United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 8, 2016, in 12 states and two territories. The last regular gubernatorial elections for nine of the 12 states took place in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
. The last gubernatorial elections for New Hampshire, Oregon, and Vermont took place in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, as Oregon held a special election due to the resignation of Governor
John Kitzhaber
John Albert Kitzhaber (born March 5, 1947) is an American former politician who served as the 35th governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003, and as the 37th governor of Oregon from 2011 until his resignation in 2015. A member of the Democratic Party ...
, while the governors of New Hampshire and Vermont both serve two-year terms. The 2016 gubernatorial elections took place concurrently with several other
federal, state, and local elections, including the
presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The pre ...
,
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, and
House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
elections.
The
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
* Republican Part ...
won open Democrat-held governorships in
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
,
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
, and
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
; and they also held their open seats in
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
and
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
, increasing its total to 33. Democrats finished with 16 governorships, defeating incumbent
Pat McCrory
Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor o ...
in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
and holding open seats in
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
and
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
, with one independent governor in Alaska accounting for the 50th gubernatorial seat.
However, Governor
Jim Justice
James Conley Justice II (born April 27, 1951) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the 36th governor of West Virginia since 2017. Justice had a net worth of $1.2 billion in September 2018, making him the wealthiest person ...
of West Virginia switched his party affiliation to Republican shortly after his inauguration, thereby increasing the number of Republican governors to 34, tying their record set in the 1921 elections. As of , this is the last time that Democrats won gubernatorial elections in Montana and West Virginia.
Election predictions
Several sites and individuals publish predictions of competitive seats. These predictions look at factors such as the strength of the
incumbent
The incumbent is the current holder of an official, office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seek ...
(if the incumbent is running for re-election), the strength of the candidates, and the partisan leanings of the state (reflected in part by the state's
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index, abbreviated Cook PVI, CPVI, or PVI, is a measurement of how strongly a United States congressional district or U.S. state leans toward the Democratic or Republican Party, compared to the nation as a whole, based ...
rating). The predictions assign ratings to each seat, with the rating indicating the predicted advantage that a party has in winning that seat. Most election predictors use "
tossup" to indicate that neither party has an advantage, "
lean" to indicate that one party has a slight advantage, "
likely" or "favored" to indicate that one party has a significant but not insurmountable advantage, and "
safe" or "solid" to indicate that one party has a near-certain chance of victory. Some predictions also include a "
tilt" rating that indicates that one party has an advantage that is not quite as strong as the "lean" rating would indicate.
Race summary
States
Territories
Statistics
Closest races
States where the margin of victory was under 1%:
#
North Carolina, 0.22%
States where the margin of victory was between 1% and 5%:
#
New Hampshire, 2.27%
#
Puerto Rico, 2.93%
#
Montana, 3.90%
States where the margin of victory was between 5% and 10%:
#
Missouri, 5.57%
#
Indiana, 5.96%
#
West Virginia, 6.79%
#
Oregon, 7.17%
#
Vermont, 8.73%
#
Washington, 8.76%
Red denotes states won by Republicans.
Blue denotes states won by Democrats.
Dark Blue denotes race won by New Progressives
Partisan control of states
All of the states that held gubernatorial elections in 2016 also held state legislative elections in 2016, although some legislative seats were not up for election in states that
stagger legislative elections.
Delaware
Two-term incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Jack Markell was term-limited in 2016. Former Democratic
Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden
Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III (February 3, 1969 – May 30, 2015) was an American politician, lawyer, and officer in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps from Wilmington, Delaware. The oldest child of current U.S. president Joe Bid ...
, the son of
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
Joe Biden, announced his intention to run and was seen as the front-runner in the Democratic primary and general election, but he died of brain cancer at the age of 46 on May 30, 2015. Representative
John Carney, a former
Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
The lieutenant governor of Delaware is the second ranking executive officer of the U.S. state of Delaware. Lieutenant governors are elected for a term of four years in the same general election as the U.S. president and take office the following ...
who also ran for governor
in 2008, won the Democratic nomination. State senator
Colin Bonini
Colin Rafferty Marie Jude Bonini (born April 14, 1965) is an American politician and a Republican former member of the Delaware Senate, where he represented the 16th District from 1995 to 2022.
Bonini received his Bachelor of Arts from Wesley C ...
won the Republican nomination.
Carney won the election, taking 58.3% of the vote compared to Bonini's 39.2%.
Indiana
One-term incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Mike Pence
Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...
announced his bid for re-election. Pence won in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
with 49.6% of the vote. Pence previously served as a U.S. Representative from 2001 to 2013 and was Chairman of the
House Republican Conference from 2009 to 2011. Pence had
expressed interest in running for
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
in the
2016 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*7 January: Kirib ...
, but declined. However, Pence withdrew his bid for a second term on July 15, 2016, to run for vice president as running mate to
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
.
Pence was replaced as the gubernatorial nominee by Lieutenant Governor
Eric Holcomb
Eric Joseph Holcomb (born May 2, 1968) is an American politician who is the 51st and current governor of Indiana, serving since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 51st lieutenant governor of Indiana from 2016 to 2017 unde ...
.
The 2012 Democratic nominee, former State House Speaker
John R. Gregg
John Richard Gregg (born September 6, 1954) is an American politician, businessman and attorney who served as the 85th and longest-serving Democratic speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives from 1996 to 2003. He served in the Indiana Ho ...
, won the Democratic nomination.
State Representative Karen Tallian and
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz both withdrew their candidacies. State Representative
Terri Austin
Terri Jo Austin is an American educator and politician from Indiana. Austin is a Democratic member of the Indiana House of Representatives, representing the 36th District since January 2003.
Early life
On May 17, 1955, Austin was born in Elwoo ...
,
South Bend Mayor
Peter Buttigieg, former
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
Kathy Davis
Katherine L. Davis (born June 24, 1956) is an American politician and entrepreneur. She was the 48th lieutenant governor of Indiana, and the first woman to serve in that office.
Early life and education
Davis was born in Boston, Massachusetts, ...
,
Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight,
Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski, and House Minority Leader
Scott Pelath
Scott Douglas Pelath (born July 9, 1970) was the Minority Leader of the Indiana House of Representatives. From 1998 to 2018 he represented Indiana's 9th District, which currently covers portions of LaPorte County and Porter County in Northwest ...
declined to run for governor. Potential Democratic candidates include former
United States Attorney
United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...
for the
Southern District of Indiana and former
Secretary of State of Indiana
The Secretary of State of Indiana is one of five constitutional officers originally designated in Indiana's State Constitution of 1816. Since 1851, it has been an elected position. The Secretary of State oversees four divisions, and is the third ...
Joe Hogsett
Joseph Hadden Hogsett (born November 2, 1956) is an American attorney, prosecutor, and politician who is the 49th mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to being elected, Hogsett served as the Secretary of State of Indiana from 1989 to 1994 and as ...
, President and CEO of the Biocrossroads Initiative and nominee for the U.S. Senate
in 2000 David Johnson,
Hammond
Hammond may refer to:
People
* Hammond Innes (1913–1998), English novelist
* Hammond (surname)
* Justice Hammond (disambiguation)
Places Antarctica
* Hammond Glacier, Antarctica
Australia
*Hammond, South Australia, a small settlement in South ...
Mayor
Thomas McDermott, Jr.
Thomas Matthew McDermott Jr. (born March 4, 1969) is an American attorney and politician from the state of Indiana serving as the 20th mayor of Hammond, Indiana. He took office on January 1, 2004, the first elected government office he has held. ...
, physician, former Commissioner for the Indiana State Department of Health and candidate for
Indiana's 7th congressional district in
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, Woody Myers, former
State Senate Minority Leader and nominee for
lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
Vi Simpson, U.S. Representative
Pete Visclosky and former
Evansville Mayor
Jonathan Weinzapfel
Jonathan David Weinzapfel (born November 16, 1965) is an American politician, attorney, businessman, and Democratic nominee for Indiana Attorney General in the 2020 election. Weinzapfel formerly served as the 33rd mayor of Evansville, Indiana. H ...
.
Former Governor and Senator
Evan Bayh had considered running,
but has since announced he is running for the
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
in 2016.
Holcomb won election with 51.4% of the vote, while Gregg took 45.4%.
Missouri
Two-term incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Jay Nixon was term-limited in 2016.
U.S. Senator and
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
gubernatorial nominee
Claire McCaskill and
State Treasurer
In the state governments of the United States, 48 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. New York abolished the position in 1926; duties were transferred to New York State Comptroller. Texas abolished the position of Texas ...
Clint Zweifel
Clint Zweifel (born November 3, 1973), is an American politician and businessman who served as the State Treasurer of Missouri from 2009 to 2017. He is a member of the Democratic Party and the most recent member of the party to hold that office ...
declined to run for governor. On August 3, 2016,
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster won the nomination with a dominating 79% of the primary vote.
Former
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** In ...
of the
Missouri House of Representatives Catherine Hanaway, businessman John Brunner, State Senator
Bob Dixon, former Navy SEAL
Eric Greitens, and
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
Peter Kinder
Peter Dickson Kinder (born May 12, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 46th Lieutenant Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2017. He was appointed as a co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority in August 2017, serving in ...
ran for the Republican nomination. State Representative Bart Korman and U.S. Representative
Blaine Luetkemeyer declined to run for governor.
Missouri State Auditor
The state auditor of Missouri is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Missouri. Thirty-eight individuals have occupied the office of state auditor since statehood. The incumbent is Nicole Gal ...
Tom Schweich had been a candidate for governor before he committed suicide in February 2015. On August 3, 2016, Greitens won the nomination with 35% of the vote.
Greitens won the election, taking 51.3% of the vote compared to Koster's 45.4%.
Montana
One-term incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Steve Bullock Steve, Steven, or Stephen Bullock may refer to:
*Steve Bullock (British politician) (born 1953), first directly elected mayor of the London Borough of Lewisham
*Steve Bullock (American politician) (born 1966), 24th Governor of Montana (2013–2021) ...
ran for re-election. Bullock was elected in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
with 48.9% of the vote. He previously served as
Attorney General of Montana
The Montana Department of Justice is a state law enforcement agency of Montana. The Department is equivalent to the State Bureau of Investigation in other states.
The Montana Attorney General, currently Republican Austin Knudsen, heads the agen ...
from 2009 to 2013.
Former Secretary of State Brad Johnson and businessman Mark Perea ran for the Republican nomination,
but were defeated by businessman
Greg Gianforte
Gregory Richard Gianforte (born April 17, 1961) is an American businessman, politician, software engineer, and writer serving as the 25th governor of Montana since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Gianforte served as the U.S. representa ...
.
Montana Attorney General
The Montana Department of Justice is a state law enforcement agency of Montana. The Department is equivalent to the State Bureau of Investigation in other states.
The Montana State attorney general, Attorney General, currently Republican Austin ...
Tim Fox had been speculated as a potential candidate, but instead chose to run for re-election.
Bullock won re-election, taking 50.2% of the vote. Gianforte won 46.4% of the vote.
New Hampshire
Two-term Democratic incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Maggie Hassan ran for the
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
, narrowly defeating incumbent Republican
Kelly Ayotte
Kelly Ann Ayotte ( ; born June 27, 1968) is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from New Hampshire from 2011 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Ayotte served as New Hampshire Attorney General from ...
, instead of running for a third term as governor. She won a second term in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
with 53% of the vote against Republican businessman
Walt Havenstein
Walter Perry Havenstein (born April 24, 1949) is an American businessman, engineer, and former United States Marine. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of New Hampshire in 2014.
Early life and education
Havenstein is the son of Kathryn ...
.
Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern
Colin Van Ostern (born Kevin Colin O’Loughlin; February 14, 1979), is an American businessman and politician who served on the New Hampshire Executive Council from 2013 to 2017, where he represented the state's second district. He is a member o ...
defeated Deputy Secretary of State and Director of Securities Regulation
Mark Connolly
Mark Gerard Connolly (born 16 December 1991) is an Irish footballer who plays for Derry City. He has previously played for Bolton Wanderers, St Johnstone, Macclesfield Town, Crawley Town, Kilmarnock, Dundee United, Dunfermline Athletic and ...
for the Democratic nomination.
Executive Councilor
Chris Sununu, state representative and entrepreneur
Frank Edelblut
Frank Edelblut is an American businessman and politician who is the Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education. Edelblut formerly served as a Republican member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. During his term in the ...
, and Jon Lavoie ran for the Republican nomination. Sununu defeated his challengers for the Republican nomination.
Despite most pre-election polling suggesting a Democratic win, Sununu narrowly won election with 49% of the vote. Van Ostern won 46.7% and Libertarian
Max Abramson
Albert "Max" Abramson (born April 29, 1976) is an American politician currently serving as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing Rockingham District 37 ( Hampton Falls, Seabrook) since 2018. He previously repre ...
won 4.3% of the vote.
North Carolina
One-term incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Pat McCrory
Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor o ...
ran for re-election.
McCrory was elected in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
with 54.7% of the vote. McCrory previously served as
Mayor of Charlotte from 1995 to 2009.
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper
Roy Asberry Cooper III (born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician, serving as the 75th governor of North Carolina since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th attorney general of North Carolina from 20 ...
defeated former State Representative
Kenneth Spaulding
Kenneth Bridgeforth Spaulding (born November 29, 1944) is an American politician and attorney from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party from Durham, North Carolina, Spaulding served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from ...
to win the Democratic nomination for governor.
James Protzman, a former
Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia
*Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane
*Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area
Canada
* Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbo ...
town council member, had declared his candidacy, but later withdrew from the race.
United States Secretary of Transportation
The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secre ...
Anthony Foxx declined to run for governor.
After a
dispute in results, Cooper won the election. Cooper won 49% of the vote, while McCrory won 48.9%.
North Dakota
One-term incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Jack Dalrymple declined to seek re-election. Dalrymple was elected to his first full term with 63.1% of the vote in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, after first taking the seat in 2010 after
John Hoeven resigned to become a U.S. Senator. Dalrymple was previously
Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota
The lieutenant governor of North Dakota is a political office in North Dakota. The lieutenant governor's duty is to preside as President of the Senate, and is responsible for legislative relations, the state budget and agribusiness development. In ...
from 2000 to 2010.
Republican candidates included Attorney General
Wayne Stenehjem
Wayne Stenehjem ( ; February 5, 1953 – January 28, 2022) was an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of North Dakota. He was the Attorney General of the state, serving from December 15, 2000 until his death. He sought the Republi ...
,
[ Governing Magazine uses a scale of "vulnerable", "potentially vulnerable", and "safe."] businessman
Doug Burgum, and State Representative and plastic surgeon
Rick Becker. Burgum won the nomination.
Potential Democratic candidates included former Congressman
Earl Pomeroy
Earl Ralph Pomeroy III (born September 2, 1952) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1993 to 2011. He is a member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party. He currently serves as Senior Counsel for ...
, state Senator
George B. Sinner
George Brevard Sinner is an American politician and member of the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party who served as a member of the North Dakota Senate, representing the 46th district from 2013 to 2017. Sinner is the son of former Go ...
and state Senate Minority Leader
Mac Schneider
McLain Joseph Schneider (born March 27, 1979) is an American attorney and politician who has served as the United States attorney for the District of North Dakota since December 2022. He previously represented the 42nd district in the North Da ...
.
Former Agriculture Commissioner
Sarah Vogel
Sarah Vogel is a North Dakota farm advocate, author, former politician, and lawyer who served as the North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture from 1989 to 1997. As a lawyer, she specialized in agricultural law.
Early life and education
Sarah was ...
formed an exploratory a campaign but announced on Jan. 28, 2016 that she will not run for governor. Senator
Heidi Heitkamp declined to run for governor. State representative
Marvin Nelson
Marvin Nelson (born June 1, 1958) is an American politician from the state of North Dakota. He serves in the North Dakota House of Representatives as a member of the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party.
Nelson has served in the North ...
won his party's nomination.
Burgum won the election, taking 76.7% of the vote, while Nelson won 19.4%.
Oregon (special)
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
John Kitzhaber
John Albert Kitzhaber (born March 5, 1947) is an American former politician who served as the 35th governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003, and as the 37th governor of Oregon from 2011 until his resignation in 2015. A member of the Democratic Party ...
, who won reelection in 2014 with 49.9% of the vote, announced his pending resignation on February 13, 2015, amid controversy surrounding
his fiancée's consulting contracts and work within his administration.
Kate Brown, Oregon's Secretary of State, was sworn in as governor on February 18, 2015, upon Kitzhaber's resignation. In accordance with the
Constitution of Oregon
The Oregon Constitution is the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon, originally enacted in 1857. As amended the current state constitution contains eighteen sections, beginning with a bill of rights. , a special election was held in 2016 for the remainder of the term to which Kitzhaber was elected in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
. Brown ran against Republican
Bud Pierce
William C. "Bud" Pierce (born October 3, 1956) is an American physician and politician. He was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Governor of Oregon in the 2016 special election.
Early life and career
Pierce was born in Germany and raised i ...
, an Oncologist from Salem.
Brown won the election, taking 50.5% of the vote compared to Pierce's 43.8%.
In winning, Kate Brown became the first openly
LGBTQ Governor elected in the United States.
Utah
Incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Gary Herbert ran for re-election.
He was the
Lieutenant Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009 and became governor after
Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. (born March 26, 1960) is an American businessman, diplomat and politician who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Ambassador of the United States t ...
resigned to become
United States Ambassador to China
The United States Ambassador to China is the chief United States, American United States Ambassador, diplomat to China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The United States has sent diplomatic representatives to China since 1844, when Caleb Cush ...
. He won the seat in a
2010 special election and was elected to his first full term with 68.4% of the vote in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
. Herbert defeated businessman Jonathan Johnson to win the nomination.
Businessman Michael Weinholtz won the Democratic nomination. Former Congressman
Jim Matheson
James David Matheson (born March 21, 1960) is an American politician who served as a United States Representative from Utah from 2001 to 2015. He represented Utah's 2nd district from 2001 to 2013 and its from 2013 to 2015 as a member of the Dem ...
declined to run.
Herbert won re-election, taking 66.6% of the vote compared to Weinholtz's 28.9%.
Vermont
Three-term incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Peter Shumlin
Peter Elliott Shumlin (born March 24, 1956) is an American politician from Vermont. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 81st governor of Vermont from 2011 to 2017.
He was first elected to the office in 2010, and was reelected to a ...
declined to seek re-election. He was re-elected with 46.4% of the vote in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
. As he did not receive a majority of the vote, the
Vermont General Assembly
The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The G ...
was required to choose the winner. The Vermont Assembly chose Shumlin over Republican nominee
Scott Milne by 110 votes to 69.
Sue Minter defeated former state senator
Matt Dunne for the Democratic nomination for governor.
House Speaker
Shap Smith
Shapleigh "Shap" Smith, Jr. (born December 16, 1965) is an American politician who served as the 92nd Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives.
In August 2015 Smith announced his candidacy for the 2016 Democratic nomination for Governor ...
withdrew from the race. Former lieutenant governor
Doug Racine declined to run for governor.
[April Burbank, Paris Achen & Mike Donoghue]
Shumlin's decision kicks off political 'circus'
''Burlington Free Press'' (June 8, 2015).[Anne Galloway]
Crowded field likely to line up for open governor's seat
Vtdigger (June 8, 2015).
Lieutenant Governor
Phil Scott won the Republican nomination.
Former state senator and former
Vermont Auditor of Accounts
The Vermont State Auditor of Accounts is one of six constitutional officers in Vermont, elected statewide every two years. The Office provides an independent and objective assessment of Vermont's governmental operations.
The current Auditor is ...
Randy Brock
Randolph D. "Randy" Brock III (born September 28, 1943) is an American politician from the state of Vermont and a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party. He currently serves in the Vermont Senate and is the first Africa ...
and 2014 Republican nominee
Scott Milne declined to run for governor. Former Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Dan Feliciano was a potential candidate.
Scott won the election, taking 52.9% compared to Minter's 44.2%.
Washington
One-term incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee (; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, lawyer, and economist who has served as the 23rd governor of Washington since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...
ran for re-election. Inslee was elected in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
with 51.4% of the vote against
Republican Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
Rob McKenna. Inslee previously served as a U.S. Representative from 1993 to 1995 and from 1999 to 2012.
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
Port Commissioner Bill Bryant
advanced to the November general election. Potential Republican candidates include U.S. Representatives
Jaime Herrera Beutler and
Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Cathy Anne McMorris Rodgers (born May 22, 1969) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for , which encompasses the eastern third of the state and includes Spokane, the state's second-largest city. A Republican, McMorris Rodgers ...
, State Senator
Michael Baumgartner
Michael James Baumgartner (born December 13, 1975) is an American politician and diplomat serving as the 28th Spokane County Treasurer. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a member of the Washington State Senate, representi ...
, and former State Representative
Cathy Dahlquist.
Inslee won re-election, taking 54.2% of the vote. Bryant won 45.5%.
West Virginia
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Earl Ray Tomblin
Earl Ray Tomblin (born March 15, 1952) is an American politician who served as the 35th governor of West Virginia from 2011 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the West Virginia Senate from 1980 to 2011 and as pres ...
was term-limited in 2016.
Tomblin was first elected in a
2011 special election after
Joe Manchin resigned after being
elected to the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
. Tomblin then won election to a full term in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
.
Democratic candidates included former U.S. Attorney
Booth Goodwin
Robert Booth Goodwin II (born 1971), known commonly as Booth Goodwin, is an American attorney with Goodwin & Goodwin LLP in Charleston, West Virginia. He served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia from 2010 un ...
, state Senator
Jeff Kessler
Jeffrey Vincent Kessler (born November 16, 1955) is an American politician and former Democratic member of the West Virginia Senate in the United States, representing the 2nd district from 1997 to 2017. He is the former President of the Senate ...
, and businessman
Jim Justice
James Conley Justice II (born April 27, 1951) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the 36th governor of West Virginia since 2017. Justice had a net worth of $1.2 billion in September 2018, making him the wealthiest person ...
. Former Senator
Carte Goodwin, former
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** In ...
of the
West Virginia House of Delegates Rick Thompson
Richard "Rick" Thompson (born October 2, 1952) is a former Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 17th District since 2000. He served as Speaker of the House from January 2007 to June 2013. He earlier served ...
, West Virginia
State Treasurer
In the state governments of the United States, 48 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. New York abolished the position in 1926; duties were transferred to New York State Comptroller. Texas abolished the position of Texas ...
John Perdue
John D. Perdue (born June 22, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 24th West Virginia State Treasurer from 1997 to 2021. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2011 West Virginia gubernatorial special election. Perdue is a member ...
, State Senator
Mike Green and State Delegates
Doug Reynolds,
Doug Skaff
Douglas John Skaff Jr. is an American politician from the state of West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Skaff serves as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 35th district ...
and
West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant declined to seek the nomination. On May 10, 2016, Justice won the Democratic primary and became the nominee.
President of the Senate
Bill Cole, college student and former candidate for Mayor of
Pineville Andrew Utterback, and former
Bramwell Police Chief and former Democratic candidate for House of Delegates Edwin Vanover ran for the Republican nomination. U.S. Representatives
David McKinley and
Evan Jenkins declined to run for governor.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey had been considered a potential Republican candidate, but instead chose to run for re-election. Potential Republican candidates included State Delegate
Erikka Storch and Olympic gymnast
Mary Lou Retton.
Cole won the Republican nomination.
Justice won the election, taking 49.1% of the vote. Cole won 42.3%, while
Charlotte Pritt of the
Mountain Party won 5.9% of the vote.
Just months after assuming office, Justice switched to the Republican Party.
Territories
Puerto Rico
One-term incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Alejandro García Padilla
Alejandro Javier García Padilla (; born August 3, 1971) is a Puerto Rican politician and attorney who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 2013 to 2017.
Prior to this position, García Padilla held various roles in the political la ...
was eligible to run for re-election, but chose to retire. García Padilla is a member of the
Popular Democratic Party (PDP).
David Bernier
David Enrique "Quique" Bernier Rivera (; born January 21, 1977) is a Puerto Rican dentist and politician that has served in various roles in public service in Puerto Rico. Bernier first served as executive director of the Office of Youth ...
, former
Secretary of State of Puerto Rico
The secretary of state of Puerto Rico ( es, Secretario de Estado de Puerto Rico) leads all efforts that promote the cultural, political, and economical relations between Puerto Rico and foreign countries, and other jurisdictions of the United S ...
and former President of the
Puerto Rico Olympic Committee
The Puerto Rico Olympic Committee (COPUR, es, Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico) is the National Olympic Committee for Puerto Rico. It oversees Olympic-sports in Puerto Rico, and selects the Olympic team which represents the island. It was founde ...
, won the PDP nomination for governor.
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
The resident commissioner of Puerto Rico () is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected by the voters of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico every four years, the only member of the House of Representatives ...
Pedro Pierluisi, who is affiliated with the
New Progressive Party (PNP).
and activist and political commentator
Ricky Rosselló Ricky may refer to:
Places
*Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic
*Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic
*Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky"
...
sought the PNP nomination for governor, and Rosselló won the nomination.
Rosselló won the election.
American Samoa
One-term incumbent
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Lolo Letalu Matalasi Moliga
Lolo Letalu Matalasi (born August 12, 1947) is an American Samoan politician, educator, and businessman. He served as the 7th Governor of American Samoa, from 2013 to 2021.
Early life and education
Moliga was born in Taʻū, Manu'a, American ...
ran for re-election.
Moliga was elected in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
with 52.9% of the vote in the second round, after taking 33.5% of the vote in the first round. American Samoa requires a second round of voting if no candidate takes a majority of the vote in the first round.
Moliga won re-election.
See also
*
United States elections, 2016
The 2016 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. Republican nominee Donald Trump defeated Democratic Party (United States), Democratic former Secretary of State (United States), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the ...
**
2016 United States presidential election
The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...
**
United States Senate elections, 2016
**
United States House of Representatives elections, 2016
Notes
References
{{USGovElections
November 2016 events in the United States