United States gubernatorial elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026, in 36 states and three territories. The previous gubernatorial elections for this group of states took place in 2022, except in New Hampshire and Vermont, where governors serve two-year terms and will elect their governors in 2024. Most, but not all of the elections have an incumbent who is officially term-limited.
Governor Kay Ivey was re-elected in 2022 with 67.4% of the vote. She will be term-limited by the Constitution of Alabama in 2026 and cannot seek re-election to a third consecutive full term.
GovernorKatie Hobbs was elected in 2022 with 50.3% of the vote. She is eligible to run for re-election but has not yet stated if she will do so. Starting with this next election cycle, pursuant to 2022 Proposition 131 amendment, gubernatorial candidates will be required to nominate a running mate for the newly established office of Lieutentant Governor of Arizona.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders was elected in 2022 with 63.1% of the vote. She is eligible to run for re-election but has not yet stated if she will do so.
Governor Ned Lamont was re-elected in 2022 with 56% of the vote. Because Connecticut does not have gubernatorial term limits in its Constitution, he is eligible to run for re-election to a third term. Lamont has not confirmed whether he will seek reelection.[12]
GovernorJosh Green was elected in 2022 with 63.2% of the vote. He is eligible to run for re-election but has not yet stated if he will do so.
Idaho
GovernorBrad Little was re-elected in 2022 with 60.5% of the vote. Because Idaho does not have gubernatorial term limits in its Constitution, he is eligible to run for re-election to a third term, but has not yet stated whether he will do so.
Illinois
GovernorJ. B. Pritzker was re-elected in 2022 with 54.9% of the vote. Because Illinois does not have gubernatorial term limits in its Constitution, he is eligible to run for re-election to a third term, but has not yet stated whether he will do so.
Potential Republican candidates include former state senator and 2022 gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey, former Cook County Republican Party chair Aaron Del Mar and Republican national committeeman Richard Porter.[25]
Iowa
GovernorKim Reynolds was re-elected in 2022 with 58.1% of the vote. Because Iowa does not have gubernatorial term limits in its Constitution, she is eligible to run for re-election to a third full term, but has not yet stated whether she will do so.
GovernorJanet Mills was re-elected in 2022 with 55.4% of the vote. She will be term limited by the Maine Constitution and cannot seek re-election to a third consecutive term.
GovernorTim Walz was re-elected in 2022 with 52.3% of the vote. Because Minnesota does not have gubernatorial term limits in its Constitution, he is eligible to run for re-election to a third term but has not yet stated whether he will do so. Historically, Minnesotan governors have not gone on to a third consecutive term, either opting not to run or being defeated.
Nebraska
Governor Jim Pillen was elected in 2022 with 59.7% of the vote. He is eligible to run for re-election, but has not yet stated if he will do so.
Nevada
Governor Joe Lombardo was elected in 2022 with 48.8% of the vote. He is eligible to run for re-election, but has not yet stated if he will do so.
New Hampshire
The incumbent governor will be determined in 2024, as New Hampshire elects their governors on a two-year cycle.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham was re-elected in 2022 with 52% of the vote. She will be term-limited by the New Mexico Constitution in 2026 and cannot seek re-election to a third consecutive term.
Governor Kathy Hochul took office in 2021 upon the resignation of Andrew Cuomo and was elected to a full term in 2022 with 53.2% of the vote. She is eligible to run for re-election to a second full term. On July 2, 2024, Hochul announced her intention to seek re-election.[31]
GovernorDan McKee took office in 2021 upon the resignation of Gina Raimondo and was elected to a full term in 2022 with 58.1% of the vote. Because McKee served less than two years of Raimondo's term, he is eligible to run for re-election to a second consecutive full term. However, he has not yet stated if he will do so.
U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson has been named as a potential Republican candidate while U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, who served as governor from 2003 to 2011, is also reportedly considering a candidacy,[45] with one poll showing a tie with Johnson in a potential Republican primary.[46]
GovernorGreg Abbott was re-elected in 2022 with 54.8% of the vote. Because Texas does not have gubernatorial term limits in its Constitution, he is eligible to run for re-election to a fourth term. On March 1, 2024, Abbott announced his intention to seek re-election.
GovernorTony Evers was re-elected in 2022 with 51.2% of the vote. Because Wisconsin does not have gubernatorial term limits in its Constitution, he is eligible to run for re-election to a third term, and has not ruled out doing so.[50]
David Crowley, the incumbent Milwaukee County executive, and Josh Kaul, the incumbent Wisconsin Attorney General, both Democrats, have been subject to speculation regarding a 2026 gubernatorial run.[51][52]
Former President Donald Trump has encouraged Republican state senator Bo Biteman to run for the position in 2026.[53]
Territories and federal district
District of Columbia
MayorMuriel Bowser was re-elected in 2022 with 74.6% of the vote. She is eligible to run for re-election to a fourth term, but has not yet stated whether she will do so.
Guam
GovernorLou Leon Guerrero was re-elected in 2022 with 55.5% of the vote. She will be term limited in 2026 and cannot seek re-election for a third consecutive term. Lieutenant Governor Josh Tenorio, a Democrat elected alongside Leon Guerrero, announced in 2023 that he would pursue the governorship in 2026.[54]
Northern Mariana Islands
GovernorArnold Palacios was elected in 2022 with 54.1% of the vote. He is eligible to run for re-election to a second term, but has not yet stated whether he will do so.
U.S. Virgin Islands
GovernorAlbert Bryan was re-elected in 2022 with 56.1% of the vote. He will be term limited in 2026 and cannot seek re-election for a third consecutive term.
Notes
^Ivey took office after her predecessor, Robert J. Bentley, resigned. She was subsequently elected in 2018.
^Reynolds took office after her predecessor, Terry Branstad, resigned. She was subsequently elected in 2018.
^Hochul took office after her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo, resigned. She was subsequently elected in 2022.
^McKee took office after his predecessor, Gina Raimondo, resigned. He was subsequently elected in 2022.
^McMaster took office after his predecessor, Nikki Haley, resigned. He was subsequently elected in 2018.
^Nobles, Wilborn; Bluestein, Greg. "Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms leaving White House job". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN1539-7459. Retrieved May 13, 2023. Asked about whether she could seek office again, perhaps in 2026 when the governor and other statewide jobs are on the ballot, Bottoms left her options open.