Democrats won a majority of governor's offices for the first time in 16 years, according to unofficial results from The Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ. The results show Democrats flipped governorships in Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas, and defended races in Maine, Michigan and Wisconsin. As of 10 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday, Democrats were set to hold 28 governor's offices and Republicans 20. Races in Alaska and Kansas had not yet been called.
Voters also elected four Black governors, a record number, including the first Black woman and the first Black Republican elected governor, the reports said.
Political science professor Mark Jones of Rice University in Houston said high prices and growing disapproval of President Donald Trump contributed to the results. Jones said Democrats also won the Texas attorney general and lieutenant governor races for the first time in decades and flipped the Texas House. He said the key question is what Democrats will do with their new power and whether they can keep it.