Nov. 6, 2018 Governor Races

Gov.
 Sen.
2023
 x
2022
 x x
2021
 x
2020
 x x
2019
 x
2018
x
2017
 x x
2016
 x
 x
2015
 x
2014
 x x
2013
 x x
2012
 x x
2011
 x
2010
 x x
2009
 x
2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

1993

1992

1991

1990

1989


At Stake: 36 Seats
Before Nov. 6: 33R, 16D and 1I.

AL  -  AK  -  AZ  -  AR  -  CA  -  CO  -  CT  -  FL  -  GA  -  HI  -  ID  -  IL  -  IA  -  KS  -  ME  -  MD  -  MA  -  MI  -  MN -  NE  -  NV  -  NH  -  NM  -  NY  -  OH  -  OK  -  OR  -  PA  -  RI  -  SC  -  SD  -  TN  -  TX  -  VT  -  WI  -  WY
  

Democrats Republicans Third Party/Independent
Alabama




Alaska

R+
(withdrew)




Arizona




Arkansas




California




Colorado




Connecticut




Florida




Georgia




Hawaii




Idaho




Illinois

D+




Iowa




Kansas

D+




Maine

D+
 

(withdrew)




Maryland




Massachusetts




Michigan

D+




Minnesota
    




Nebraska




Nevada

D+
  




New Hampshire




New Mexico

D+




New York
  




Ohio




Oklahoma




Oregon





Pennsylvania




Rhode Island




South Carolina




South Dakota




Tennessee




Texas




Vermont




Wisconsin

D+




Wyoming






After Nov. 6: 27R, 23D.
 
*Does not include Guam, USVI and CNMI.

25.01 +
 20.01-25.0
 15.01-20.0
 10.01-15.0
 5.01-10.0
 0-5.0
 0-5.0
 5.01-10.0
 10.01-15.0
 15.01-20.0
 20.01-25.0
 25.01 +
HI 28.97
 NY 24.41
CA 23.90		 RI 15.46
IL 15.70*
PA 17.07
 CO 10.62
MN 11.41
NM 14.40*
 KS 5.03*
OR 6.40
ME 7.71*
MI 9.56*
 WI 1.10*
CT 3.16
NV 4.08*
 FL 0.40
GA 1.39
IL 2.73
SD 3.41
OH 3.71
 AK 7.03*
NH 7.04
SC 8.04
 MD 11.84
OK 12.10
TX 13.31
AZ 14.16
VT 14.92
 NE 18.00
AL 19.07
 TN 21.01
ID 21.58
 MA 33.48
AR 33.56
WY 39.58
   *Seat changed parties. 


2018 GOVERNOR RACE OVERVIEW [links/logos]

Two years into the Trump administration, 36 governorships were at stake.  The "blue wave" resulted in seven seats changing from Democratic to Republican and 20 new governors were elected.
Starting balance Jan. 2018:  33 Republicans, 16 Democrats, 1 Independent.
36 seats at stake in 2018:  9 Democrats, 26 Republicans, 1 Independent. (plus 3 terr.) 
16 open seats...
13 term-limited:  2 Democrats, 11 Republicans.
D: Brown-CA, Hickenlooper-CO.  R: Scott-FL, Deal-GA, LePage-ME, Snyder-MI, Sandoval-NV, Martinez-NM, Kasich-OH, Fallin-OK, Daugaard-SD, Haslam-TN, Mead-WY).
3 retirements:  2 Democrats, 1 Republican.
D: Malloy-CT, Dayton-MN.  R: Otter-ID.
20 incumbents seeking re-election/election:  5 Democrats, 14 Republicans, 1 Indep..
1 defeated in primary:  1 Republican.
R: Colyer-NE.
3 defeated in general election:  2 Republicans, 1 Independent.
R: Rauner-IL, Walker-WI.  I: Walker-AK).
16 re-elected:  5 Democrats, 11 Republicans.
20 new governors:  11 Democrats, 9 Republicans.
D: CA, CO, CT, IL, KS, ME, MI, MN, NV, NM and WI.  R: AK, FL, GA, ID, OH, OK, ND, TN and WY).
8 seats changed party:  7  Republican to Democrat  and 1 Independent to Republican.
(R to D: IL, KS, ME, MI, NV, NM and WI.  I to R: AK).
Balance after Nov. 6, 2018:  27Republicans, 23 Democrats.

*Four Republican governors sought election in their own right due to incumbent retirements:

- Nikki Haley (R-SC) resigned Jan. 24, 2017 to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations; succeeded by Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster (R). 

- Robert Bentley (R-AL) resigned April 10, 2017 amid scandal; succeeded by Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey (R). 

- Terry Branstad (R-IA) May 24, 2017 to serve as U.S. Ambassador to China; succeeded by Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R). 

- Sam Brownback (R-KS) resigned effective Jan. 31, 2018 to serve as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom; succeeded by Lt. Gov. Jeff  Colyer (R).




HIGHLIGHTS

  • The Nov. 7, 2017 races provided a preface to the 2018 midterms.  Democrats held Virginia and picked up New Jersey.
  • The most expensive race of the cycle was Illinois with total spending of over $200 million.
  • The closest Governor's race of the cycle was in Florida, where Ron DeSantis (R) edged Andrew Gillum (D).  The most lopsided race was in Wyoming where Mark Gordon (R) easily defeated Mary Trone (D).
  • Of the 72 major party nominees, 16 were women: 12D (2 incumbents and 10 challengers/open) and 4R (2 incumbents and 2 challengers/open).  Two women governors were leaving, both Republicans (Martinez-NM and Fallin-OK).  For the Democrats 2 of 2 incumbents and 4 of 10 challengers won; for the Republicans 2 of 2 incumbents seeing re-election won as did 1 of the 2 challengers.  The number of women governors will increase from 6 (2D, 4R) to 9 (6D, 3R).  Democrats: Kelly-KS, Mills-ME, Whitmer-MI, Lujan Grisham-NM, Brown-OR and Raimondo-RI.  Republicans: Ivey-AL, Reynolds-IA and Noem-SD.
  • In six states voters only had two choices on the ballot: AL, CA, MA, NE, NM and SC.
  • The strongest showings a third party or independent candidate was in Nebraska where Greg Orman, a Johnson County businessman who also ran for U.S. Senate in 2014, obtained 6.50% of the vote.  Other strong showings were Treasurer Terry Hayes (I) in Maine (5.91%), businessman and former state Rep. Joe Trillo (I) in Rhode Island (4.39%), state Sen. Sam McCann (Cons.) in Illinois (4.23%), Oz Griebel (GFCT) in Connecticut (3.89%), Chris Powell (L) in Oklahoma, the best showing by a Libertarian (3.44%), and Rex Rammell (C) in Wyoming (3.32%).

  
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