Post-Primary Analysis: Women in 2026 Statewide Executive Elections

Now that all primaries have been held, we can provide a clearer picture of women’s prospects for statewide executive officeholding for 2026, as well as women’s representation and success as statewide executive candidates and nominees.  

Summary of Findings

Outlooks for Success

• Governor: 
  • A record 14 (10D, 4R) women currently serve as governor in the United States. At least five new women governors are likely to be elected in 2026, but the high number of departures of incumbent women governors means that a potential for overall gains relies on the outcomes for incumbent and non-incumbent women nominees in highly competitive contests. 
  • Minnesota and Tennessee are poised to elect their first women governors. In addition, Amy Acton (D-OH) would be the first woman elected as governor in Ohio. (Nancy Hollister (R-OH) briefly served as governor for 12 days via gubernatorial succession.)
  • Nationwide, Deb Haaland (D-NM) is favored to become the first Native American woman governor in U.S. history, and Keisha Lance Bottoms (D-GA) could become the first Black women governor in the U.S. if successful in Georgia’s toss-up gubernatorial contest.  
• All Statewide Elective Executive Offices (including governor): Predicting election outcomes at the statewide executive level is more difficult due to the lack of forecasts and polling available. A basic analysis of incumbents demonstrates that maintaining the current level of women’s statewide elective executive representation (including governors) –  97 (54D, 42R, 1NP) –  will require success from at least 36 non-incumbent women nominees. 

Candidates

• Record numbers of women are major-party candidates for governor in 2026, including a new record for Democratic women gubernatorial candidates. 
• Numbers of both Democratic and Republican women candidates for statewide elective executive offices are smaller in 2026 than in 2022, when a similar number of seats were up for election.  
• Women continue to be significantly underrepresented as a percentage of all candidates for governor and all statewide elective executive offices in election 2026, and Republican women are a significantly smaller percentage of their party’s candidates than are Democratic women. 

Nominees

• Record numbers of women are major-party nominees for governor in 2026, including a new record for Democratic women gubernatorial nominees. Women are the majority of Democratic gubernatorial nominees this year.
• A record number (4) of all-woman gubernatorial tickets are on the ballot in 2026.
• There are four all-woman contests for governor in 2026, including in Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Tennessee. This matches the record for all-woman contests, first set in 2022.
• Numbers of both Democratic and Republican women nominees for all statewide elective executive offices (including governor) are smaller in 2026 than in 2022.  
• While women are more than half of all Democratic nominees for governor this year, they continue to be significantly underrepresented as a percentage of all gubernatorial and all statewide elective executive office (including governor) nominees in election 2026. Republican women are a significantly smaller percentage of their party’s nominees than are Democratic women. 
• Democratic women candidates won statewide elective executive office primaries, including gubernatorial primaries, at the highest rate of any gender by party subgroup, including winning open-seat nominations at a higher rate than Democratic men, Republican women, and Republican men. 

Racial/Ethnic Diversity 

• Record numbers of Asian American/Pacific Islander, Native, and white women are both candidates and nominees for governor in 2026. The numbers of Black and Latina gubernatorial candidates and nominees each fall short of record highs. 
• A record number of Asian American/Pacific Islander are candidates for all statewide executive elective offices in 2026, and a record number of Latinas are nominees for statewide elective office this year. The numbers of women candidates and nominees from other racial/ethnic groups either fall short or match record highs.  

GOVERNOR

Record numbers of women are major-party candidates and nominees for governor in 2026. 

In 2026, 84 (51D, 33R) women are candidates for governor, marking both a record high and a 21.7% increase from 2022. The previous record for women gubernatorial candidates was 69, set in 2022. There are gubernatorial elections in 36 states in 2026, matching the number of states who held gubernatorial contests in 2022. 

Democrats are responsible for the increase in women gubernatorial candidates from 2022 to 2026, yielding a new record of 51 Democratic women candidates for governor this year. The number of Republican women gubernatorial candidates dropped from a record 37 in 2022 to 33 in 2026. 

In 2026, 26 (19D, 7R) women are general election nominees for governor, marking a 4% increase from 2022 and a new record. The previous record for women gubernatorial nominees was 25, set in 2022. A record number of Democratic women are gubernatorial nominees in 2026, while the number of Republican women nominees for governor is down from 2022. 

When broken down by race/ethnicity, record numbers of Asian American/Pacific Islander, Native, and white women are both candidates and nominees for governor in 2026. The numbers of Black and Latina gubernatorial candidates and nominees each fall short of record highs. 

Women continue to be significantly underrepresented as a percentage of all gubernatorial candidates and nominees in election 2026, and Republican women are a significantly smaller percentage of their party’s candidates and nominees than are Democratic women. Both Democratic and Republican women are a larger share of their party’s gubernatorial nominees in 2026 than in 2022, and women are more than half of all Democratic nominees for governor this year. 

Despite being more than 50% of the U.S. population, women are 25.5% of major-party candidates for governor in 2026, a share greater than in any election since 2018. This underrepresentation is especially stark among Republicans, where women are just 17.4% of gubernatorial candidates. Democratic women are 36.7% of their party’s gubernatorial candidates in 2026, the greatest share since 2018. Women’s share of Republican gubernatorial candidacies is greater in 2026 than 2024 but is smaller than their share in 2022.  

Women are 35.1% of general election nominees for governor in 2026. Women exceed parity (52.8%) with men among Democratic gubernatorial nominees, marking a greater share of their party’s nominees than in any election since 2018. In contrast, women are just 18.4% of Republican gubernatorial nominees, a larger share than in 2024 (9.1%) but a smaller share than in 2022 (24.3%). 

There are four all-woman contests for governor in 2026, including in Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Tennessee. This matches the record for all-woman contests, first set in 2022. While the elections in New Hampshire and Oregon are between women incumbents and challengers, the contests in Minnesota and Tennessee are for open seats to replace incumbent men. This all but ensures that both Minnesota and Tennessee will elect their first woman governor in 2026. 

Democratic women candidates won gubernatorial primaries at the highest rate of any gender by party subgroup, including winning open-seat nominations at a higher rate than Democratic men, Republican women, and Republican men. 

Women are a larger share of Democratic gubernatorial nominees than they are of all Democratic candidates because they have had more success than their male counterparts in primary contests. More specifically, while 39.6% of Democratic women candidates won their primary contests, just 20.9% of Democratic men candidates did the same. Republican women won their gubernatorial primaries at a rate (21.2%) slightly higher than both Democratic and Republican (19.7%) men. 

Among candidates for open gubernatorial seats, Democratic women’s win rate (37.5%) again outpaces Democratic men, Republican women, and Republican men. Republican women had the lowest win rate (15.8%) among open-seat gubernatorial candidates. 

At least five new women governors are likely to be elected in 2026, including the first Native woman governor in the U.S., but the high number of departures of incumbent women governors means that a potential for overall gains relies on the outcomes for incumbent and non-incumbent women nominees in highly competitive contests. 

A record 14 (10D, 4R) women currently serve as governor in the United States. Five (4D, 1R) incumbent women governors are term-limited, another (1R) is retiring at the end of this term, and 6 (4D, 2R) incumbent women governors are running for re-election this year. Two (2D) women governors are not up for re-election in 2026 and will continue their terms into 2027. As a result, at least six new women must be elected governor in 2026 to maintain the current level of women’s gubernatorial representation in 2027. 

Among the 26 (19D, 7R) women gubernatorial nominees in 2026, 4 (2D, 2R) are incumbents strongly favored to win re-election. Two (2D) incumbent women governors – Katie Hobb (D-AZ) and Tina Kotek (D-OR) – are in contests currently deemed competitive; Kotek is being challenged by another woman, state Senator Christine Drazan (R-OR). Of the 20 (15D, 5R) non-incumbent women nominees for governor, 5 (4D, 1R) are running in contests where they are currently favored to win, and another 7 (5D, 2R) are in contests deemed competitive by Cook Political Report. Eight (8D, 2R) non-incumbent women gubernatorial nominees are in contests where their opponents are strongly favored. 

Based on current Cook Political Report ratings, women are:

• 4 of 6 (66.7%) of the most likely Democratic and 1 of 5 (20%) of the most likely Republican non-incumbent nominee pickups in gubernatorial contests. Women are 55.6% of all Democratic and 16.7% of all Republican non-incumbent nominees.
• 2 of 2 (100%) of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent nominees. They are 44.4% of all Democratic incumbent nominees.
• 0 of 1 (0%) of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents. They are 25% of all Republican incumbent nominees.

Potential Milestones

A record number (4) of all-woman gubernatorial tickets are on the ballot in 2026. Women are running as a governor/lieutenant governor ticket in the general election in Massachusetts (Democratic incumbents Maura Healey and Kim Driscoll), Michigan (Democrats Jocelyn Benson and Winnie Brinks), New Mexico (Democrats Deb Haaland and Maggie Toulouse Oliver), and New York (Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul and Adrienne Adams). Governor Maura Healey (D-MA) and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll (D-MA) became the first successful all-woman gubernatorial ticket in election 2022. 

There are two other states where women serve simultaneously as governor and lieutenant governor – Arkansas and Virginia – but ran and were elected separately. In 2026, women are nominees for governor and lieutenant governor from the same party in Arkansas, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont. 

Multiple women have the potential to mark key milestones in their state’s gubernatorial history. In addition to the election of the first women governors of Minnesota and Tennessee, Amy Acton (D-OH) would be the first woman elected as governor in Ohio.1 Nationwide, Deb Haaland (D-NM) is favored to become the first Native American woman governor in U.S. history, and Keisha Lance Bottoms (D-GA) could become the first Black women governor in the U.S. if successful in Georgia’s toss-up gubernatorial contest.  

STATEWIDE EXECUTIVE OFFICE CONTESTS 

Numbers of both Democratic and Republican women candidates and nominees for statewide elective executive offices are smaller in 2026 than in 2022, when a similar number of seats were up for election.  

• 1

  Nancy Hollister (R-OH) briefly served as governor for 12 days via gubernatorial succession.

Just over 200 statewide executive offices, including governor, are up for election in 2026. This year, 266 (150D, 109R, 7NP) women are candidates for statewide elective executive offices, down from the record 284 women who ran for nearly the same number of statewide executive offices in 2022. 

Numbers of both Democratic and Republican women candidates for statewide elective executive offices are smaller in 2026 than 2022, though the drop is slightly larger for Republican women.  

In 2026, 131 (89D, 39R, 3NP) women are general election nominees for statewide executive offices, 9.9% fewer than the record 144 women statewide executive nominees in 2022. While the number of Democratic women statewide executive nominees is nearly equal to the 2022 high, the number of Republican women nominees for statewide elective executive office is just two-thirds of the 2022 record. 

When broken down by race/ethnicity, a record number (17) of Asian American/Pacific Islander women are candidates for statewide executive elective office in 2026; the number of Asian American/Pacific Islander women nominees also matches the record (7), first set in 2018. A record number of Latinas (12) are nominees for statewide elective executive office this year. Ten Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian women are candidates for statewide executive offices in 2026, matching the number in 2018; the number of Native women nominees (3), however, is smaller than eight years ago (8). The numbers of Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) women candidates (2) and nominees (1) match the counts in 2022. Finally, the numbers of Black and white women candidates and nominees for statewide executive office fall short of record highs which were set in 2022. 

Women continue to be significantly underrepresented as a percentage of all statewide elective executive candidates and nominees in election 2026, and Republican women are a significantly smaller percentage of their party’s candidates and nominees than are Democratic women. 

Despite being more than 50% of the U.S. population, women are 28.2% of candidates for statewide elective executive office in 2026.2 This underrepresentation is especially stark among Republicans, where women are just 21.1% of statewide executive candidates. Democratic women are 36.8% of their party’s statewide executive candidates in 2026, up from 2024 but smaller than their share in 2022. Women’s share of Republican statewide executive candidacies is slightly smaller in 2026 than both 2024 and 2022.  

• 2

  Counts include major-party candidates and nominees, as well as candidates and nominees for non-partisan offices and non-partisan candidates in Alaska’s statewide executive elections. 

Women are 32% of general election nominees for statewide elective executive office in 2026. Women are 45.2% of Democratic statewide executive nominees, an increase from 2024 but short of the near parity they reached in 2022. In contrast, women are just 18.9% of Republican gubernatorial nominees, a smaller share than in 2024 and 2022. 

Democratic women candidates won statewide executive primaries at the highest rate of any gender by party subgroup, including winning open-seat nominations at a higher rate than Democratic men, Republican women, and Republican men. 

Women are a larger share of Democratic gubernatorial nominees than they are of all Democratic candidates because they have had more success than their male counterparts in primary contests.3 More specifically, 59.3% of Democratic women and 40% of Democratic men statewide executive candidates won their primary contests. Republican women won their statewide executive primaries at a rate (32.7%) lower than Republican men (38.9%), Democratic women, and Democratic women. 

Among candidates in open-seat contests, more than half (52.9%) of Democratic women statewide executive candidates won their primaries, outpacing Democratic men, Republican women, and Republican men. Republican women had the lowest win rate (21.1%) among open-seat candidates for statewide executive office. 

2027 Outlook 

In 2026, 97 (54D, 42R, 1NP) women serve in statewide elective executive offices (including governor) in the United States; the record high is 100, set for a brief period between December 2024 and January 2025. Predicting election outcomes at this level is more difficult due to the lack of forecasts and polling available. A basic analysis of incumbents demonstrates that maintaining the current level of women’s statewide executive representation will require success from at least 36 non-incumbent women nominees.

Of the 97 (54D, 42R, 1NP) women incumbents: 

• 25 (12D, 13R) are holdovers not up for election this year and who will continue their terms in 2027; 
• 36 (22D, 13R, 1NP) are running for re-election; and 
• 34 (20D, 14R) are departing their current office due to retirement, term limits, running for other offices, or primary defeat. 

Potential Milestones 

In addition to the potential to make history at the gubernatorial level, the following women have the potential to achieve notable milestones in statewide elective executive offices as a result of the 2026 elections. 

• Alabama: If elected, Violet Edwards (D-Auditor) and/or Sheila McNeil (D-Public Service Commission) would be the first Black women to serve in statewide elective executive office in Alabama. Both women are running as challengers. 
• Arizona: If elected, Clara Pratte (D-Corporation Commission) would be the first Native American woman to serve in statewide elective executive office. She is running as a challenger.
• Colorado: If elected, Amanda Gonzalez (D-Secretary of State) would be the first Latina to serve in statewide elective executive office in Colorado. She is running for an open seat.
• Idaho: If elected, Lori Hickman (D) would be the first woman to serve as attorney general of Idaho. She is running as a challenger.
• Illinois: If elected, Dianne Harris (R) would be the first woman to serve as secretary of state of Illinois. She is running as a challenger.
• Maryland: If elected, Sonya Dunn (R-Comptroller) would be the first Republican woman and the first Black woman to serve in statewide elective executive office in Maryland. She is running as a challenger.
• Nebraska: 
  • If elected, Jocelyn Brasher (D) would be the first woman to serve as attorney general in Nebraska. She is running as a challenger.
  • If elected, Sarah Slattery (D) would be the first woman to serve as secretary of state in Nebraska. She is running for an open seat.
• Nevada: If elected, Tya Mathis-Coleman (D) would be the first Black woman to serve in statewide elective executive office. She is running for an open seat.
• New York: If elected, Siritha Komatireddy (R-Attorney General) would be the first Asian American/Pacific Islander woman to serve in statewide elective executive office in New York. She is running as a challenger.
• Ohio: If elected, Annette Blackwell (D-auditor) would be the first Black Democratic woman to serve in statewide elective office in Ohio. She is running for an open seat.
• South Carolina: 
  • If elected, Tiffany Boozer (D-Comptroller) and/or Sylvia Wright (D-Superintendent of Public Instruction) would be the first Black women to serve in statewide elective executive office in South Carolina. Boozer is running for an open seat and Wright is running as a challenger.
  • If elected, Tiffany Boozer (D) would be the first woman to serve as comptroller general in South Carolina. 
• South Dakota: If elected, Raeann Mettler (D) would be the first woman to serve as land commissioner in South Dakota. She is running as a challenger.
• Wisconsin: If elected, JoCasta Zamparripa (D-Secretary of State) would be the first Latina to serve in statewide elected executive office in Wisconsin. She is running for an open seat. 

• 3

  Only candidates who competed in primary elections, not conventions, are included in these calculations.