Kotek will probably run again, which might mean no serious Republican bothers in this very blue state.

Pennsylvania

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Josh Shapiro (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Josh Shapiro definitely wants to be president, so he is certain to run for governor again to have a platform. On the Republican side, there is state Treasurer Stacy Garrity and possibly Rep, Dan Meuser. Shapiro has been very good about not saying: "If only Harris had picked me for veep, we would have won all three blue wall states." Smart guy. Don't say the quiet part out loud.

Rhode Island

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Dan McKee (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Assuming Dan McKee runs, he probably won't draw a primary opponent. There is no obvious Republican in state government to challenge McKee.

Wisconsin

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Tony Evers (D)	Candidate unknown (R)	Tony Evans can run for a third term if he wants to, but hasn't said if he will. If he does, he will probably not draw a primary opponent. On the Republican side, state Sen, Patrick Testin and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany are possibles. Former Lt. governor and 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Rebecca Kleefisch might try again, among others.

States with Republican governors

Alaska

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) is term-limited. Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom (R) might run. State Sen. Click Bishop (R) might also run. No Democrats are chomping at the bit.

Alabama

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Gov. Kay Ivey (R) is term-limited. On the Democratic side, former Sen. Doug Jones would be the strongest candidate. The Republican primary is more interesting, of course, it being Alabama. Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth is the obvious candidate. Lynda Blanchard was ambassador to Solvenia in Trump v1.0. She ran for governor in 2022 and lost, so she might try again.

Arkansas

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Sarah Sanders (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Nothing to see here. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will get a second term. The Democrats might not even be able to find a sacrificial lamb.

Florida

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is term-limited. This one should be lots of fun with many candidates in both primaries. Nikki Fried was the Democratic nominee in 2022 and might try again. Rep. Jared Moskowitz has expressed interest in running. Multiple Democratic state legislators and a few mayors are potentially interested. On the Republican side, former Rep. Matt Gaetz is probably in and possibly Rep. Byron Donalds. Pretty much all the statewide office holders are potential candidates, including Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, AG Ashley Moody, CFO Jimmy Patronis, abd Ag Commissioner Wilton Simpson. Might be lots of fireworks.

Georgia

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is term-limited. Democrat Stacey Abrams might try again, but more likely are Rep. Lucy McBath and/or Jimmy Carter's grandson, Jason Carter. On the other side, Georgia AG Chris Carr has already declared to beat the crowd. Also interested are Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, SoS Brad Raffensperger, and former senator Kelly Loeffler. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is a wildcard, in many senses.

Iowa

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Kim Reynolds (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Kim Reynolds is almost a sure thing, so Democrats will not be motivated, although bus driver Paul Dahl has already filed. Iowa House minority leader Jennifer Konfrst [sic] is considering a run, but it would be a longshot.

Idaho

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Brad Little (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	If Brad Little wants a third term, he will get it without much opposition. Maybe some Democrat will file, maybe not. It doesn't matter one way or the other.

Nebraska

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Jim Pillen (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Jim Pillen got 60% of the vote in 2022. He will be very tough to unseat. Maybe the Democrats can dig up William Jennings Bryan and prop him up. That is probably better than all the other options.

New Hampshire

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Kelly Ayotte (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Kelly Ayotte was previously a senator until she was defeated for re-election by Maggie Hassan. Then she ran for governor in 2024 and won. However, the term for the governor in New Hampshire is just 2 years, so she has to run again in 2026 (and 2028 and 2030 ... to keep her job). There are no term limits in New Hampshire, but eventually all the governors get tired of spending all their time campaigning and call it quits. Ayotte is 56, so she is probably good for a few more tries. However, New Hampshire is a swing state, so she could easily lose. There are plenty of Democrats who could challenge her, including Joyce Craig, who she defeated in 2024.

Nevada   

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Joe Lombardo (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Could be a real contest. Joe Lombardo is up for reelection in a purple state, so Democrats will definitely look for a strong candidate. AG Aaron Ford might go for it.

Ohio

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is term-limited. For the blue team, House Minority Leader Allison Russo is interested. Tim Ryan, the Democratic Senate nominee in 2022 might try for the job. For the red team, AG Dave Yost is already in, but he is not going to alone. Lt. Gov Jon Susted and SoS Frank LaRose might well jump in. If Vivek Ramaswamy decides he doesn't like being a DOGEy, he might even run, potentially with Donald Trump's endorsement.

Oklahoma

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) is term-limited. All the action will be on the Republican side. Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, AG Gentner Drummond, House Speaker Charles McCall, and others might all jump in.

South Carolina

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Gov. Henry McMaster (R) is term-limited. State Rep. Jermaine Johnson (D) has expressed interest, even though her chances are roughly zero. On the Republican side there is a vast list of potential candidates, including Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace, and miscellaneous state legislators.

South Dakota

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Larry Rhoden (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	If Kristi Noem gets the job of secretary of DHS, Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden will become governor. Since he wouldn't be elected, he can expect plenty of competition in 2026. AG Marty Jackley ran in 2018 and could run again. Rep. Dusty Johnson might give it a whirl. If Mike Rounds doesn't like getting pushed around in the Senate, he could move back home and run for governor. Democrats have no chance at all, so why run?

Tennessee

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Gov. Bill Lee (R) is term-limited. A few Democratic state senators and representatives might give it a shot, including the minority leader of the state Senate, Raumesh Akbari. It is always possible that in Oct. 2026, the Republican nominee is caught in bed with multiple dead boys, dead girls, and dead goats. For the Republicans, two U.S. representatives, Tim Burchett and John Rose, have expressed interest. Freedom Caucus leader Andy Ogles might get in, depending on how things are working out for the Caucus. SoS Tre Hargett could try for a job upgrade.

Texas

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Greg Abbott (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Gov Greg Abbott is already running for an unprecedented fourth term. He is almost sure to get it. Democrats keep thinking that some day Texas will turn purple, but probably not in 2026 and certainly not against Abbott. Maybe first for some lower statewide office in an open election.

Vermont

Incumbent	Challenger	Notes
Phil Scott (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	If Gov. Phil Scott wants a sixth 2-year term, he will probably get it. It's odd that a Republican governor can win over and over in such a blue state, but he is a moderate and Vermonters think he is a nice guy.

Virginia   

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is term-limited. There will be a gubernatorial election in Nov. 2025. The candidates will be former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R). It will be a real barn burner. History says that the party occupying the White House usually loses the Virginia gubernatorial election, though.

Wyoming

Challenger	Challenger	Notes
Candidate unknown (R)	Candidate unknown (D)	Gov. Mark Gordon (R) is term-limited. The 2022 Republican candidate, Brent Bien, is already in. Since the Republican primary is tantamount to winning the general election, there will be more.