Nov. 8, 2022 Governor Races

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

2010

2009

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. 8: 27R, 23D.

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
  MISSING Dunleavy (R-A), Newsom (D-CA), Little (R-ID), Pritzker (D-IL), Cunningham (D-SC), McMaster (R-SC), Martin (D-TN), Siegel (D-VT), Scott (R-VT), Livingston (D-WY) and third party/independents.

Democrats Republicans                
Third Party/
Independent
Alabama




Alaska




Arizona

D+




Arkansas




California





Colorado




Connecticut




Florida





Georgia




Hawaii




Idaho




Illinois





Iowa




Kansas




Maine




Maryland

D+
  




Massachusetts

D+




Michigan




Minnesota




Nebraska




Nevada

R+




New Hampshire




New Mexico




New York




Ohio




Oklahoma




Oregon




Pennsylvania




Rhode Island




South Carolina





South Dakota




Tennessee





Texas




Vermont






Wisconsin




Wyoming







After Nov. 8: 25R, 25D.
 
*Does not include Guam, USVI and CNMI.
Margin of Victory in Percentage Points
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 +












   *Seat changed parties. 



OVERVIEW [more]

Thirty-six seats were at stake.  One week before Election Day, the Cook Political Report listed five seats as toss-ups—KS, NV, OR and WI held by the Democrats and AZ held by a Republican.  Earlier in the year Cook listed seven seats as toss-ups, but MI, PA and GA moved into the "likely" category.  More than half of the 2022 races were non-competitive; Cook listed 20 seats as solidly Democratic or Republican.  There were eight open seats.  Democrats were bullish on Maryland and Massachusetts, where popular Republican governors were not seeking re-election.  Republican pick up targets included Nevada and Kansas.  Former President Trump had a significant impact in Republican primary races, endorsing in 20 gubernatorial primaries (>).  These included seven incumbents, two candidates who challenged Republican incumbents (GA-D.Perdue, ID-J.McGeachin) and eleven candidates running in open seats or against Democratic incumbents (AZ-K.Lake, AR-S.H.Sanders, IL-D.Bailey, KS-D.Schmidt, MD-D.Cox, MA-G.Diehl, MI-T.Dixon, NE-C.Herbster, NV-J.Lombardo, PA-D.Mastriano, WI-T.Michels).  For the non-incumbent races, Lake, Sanders, Bailey, Schmidt, Cox, Diehl, Dixon, Lombardo, Mastriano and Michels won, while Perdue, McGeachin and Herbster lost.  Only Sanders and Lombardo went on to win in the general election.  Top issues in many governors races included inflation and the economy, education, crime and handling of the COVID pandemic.  

 Balance before Nov. 8, 2022: 27 Republicans, 23 Democrats.

36 seats at stake: 16 held by Democrats, 20 by Republicans.

8 open... 
7 term limited: 3 Democrats, 4 Republicans; plus 1 Retirement: 1 Republican. 
Term-limited - D: David Ige (HI), Kate Brown (OR), Tom Wolf (PA). R: Doug Ducey (AZ), Asa Hutchinson (AR), Larry Hogan (MD), Pete Ricketts (NE).  Retirement - R: Charlie Baker (MA).
No incumbents were defeated in primaries.

1 incumbent defeated in the general election.
D: Steve Sisolak (NV).
 
3 open seats flipped: Democrats picked up all 3.
D: Katie Hobbs (AZ), Wes Moore (MD), Maura Healey (MA).

9 new Governors elected: 6 Democrats, 3 Republicans.
D: Katie Hobbs (AZ), Josh Green (HI), Wes Moore (MD), Maura Healey (MA), Tina Kotek (OR), Josh Shapiro (PA). 
R: Sarah Huckabee Sanders (AR), JIm Pillen (NE), Joe Lombardo (NV).

Balance after Nov. 8, 2022: 25 Republicans, 25 Democrats.

 




HIGHLIGHTS

  • Open Secrets reports the most expensive gubernatorial campaigns of 2022 were in Illinois, Florida and Texas (>).
  • The closest and possibly most consequential race occurred in Arizona where Trump acolyte Kari Lake (R) lost to Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) by 17,117 votes out of 2.6 million votes cast or 0.67 percentage points.  Lake has not conceded and is pursuing a lawsuit.
  • 25 women ran as major party nominees on the Nov, 8 ballot (16D,9R).  Four of the newly elected governors are women: Democrats Katie Hobbs, Maura Healey and Tina Kotek and Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
  • The strongest showings by independents were former Gov. Bill Walker in Alaska (20.7%) and Ammon Bundy (17.2%) in Idaho.



    see also: campaign managers


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