Fast Facts About America’s Governors

Overview

Eleven states held gubernatorial elections in 2024. While there was not much activity in terms of party—in fact, no states changed party in this election cycle—there were eight open seats, so there will be eight new governors in 2025. The three incumbents running–Greg Gianforte (R-MT); Spencer Cox (R-UT); and Phil Scott (R-VT) all won reelection.

Only two states will elect governors in 2025, but both are open seats. Both New Jersey incumbent Governor Phil Murphy (D) and Virginia incumbent Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) are term-limited.

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

 

Party

27 Republicans
23 Democrats

The party makeup of America’s governors did not change in 2025. In each of the 11 races, the party that held the governor’s seat maintained it. 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   15   5 3 23
Republican     3 22 1**   26*
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

 

Gender

In the 2022 election cycle, eight women–Kay Ivey (AL); Kim Reynolds (IA); Laura Kelly (KS); Janet Mills (ME); Gretchen Whitmer (MI); Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM); Kathy Hochul (NY); and Kristi Noem (SD)–successfully ran for reelection, while four women–Katie Hobbs (AZ); Sarah Huckabee Sanders (AR); Maura Healey (MA); and Tina Kotek (OR)–won first terms as governor. As a result, a record 12 women served as governors of U.S. states from 2023-2025. In 2024, Kelly Ayotte (NH) won election, bringing the number of women governors to a new record of 13; however, two weeks after Ayotte was inaugurated, Governor Kristi Noem (SD) officially resigned as governor to become U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.

As a result, 12 women are currently serving as governors of U.S. states. Eight are Democrats (Hobbs, Kelly, Healey, Mills, Whitmer, Lujan Grisham, Hochul, 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

19 Catholic
6 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

Six governors have served in the Armed Forces.

44 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)
1 Navy (Ron DeSantis, FL)

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: 59.04

Youngest (current age): 42 (Sarah Huckabee Sanders, R-AR; born on August 13, 1982)

Oldest (current age): 80 (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
10 have 3 children
11 have 4 children
2 have 5 children
1 has 6 children
1 has 8 children

Average 2.74 children

 

 

Education

35 Advanced degree
49 Bachelors degree

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

1 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (Scott Pillen, NE)

11 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; Josh Stein, NC – Public Policy; Tina Kotek, OR – International Studies and Comparative Religion; Daniel McKee, RI – Public Administration; Tony Evers, WI – Educational Administration)

4 Masters in Business (MBA) (Ned Lamont, CT; Mike Braun, IN; Phil Murphy, NJ; Glenn Youngkin, VA)

20 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. For a more extensive look at the prior experience of governors, see the 2023 Governors’ Previous Experience Chart. 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
11 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

 

8 no prior elective office

2 of the 8 previously held non-elected government or political offices (Sarah Huckabee Sanders, R-AR (White House Press Secretary); Phil Murphy, D-NJ (U.S. Ambassador to Germany))

7 of the 8 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; Glenn Youngkin, VA)*

*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

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

 

 

Looking Ahead to 2025

Only two states will hold gubernatorial elections in 2025, but both should be interesting. In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy (D) is finishing his second consecutive term as governor and is thus term-limited. In Virginia, governors are limited to one term, so Glenn Youngkin (R) is also barred from seeking reelection. Both will therefore be open seats.