New Mexico Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland (center) speaks to the media at the New Mexico Democratic Party election night event at the Route 66 hotel and casino after being elected governor November 3, 2026, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Haaland becomes the first Native American woman to be elected governor in United States history.
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Sam Wasson/Getty Images
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Voters in nine states made history Tuesday with their gubernatorial choices.
National firsts
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, who won her race to become Georgia’s next governor, will serve as the nation’s governor. first black woman elected governor from any state. The 56-year-old served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022, then an advisor to former President Joe Biden. His defeat against billionaire Republican health care executive Rick Jackson made Lance Bottoms the first Democrat to win the state’s gubernatorial race in more than two decades.
Georgia Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms hugs a family member during an election night event at the Marriott Marquis of Atlanta, November 3, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. Bottoms defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson to become the nation’s first black female governor.
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Megan Varner/Getty Images
Deb Haaland of New Mexico, who is of Pueblo Indian originwill be the first Native American female governor. The Democrat, who defeated Republican Gregg Hull, served in Congress before becoming Interior secretary under Biden. She also made history in each of these roles – as one of the first Native American women elected to Congress and the first Native American cabinet secretary.
Latino representation
Democrat Xavier Becerra will be California’s first elected Latino governor when he takes office, while Democrat Gina Hinojosa will be the first Latino governor of Texas. Becerra, a former California attorney general and former congressman who served as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary in the Biden administration, will succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom after handily defeating Republican Steve Hilton, a political outsider.
Texas Democratic Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa speaks during her election night event at the Assembly Hall on November 3, 2026 in Austin, Texas. Hinojosa will be Texas’ first Latino governor and the first Democratic governor in more than 30 years.
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Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Images
Hinojosa, a Texas state representative, defeated Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, one of the nation’s most influential governors and an ally of President Trump. Hinojosa’s victory follows a demographic shift in the state, which has seen its Latino population increase. Hinojosa will be the first Democratic governor of Texas in more than 30 years.
Black representation
Voters in Florida and Wisconsin elected their states’ first black governors… Republican Byron Donalds in the Sunshine State And Democrat David Crowley in the Badger State.
President Donald Trump listens as Republican Rep. Byron Donalds speaks at a campaign rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday. Donalds won his election and is expected to become Florida’s first black governor.
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Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo
Donalds, who had the support of President Trump and a large electoral war chest, defeated Democrat David Jolly by campaigning on affordability and promising to continue the conservative policies of outgoing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Donalds has been a member of Congress since 2021 and served two terms in the state legislature.
Crowley, a Milwaukee County executive, defeated Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, whose campaign far outpaced Crowley’s. Crowley actually suspended his campaign during the primary, but returned to it — with the support of incumbent Gov. Tony Evers — after the Crowley-backed candidate dropped out. Crowley campaigned on his record as a “negotiator” capable of working across the political aisle.
Breaking the glass ceiling
Other female gubernatorial candidates won historic victories in three states.
Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn is the first woman to win a race for governor of Tennessee. Although Blackburn, who defeated Democrat Jerri Green and several independent candidates, had long been the favorite for this race, her victory was narrower than expected. His campaign focused on reducing immigration, confronting China and cutting wasteful government spending.
Amy Acton greets supporters during a campaign rally with former President Barack Obama at the Cleveland Public Auditorium October 24, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar will become the first woman to serve as governor of Minnesota when she takes office in January. She defeated Republican Lisa Demuth, Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Demuth, like Green in Tennessee, would also have been her state’s first female governor.
In one of the biggest upsets of Tuesday’s election, Democrat Amy Acton is set to become the first woman elected governor of Ohio and the state’s first Jewish governor. She will be the first Democrat to hold this position in two decades. Acton, who served as the state’s public health director during the pandemic, defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, in an election marked in recent weeks by vicious smears and offensive advertising that drew national criticism.
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