The 2026 Governor Races to Watch
By the Midterm Results Live team · · Governors
Thirty-six states elect a governor on November 3, 2026. Most are rated safe for one party, but a handful of races are competitive in both the ratings and the polls. Figures below are our 14-day polling averages as of October 2.
Toss-ups in the ratings
- Georgia (open, Republican-held): Rick Jackson (R) 49.0%, Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) 48.0% across two polls. Both Cook and Sabato rate it a Toss-up. Georgia requires a majority to win, so a runoff is possible.
- Ohio (open, Republican-held): Amy Acton (D) 47.7%, Vivek Ramaswamy (R) 43.8% across four polls. Cook: Toss-up; Sabato: Lean R.
- Nevada: Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) faces Aaron D. Ford (D). Only one recent poll, showing Ford 44%, Lombardo 42%. Cook: Toss-up; Sabato: Lean R.
- Wisconsin (open, Democratic-held): David Crowley (D) 49%, Tom Tiffany (R) 46% in the one recent poll. Cook: Toss-up; Sabato: Lean D.
Leaning races with interesting polling
- Iowa (open, Republican-held): Rob Sand (D) leads Zach Lahn (R) 51.7% to 43.3% across three polls, a wider lead than the ratings (Cook: Lean D; Sabato: Toss-up) imply.
- Michigan (open, Democratic-held): Jocelyn Benson (D) leads John James (R) 50.6% to 41.4% across five polls. Both outlets: Lean D.
- Kansas (open, Democratic-held): Ty Masterson (R) 51%, Cindy Holscher (D) 44% in the one recent independent poll. Both outlets: Lean R.
- Arizona: Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) faces Andy Biggs (R). Rated Lean D by both outlets; we have not logged a recent public poll.
- Texas: Gov. Greg Abbott (R) leads Gina Hinojosa (D) 49.3% to 46.5% across four polls, closer than the Likely R ratings.
Why governor races matter for federal elections
Governors sign or veto election laws, appoint officials, and in many states fill Senate vacancies by appointment. Two of this year's Senate races, in Ohio and Florida, are special elections for seats that governors filled by appointment.
Thin data warning
Many governor races have only one or two recent polls, which makes averages fragile. A single new poll can change the picture. We show the number of polls on every race page; see all races on our governors page.
Figures are public polls logged on this site as of October 2, 2026. Ratings from the Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball.