4 things to know about the 2026 midterm elections
3. Gubernatorial races
36 of the 50 states will hold gubernatorial elections this year, with all but two electing governors to four-year terms. Vermont and New Hampshire elect their governors to two-year terms.
The RealClearPolitics average of the open gubernatorial race in Michigan shows Democrat Jocelyn Benson at 49.8%, followed by Republican John James at 41.4%. In Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro leads his Republican challenger, Stacy Garrity, by 17.5 percentage points.
In Arizona, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs leads her likely Republican challenger Andy Biggs by 11.2 percentage points. In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton has a lead of 4.2 percentage points over Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott leads Democrat Gina Hinojosa by 1.7 percentage points.
In Nevada, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is tied with Democrat Aaron Ford in the RealClearPolitics average. In New Hampshire, Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte has a 10.4-point lead over Democrat Cynde Warmington. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds leads his Democratic opponent David Jolly by 5 percentage points.
In Iowa, Democrat Rob Sand leads Republican Zach Lahn by 7.2 percentage points. In Maine, Democrat Hannah Pingree leads Republican Bobby Charles by 11.2 percentage points. In Georgia, Republican Rick Jackson leads Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms by 1.7 percentage points. In Wisconsin, Republican nominee Tom Tiffany trails Democratic challenger David Crowley by 3.5 percentage points.
In the Alaska gubernatorial race, Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins leads Republican Bernadette Wilson by 7 percentage points. Republican-held governorships in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming are expected to remain in the red column on Election Day.
Similarly, Democratic-held governorships in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island are expected to remain in the Democrats’ hands.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
