Democrats flipped five Republican-held governors’ offices in Tuesday’s midterm elections, delivering a series of stunning victories in states that President Donald Trump carried in 2024 and reshaping the political landscape ahead of the 2028 presidential race.
asserted
Trump → flip → race
The victories in Texas, Iowa, Georgia, Nevada, and Ohio give Democrats an advantage in the nationwide gubernatorial count for the first time in more than a decade.
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victories → give → decade
Republicans entered Election Day controlling 26 governorships to Democrats’ 24.
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Republicans → enter → 24
With two races still uncalled, Democrats have secured at least 28 governorships to Republicans’ 20.
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Democrats → secure → 20
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The victories also disrupted Republican control of state government in several traditionally red states, although the degree of legislative control Democrats will have varies by state.
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Democrats → disrupt → state
Texas
Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) in one of the cycle’s biggest upsets, ending more than three decades of Republican control of the Texas governor’s office.
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Hinojosa → defeat → office
The Associated Press called the race at 11:17 p.m. Tuesday.
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Press → call → Tuesday
Hinojosa received approximately 53.8% of the vote to Abbott’s 44.9%.
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Hinojosa → receive → %
Abbott conceded Tuesday night after seeking an unprecedented fourth term, acknowledging that the remaining votes would not be enough to overcome Hinojosa’s lead.
“It has been the joy of my life to have the opportunity to be the governor of the great state of Texas,” Abbott said.
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Abbott → concede → Texas
“There are still votes to be counted, but mathematically, we are not going to be able to win this election.”
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we → be → election
Hinojosa, an Austin state representative and former Austin school board president, will become Texas’s first Latina governor and its first Democratic governor since Ann Richards left office in 1995.
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Richards → become → 1995
“Here’s what Texas said today, loud and clear: Your government belongs to you,” Hinojosa said during her victory speech.
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Hinojosa → ’ → speech
“As your governor, I will never forget it.”
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I → forget → it
She campaigned on public education, affordability, and government accountability, while Abbott’s tenure was defined by conservative policies on immigration, abortion, education, and border security.
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tenure → campaign → immigration
Democrats also scored a major victory in the lieutenant governor’s race.
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Democrats → score → race
State Rep. Vikki Goodwin defeated Republican incumbent Dan Patrick, receiving 51.7% of the vote to Patrick’s 45.7%.
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Goodwin → defeat → %
The AP called that race at approximately 2 a.m. Wednesday.
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AP → call → a.m.
The lieutenant governor is particularly influential in Texas, presiding over the state Senate and wielding considerable power over its legislative agenda.
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governor → preside → agenda
Goodwin campaigned on increasing public school funding and teacher pay, expanding healthcare access and repealing the state’s abortion ban.
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Goodwin → campaign → ban
Democrats also made gains in statewide offices and legislative contests.
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Democrats → make → offices
The Texas House entered Election Day with an 88-62 Republican majority, with all 150 seats on the ballot.
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House → enter → ballot
Preliminary results showed Democrats making substantial gains, although several contests remained unresolved Wednesday morning.
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contests → show → gains
The state Senate also had 16 of its 31 seats up for election.
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Senate → have → election
Iowa
Democrat Rob Sand became Iowa’s next governor, overcoming Republican Zach Lahn and breaking the Republican Party’s decadelong control of state government.
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Sand → become → government
The Associated Press called the race at 11:12 p.m. Tuesday.
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Press → call → 11:12
Sand, the state’s auditor and its only Democrat holding statewide office before the election, substantially outperformed then-Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 showing in a state Trump carried by more than 13 percentage points.
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Trump → hold → points
Sand campaigned as a centrist, frequently emphasizing his independence from the Democratic Party and arguing that Iowa needed a check on Republican power.
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Iowa → campaign → power
“We do live in a broken, two-choice political system where it requires real listening to learn that a candidate that is in the other party doesn’t see you as the enemy,” Sand said during his victory speech.
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Sand → live → speech
“You listened.”
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You → listen → ?
Sand’s victory came alongside another major Democratic breakthrough: Josh Turek defeated Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) to win Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat, marking the first Democratic Senate victory in the state since 2008.
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Turek → come → 2008
Republicans, however, retained control of both chambers of the Iowa Legislature, although Democrats made gains.
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Democrats → retain → gains
Before the election, Republicans held a 66-33 majority in the state House and a 32-17 advantage in the Senate, with one vacancy.
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Republicans → hold → vacancy
Preliminary results showed Democrats narrowing those margins without securing legislative control.
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Democrats → show → control
In the Peach State, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won against Republican businessman Rick Jackson to become Georgia’s next governor, flipping the office after eight years under the leadership of Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R-GA), who had reached his term limit.
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who → win → limit
The last Democrat elected to the governorship was Roy Barnes in 1999.
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Democrat → elect → 1999
The race was called Tuesday night as Bottoms maintained a substantial advantage in the Atlanta metropolitan area and its suburbs.
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Bottoms → call → area
She defeated Jackson by approximately 54.3% to 45.7%.
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She → defeat → %
Jackson conceded Wednesday morning, congratulating the Democratic governor-elect and acknowledging the voters’ decision.
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Jackson → concede → decision
“Tonight the voters spoke, and I respect their decision,” Jackson said.
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Jackson → speak → decision
“This was a hard-fought election.
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This → fight → ?
…and 19 more, not listed.
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