WASHINGTON — Capitalizing on widespread voter frustration and low approval ratings for President Donald Trump, Democratic candidates captured crucial governorships in traditionally solid Republican strongholds, including Texas and Georgia, during Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The sweeping wave puts Democrats on track to hold a majority of U.S. governors’ offices for the first time in 20 years, providing a powerful institutional counterweight to the administration’s second-term agenda.
Out of 36 gubernatorial contests nationwide, Democrats broke through in several large-population and battleground states that Trump comfortably carried in 2024.
Historic milestones highlighted the night. In Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson, making history as the first Black woman ever elected governor in the United States.
Meanwhile, in Texas, Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa unseated three-term Republican Governor Greg Abbott, marking the first time a Democrat has won a statewide executive office in the Lone Star State since 1994.
Democrats also notched major victories in Ohio—where Amy Acton secured a win that ended long-standing GOP control—and in Iowa, where Rob Sand defeated Republican Zach Lahn.
The unexpected breadth of competitive races underscored the political drag of Trump’s weak approval ratings, despite active campaigning by the president in heavily Republican areas during the final weeks before Election Day. With expanded leadership at the state level, Democratic governors are expected to mount robust challenges to federal policies over issues such as National Guard troop deployments, immigration enforcement, federal aid conditions, and voting regulations.
Despite being significantly outspent by wealthy opponents and well-funded incumbents, candidates like Hinojosa capitalized on local momentum and strategic backing from groups like the Democratic Governors Association.
Reflecting the shifting political winds, even high-profile Republicans like Abbott notably skipped Trump’s local campaign rallies ahead of the vote.