Governors' races: Ten states elect firsts in 2026 midterms

Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia and Deb Haaland of New Mexico became the first Black woman and first Native American woman to serve as a state governor, respectively. Both Democrats secured their victories on Tuesday, November 3, in the 2026 midterms. Their wins mark the start of a series of firsts across the nation.

Lance Bottoms, 56, defeated Republican Rick Jackson to become Georgia's next governor. She is the first Democrat to win that race in more than 20 years. Before this, she served as Atlanta mayor from 2018 to 2022 and advised former President Joe Biden. Haaland, who is of Pueblo Indian descent, beat Republican Gregg Hull in New Mexico. She previously served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior and in Congress.

Latino representation also expanded in two major states. Xavier Becerra won the California governor's race, making him the state's first elected Latino governor. He defeated Republican Steve Hilton and will succeed Gavin Newsom. In Texas, Gina Hinojosa became the first Latina governor after defeating incumbent Republican Greg Abbott. This win ends a more than 30 year period without a Democratic governor in the state.

Florida, Nevada, and Wisconsin each elected their first Black governor. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds won the support of President Trump and a large war chest to defeat Democrat David Jolly. Donalds has served in Congress since 2021. In Nevada, Democrat Aaron Ford, the state attorney general, unseated Republican Joe Lombardo. Ford will be the first Black governor west of the Mississippi.

David Crowley in Wisconsin defeated Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany to become the state's first Black governor. Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, suspended his campaign during the primary before reentering with the support of outgoing Governor Tony Evers. He ran on his record as a deal maker.

Three women also broke new ground in Tennessee, Minnesota, and Ohio. Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn won in Tennessee, becoming the first woman to hold the office there. She defeated Democrat Jerri Green. In Minnesota, Democrat Amy Klobuchar defeated Republican Lisa Demuth to become the state's first female governor. In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton upset expectations to become the state's first woman and first Jewish governor. She defeated Vivek Ramaswamy and will be the first Democrat in the office in two decades.

These ten candidates took office in states with diverse demographics and political shifts. The results include the first Black governors in Florida, Nevada, and Wisconsin, and the first female governors in Tennessee, Minnesota, and Ohio. The new leaders assume their roles in January, bringing new faces to the highest executive offices in their states.