United States midterm elections feature historic gubernatorial races

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections include gubernatorial contests in 36 states, with several races poised to make history. In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms is competing against Republican Rick Jackson for the governorship; a victory for Bottoms would make her the first Black woman to lead a state.

Other notable races include Minnesota, where Lisa Demuth is running as a Republican, and potential first-time female governors in Tennessee and Ohio. In New Mexico, Deb Haaland is positioned to potentially become the first Native American woman to serve as a state governor. In Ohio, the race between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton has become a toss-up following controversial campaign advertisements.

Early voting data shows Democrats leading in participation among registered voters in 27 states, accounting for 44.6% of reported early ballots compared to 31.3% for Republicans. Nationally, over 36.5 million early ballots have been cast. While a record number of women, including 590 for House seats, have filed to run, gender parity in government remains a challenge, with the U.S. receiving a C grade on the 2026 Gender Parity Index.