2016 Governor's Chairs by State

The Green Papers: 2016 General Election

2016 Governor's Chairs
by State

12 Governor's Chairs up for election in 2016

12 Elected

38 Governor's Chairs not up for election in 2016

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

4 Incumbents renominated by same party

111 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 2016 are marked as such.

There have been 0 deaths, 0 resignations, and 0 changes of party affiliation in 2016.

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Gubernatorial Links



Delaware 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

Open		Democratic	Governor Jack A. Markell • First elected: 2008; re-elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair
			Open Chair (no incumbent)

		Democratic	248,404	58.34%	Congressman John Charles Carney, Jr. • 16 September 2015: Announced his run for Governor.

		Republican	166,852	39.18%	state Senator Colin R. J. Bonini • 7 November 2014: Announced his candidacy.

		Green	5,951	1.40%	Andrew R. Groff

		Libertarian	4,577	1.07%	Sean Louis Goward

		Scattering	28	0.01%	Other

		Write-in			Benjamin Hollinger, Sr.
Total			425,812	100.00%

Indiana 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 3-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Open		Republican	Governor Michael R. "Mike" Pence • First elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Open Chair - 3 May 2016 Renomination by Primary. 14 July 2016: Media reports indicate that Donald John Trump, Sr.- the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for President when that Party's National Convention meets in Cleveland, Ohio next week- has chosen Governor Mike Pence [R-Indiana] to be his Vice President should Trump be elected President of the United States this coming Fall. Governor Pence has reportedly suspended his re-election campaign.
			Open Chair (no incumbent)

		Republican	1,397,396	51.38%	Lieutenant Governor Eric Joseph Holcomb • for Lieutenant Governor: state Auditor Suzanne Crouch • 26 July 2016: Nominated as a replacement candidate by the party for the Governor's Chair re: acceptance of Republican Vice Presidential nomination by Governor Michael R. "Mike" Pence.

		Democratic	1,235,503	45.42%	former state Representative John R. Gregg • for Lieutenant Governor: state Representative Christina Hale

		Libertarian	87,025	3.20%	Rex Bell • for Lieutenant Governor: Karl "K-Tat" Tatgenhorst

		Write-in; (Independent)	41	0.00%	Jack Adam "Adam" Adkins
		Write-in; (Independent)	3	0.00%	Christopher Stried • for Lieutenant Governor: Jo Ann Gora
Total			2,719,968	100.00%

Missouri 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

Open		Democratic	Governor Jeremiah W. "Jay" Nixon • First elected: 2008; re-elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair - At term limit.
			Open Chair (no incumbent)

		Republican	1,433,397	51.14%	Eric Greitens

		Democratic	1,277,360	45.57%	Attorney General Chris Koster

		Libertarian	41,154	1.47%	Cisse W. Spragins

		Independent	30,019	1.07%	Lester Benton "Les" Turilli, Jr.

		Green	21,088	0.75%	Don Fitz

		Write-in	22	0.00%	Dave Altis
		Write-in	3	0.00%	Theo Brown, Sr.
		Write-in	3	0.00%	Martin Lindstedt
Total			2,803,046	100.00%

Montana 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 4-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

		Democratic	Governor Steve Bullock • Re-elected Tuesday 8 November 2016 • First elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Renominated - 7 June 2016 Primary

		Democratic	255,933	50.25%	Governor Steve Bullock • for Lieutenant Governor: Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney

		Republican	236,115	46.36%	Greg Gianforte • for Lieutenant Governor: Lesley Robinson

		Libertarian	17,312	3.40%	Ted Dunlap • for Lieutenant Governor: Ron VanDevender
Total			509,360	100.00%

New Hampshire 2 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2016. Term Limit: None. GOVERNOR is the only Statewide elected officer
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

Open		Democratic	Governor Maggie Hassan • First elected: 2012; re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • Open Chair - 5 October 2015: Candidate for the U.S. Senate Class 3 Seat in 2016.
			Open Chair (no incumbent)

		Republican	354,040	48.84%	Chris Sununu

		Democratic	337,589	46.57%	Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern

		Libertarian	31,243	4.31%	state Representative Max Abramson • Formerly a Republican, now a Libertarian state Representative

		Scattering	1,991	0.27%	Scatter
Total			724,863	100.00%

North Carolina 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

		Republican	Governor Patrick L. "Pat" McCrory • First elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Renominated - 15 March 2016 Primary

		Democratic	2,309,157	49.02%	Attorney General Roy Asberry Cooper

		Republican	2,298,880	48.80%	Governor Patrick L. "Pat" McCrory

		Libertarian	102,977	2.19%	Lon Vernon Cecil
Total			4,711,014	100.00%

North Dakota 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: North Dakota passed an initiative in November 2022 to amend the state's Constitution to add Gubernatorial term limits of 2 4 year terms. Applies to individuals elected after 1 January 2023.
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Open		Republican	Governor Jack Dalrymple • Succeeded: 7 December 2010 upon the resignation of Governor John Hoeven (Republican) having been elected to the U.S. Senate. First elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Open Chair - 24 August 2015: Governor Jack Dalrymple announces he will not run for re-election.
			Open Chair (no incumbent)

		Republican	259,863	76.52%	Doug Burgum • for Lieutenant Governor: Brent Sanford

		Democratic-Nonpartisan League	65,855	19.39%	state Representative Marvin E. Nelson • for Lieutenant Governor: state Senator Joan Heckaman

		Libertarian	13,230	3.90%	Marty Riske • for Lieutenant Governor: Joshua Voytek

		Scattering	653	0.19%	write-in

		Write-in			Eugene Dumont
Total			339,601	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 8 November 2016 • Ascended to the Governor's chair 18 February 2015 re: resignation of John A. Kitzhaber (Democratic). • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Renominated - 17 May 2016 Primary. Governor Brown will serve until a Tuesday 8 November 2016 Special Election. Next regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

		Democratic; Working Families	985,027	50.62%	Governor Kate Brown • 21 September 2015: Governor Kate Brown (Democratic) announced that she will run for the remainder of the term in the special election.

		Republican	845,609	43.45%	William C. "Bud" Pierce

		Independent Party of Oregon	47,481	2.44%	Cliff W. Thomason

		Libertarian	45,191	2.32%	James Foster

		Constitution	19,400	1.00%	Aaron Donald Auer

		Scattering	3,338	0.17%	Misc.
Total			1,946,046	100.00%

Utah 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

		Republican	Governor Gary R. Herbert • Re-elected Tuesday 8 November 2016 • As Lieutenant Governor, succeeded to the Governorship upon the resignation of Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. (Republican), effective 11 August 2009. First elected in a special election: 2010; re-elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • Renominated - 28 June 2016 Primary

		Republican	750,850	66.74%	Governor Gary R. Herbert • for Lieutenant Governor: Lieutenant Governor Spencer J. Cox

		Democratic	323,349	28.74%	Mike Weinholtz • for Lieutenant Governor: Kim Bowman

		Libertarian	34,827	3.10%	Brian E. Kamerath • for Lieutenant Governor: Barry Evan Short

		Independent American	15,912	1.41%	Dell Buck "Super Dell" Schanze • for Lieutenant Governor: Gregory C. Duerden

		Write-in; (Unaffiliated)	97	0.01%	L.S. Brown
Total			1,125,035	100.00%

Vermont 2 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2016. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

Open		Democratic	Governor Peter Shumlin • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2012, 2014. • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • Open Chair - 8 June 2015: "I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for a fourth term in 2016."
			Open Chair (no incumbent)

		Republican	166,817	52.05%	Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott • 8 September 2015: Announced his candidacy for Governor in 2016.

		Democratic	139,253	43.45%	former state Representative Sue Minter

		Liberty Union	8,912	2.78%	Bill "Spaceman" Lee

		Scattering	4,954	1.55%	Blank Votes
		Scattering	313	0.10%	Write-in • BERNIE SANDERS 50 (0.02%), MATT DUNNE 37 (0.01%), NO NAME 31 (0.01%), BRUCE LISMAN 27 (0.01%), PETER GALBRAITH 13 (0.00%), SHAP SMITH 9 (0.00%), JIM DOUGLAS 4 (0.00%), HOWARD DEAN 3 (0.00%), DAVID ZUCKERMAN 3 (0.00%), BRIAN DUBIE 3 (0.00%), PETER SCHUMLIN 2 (0.00%), SCOTT MILNE 2 (0.00%), ROLAND M. SMITH 2 (0.00%), RICHARD DRAUGHT 2 (0.00%), BRIAN MILNE 1 (0.00%), ARMOND MAURICE 1 (0.00%), EDWARD B PELTIER 1 (0.00%), ALFRED SOMMER 1 (0.00%), NATALIE MILLER 1 (0.00%), PETER GADUE 1 (0.00%), CHRIS KING 1 (0.00%), SUSAN HATCH DAVIS 1 (0.00%), RANDY BROCK 1 (0.00%), GREG BURNELL 1 (0.00%), JOSEPH DAIGNEAULT 1 (0.00%), DONALD TRUMP 1 (0.00%), NATE HASSLER SCHOONOVER 1 (0.00%), PHILIP BARUTH 1 (0.00%), CARL PAGE 1 (0.00%), EDMUND NELSON PARENT 1 (0.00%), WILL SOLOW 1 (0.00%), ANTHONY POLLINA 1 (0.00%), MIKE BRADLEY 1 (0.00%), JOHN FARBER 1 (0.00%), ERIC HASELTON 1 (0.00%), JASON PLOOF 1 (0.00%), GARY COOLEY 1 (0.00%), JOE BURBO 1 (0.00%), HETHBA FATNASSI 1 (0.00%), LARRY ONLY 1 (0.00%), GARY DEAN 1 (0.00%), JAMES POTVIN 1 (0.00%), STEVE COSTELLO 1 (0.00%), GARY MURPHY 1 (0.00%), TOM BRADY 1 (0.00%), LISA ANN OBERBRUNER 1 (0.00%), GEORGE BENNIS SR. 1 (0.00%), PETER SH 1 (0.00%), KARTA SIXIANS 1 (0.00%), JESSIE VENTURA 1 (0.00%), ROBERTA WELCH 1 (0.00%), RICK ESTEY 1 (0.00%), MARK STEWART 1 (0.00%), SAM MCDONNELL 1 (0.00%), JESSICA KIBBY 1 (0.00%), DAVID LUDT 1 (0.00%), CALVIN SHAW 1 (0.00%), OLIVER OLSEN 1 (0.00%), DAWN FECHETTE 1 (0.00%), REG HASELTON 1 (0.00%), ANDREW DEGREENIA 1 (0.00%), G. BODEN HARRIS 1 (0.00%), ERIK GILLARD 1 (0.00%), PAUL MILLMAN 1 (0.00%), JANE GABBE 1 (0.00%), DEBORAH GABBIE 1 (0.00%), PHIL PETTY 1 (0.00%), PIERRE DUFRESNE 1 (0.00%), JAMES BAKER 1 (0.00%), KRAIG LIBSTAG 1 (0.00%), JOHN RAMSEY 1 (0.00%), WILLIAM SHOESTOCK 1 (0.00%), CHRISTOPHER REDDING 1 (0.00%), BILL LEE 1 (0.00%), JAMES PHILLIPS 1 (0.00%), DAVID ORTIZ 1 (0.00%), WRATH KISSELLE 1 (0.00%), MIKE KOHLER 1 (0.00%), RANDALL INGALLS 1 (0.00%), BRIAN UTTER 1 (0.00%), JAMES FARNHAM 1 (0.00%), THEO EPSTEIN 1 (0.00%), VALERIE STEVENS 1 (0.00%), RICHARD GIDDINGS 1 (0.00%), KATIE REEN 1 (0.00%), RON HUBERT 1 (0.00%), DON TURNER 1 (0.00%), TRUMP 1 (0.00%), ED SNOWDEN 1 (0.00%), JOE J. 1 (0.00%), TED NUGENT 1 (0.00%), BRUCE A. SMITH 1 (0.00%), DARRELL MURPHY 1 (0.00%), MIKE ROWE 1 (0.00%), SCOTT GRAY 1 (0.00%), NATE STEWART 1 (0.00%), RACINE 1 (0.00%), MEREDITH TROMBLY 1 (0.00%), AUSTIN YOUNG 1 (0.00%), LIAM CORCORAN 1 (0.00%), BERRY 1 (0.00%), RETTA DUNLAP 1 (0.00%), WILLIAM GREEN 1 (0.00%), JAMES GA MARTIN 1 (0.00%), DICK HOLDEN 1 (0.00%), ELAINE PERCY 1 (0.00%), BRUCE LISMAN 1 (0.00%), MATT DUNNE 1 (0.00%), Other Write-Ins 31 (0.01%).
		Scattering	218	0.07%	Spoiled Votes
	If no candidate receives 50% of the vote in the November General Election, the state Legislature chooses the next Governor.
Total			320,467	100.00%

Washington 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

		Democratic	Governor Jay R. Inslee • Re-elected Tuesday 8 November 2016 • First elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • on General Election ballot - 2 August 2016 Primary
		Democratic	1,760,520	54.25%	Governor Jay R. Inslee
		Republican	1,476,346	45.49%	Port of Seattle Commissioner Bill Bryant
		Scattering	8,416	0.26%	Write In Totals
Total			3,245,282	100.00%

West Virginia 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

Open		Democratic	Governor Earl Ray Tomblin • Ascended to the Governor's chair as acting Governor when Governor Joe Manchin, III resigned to take office as a U.S. Senator: 15 November 2010. First elected in a Special Election: 4 October 2011. Re-elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair
			Open Chair (no incumbent)

		Democratic	350,408	49.09%	Jim Justice

		Republican	301,987	42.30%	state Senator William P. "Bill" Cole, III

		Mountain	42,068	5.89%	Charlotte Jean Pritt

		Libertarian	15,354	2.15%	David Moran

		Constitution	4,041	0.57%	Phil Hudok

		Write-in			Quintin Caldwell
		Write-in			Ras Ible
Total			713,858	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
	• Democratic-Nonpartisan League
	• Republican
Major Third Parties
	• Constitution
	• Green
	• Libertarian
Other Third Parties
	• America First
	• Independent American
	• Independent Party of Oregon
	• Liberty Union
	• Mountain
	• Unity
	• Working Families
Independents
	• Independent
	• No Affiliation
	• No Party Affiliation
	• Unaffiliated
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise 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.