Democrats now have majority of governor seats, first time in 16 years

Democrats for the first time in 16 years have a majority of governors running states, after Tuesday night's midterm elections in which they took five seats occupied by Republicans.

Thirty-six states held governor races. Democrats flipped governorships in Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Nevada and Texas. Republicans entered Tuesday’s elections with a 26-24 majority. The tally as of Wednesday morning stands at 28-20 for Democrats, with Alaska and Kansas still undecided.  

The biggest upset Tuesday night was in Texas, where three-term GOP Gov. Greg Abbott lost 52.9-to-45.6% to state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. The win was part of Democrats' wave-election dominance in which they also took the House and Senate majority. 

In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson for an open, GOP-held seat. She becomes the state's first female and Black governor. The seat was open because GOP Gov. Brian Kemp could not run again because of term limits.

In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, in what was arguably the most contentious race of the midterm cycle.

The victory by Acton, a physician who was Ohio’s COVID-era health director, marks the first time since 2006 that a Democrat has been elected as governor, according to the Associated Press. 

Ramaswamy, a 2024 presidential candidate and biotech billionaire, was endorsed by President Donald Trump. His ad featuring Acton's estranged mother was widely criticized by Acton supporters and others.

Iowa was one of the final races to be called overnight. The wire service declared Democrat Rob Sands the winner over the GOP's Zach Lahn. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds did not seek reelection.

The other race in which Democrats won a GOP-held seat was in Nevada, where Democrat Aaron Ford, the state's attorney general, defeated Republican incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo.