Democrats flip four governorships as three state races remain unresolved

Arizona’s Capitol complex and surrounding Phoenix in an aerial photograph taken March 26, 2018. Archive image, not a photograph of 2026 voting or ballot counting. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith / Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

Decision Desk HQ has called 21 of this year’s state contests for Democrats and 12 for Republicans. The provisional national map stands at 27 Democratic and 20 Republican governorships.

Results checked at 8:42 a.m. Eastern, November 4, 2026. News projections and declarations, not certified results.

Democrats had won 21 of this year’s governor races and Republicans 12 in Decision Desk HQ’s calls at 8:42 a.m. Eastern on November 4. The desk had not called the contests in Alaska, Kansas or Nevada.

That accounts for 33 of the 36 state governorships on Tuesday’s ballot. Adding the 14 governors whose offices were not being contested gave DDHQ a provisional national map of 27 Democratic and 20 Republican governorships, with three unresolved.

The national totals include six continuing Democratic governors and eight continuing Republicans. They should not be confused with the number of election victories this year.

Four Republican-held governorships had moved into the Democratic column in DDHQ’s calls: Georgia for Keisha Lance Bottoms, Iowa for Rob Sand, Ohio for Amy Acton and Texas for Gina Hinojosa.

Democratic holds included California, Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona and Wisconsin. DDHQ’s Republican winners included Byron Donalds in Florida, Tommy Tuberville in Alabama, Alan Wilson in South Carolina and Brad Little in Idaho.

Republicans also held New Hampshire with Kelly Ayotte, Nebraska with Jim Pillen, Tennessee with Marsha Blackburn and Vermont with Phil Scott in the desk’s calls.

The three outstanding races will determine the final partisan balance among the 50 states. These figures exclude territorial governors and use one desk’s calls consistently rather than combining selected projections from different outlets.

The numbers are news projections, not certified outcomes. A candidate leading the reported vote is not counted as a winner here until DDHQ calls the race. Election officials will continue counting, canvassing and certifying results. Sources: Decision Desk HQ governor results; AP governor election guide.