Navigate this page

Fast Facts About America’s Governors

Overview

Only two states elected governors in 2025, but both were notable races as both were open seats. In Virginia, former U.S. House member Abigail Spanberger (D) defeated then Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears (R) to flip the seat for the Democrats. The race in New Jersey also went for the Democrats (this time holding the seat) as U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill (D) beat Jack Ciattarelli.

Governors races will be much busier in 2026, as 36 states will hold gubernatorial races in this midterm year. That should lead to a significant amount of turnover, especially because at least half of the races will be open races, with the incumbent either term-limited or retiring.

Below are some fast facts about the nation’s current 50 governors.

 

Party

26 Republicans
24 Democrats

Democrats picked up one gubernatorial seat in 2025, in Virginia. They defended the seat in New Jersey. Republicans still lead in total number of governorships, 26-24. There are currently no Independent or third party governors in the U.S.

 

 

Partisan Control of Government

State Legislature
Governor      Democratic   Republican    Divided Total
  Democratic   16   5 3*** 24
Republican     2 22 1**   25*
Total:   18 27 4**   49*
  * Nebraska has a unicameral, legally non-partisan legislature

** In Alaska, Republicans have a majority in the House of Representatives, but a coalition of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans have gained effective control

*** Minnesota has a Democratic governor and a Democratic Senate, but the House is currently an even split.

 

Gender

While there were only two races in 2025, women won both: Mikie Sherrill (D) in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger (D) in Virginia. They join Kay Ivey (AL); Katie Hobbs (AZ); Sarah Huckabee Sanders (AR); Kim Reynolds (IA); Laura Kelly (KS); Maura Healey (MA); Janet Mills (ME); Gretchen Whitmer (MI); Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM); Kelly Ayotte (NH); Kathy Hochul (NY); and Tina Kotek (OR) to bring the number of women governors currently serving to a record of 14.

Of the 14 women currently serving as governors of U.S. states, ten are Democrats (Hobbs, Kelly, Healey, Mills, Whitmer, Lujan Grisham, Hochul, Sherrill, Spanberger, and Kotek) and four are Republicans (Ivey, Huckabee Sanders, Reynolds, and Ayotte). Healey and Kotek are also the first openly lesbian governors in U.S. history.

For information about all women governors in the nation’s history, please view the Center on American Women and Politics fact sheet on women governors here.

 

 

Race

Forty-seven of the nation’s governors are non-Hispanic white. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) is Hispanic–the first Democratic Hispanic woman to be elected governor in U.S. history. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) is a member of the Cherokee Nation. In 2022, Wes Moore (D-MD) became the third Black man elected governor in U.S. history and is now the only currently serving Black governor.

 

 

Religion

20 Catholic
5 No religion listed*
5 Christian
5 Jewish
3 Protestant
3 Baptist
2 Methodist
2 Episcopalian
2 Lutheran
1 Evangelical
1 Mormon
1 Presbyterian

*Note: Governors who have not declared a specific religious denomination have been categorized as “no religion listed.” This does not necessarily indicate that they are agnostic or atheist.

 

Military Service

Seven governors have served in the Armed Forces.

43 No military service
3 Army (Wes Moore, MD; Joe Lombardo, NV; Henry McMaster, SC (Army Reserve))
2 National Guard (Jeff Landry, LA; Tim Walz, MN)
2 Navy (Ron DeSantis, FL; Mikie Sherrill, NJ)

Note: Matt Meyer (DE) did not serve in the military, but did serve as a diplomat for the State Department embedded in the U.S. Army in Iraq.

Age

(age at most recent inauguration/swearing in)

Average: 58.66

Youngest (current age): 43 (Sarah Huckabee Sanders, R-AR; born on August 13, 1982)

Oldest (current age): 81 (Kay Ivey, R-AL; born on October 15, 1944)

 

 

Marital Status

45 currently married
5 not currently married

 

 

Children

3 have no children
5 have 1 child
17 have 2 children
11 have 3 children
10 have 4 children
2 have 5 children
1 has 6 children
1 has 8 children

Average 2.72 children

 

 

Education

35 Advanced degree
49 Bachelors degree

1 Doctorate (Ph.D.) (Tony Evers, WI – Educational Administration)

1 Medical Degre (MD)  (Josh Green, HI)

1 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (Scott Pillen, NE)

12 Masters degree (MA/MS) (Mike Dunleavey, AK – Education; Katie Hobbs, AZ – Social Work; Laura Kelly, KS – Therapeutic Recreation; Wes Moore, MD – International Relations (Rhodes Scholar); Tim Walz, MN – Education; Greg Gianforte, MT – Computer Science; Joe Lombardo, NV – Crisis Management; Mikie Sherrill, NJ – International and World History; Josh Stein, NC – Public Policy; Tina Kotek, OR – International Studies and Comparative Religion; Daniel McKee, RI – Public Administration; Tony Evers, WI – Educational Administration)

3 Masters in Business (MBA) (Ned Lamont, CT; Mike Braun, IN; Abigail Spanberger, VA)

21 Law degree (JD)

 

 

Previous Elected Experience

The nation’s governors bring a variety of past professional experiences with them into the office. Many have served in the legislative branch of state and federal government, as well as in a variety of executive positions.

The number of governors who have served in selected offices is below. Some governors are counted in more than one category, as they have served in more than one office.

9 in the lower chamber of their state government
13 in the upper chamber of their state government
13 in the United States House of Representatives
3 in the United States Senate (Ohio, Indiana, New Hampshire)

13 lieutenant governor
12 state attorney general
3 state treasurer
2 state secretary of state
1 state Supreme Court Justice

 

6 no prior elective office

1 of the 7 previously held non-elected government or political offices (Sarah Huckabee Sanders, R-AR (White House Press Secretary))

5 of the 6 did not hold a governmental or political office before becoming governor (J.B. Pritzker, D-IL; Wes Moore, D-MD; Jim Pillen, R-NE; Kevin Stitt, R-OK; Bill Lee, R-TN)*

*Note: Pritzker previously ran for the U.S. House of Representatives and founded Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century and was involved in Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. Pillen was on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

 

 

Place of Birth

18 not born in the state they now lead
1 born outside the United States (Joe Lombardo, R-NV; born in Japan)