Nine states elect new governors with historic firsts

Voters in nine states selected new governors on Tuesday, establishing a series of national firsts in the executive branch.

Keisha Lance Bottoms won the race to become Georgia's next governor. The 56-year-old Democrat will serve as the first Black woman to hold the office in any state. She previously led Atlanta as mayor from 2018 to 2022 and advised former President Joe Biden. Her victory over Republican Rick Jackson marks the first time a Democrat has won a Georgia gubernatorial race in more than two decades.

Deb Haaland secured the governorship of New Mexico, becoming the first Native American woman to lead a state. The Democrat defeated Republican Gregg Hull. Haaland previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as the interior secretary under President Biden. Those roles also represented historic milestones for Native American women in federal government.

Latino representation expanded in two major states. Xavier Becerra, a former California attorney general and U.S. health secretary, won the California governor's race. He will succeed Gavin Newsom and becomes the first elected Latino governor of the state. Becerea defeated Republican Steve Hilton by a wide margin. In Texas, state representative Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Governor Greg Abbott. Hinojosa becomes the first Latina governor of Texas and the first Democrat to hold the office in over 30 years. Her victory follows a demographic shift toward a larger Latino population in the state.

Florida and Wisconsin both elected their first Black governors. Byron Donalds, a Republican member of Congress, won the Florida race. Donalds campaigned on affordability and conservative policy continuity after receiving support from President Trump. He defeated Democrat David Jolly. In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, defeated Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany. Crowley had paused his campaign during the primary but re-entered with the support of outgoing Governor Tony Evers. He campaigned on his record as a compromise-seeker.

Three women won gubernatorial races in states where they had never held the office before. Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee senator, defeated Democrat Jerri Green and independent candidates to become the first female governor of Tennessee. Her campaign focused on immigration, China, and government spending. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota senator, defeated House Speaker Lisa Demuth. Klobuchar becomes the first woman to govern Minnesota. Both Blackburn and Demuth were positioned to make history as the first women in their respective states.

Amy Acton, a Democrat, won the governor's race in Ohio in a major upset. She defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. Acton, who served as the state's chief public health officer during the pandemic, becomes the first woman and the first Jewish person to serve as Ohio governor. She is also the first Democrat to hold the office in two decades. The election featured intense negative campaigning in its final weeks, including an attack ad that drew national criticism.

These nine victories add to the growing number of women and people of color in state executive roles. The new governors will assume office in January, with specific start dates varying by state. The results reflect a diverse group of leaders who previously held roles in the military, corporate sectors, and federal or state legislatures.