Nine states elect first Black, Latino, and Native governors

Voters in nine states elected governors on Tuesday who represent historic firsts for their respective regions. The results mark a shift in demographic representation across the country's statehouses.

Keisha Lance Bottoms, a 56-year-old Democrat, won the governorship in Georgia. She becomes the first Black woman elected governor in any state. Her victory over Republican Rick Jackson also makes her the first Democrat to win the race in the state in more than two decades. Bottoms served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022 and later advised former President Joe Biden.

In New Mexico, Democrat Deb Haaland defeated Republican Gregg Hull. Haaland, who is of Pueblo Indian descent, becomes the first Native American woman governor. She previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as Interior secretary under the Biden administration.

Latino representation in top executive offices expanded with wins in California and Texas. Xavier Becerra, a former attorney general and member of Congress, defeated Steve Hilton in California. Becerra will be the first elected Latino governor of the state. In Texas, state representative Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Greg Abbott. Hinojosa is the first Latina governor of Texas and the first Democrat to hold the office in more than 30 years.

Florida and Wisconsin each elected their first Black governors. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly. Donalds, a member of Congress since 2021, campaigned on affordability and the conservative record of outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis. In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley defeated Republican Tom Tiffany. Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, credited his ability to work across the political aisle for the win.

Women broke through in three other states. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican senator, defeated Democrat Jerri Green to become the first woman governor of Tennessee. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, defeated Lisa Demuth to become the first woman governor of Minnesota. In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton defeated Vivek Ramaswamy. Acton becomes the first woman and first Jewish person elected governor of Ohio.

The Ohio race was marked by a final stretch of negative campaigning and a nationally criticized attack ad. Acton had served as the state’s chief public health officer during the pandemic. These nine victories conclude a cycle of midterm elections that saw multiple candidates shatter historical records in their states.