In Brief:
- Only three incumbent governors ran this year. Nevertheless, no state saw a partisan flip.
- Republicans have won the nation’s most competitive race, with Kelly Ayotte prevailing in New Hampshire.
- Democrats held onto three states but failed in their longshot bid in Indiana.
Republicans will hold onto their lead among governors nationwide. Only three incumbent governors sought re-election this year, but no governor's mansion has changed partisan hands.
Republicans went into the night defending eight states, compared to three for the Democrats. Democrats held onto their three open seats in Delaware, North Carolina and Washington.
In the nation's most competitive race, Republican former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte won the race to succeed New Hampshire GOP Gov. Chris Sununu. Ayotte ran several points ahead of former President Donald Trump in the state, good enough for the win over former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, the Democratic candidate.
Next door in Vermont, GOP Gov. Phil Scott has won a fifth two-year term. Vermont is one of the nation’s bluest states, but Scott has remained popular by taking moderate-to-liberal positions on issues such as abortion rights. On Tuesday, he announced he voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey holds onto the governor’s mansion for the GOP. The outcome in the heavily Republican seat was never in doubt. “As our state's leader, he will continue to dismantle the bureaucratic state, unleash our economy, and deliver better jobs and bigger paychecks,” says GOP state Rep. Daniel Linville. “I congratulate Gov.-Elect Morrisey and look forward to the next chapter of West Virginia's comeback story.”
One race that looked like it might be competitive was Indiana, where GOP Gov. Eric Holcomb is term-limited. Both the Democratic and Republican governors associations put serious money into the race during its closing weeks, but the state’s red tilt was enough to carry Sen. Mike Braun to victory.
“He was able to overcome a few hiccups here and there,” says Robert Dion, a political scientist at the University of Evansville. “The takeaway for us as Hoosiers is Republicans continue their grip on state government."
Republicans also prevailed in Missouri, Montana and Utah, as expected.
At the start of the year, North Carolina looked like it would have the most competitive race in the country, with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper stepping down in one of the nation’s most evenly divided states. But Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson proved to be a disastrous candidate for the GOP, making for an easy victory for Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein.
"I’m not sad one lick," Robinson told supporters on Tuesday. "I'm a bit disappointed, but I’m disappointed for you."
In Delaware, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer will succeed Gov. John Carney, keeping the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands. Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson will succeed Jay Inslee in Washington's first open race in a dozen years.
This story has been updated to reflect results in Washington.
