These 10 candidates for governor made history in the 2026 election

NPR | By Maham Javaid

Published November 4, 2026 at 5:00 AM EST

Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms (left), New Mexico Gov.-elect Deb Haaland and Florida Republican Gov.-elect Byron Donalds all made history. Lance Bottoms is the first Black woman elected governor, Haaland will be the first Native American woman governor and Donalds will be the first Black governor in Florida.

Updated November 4, 2026 at 12:48 PM EST

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Voters in ten states made history on Tuesday with their choices for governor.

Nationwide firsts

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, who won her race to be Georgia's next governor, will be the country's first Black woman elected governor of any state. The 56-year-old served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018-2022 and then as an adviser to former President Joe Biden. Her defeat of Republican billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson makes Lance Bottoms the first Democrat to win a governor's race in the state in more than two decades.

Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms hugs a family member during an election night watch party at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis on November 03, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. Bottoms defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson to become the nation's first Black woman governor.

New Mexico's Deb Haaland, who is of Pueblo Indian descent, will be the first Native American woman governor. The Democrat, who defeated Republican Gregg Hull, served in Congress before becoming Interior secretary under Biden. She made history in each of those roles, too — 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 the first elected Latino governor of California when he takes office, while Democrat Gina Hinojosa will be the first Latina governor of Texas. Becerra, a former California attorney general and former member of Congress who served as U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration, will succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom after handily defeating Republican Steve Hilton, a political outsider.

Texas Democratic Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa speaks during her election night watch party at Assembly Hall on November 3, 2026 in Austin, Texas. Hinojosa will be the first Latino governor of Texas and the first Democratic governor in over 30 years.

Hinojosa, a Texas state representative, defeated incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, one of the country's most influential governors and an ally of President Trump. Hinojosa's win follows a demographic shift in the state, which has seen a surge in its Latino population. Hinojosa will be Texas' first Democratic governor in more than 30 years.

Black representation

Voters in Florida, Nevada and Wisconsin elected the first Black governors in their states — Republican Byron Donalds in the Sunshine State, Democrat Aaron Ford in the Silver State and Democrat David Crowley in the Badger State.

President Trump listens as Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, speaks at a campaign rally in Daytona Beach, Fla., Friday. Donalds won his election and is set to become Florida's first Black governor.

Donalds, who had the backing of President Trump and a hefty election war chest, beat Democrat David Jolly by campaigning on affordability and promising to continue the conservative politics of outgoing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Donalds has been in Congress since 2021 and served two terms in the state legislature.

Ford, Nevada's attorney general, unseated Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. The Democrat will be the first Black governor of a state west of the Mississippi River. He was previously Nevada's first Black Senate majority leader and attorney general. He was first elected to the state legislature in 2012, and before that practiced law privately and taught math.

Crowley, a Milwaukee County executive, defeated Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany, whose campaign massively outspent Crowley's. Crowley actually suspended his campaign during the primary, but reentered it — with the support of outgoing Gov. Tony Evers — after the candidate Crowley backed dropped out. Crowley campaigned on his record as a "deal maker" who can work across the political aisle.

Breaking the glass ceiling

Other women gubernatorial candidates notched historic wins in three states.

Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn is the first woman to win a gubernatorial race in Tennessee. Although Blackburn, who defeated Democrat Jerri Green and multiple independent candidates, had long been a favorite for this race, her victory was narrower than expected. Her campaign focused on curtailing immigration, confronting China and cutting wasteful government spending.

Amy Acton waves to supporters during a campaign rally with former President Barack Obama at Cleveland Public Auditorium on October 24, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar will become the first woman to be governor of Minnesota when she assumes office in January. She defeated Republican Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Demuth, like Green in Tennessee, would also have been the first woman governor of her state.

In one of the bigger upsets of Tuesday's election, Democrat Amy Acton is poised to become the first woman elected governor of Ohio and the first Jewish governor of the state. She will be the first Democrat to serve in the office in two decades. Acton, who served as the state's chief public health officer during the pandemic, defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in an election marked in the final weeks by vicious mudslinging and an attack ad that garnered national criticism.