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State executive official elections, 2024
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State executive offices up for election in 2024 include 11 gubernatorial seats, nine lieutenant gubernatorial seats, 10 attorney general seats, and seven secretary of state seats. Including down-ballot races, there are 164 state executive seats up for election across 29 states in 2024.[1]
State executives act in many capacities according to the powers granted to them by their state's constitution. They are also charged with implementing and enforcing laws made by state legislatures. There are 748 executive offices spread across 13 distinct types of offices in the United States.[2] Of the 13 executive offices, only seven exist in all 50 states: governor, attorney general, superintendent of schools, insurance commissioner, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner, and public service commissioner.
Other common offices include lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, controller, auditor, and natural resources commissioner.
In 2022, 307 state executive offices were up for election across 44 states. Twenty offices changed party control, including two previously held Republican lieutenant governorships that changed parties because the governor and lieutenant governor ran on a joint ticket. Of the 18 offices which changed partisan control due to direct election, 10 switched from Democrat to Republican, seven switched from Republican to Democrat, and one nonpartisan official was succeeded by a Republican. A total of 26 incumbents seeking re-election to state executive offices were defeated, with 10 of those losing in the general election and 16 losing in their party's primary or nominating convention.
In 2020, 171 state executive offices were up for election across 29 states. Twenty-one offices changed partisan control. Republicans gained a net four offices and Democrats lost a net three. Twelve offices flipped from Democratic to Republican control, eight flipped from Republican to Democratic control, and one flipped from minor-party to Democratic control. Fifteen incumbents seeking re-election to state executive offices were defeated, with 12 of those losing in the general election and three losing in their party's primary or nominating convention.
While this page includes links to pages on state executive elections in the U.S. Territories, it does not include the territories in its statistics.
Offices up for election
Governor
There are 11 gubernatorial seats up for election in 2024.
Out of all top state executive offices, only the governor and attorney general exist in all 50 states, and only the governor is elected in all 50 states. As the chief executive officer, the governor is among the most powerful figures in state government. Other executive offices ordinarily report to him or her.
- American Samoa
- Delaware
- Indiana
- Missouri
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Puerto Rico
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia
Lieutenant Governor
There are nine lieutenant gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2024.
In 45 states, the lieutenant governor is the second-highest executive office, behind the governor. Although the powers and duties of the lieutenant governor vary from state to state, lieutenant governors are responsible for filling vacancies in the office of governor. In many states, lieutenant governors often sit on boards or commissions, and they are often involved in the proceedings of the state Senate.
- American Samoa
- Delaware
- Indiana
- Missouri
- Montana
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
Attorney General
There are 10 attorney general seats on the ballot in 2024.
As the state's chief legal officer, the attorney general is responsible for enforcing state law and advising the state government on legal matters. In many states, attorneys general play a large role in the law enforcement process.
Secretary of State
There are seven secretary of state seats on the ballot in 2024.
Although the duties and powers of the secretary of state vary from state to state, a common responsibility is management and oversight of elections and voter rolls, which are assigned to the secretary of state in 41 states. Other common responsibilities include registration of businesses, maintenance of state records, and certification of official documents.
Down-ballot
There are 127 down-ballot state executive seats up for election in 2024.
Auditor
Commissioners
Agriculture Commissioner
Insurance Commissioner
Public Service Commissioner
Other commissioners
- Arizona (corporation)
- Guam (utilities)
- North Carolina (labor)
- Oklahoma (corporation)
- South Dakota (public utilities)
- Texas (railroad)
- Washington (natural resources)
Education officials
Board of Education
- Alabama
- Colorado
- Guam
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Ohio
- Texas
- Utah
- U.S. Virgin Islands
Board of Regents
Superintendent
Other education officials
Treasurer
- Arkansas
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia
Other officials
- Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees
- Massachusetts Governor's Council
- New Hampshire Executive Council
- U.S. Virgin Islands Board of Elections
List of candidates
The table below contains a list of all candidates for a top-ballot office in 2024. The table is fully searchable by candidate, party and candidacy status. Depending on the size of your screen, you'll either see a menu to the left of the table or an arrow at the top right corner, which you can use to select a state.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot General | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Libertarian | Lost Convention | ||
Independent | Candidacy Declared General | ||
Libertarian | Candidacy Declared General | ||
Democratic | Disqualified Primary | ||
Democratic | Withdrew Primary | ||
Libertarian | On the Ballot General | ||
Libertarian | Lost Convention | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Convention |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Candidacy Declared Convention | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Convention | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Convention | ||
Democratic | Withdrew Convention |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Independent | Candidacy Declared General | ||
Libertarian | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Libertarian | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Libertarian | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Withdrew Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Libertarian | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Libertarian | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Libertarian | On the Ballot Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Libertarian | On the Ballot Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot General | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot General | ||
Green | On the Ballot General | ||
Libertarian | On the Ballot General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Libertarian | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot General | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot General | ||
Libertarian | On the Ballot General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary Runoff | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Withdrew General | ||
Libertarian | Withdrew General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot General | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Democratic | Withdrew Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | On the Ballot General | ||
Republican | On the Ballot General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Independent | Candidacy Declared General | ||
Democratic | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot General | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
New Progressive Party | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Citizen's Victory Movement | On the Ballot General | ||
Independent | On the Ballot General | ||
Independent | On the Ballot General | ||
Independent | On the Ballot General | ||
New Progressive Party | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Popular Democratic Party | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Popular Democratic Party | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Project Dignity | On the Ballot General | ||
Puerto Rican Independence Party | On the Ballot General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot General | ||
Independent American Party | On the Ballot Convention | ||
Libertarian | On the Ballot Convention | ||
Republican | Lost Round 2 | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Independent | Candidacy Declared (Write-in) General | ||
Unaffiliated | Candidacy Declared General | ||
No candidates available for this race |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot General | ||
Libertarian | On the Ballot Convention | ||
United Utah Party | On the Ballot Convention | ||
Republican | Advanced Round 1 | ||
Republican | Lost Round 1 | ||
Democratic | Lost Convention | ||
Unaffiliated | Candidacy Declared General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Green | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Independence Party | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Independent | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Independent | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Independent | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Libertarian | On the Ballot Primary | ||
No party preference | On the Ballot Primary | ||
No party preference | On the Ballot Primary | ||
No party preference | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Nonsense Busters Party | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Standup-America Party | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Trump Republican Party | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Constitution Party | Withdrew Primary | ||
Constitution Party | Withdrew Primary | ||
Democratic | Withdrew Primary | ||
Democratic | Withdrew Primary | ||
Democratic | Withdrew Primary | ||
Democratic | Withdrew Primary | ||
No party preference | Withdrew Primary | ||
No party preference | Withdrew Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Liberal Republican Party | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
No Labels Party | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot General | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot General | ||
Mountain Party | On the Ballot General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Libertarian | Candidacy Declared General | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot General | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Withdrew Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot General | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Total executive officials by party
Of the 161 state executive positions up for election in 2024, 85 are held by Republicans, 50 are held by Democrats, and 26 are held by officeholders unafilliated with either party.
The chart below shows a breakdown of partisan control by office type.
Trifectas
- See also: State government trifectas
State government trifecta is a term to describe single-party government, when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.
As of May 20, 2024, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 17 Democratic trifectas, and 10 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.
Triplexes
- See also: State government triplexes
A state government triplex is a term used to describe when a state's governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same party.
As of May 20, 2024, there are 25 Republican triplexes, 20 Democratic triplexes, and 5 divided governments where neither party holds triplex control.
Important dates and deadlines
The following table details 2024 statewide filing deadlines and primary dates. The signature filing deadline is the date by which candidates must file nominating signatures with election officials in order to have their name placed on the ballot.
| Primary dates and filing deadlines, 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Primary date | Primary runoff date | Filing deadline for primary candidates | Source |
| Alabama | 3/5/2024 | 4/16/2024 | 11/10/2023 | Source |
| Alaska | 8/20/2024 | N/A | 6/1/2024 | Source |
| Arizona | 7/30/2024 | N/A | 4/1/2024 | Source |
| Arkansas | 3/5/2024 | 4/2/2024 | 11/14/2023 | Source |
| California | 3/5/2024 | N/A | 12/8/2023 | Source |
| Colorado | 6/25/2024 | N/A | 3/19/2024 | Source |
| Connecticut | 8/13/2024 | N/A | 6/11/2024 | Source |
| Delaware | 9/10/2024 | N/A | 7/9/2024 | Source |
| Florida | 8/20/2024 | N/A | 4/26/2024[3] | Source |
| Georgia | 5/21/2024 | 6/18/2024 | 3/8/2024 | Source |
| Hawaii | 8/10/2024 | N/A | 6/4/2024 | Source |
| Idaho | 5/21/2024 | N/A | 3/15/2024 | Source |
| Illinois | 3/19/2024 | N/A | 12/4/2023 | Source |
| Indiana | 5/7/2024 | N/A | 2/9/2024 | Source |
| Iowa | 6/4/2024 | N/A | 3/15/2024[4] | Source |
| Kansas | 8/6/2024 | N/A | 6/3/2024 | Source |
| Kentucky | 5/21/2024 | N/A | 1/5/2024 | Source |
| Louisiana | 11/5/2024 | N/A | 7/19/2024 | Source |
| Maine | 6/11/2024 | N/A | 3/15/2024 | Source |
| Maryland | 5/14/2024 | N/A | 2/9/2024 | Source |
| Massachusetts | 9/3/2024 | N/A | 5/7/2024 | Source |
| Michigan | 8/6/2024 | N/A | 4/23/2024 | Source |
| Minnesota | 8/13/2024 | N/A | 6/4/2024 | Source |
| Mississippi | 3/12/2024 | 4/2/2024 | 1/12/2024 | Source |
| Missouri | 8/6/2024 | N/A | 3/26/2024 | Source |
| Montana | 6/4/2024 | N/A | 3/11/2024 | Source |
| Nebraska | 5/14/2024 | N/A | 3/1/2024[5] | Source |
| Nevada | 6/11/2024 | N/A | 3/15/2024[6] | Source |
| New Hampshire | 9/10/2024 | N/A | 6/14/2024 | Source |
| New Jersey | 6/4/2024 | N/A | 3/25/2024 | Source |
| New Mexico | 6/4/2024 | N/A | 2/6/2024[7] | Source |
| New York | 6/25/2024 | N/A | 4/4/2024 | Source |
| North Carolina | 3/5/2024 | 5/14/2024 | 12/15/2023 | Source |
| North Dakota | 6/11/2024 | N/A | 4/8/2024 | Source |
| Ohio | 3/19/2024 | N/A | 12/20/2023 | Source |
| Oklahoma | 6/18/2024 | 8/27/2024 | 4/5/2024 | Source |
| Oregon | 5/21/2024 | N/A | 3/12/2024 | Source |
| Pennsylvania | 4/23/2024 | N/A | 2/13/2024 | Source |
| Rhode Island | 9/10/2024 | N/A | 6/26/2024 | Source |
| South Carolina | 6/11/2024 | 6/25/2024 | 4/1/2024 | Source |
| South Dakota | 6/4/2024 | 7/30/2024 | 3/26/2024 | Source |
| Tennessee | 8/1/2024 | N/A | 4/4/2024 | Source |
| Texas | 3/5/2024 | 5/28/2024 | 12/11/2023 | Source |
| Utah | 6/25/2024 | N/A | 1/8/2024 | Source |
| Vermont | 8/13/2024 | N/A | 5/30/2024 | Source |
| Virginia[8] | 6/18/2024 | N/A | 4/4/2024 | Source |
| Washington | 8/6/2024 | N/A | 5/10/2024 | Source |
| West Virginia | 5/14/2024 | N/A | 1/27/2024 | Source |
| Wisconsin | 8/13/2024 | N/A | 6/3/2024 | Source |
| Wyoming | 8/20/2024 | N/A | 5/31/2024 | Source |
Historical election data
Ballotpedia covers America's 748 state executive seats across all 50 states. The following sections look at incumbency and partisanship in state executive elections from 2011 to 2023.
Incumbency
From 2011 to 2023, 64.3% of incumbents sought re-election. Of the incumbents who sought re-election during that period, 86.5% were successful. The first chart below shows the number of incumbents who sought election each year compared to the number of seats up for election. The second chart shows the number of incumbents who were re-elected compared to the number of incumbents who ran for re-election.
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|
|
The table below is organized by year and includes the total number of offices up for election, the number and percentage of incumbents who sought re-election, and the number and percentage of incumbents who won another term.
| State executive incumbents who sought re-election, 2011-2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Incumbents who sought re-election |
% incumbents who sought re-election |
Incumbents who were re-elected |
% incumbents who were re-elected |
Partisanship
The table below details how many state executive seats changed parties from 2011 to 2023. The largest single-year gain by a party was in 2018, when Democrats gained 41 net seats. That year also had the highest number of seats up for election, with 303. The lowest net change was in 2011, when no parties gained or lost any seats. Twenty-six seats were on the ballot that year. The table is organized by year and shows the number of seats held by each party before the election and after the election and the net change each party saw.
| State executive partisanship, 2011-2023 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Before election | After election | Net change | ||||||
Democrats |
Republicans |
Other |
Democrats |
Republicans |
Other |
Democrats |
Republicans |
Other | ||
Partisan control of governorships
The chart below looks at the number of governorships held by the Democratic and Republican parties between 1977 and 2023. The biggest difference between the number of seats held by Democrats compared to those held by Republicans was in 1977 and 1978, when Democrats held 37 seats and Republicans held 12. The lowest difference between the number of seats held by Democrats compared to those held by Republicans was in 1987, 2003, and 2019. In 1987, Democrats held 26 governorships and Republicans held 24; in both 2003 and 2019, Democrats held 24 governorships and Republicans held 26. Republicans gained one governorship in both the 2020 and 2021 elections. Democrats gained two net governorships in 2022. Republicans gained one net governorship in 2023.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia describes the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state as top-ballot state executive offices. Down-ballot state executive offices that exist in all 50 states include superintendent of schools, insurance commissioner, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner, and public service commissioner. Examples of other down-ballot state executive offices include treasurer, auditor, and comptroller.
- ↑ There are 13 state executive offices as Ballotpedia defines the term, however there are other executive offices in some states that are not covered by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ This deadline was for the following offices: U.S. Congress, state attorney, public defender, state supreme court, district appeals court, circuit court. The filing deadline for state senator, state representative, county office, and special districts was 6/14/2024.
- ↑ This deadline was for U.S. Congress and state offices. The filing deadline for county offices was 3/22/2024.
- ↑ This filing deadline is for non-incumbents. Incumbents must file by 2/15/2024.
- ↑ This filing deadline is for non-judicial candidates. The filing deadline for judicial candidates was 1/12/2024.
- ↑ This deadline was for candidates seeking pre-primary designation. The filing deadline for all other candidates was 3/12/2024.
- ↑ In Virginia, the Democratic and Republican parties form committees to decide on the method of nomination used for congressional races. These non-primary methods of nomination may take place on a date other than the statewide primary.
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