United States gubernatorial elections, 2018
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United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 6, 2018, in 36 states and three territories. These elections formed part of the
2018 United States elections The 2018 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. These midterm elections occurred during Republican Donald Trump's term. Democrats made a net gain of 41 seats in the United States House of Representatives, gaining a majo ...
. Other coinciding elections were the
2018 United States Senate elections The 2018 United States Senate elections were held on November 6, 2018. 33 of the 100 seats were contested in regular elections while two others were contested in special elections due to Senate vacancies in Minnesota and Mississippi. The winners ...
and the
2018 United States House of Representatives elections The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 6, 2018, as part of the 2018 midterm elections during President Donald Trump's term, with early voting taking place in some states in the weeks preceding that date. ...
. Many of the states holding gubernatorial elections have term limits which made some multi-term governors ineligible for re-election. Two Democratic governors were term-limited while six incumbent Democratic governors were eligible for re-election. Among Republican governors, twelve were term-limited while eleven could seek re-election. One independent governor was eligible for re-election. Elections were held in 26 of the 33 states with Republican governors, nine of the 16 states with Democratic governors, one state (Alaska) with an independent governor, two territories (Guam and Northern Mariana Islands) with Republican governors, one territory (U.S. Virgin Islands) with an independent governor, and the District of Columbia with a Democratic mayor. Incumbent state governors running to be reelected included 14 Republicans, five Democrats, and one independent. Territorial incumbents running included one Republican and one independent. The incumbent Democratic mayor of Washington, D.C. also ran for re-election. Democrats gained control of nine state and territorial governorships that had previously been held by Republicans and an independent. They picked up Republican-held open seats in the states of Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, and New Mexico, in addition to defeating Republican incumbents in Illinois and Wisconsin and not losing any seats of their own. Additionally, they won the Republican-controlled territory of Guam and the independent-controlled territory of the
U.S. Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...
. Republicans won the governorship of Alaska previously held by an independent. Democrats also won the total popular vote for the year's gubernatorial elections for the second year in a row. As of , this is the last time that Republicans won governorships in Arizona, Maryland, and Massachusetts, and the last time Democrats did so in Nevada.


Election predictions

Several sites and individuals publish predictions of competitive seats. These predictions look at factors such as the strength of the incumbent (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 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 (except Fox News, where "likely" is the highest rating given). Governors whose names are in parentheses are not contesting the election. ^ Highest rating given


Closest races

States where the margin of victory was under 1%: # Florida, 0.4% States where the margin of victory was under 5%: # Wisconsin, 1.1% # Georgia, 1.4% # Iowa, 2.8% # Connecticut, 3.2% # South Dakota, 3.4% # Ohio, 3.7% # Nevada, 4.1% States where the margin of victory was under 10%: #Kansas, 5.0% # Oregon, 6.4% #Alaska, 7.0% # New Hampshire, 7.0% # Maine, 7.7% # South Carolina, 8.0% #U.S. Virgin Islands, 9.3% # Michigan, 9.5% Red denotes states won by Republicans. Blue denotes states won by Democrats.


Race summary


States


Territories and federal district


Alabama

Incumbent Kay Ivey took office upon Robert Bentley's resignation in April 2017. Ivey won election to a full term.


Alaska

One-term incumbent
Bill Walker Bill Walker may refer to: Australian rules football * Bill A. Walker (1886–1934), Australian rules footballer for Essendon * Bill Walker (Australian footballer, born 1883) (1883–1971), Australian rules footballer for Fitzroy * Bill J. V. Wal ...
ran for re-election as an independent but dropped out of the race on October 19 to endorse Mark Begich (several days after
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 ...
Byron Mallott resigned and several weeks before election day). Former Alaska Senate member Mike Dunleavy won the Republican nomination. Former U.S. Senator Mark Begich ran uncontested for the Democratic nomination. Billy Tolein ran for governor on the Libertarian party ticket. Dunleavy won the election.


Arizona

One-term incumbent Doug Ducey sought re-election. Professor David Garcia won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Libertarian candidate for president in 2016 Kevin McCormick declared his candidacy. Ducey won re-election.


Arkansas

One-term incumbent Asa Hutchinson ran for re-election. Jared Henderson, a former state executive director for Teach For America, won the Democratic nomination. Libertarian Mark West sought his party's nomination. Hutchinson won re-election.


California

Two-term consecutive, four-term non-consecutive Governor Jerry Brown was term-limited, as California governors are limited to lifetime service of two terms in office. Brown previously served as governor from 1975 to 1983; California law affects only terms served after 1990. The Democratic nominee was Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom. The Republican nominee was businessman
John H. Cox John Herman Cox ( Kaplan; born July 15, 1955) is an American businessman, housing developer, and political activist, who has run for public office several times, mostly recently for Governor of California as the GOP candidate. Cox began his po ...
.
Libertarian Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...
candidates included transhumanist activist Zoltan Istvan. Newsom won election in a landslide, breaking the record for the largest number of votes received in a gubernatorial election.


Colorado

Two-term Governor John Hickenlooper was term-limited, as Colorado does not allow governors to serve three consecutive terms.Jason Linkins (July 13, 2014
"The Brutalist Guide To 2016's Democratic Contenders (Not Named Hillary Clinton)"
, '' The Huffington Post''. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
The Democratic nominee was
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
Jared Polis. The Republican nominee was Colorado State Treasurer
Walker Stapleton Walker Stapleton (born April 15, 1974) is an American politician who served two terms as Colorado's State Treasurer from 2011 to 2019. Stapleton was the Republican nominee for Governor of Colorado in the 2018 election, which he lost to Democrat J ...
. Polis won the election.


Connecticut

Two-term Governor Dan Malloy was eligible to seek re-election, but declined to do so. The Democratic nominee was former selectman from Greenwich Ned Lamont. Republicans endorsed Mark Boughton, mayor of
Danbury Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
, at the statewide nominating convention held on May 11 and 12, 2018, at Foxwoods Resort Casino in
Ledyard Ledyard may refer to: *Ledyard (name) *Ledyard, Connecticut, United States *Ledyard, Iowa, United States *Ledyard, New York, United States *Ledyard Bridge, connecting New Hampshire and Vermont, United States {{disambiguation, geo ...
. Candidates qualifying to primary at the convention were former First Selectman of
Trumbull Trumbull may refer to: Places United States * Trumbull County, Ohio ** Trumbull Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio * Trumbull, Connecticut * Trumbull, Nebraska * Fort Trumbull, Connecticut * Mount Trumbull Wilderness in Arizona People Surname * ...
Tim Herbst and former candidate for Congress Steve Obsitnik. Failing to qualify at the convention to primary were
Shelton Shelton may refer to: Places United Kingdom *Shelton, North Bedfordshire, in the parish of Dean and Shelton, Bedfordshire *Lower Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire *Upper Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedfor ...
Mayor Mark Lauretti, former secretary of state candidate Peter Lumaj, state representative
Prasad Srinivasan Prasad Srinivasan (born November 19, 1949) is a physician and Republican politician who represented the town of Glastonbury in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019.BallotpediaPrasad Srinivasan/ref> Medical education and ca ...
, former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker and Stamford Director of Administration, Mike Handler. Businessman Bob Stefanowski became the second candidate in the history of Connecticut to petition to be on the primary ballot on June 18, 2018, and the first for a gubernatorial race. Businessman David Stemerman became the third to do so on June 19, 2018. Neither Stefanowski nor Stemerman participated in the statewide convention. Both Lauretti and Handler pledged to conduct a petition drive to get on the August 14, 2018, primary election ballot, but dropped out. Micah Welintukonis, former vice chair of the Coventry Town Council ran as an independent. Lamont won the election in a close race.


Florida

Two-term Governor
Rick Scott Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers, born December 1, 1952) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019. Scott ...
was term-limited, as Florida does not allow governors to serve three consecutive terms. U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis won the Republican nomination. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum won the Democratic nomination. Randy Wiseman sought the Libertarian nomination. DeSantis narrowly won the election in a close race.


Georgia

Two-term Governor Nathan Deal was term-limited, as Georgia does not allow governors to serve three consecutive terms. Lieutenant Governor
Casey Cagle Lowell Stacy "Casey" Cagle (born January 12, 1966) is an American politician and businessman, who served as the 11th lieutenant governor of Georgia from 2007 to 2019. He was previously a Republican Party member of the Georgia General Assembly f ...
and Secretary of State Brian Kemp won first and second place in the May 22 Republican primary; Cagle lost the runoff to Kemp on July 24, 2018. State Representative Stacey Abrams garnered the Democratic nomination outright. Ted Metz, chair of the
Libertarian Party of Georgia Founded in 1971, The Libertarian Party of Georgia is a state affiliate of the United States Libertarian Party. Executive committee The executive committe in 2017 consisted of four members. Candidates Notable candidates include John Monds's run ...
, ran unopposed in the Libertarian primary. Kemp won the election.


Hawaii

One-term Governor David Ige ran for re-election. Ige took office after defeating previous Governor Neil Abercrombie in the Democratic primary and then winning the general election. Ige was nominated again, after defeating a primary challenge by Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa. The Republican nominee was state house minority leader Andria Tupola. Ige won re-election.


Idaho

Three-term Governor Butch Otter was eligible to seek re-election, but did not do so. Lieutenant Governor Brad Little won the Republican nomination.
Paulette Jordan Paulette E. Jordan (born December 7, 1979) is an American politician who served in the Idaho House of Representatives as a member of the Idaho Democratic Party from December 1, 2014 until February 14, 2018. She previously served on the Coeur d†...
, a former state representative, was nominated in the Democratic primary. Little won the election.


Illinois

One-term incumbent Republican
Bruce Rauner Bruce Vincent Rauner (; born February 18, 1956) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 42nd governor of Illinois from 2015 to 2019. Prior to his election, he was the chairman of R8 Capital Partners and chai ...
ran for re-election. State Representative
Jeanne Ives Jeanne M. Ives (née Remmes, born October 4, 1964) is an American politician. A Republican, she is a former member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 42nd district. She has run for governor of Illinois, and for U.S. Representative ...
also ran for the Republican nomination, but lost narrowly to Rauner. On the Democratic side, Madison County Regional Superintendent of Schools Bob Daiber, former chairman of the
University of Illinois Board of Trustees The University of Illinois System is a system of public universities in Illinois consisting of three universities: Chicago, Springfield, and Urbana-Champaign. Across its three universities, the University of Illinois System enrolls more than ...
and member of the Kennedy family Chris Kennedy, State Representative
Scott Drury Scott Drury (born 1972) is a former Illinois state representative for the 58th district and a Democratic candidate for Attorney General. The 58th district includes all or parts of Bannockburn, Deerfield, Glencoe, Highwood, Highland Park, L ...
, State Senator
Daniel Biss Daniel Kálmán Biss (born August 27, 1977) is an American mathematician and politician serving as mayor of Evanston, Illinois, Evanston, Illinois. He previously served as a member of both the Illinois House of Representatives and Illinois Senate. ...
, and venture capitalist J. B. Pritzker all ran for the Democratic nomination. Pritzker, who is related to former United States Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, won the primary, and became one of the wealthiest governors in United States history upon election. Libertarian candidate Kash Jackson was nominated at the state party convention on March 3. He defeated Matt Scaro and Jon Stewart. Pritzker won the election in a landslide.


Iowa

Incumbent Governor Kim Reynolds took office in 2017, upon the resignation of Terry Branstad, following his confirmation as ambassador to China. Reynolds sought election to a full term in 2018. Former gubernatorial aide John Norris, state Senator
Nate Boulton Nate Boulton (born May 23, 1980) is an American politician serving in the Iowa Senate since 2017. Boulton, a Democrat, represents the 20th District. Boulton was first elected in 2016 to replace retiring Democratic Senator Dick Dearden. In May ...
, former state party chairwoman
Andy McGuire Andrea "Andy" McGuire (born November 26, 1956) is an American politician and doctor. She served as Iowa Democratic Party chair from 2015 to 2017. Prior to becoming the chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, McGuire ran unsuccessfully for the Democra ...
, SEIU leader Cathy Glasson, attorney Jon Neiderbach, former
Iowa City Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...
Mayor Ross Wilburn, and businessman Fred Hubbell sought the Democratic nomination, which Hubbell won. Jake Porter, who was the Libertarian nominee for secretary of state in 2010 and 2014, ran for the Libertarian nomination for governor. Reynolds won the election.


Kansas

Jeff Colyer succeeded Sam Brownback in January 2018 after he was confirmed as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. Secretary of State
Kris Kobach Kris William Kobach ( ; born March 26, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician who is the Attorney General of Kansas. He previously served as the 31st Secretary of State of Kansas. A former Chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, Kobach came ...
defeated Governor Colyer, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer, former state Senator Jim Barnett, and former state Representative Mark Hutton for the Republican nomination. The Democratic nominee was state Senator
Laura Kelly Laura Jeanne Kelly (born January 24, 1950)"Laura Kelly,"
''Kansapedia,''
. Businessman
Greg Orman Gregory John Orman (born December 2, 1968) is an American politician, businessman, and entrepreneur. He ran as an independent to represent Kansas in the United States Senate in the 2014 election, earning 42.5 percent of the vote and losing to i ...
, who finished second in the 2014 U.S. Senate election in Kansas, ran as an Independent. Kelly won the election.


Maine

Two-term governor Paul LePage was term-limited, as Maine does not allow governors to serve three consecutive terms. LePage won re-election in a three-way race over Democrat Mike Michaud and independent
Eliot Cutler Eliot Cutler (born July 29, 1946) is a former American lawyer who was an Independent candidate in Maine's 2010 and 2014 gubernatorial races. In 2010, he placed second in a multi-way race, receiving 208,270 votes, equaling 35.9%, narrowly losing ...
, in 2014. The primary election was June 12, and conducted with ranked choice voting, a system recently implemented and being used for the first time in the 2018 elections in Maine. It was not used in the general election due to an advisory opinion by the
Maine Supreme Judicial Court The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the state of Maine's judicial system. It is composed of seven justices, who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate. From 1820 until 1839, justices served lifetime a ...
calling its use in general elections for state offices unconstitutional. Businessman and
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
independent candidate for governor Shawn Moody won the Republican nomination. The Democratic nominee was
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 ...
Janet Mills. Two independent candidates qualified for the ballot;
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 ...
Terry Hayes and businessman and newspaper columnist Alan Caron. Mills won election.


Maryland

One-term Republican incumbent
Larry Hogan Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 62nd governor of Maryland since 2015. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he was secretary of appointments under Maryland governor Bo ...
ran for re-election. Former president of the NAACP
Benjamin Jealous Benjamin Todd Jealous (born January 18, 1973) is an American civil rights leader and social impact investor. He served as the president and chief executive officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 200 ...
was the Democratic nominee. Green Party candidate and entrepreneur Ian Schlakman sought his party's nomination. Libertarian Shawn Quinn was nominated the LP's candidate by convention. Hogan won re-election.


Massachusetts

One-term Republican incumbent Charlie Baker ran for re-election. Former State Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez, environmentalist Bob Massie, and former
Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...
Mayor
Setti Warren Setti David Warren (born August 25, 1970) is an American politician. He served as List of mayors of Newton, Massachusetts, Mayor of Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, and is a former Democratic Party (United States), Democratic candidate f ...
have announced their candidacies for the Democratic nomination. Warren withdrew from the race, leaving only Gonzalez and Massie. Baker won re-election.


Michigan

Two-term Governor Rick Snyder was term-limited, as Michigan does not allow governors to serve more than two terms.
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 ...
Bill Schuette,
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 ...
Brian Calley Brian Nelson Calley (born March 25, 1977) is an American politician who served as the 63rd Lieutenant Governor of Michigan from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was previously elected to the Michigan House of Representatives f ...
, state Senator
Patrick Colbeck Patrick J. Colbeck is an American engineer, author, and politician. He is a former Republican member of the Michigan Senate, having represented a northwestern portion of Wayne County from 2011 to 2019. After reaching the two-term limit in the Mi ...
, and physician Jim Hines were seeking the Republican nomination. Former state
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 ...
Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, former executive director of the Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion Abdul El-Sayed, and businessman
Shri Thanedar Shri Shamal Thanedar (born February 22, 1955) is an American businessman, author, and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 13th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Thanedar served as a mem ...
were seeking the Democratic nomination. Bill Gelineau and John Tatar were seeking the Libertarian nomination. Whitmer won the election.


Minnesota

Two-term Governor Mark Dayton was eligible to seek re-election, but did not do so. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor nominee was U.S. Representative Tim Walz. The Republican nominee was Hennepin County Commissioner and 2014 gubernatorial nominee Jeff Johnson. Former
Independence Party Independence Party may refer to: Active parties Outside United States * Independence Party (Egypt) * Estonian Independence Party * Independence Party (Finland) * Independence Party (Iceland) * Independence Party (Mauritius) * Independence Part ...
Governor Jesse Ventura expressed interest in running again, but ultimately declined. Walz won the election.


Nebraska

One-term incumbent Pete Ricketts ran for re-election. Former Governor Dave Heineman considered a primary challenge to Ricketts. State Senator Bob Krist won the Democratic nomination. He intended to create a third party to run, but abandoned this plan. Ricketts won re-election.


Nevada

Two-term Governor
Brian Sandoval Brian Edward Sandoval (; born August 5, 1963) is an American politician, academic administrator, and former federal judge who served as the 29th Governor of Nevada from 2011 to 2019. A graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, Sandoval began ...
was term-limited, as Nevada does not allow governors to serve more than two terms.
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 ...
Adam Laxalt Adam Paul Laxalt (; born August 31, 1978) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 33rd Nevada Attorney General from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was an unsuccessful candidate for governor of Nevada in 2018 ...
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 ...
Dan Schwartz ran for the Republican nomination, which Laxalt won. Clark County Commissioners Steve Sisolak and Chris Giunchigliani sought the Democratic nomination, which Sisolak won. Sisolak won election.


New Hampshire

Chris Sununu, who was elected in
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
by a margin of two percent, sought re-election. Former Portsmouth mayor and 2016 candidate Steve Marchand and former State Senator
Molly Kelly Molly Kelly is an American politician in New Hampshire. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the New Hampshire Senate, representing the 10th District from 2006 until 2016. She was the Democratic nominee for Governor of New Hampshir ...
ran for the Democratic nomination. Kelly won the nomination. Jilletta Jarvis sought the Libertarian nomination. Sununu won re-election.


New Mexico

Two-term Governor Susana Martinez was term-limited, as New Mexico does not allow governors to serve three consecutive terms. U.S. Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham faced U.S. Representative Steve Pearce in the general election. Lujan Grisham won the election.


New York

Two-term Governor Andrew Cuomo ran for re-election, as New York does not have gubernatorial term limits. Actress and activist Cynthia Nixon challenged Cuomo for the Democratic Party nomination, but did not win.
Dutchess County Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later organ ...
Executive Marcus Molinaro was the Republican nominee. Libertarian Larry Sharpe was the first opponent to declare his candidacy in the race, declaring his candidacy on July 12, 2017 – and won the Libertarian nomination for governor. Cuomo won re-election.


Ohio

Two-term Governor John Kasich was term-limited, as Ohio does not allow governors to serve three consecutive terms. Attorney General
Mike DeWine Richard Michael DeWine (; born January 5, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 70th and current governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, DeWine began his career as a prosecutor before being elected to the O ...
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 ...
Mary Taylor ran for the Republican nomination, which DeWine won. Former
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
and two-time presidential candidate
Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich (; born October 8, 1946) is an American politician. A U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013, he was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008. He ran for ...
,
Ohio Attorney General The Ohio Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state, State of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio Attorney General is Republican Dave Yost. History The office ...
and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Richard Cordray, and state Senator
Joe Schiavoni Joseph L. Schiavoni (born September 21, 1979) is an American politician and judge who served as a member of the Ohio Senate and Ohio Senate Minority Leader. A member of the Democratic Party, Schiavoni was elected in 2020 to serve as a Judge in t ...
ran for the Democratic nomination, which was won by Cordray.
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
nominee for
State House State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
in 2016 Constance Gadell-Newton declared her candidacy. Filmmaker and comedian Travis Irvine was the Libertarian Party's candidate for governor. DeWine won the election.


Oklahoma

Two-term Governor Mary Fallin was term-limited as Oklahoma does not allow governors to serve more than two terms. Businessman
Kevin Stitt John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he began his first term as governor in January 2019 and was reelected to a second t ...
advanced to a runoff in the Republican primary, eventually winning. With only one opponent in the primary, former
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 ...
Drew Edmondson won the Democratic nomination outright. The
Libertarian Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...
nominee was Chris Powell. Stitt won the general election.


Oregon

Kate Brown became governor of Oregon in February 2015 following the resignation of John Kitzhaber. In accordance with Oregon law, a special election was held in
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, which Brown won. She ran for a full term and won the primary. State Representative
Knute Buehler Knute Carl Buehler (born August 1, 1964) is an American physician and politician who served as the Oregon State Representative for the 54th district from 2015 until January 2019. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Oregon in the 2018 ...
won the Republican nomination. Brown won election to a full term.


Pennsylvania

One-term Governor
Tom Wolf Thomas Westerman Wolf (born November 17, 1948) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 47th governor of Pennsylvania since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he defeated Republican incumbent Tom Corbett in the 2014 guber ...
was eligible for re-election and was unopposed in the primary. State Senator
Scott Wagner Scott R. Wagner (born September 21, 1955) is an American businessman and politician from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He represented the 28th district in the Pennsylvania State Senate. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Pennsy ...
won the Republican nomination. Ken Krawchuk ran as a Libertarian. Wolf won re-election.


Rhode Island

First-term Governor Gina Raimondo ran for re-election. Raimondo won re-election.


South Carolina

Henry McMaster succeeded
Nikki Haley Nimrata Nikki Haley (née Randhawa; born January 20, 1972) is an American diplomat and politician who served as the 116th and first female governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, and as the 29th United States ambassador to the United Na ...
in January 2017 after she was confirmed as the
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations The United States ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is formally known as the permanent representative of the United States of America to the United Nations ...
. McMaster is seeking election to a full term in 2018. No candidate won a majority in the June 12 Republican primary. Hence, the top two finishers, McMaster and John Warren, competed in a runoff, which McMaster won. State Representative James E. Smith Jr. won the Democratic primary outright. McMaster won election to a full term.


South Dakota

Two-term Governor
Dennis Daugaard Dennis Martin Daugaard (born June 11, 1953) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 32nd governor of South Dakota from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the first chief executive of a U.S. state to be the c ...
was term-limited, as South Dakota does not allow governors to serve three consecutive terms. U.S. Representative Kristi Noem and Billie Sutton, the minority leader of the South Dakota Senate, won the Republican and Democratic nominations, respectively. Noem won election.


Tennessee

Two-term Governor Bill Haslam was term-limited, as Tennessee does not allow governors to serve three consecutive terms. Businessman Bill Lee defeated former Haslam administration official Randy Boyd, U.S. Representative Diane Black, and speaker of the
Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consis ...
Beth Harwell for the Republican nomination. Former Nashville Mayor
Karl Dean Karl Foster Dean (born September 20, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 6th Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 2007 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Nashville's Director of Law under Mayor Bill Pu ...
defeated House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh for the Democratic nomination. Bill Lee won the election in a landslide.


Texas

One-term incumbent Greg Abbott ran for re-election.
Lupe Valdez Guadalupe Valdez (born October 11, 1947) is an American law enforcement official who served as Sheriff of Dallas County, Texas, from 2005 to 2017, and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Texas in the 2018 gubernatorial election. She lost ...
,
Dallas County Dallas County may refer to: Places in the USA: * Dallas County, Alabama, founded in 1818, the first county in the United States by that name * Dallas County, Arkansas * Dallas County, Iowa * Dallas County, Missouri * Dallas County, Texas, the nint ...
sheriff, announced her bid on December 6, 2017, and, after a runoff primary with Andrew White, entrepreneur and son of Governor Mark White, won the Democratic nomination. Both Kathie Glass and Kory Watkins sought the Libertarian nomination. Abbott won re-election.


Vermont

As the governor of Vermont can serve a two-year term, Phil Scott, who was elected in
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, ran for re-election. He was nominated in the primary. Former
Vermont Electric Cooperative The Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) is a consumer-owned electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Johnson, Vermont. In 2019, Vermont Electric Cooperative served about 34,000 members in 74 towns in northern Vermont, including Addison, ...
CEO Christine Hallquist was the Democratic nominee. She was the first transgender woman to be nominated for governor by a major party. Incumbent Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman declined to run as a Progressive in the election and instead ran for re-election to that position. Scott won re-election.


Wisconsin

Two-term incumbent Scott Walker was eligible for re-election, as Wisconsin does not have gubernatorial term limits. State schools superintendent Tony Evers won the Democratic nomination. 2016 Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate Phil Anderson ran as a Libertarian. Michael White was the candidate for the Green Party. Evers won the election.


Wyoming

Two-term Governor Matt Mead was term-limited as Wyoming limits governors to serving for eight years in a sixteen-year period. The Republican nominee was State Treasurer Mark Gordon. Former state House Minority leader Mary Throne won the Democratic nomination. Mark Gordon won the election in a landslide.


Territories and federal district


District of Columbia

One term incumbent Muriel Bowser ran for re-election with little competition in the primary. She was the Democratic nominee. Ann Wilcox, a former Board of Education member, won the nomination of the D.C. Statehood Green Party, the district affiliate of the Green Party. Dustin Canter, an entrepreneur and fitness businessman, ran as an independent. Bowser won re-election.


Guam

The incumbent two-term governor
Eddie Baza Calvo Edward Jerome Baza Calvo (born August 29, 1961) is an American (U.S. citizen) politician who served as the 8th Governor of Guam from January 3, 2011 to January 7, 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Calvo was a five-term Senator within the ...
was term-limited, after his recent re-election win in 2014, as Guam does not allow governors to serve more than two consecutive terms. Republican Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio officially declared his bid to succeed
Eddie Calvo Edward Jerome Baza Calvo (born August 29, 1961) is an American (U.S. citizen) politician who served as the 8th Governor of Guam from January 3, 2011 to January 7, 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Calvo was a five-term Senator within the ...
as the next governor of Guam. Tenorio won the Republican nomination without opposition. The Democratic nominee was former Territorial Senator Lou Leon Guerrero, who defeated three other politicians in the August 24 primary. Guerrero won election.


Northern Mariana Islands

Incumbent Governor Ralph Torres, who took office upon Eloy Inos's death in December 2015, sought election to a full term. Former Governor Juan Babauta also sought the governorship, running as an independent. Torres won election to a full term.


U.S. Virgin Islands

Albert Bryan (the Democratic nominee) won the runoff election on November 20, 2018, defeating Independent incumbent Kenneth Mapp.


Notes


References


External links

{{United States gubernatorial elections