Democrats Flip Five Governorships, Including Texas, Ohio and Georgia

Democrats took five Republican-held governors’ offices in Tuesday’s elections, NBC News and CNBC reported, with the biggest surprise coming in Texas. The flips were Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Nevada and Iowa, and both outlets listed only Democratic flips.

In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott, according to CBS News and CNBC. CBS said it was the first Democratic win for the governorship in more than 30 years, and that Democrats also won every statewide office in the state; it reported Democrats were on track to take the state House while Republicans keep the state Senate. In Ohio, Amy Acton beat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, CNBC reported, a result NBC also lists as a projected flip. In Nevada, Aaron Ford beat Gov. Joe Lombardo, CBS reported, saying Lombardo struggled amid economic problems tied to tariffs and a drop in tourism.

Georgia went to Keisha Lance Bottoms, who beat Republican Rick Jackson in a race NBC and CNBC both mark as a projected flip. CBS described her as the country’s first Black woman governor. In Iowa, NBC projects Democrat Rob Sand as the winner of a seat Republicans held, and CNBC confirmed a Democratic win there.

Democrats also held ground. NBC projected Gov. Katie Hobbs in Arizona, Gov. Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania and Jocelyn Benson in Michigan, which CNBC described as Whitmer’s open seat. CNBC said Hobbs, Oregon’s Tina Kotek and Maryland’s Wes Moore won re-election. CBS reported that Deb Haaland, a former Interior secretary, was elected governor of New Mexico and will be the first Native American woman to lead a state.

Republicans kept a number of seats, including Florida, where NBC shows Byron Donalds ahead with 99 percent counted, and Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina. NBC’s table showed the Republican candidate leading in each of those. Those figures are NBC’s leaders, not projections, and the table did not label them held or uncalled.

One contest is too close to call. In Kansas, NBC News said Democrat Cindy Holscher led Republican Ty Masterson by several thousand votes with 99 percent counted, and its governor table showed a margin of 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent. CNBC also listed Kansas as uncalled, along with Alaska. The final number of governorships each party will hold depends on those races, and NBC’s page did not give a party total.

Divided government now extends to some statehouses. In Texas, CBS said, Democrats are on track to take the state House while Republicans keep the state Senate.