2018 Governor's Chairs by State

The Green Papers: 2018 General Election

2018 Governor's Chairs
by State

36 Governor's Chairs up for election in 2018

36 Elected

14 Governor's Chairs not up for election in 2018

19 Open Governor's Chairs (voluntary retirement, seeking other political office, term limits)

19 Incumbents renominated by same party

1 Incumbent lost primary - no longer a candidate for this office

1 Republican

262 Candidates seeking a Governor's Chair (Candidates may run under the banner of multiple parties. Hence, the number of parties may be greater than the number of candidates.)

This is a list of the current Governors' chairs, the incumbents occupying them, and the candidacy status of said incumbents. Chairs up for election in the year 2018 are marked as such.

There have been 0 deaths, 0 resignations, and 0 changes of party affiliation in 2018.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Gubernatorial Links



California 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

Open		Democratic	Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr. • First elected: 2010 (Governor Brown served 2 terms as Governor-- from 1975 through 1983); re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair
			Open Chair (no incumbent)
		Democratic	7,721,410	61.95%	Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom • On General Election ballot 11 February 2015: Announced his candidacy for Governor in 2018.
		Republican	4,742,825	38.05%	John H. Cox • On General Election ballot
Total			12,464,235	100.00%

Colorado 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

Open		Democratic	Governor John W. Hickenlooper • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair
			Open Chair (no incumbent)

		Democratic	1,348,888	53.42%	Congressman Jared Polis • for Lieutenant Governor: former state Representative Dianne Primavera • Congressional District 2. 11 June 2017: Candidate for Governor in 2018.

		Republican	1,080,801	42.80%	Treasurer Walker Stapleton • for Lieutenant Governor: state Representative Lang Sias (R)

		Libertarian	69,519	2.75%	Scott Helker • for Lieutenant Governor: Michelle Poague

		Unity	25,854	1.02%	William "Bill" Hammons • for Lieutenant Governor: Eric Bodenstab
Total			2,525,062	100.00%

Connecticut 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

Open		Democratic	Governor Dannel P. "Dan" Malloy • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • Open Chair - 13 April 2017: Will not run for re-election in 2018.
			Open Chair (no incumbent)

		Democratic; Working Families	694,510	49.37%	former Greenwich Selectman Edward "Ned" Lamont • for Lieutenant Governor: former Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz

		Republican; Independent Party of Connecticut	650,138	46.21%	Robert "Bob" Stefanowski • for Lieutenant Governor: state Senator Joseph "Joe" Markley

		Griebel Frank for CT	54,741	3.89%	Richard "Oz" Griebel • for Lieutenant Governor: Monte Frank

		Libertarian	6,086	0.43%	Rodney "Rod" Hanscomb • for Lieutenant Governor: Jeffrey "Jeff" Thibeault

		Write-in	1,254	0.09%	Mark Stewart Greenstein • for Lieutenant Governor: John Demitrus
		Write-in	74	0.01%	Lee Whitnum • for Lieutenant Governor: Jacey Wyatt
Total			1,406,803	100.00%

Hawaii 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

		Democratic	Governor David Yutaka Ige • Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018 • First elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Renominated

		Democratic	244,934	61.44%	Governor David Yutaka Ige • for Lieutenant Governor: state Senator Joshua B. "Josh" Green

		Republican	131,719	33.04%	state Representative Andria P.L. Tupola • for Lieutenant Governor: Marissa Dipasupil Kerns

		Green	10,123	2.54%	James R. "Jim" Brewer, Jr. • for Lieutenant Governor: Renee B. Ing

		Scattering	7,165	1.80%	Blank Votes

		Nonpartisan	4,067	1.02%	Terrence K. Teruya • for Lieutenant Governor: Paul F. Robotti

		Scattering	649	0.16%	Over Votes
Total			398,657	100.00%

Minnesota 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

Open		Democratic	Governor Mark Dayton • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • Open Chair - 21 November 2016: Retiring at the end of his term.
			Open Chair (no incumbent)

		Democratic-Farmer Labor	1,393,096	53.84%	Congressman Timothy J. "Tim" Walz • for Lieutenant Governor: state Representative Peggy Flanagan • CD 1. 27 March 2017: Candidate for Governor

		Republican	1,097,705	42.43%	Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson • for Lieutenant Governor: Donna Bergstrom

		Grassroots - Legalize Cannabis	68,667	2.65%	Thomas Christopher "Chris" Wright • for Lieutenant Governor: Judith Schwartzbacker • Grassroots - Legalize Cannabis

		Libertarian	26,735	1.03%	Josh Welter • for Lieutenant Governor: Mary O'Connor

		Scattering	1,084	0.04%	WRITE-IN

		Write-in; (Socialist Workers Party)			Jacquie Henderson
		Write-in; (Republican)			Jeffrey Wharton • 7 May 2018: "I may have officially left the race but I will be submitting as a write in candidate ...."
Total			2,587,287	100.00%

New York 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

		Democratic	Governor Andrew M. Cuomo • Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018 • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • Renominated

		Democratic; Independence; Women's Equality; Working Families	3,635,340	58.34%	Governor Andrew M. Cuomo • for Lieutenant Governor: Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Courtney "Kathy" Hochul

		Republican; Reform; Conservative	2,207,602	35.43%	Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. "Marc" Molinaro • for Lieutenant Governor: former Rye City Council Member Julie Killian • 4 January 2018: "... I will not be a Republican candidate for governor ...." 2 March 2018: Re-entered.

		Scattering	122,040	1.96%	Blank

		Green	103,946	1.67%	Howie Hawkins • for Lieutenant Governor: Jia Lee

		Libertarian	95,033	1.53%	Larry Sharpe • for Lieutenant Governor: Andrew C. Hollister

		Serve America Movement; (Democratic)	55,441	0.89%	former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner • for Lieutenant Governor: Pelham Mayor Michael J. Volpe

		Scattering	7,115	0.11%	Scattering
		Scattering	4,442	0.07%	Void
Total			6,230,959	100.00%

Oregon 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 3-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

		Democratic	Governor Kate Brown • Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018 • Ascended to the Governor's chair 18 February 2015 re: resignation of John A. Kitzhaber (Democratic); first elected in a Special Election: 2016. • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Renominated

		Democratic; Working Families	934,498	50.05%	Governor Kate Brown

		Republican	814,988	43.65%	state Representative Knute Buehler

		Independent Party of Oregon	53,392	2.86%	former McKenzie School Board Member Patrick E. Starnes • 30 October 2018: Asked voters to vote for Governor Kate Brown (Democratic).

		Libertarian	28,927	1.55%	Nicholas J. "Nick" Chen

		Constitution	21,145	1.13%	Aaron D. Auer

		Progressive	11,013	0.59%	Christopher K. "Chris" Henry

		Scattering	3,034	0.16%	Misc.
Total			1,866,997	100.00%

Pennsylvania 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

		Democratic	Governor Thomas W. "Tom" Wolf • Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018 • First elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Renominated

		Democratic	2,895,652	57.77%	Governor Thomas W. "Tom" Wolf • for Lieutenant Governor: Braddock Mayor John K. Fetterman

		Republican	2,039,882	40.70%	former state Senator Scott R. Wagner • for Lieutenant Governor: Jeffrey A. "Jeff" Bartos

		Libertarian	49,229	0.98%	Ken V. Krawchuk • for Lieutenant Governor: former Canon-McMillan School Board Member Kathleen "Kathy" Smith

		Green	27,792	0.55%	Paul Glover • for Lieutenant Governor: Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick
	24 February 2016: Governor Thomas W. "Tom" Wolf Announced that he has prostate cancer which was detected early and is treatable.
Total			5,012,555	100.00%

Rhode Island 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

		Democratic	Governor Gina Marie Raimondo • Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018 • First elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Renominated

		Democratic	198,122	52.64%	Governor Gina Marie Raimondo

		Republican	139,932	37.18%	Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung

		Independent	16,532	4.39%	former state Representative Joseph A. "Joe" Trillo • 2016 Honorary Rhode Island campaign chair for Donald Trump

		Moderate	10,155	2.70%	William H. "Bill" Gilbert

		Independent	6,223	1.65%	Luis-Daniel Muñoz

		Compassion	4,191	1.11%	Anne Armstrong • 4 October 2018: Arrested and charged with possession with the intent to deliver.

		Scattering	1,246	0.33%	WRITE-IN
Total			376,401	100.00%

Political Parties Parties appear in parenthesis and italics when a candidate receives the endorsement of a given Party and/or official sources indicate a candidate's association with a particular Party but only where the Party in question does not appear on the actual ballot as such.

Major Parties
	• Democratic
	• Democratic-Farmer Labor
	• Republican
Major Third Parties
	• Constitution
	• Green
	• Libertarian
	• Reform
	• Wisconsin Green
Other Third Parties
	• Clear Water Party of Iowa
	• Compassion
	• Conservative
	• Earth Rights
	• Grassroots - Legalize Cannabis
	• Griebel Frank for CT
	• Humanitarian
	• Independence
	• Independent American
	• Independent Party of Connecticut
	• Independent Party of Oregon
	• Liberty Union
	• Marijuana
	• Moderate
	• Natural Law
	• Progressive
	• Republican Takeover
	• Serve America Movement
	• Socialist Workers Party
	• U.S. Taxpayers
	• Unity
	• Women's Equality
	• Working Families
Independents
	• Independent
	• No Affiliation
	• No Party Affiliation
	• No Political Party
	• None
	• Nonpartisan
	• Petition
	• The Wisconsin Party
	• Unenrolled
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable
	• None of these candidates
	• Not readily classifiable
	• Scattering
	• Write-in

Notes

Candidates for office appear on this page in italics where 'The Green Papers' does not yet have independent confirmation from a legal election authority that the person has been officially certified to appear on the ballot.