The Green Papers: 2026 General Election
 
Copyright www.flags.net/UNST.htm 2026 Governor's Chairs
by State

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 2024 are marked as such.

There have been 0 deaths, 0 resignation, and 0 changes of party affiliation in 2023.

  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

           
Alabama  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     former Greenville Illinois City Council Member Will Boyd
  Candidate Democratic     Jamel Jermaine "Ja'Mel" Brown
• aka Ja'Mel Brown
  Candidate Democratic     Yolanda Rochelle Flowers
  Candidate Democratic     former U.S. Senator  Gordon Douglas "Doug" Jones
• First elected to the US Senate in a special election: 12 December 2017; unsuccessful candidate for re-election: 2020.
  Candidate Democratic     Chad "Chig" Martin
  Candidate Democratic     former state Representative Nathan "Nate" Mathis
Alaska  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     former state Senator Tom Begich
  Candidate Democratic     state Senator  Matt Claman
  Candidate Democratic     former state Representative Jonathan "JKT" Kreiss-Tomkins
Arizona  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     Patrick Dampare
  Candidate Democratic     Peter Hessing
  Candidate Democratic     Governor  Katie Hobbs
  Candidate Democratic     SaintOmer Kakou
  Candidate Independent; (Democratic)     Tolleson Union School Board Member  Leezah Sun
Arkansas  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     state Senator  Fredrick J. "Fred" Love
    Democratic     Supha Xayprasith-Mays - lost primary
California  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
    Democratic     state Senator  Toni G. Atkins - apparently not a candidate
• 29 September 2025: "... I'm stepping aside today as a candidate for governor."
  Candidate Democratic     former Member of Congress  Xavier Becerra
• California Attorney General: 1987-1990; California state Assembly member: 1990-1992; First elected to Congress 1992, re-elected: 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, resigned 24 January 2017; California Attorney General: 2017-2021; Health and Human Services Secretary for President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.: 2021-2025.
    Democratic     former state Assembly Member Ian Calderon - apparently not a candidate
• 5 March 2026: Dropped out endorsing Eric Swalwell
    Democratic     Stephen J. Cloobeck - apparently not a candidate
• 25 November 2025: Withdrew endorsing Member of Congress Eric Michael Swalwell.
  Candidate Democratic     Mayor of San Jose  Matt Mahan
  Candidate Democratic     former Member of Congress  Katie Porter
• First elected: 2018; re-elected: 2020, 2022; Unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate Class 1 seat nomination: 2024.
    Republican; (Democratic)     Jon Slavet - apparently not a candidate
• 3 March 2026: Dropped out.
  Candidate Democratic     Tom Steyer
  Candidate Democratic     Member of Congress  Eric Michael Swalwell
• 21 November 2025: Candidate for Governor in 2026. "I'm running for Governor."
  Candidate Democratic     Public Instruction Superintendent  Tony K. Thurmond
• 23 September 2023: "I didn't come from money, power, or influence. I'm running for Governor to be a voice for those who need one ...."
  Candidate Democratic     former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
  Candidate Democratic     former state Comptroller Betty Yee
• First elected as Comptroller: 2014, re-elected: 2018
  Candidate Democratic     Michael L. Younger
Colorado  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     Senator  Michael Farrand Bennet
• 11 April 2025: Candidate for Governor in 2026.
  Candidate Democratic     Carmen Alicia Broesder
  Candidate Democratic     Fatima Fernandez
  Candidate Democratic     David Hughes
  Candidate Democratic     Antonio Martinez
  Candidate Democratic     William Moses
  Candidate Democratic     Attorney General  Philip "Phil" Weiser
• 2 January 2025: Candidate for Governor in 2026.
Connecticut  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     state Representative  Josh Elliott
  Candidate Democratic     Governor  Edward "Ned" Lamont
Florida  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     Faith E. Antonio
  Candidate Democratic     Evelyn Castillo-Bach
  Candidate Democratic     Richard Paul Dembinsky
  Candidate Democratic     Orange County Mayor  Jerry L. Demings
  Candidate Democratic     Thomas E. Fernandez
  Candidate Democratic     Dayna Marie Foster
  Candidate Democratic     Indony Pierre "Dony" Jean Baptiste
• 9 October 2025: Withdrew.
  Candidate Democratic     former Member of Congress  David W. Jolly
• First elected as a Republican in a special election: 11 March 2014 [re: passing of Congressman Charles William "C.W." "Bill" Young (Republican)], reelected: 2014, unsuccessful candidate for reelection: 2016.
4 June 2025: Filed with the Florida Department of State to run for Governor as a Democrat.
    Democratic     former Member of Congress Alfred "Al" Lawson, Jr. - apparently not a candidate
• Unsuccessful candidate for nomination to the US House: 2010; unsuccessful candidate for election to the US House: 2012; first elected: 2016, re-elected: 2018, 2020; unsuccessful candidate for re-election: 2022.
  Candidate Democratic     Charles A. Lewis
  Candidate Democratic     Donald J. Peterson
  Candidate Democratic     Jessica Vernekar
  Candidate Write-in; (Democratic)     Christopher Tavarus Powell
  Candidate Write-in; (Democratic)     Bill Slater
Georgia  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     former Atlanta Mayor Keisha R. Lance Bottoms
  Candidate Democratic     Olu Brown
  Candidate Democratic     Amanda Duffy
  Candidate Democratic     former Lieutenant Governor Geoffrey Lynn "Geoff" Duncan, Jr.
• First elected as a Republican Lieutenant Governor in 2018; Did not run for re-election in 2022. Running for Governor as a Democrat in 2026.
  Candidate Democratic     former state Senator  Jason Fernando Esteves
  Candidate Democratic     state Representative  Derrick L. Jackson
    Democratic     Member of Congress  Lucia Kay "Lucy" McBath - apparently not a candidate
• Member of Congress House CD 6.
31 March 2025: Suspends campaign for Governor to focus on her husband's health as he undergoes cancer treatment.
    Democratic     state Representative  Ruwa Romman - apparently not a candidate
• 26 February 2026: Running for a state Senate seat.
  Candidate Democratic     former DeKalb County Chief Executive Michael "Mike" Thurmond
• Formerly affiliated with the Republican Party.
First elected state Labor Commissioner: 1998; re-elected: 2002, 2006; Unsuccessful candidate for the US Senate: 2010.
Idaho  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     Maxine Durand
  Candidate Democratic     Jill C. Kirkham
  Candidate Democratic     Terri Pickens
  Candidate Democratic     Chanelle Torrez
Illinois  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     Governor  J.B. Pritzker
• for Lieutenant Governor: former state Representative Christian Mitchell
Iowa  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     Paul Dahl
  Candidate Democratic     Auditor  Rob Sand
• 12 May 2025: Candidate for Governor in 2026.
  Candidate Democratic     Julie Stauch
  Candidate Democratic     Sondra Wilson
Kansas  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     state Senator  Ethan Corson
  Candidate Democratic     state Senator  Cindy Holscher
  Candidate Democratic     Sharilyn Ray
  Candidate Democratic     Marty Tuley
Maine  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms. GOVERNOR is the only Statewide elected officer
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     state Secretary of State  Shenna Bellows
    Democratic     Jason Cherry - apparently not a candidate
    Democratic     state Representative  Ryan D. Fecteau - apparently not a candidate
  Candidate Democratic     former state Senator Troy Jackson
  Candidate Democratic     Angus King, III
• Son of Senator Angus Stanley King, Jr. (Independent)
  Candidate Democratic     former state Representative Hannah Pingree
• Daughter of Member of Congress Chellie M. Pingree
  Candidate Democratic     Nirav Shah
  Candidate Independent; (Democratic)     state Representative  W. Edward "Ed" Crockett
• Previously affiliated with the Democratic Party.
Maryland  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     Eric S. Felber
• for Lieutenant Governor: LaTrece Hawkins Lytes
    Democratic     Ralph William Jaffe - apparently not a candidate
• for Lieutenant Governor: Donald Palmore Ray
• 26 February 2026: Withdrawn.
6 February 2026: Ralph Jaffe passed away.
  Candidate Democratic     Governor  Wes Moore
• for Lieutenant Governor: Aruna Miller
Massachusetts  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     Governor  Maura Healey
Michigan  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     Secretary of State  Jocelyn Benson
  Candidate Democratic     Kevin Hogan
  Candidate Democratic     former Cape Coral Florida Mayor Marni Sawicki
  Candidate Democratic     Genesee County Sheriff  Christopher R. "Chris" Swanson
  Candidate Independent; (Democratic)     Detroit Mayor  Mike Duggan
Nebraska  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     Larry Marvin
  Candidate Democratic     former state Senator Lynne Walz
Nevada  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     Attorney General  Aaron D. Ford
  Candidate Democratic     Washoe County Commissioner  Alexis Hill
  Candidate Democratic     Allen Rheinhart
New Hampshire  2 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2024. Term Limit: None. GOVERNOR is the only Statewide elected officer
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     Jonathan "Jon" Kiper
  Candidate Democratic     former Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington
New Mexico  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
    Democratic     Dolores M. Baca - apparently not a candidate
  Candidate Democratic     Bernalillo County District Attorney  Sam Bregman
  Candidate Democratic     former Member of Congress  Debra A. "Deb" Haaland
• Former Member of Congress Debra A. "Deb" Haaland (Democratic) was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2020. She was nominated by President-elect Joe Biden as Secretary of the Interior on 17 December 2020 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, 51-40, on 15 March 2021. She resigned from Congress on 16 March 2021.
    Democratic     Margaret Sue Haber - apparently not a candidate
    Democratic     Arthur Merrill Ives - apparently not a candidate
    Democratic     Geoffrey P. "Geoff" Luehring - apparently not a candidate
    Democratic     Luana Marquez - apparently not a candidate
    Democratic     David V. Nunez - apparently not a candidate
New York  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
    Democratic     Lieutenant Governor  Antonio Delgado - apparently not a candidate
• for Lieutenant Governor: India Walton
• 2 June 2025: Announced candidacy for Governor in 2026.
5 February 2026: Did not receive his party's nomination. Requires 15,000 petition signatures by 6 April for ballot access.
10 February 2026: "I've decided to end my campaign for Governor of New York. After much consideration, I've concluded that there simply is no viable path forward."
  Candidate Democratic     Governor  Kathleen Courtney "Kathy" Hochul
• for Lieutenant Governor: former New York City Council Member Adrienne Adams
Ohio  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     Amy Acton
• for Lieutenant Governor: former Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper
    Democratic     Jacob Chiara - apparently not a candidate
Oklahoma  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     state Representative  Cyndi Munson
Oregon  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 3-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     Forest "Fora" Alexander
  Candidate Democratic     James Atkinson, IV
  Candidate Democratic     David W. Beem
  Candidate Democratic     Brittany Jones
  Candidate Democratic     Khaled K. "Cal" Kishawi
  Candidate Democratic     Governor  Tina Kotek
  Candidate Democratic     Tristan Sheppard
Pennsylvania  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     Governor  Joshua D. "Josh" Shapiro
Rhode Island  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     Helena Buonanno Foulkes
  Candidate Democratic     Governor  Daniel J. "Dan" McKee
  Candidate Democratic     Gregory "Greg" Stevens
South Carolina  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     state Representative  Jermaine L. Johnson, Sr.
  Candidate Democratic     William "Mullins" McLeod, Jr.
South Dakota  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     former state Senator Dan Ahlers
  Candidate Democratic     Robert Arnold
Tennessee  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms. GOVERNOR is the only Statewide elected officer
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
  Candidate Democratic     Carnita Atwater
  Candidate Democratic     Tim Cyr
  Candidate Democratic     Memphis City Council Member  Jerri Green
  Candidate Democratic     Martin DePorres Kennedy
  Candidate Democratic     Adam "Ditch" Kurtz
  Candidate Democratic     David R. Martin
  Candidate Democratic     Matthew Martin
  Candidate Democratic     Kevin Lee McCants
• Filed for both the Senate Class 2 seat and the Governor's chair.
Texas  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican
   
    Democratic     Patricia Abrego - lost primary
    Democratic     former Member of Congress  Chris Bell - lost primary
• First elected to the US House: 2002; unsuccessful candidate for renomination: 2004; unsuccessful candidate for Texas Governor: 2006; unsuccessful candidate for nomination to the US Senate: 2020.
    Democratic     Bobby Cole - lost primary
    Democratic     Carlton W. Hart - lost primary
  Candidate Democratic     state Representative  Gina Hinojosa
    Democratic     Jose Navarro Balbuena - lost primary
    Democratic     Zach Vance - lost primary
    Democratic     Angela "Tía Angie" Villescaz - lost primary
    Democratic     Andrew White - lost primary
• 5 January 2026: Withdrew. "With the primary just weeks away, the responsible choice is ... to defeat Greg Abbott ... I'm proud to endorse Gina Hinojosa .... "
Remains on the ballot
Wisconsin  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic
   
  Candidate Democratic     former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes
• First elected as Lieutenant Governor: 2018; unsuccessful candidate for the US Senate: 2022.
  Candidate Democratic     Joel Brennan
  Candidate Democratic     Milwaukee County Executive  David Crowley
  Candidate Democratic     state Representative  Francesca Hong
  Candidate Democratic     Missy Hughes
  Candidate Democratic     former state Assembly Member Brett Hulsey
  Candidate Democratic     Lieutenant Governor  Sara Russell Rodriguez
• 25 July 2025: Announced her candidacy for Governor in 2026.
  Candidate Democratic     Zachary Roper
  Candidate Democratic     state Senator  Kelda Roys
    Democratic     Ryan Strnad - apparently not a candidate
• circa 27 November 2025: "I'm out of the race! Vote for David Crowley."
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
 • American Constitution
 • Constitution
 • Green
 • Green-Rainbow
 • Libertarian
Other Third Parties
 • American Solidarity
 • Arizona Independent Party
 • Conservative
 • Forward Party
 • Independence
 • Independent Party of Florida
 • Legal Marijuana Now
 • No Labels
 • Peace And Freedom
 • Progressive Party of Oregon
 • Socialist Workers Party
 • United Party
 • Unity
Independents
 • Independent
 • No Party Affiliation
 • No Party Preference
 • Nonpartisan
 • Unaffiliated
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable
 • 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.

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.

"Apparently not a candidate" indicates that someone we once listed as a candidate for an elective office will not, in fact, be running for that office (primarily because said candidate is not listed on an official ballot provided by a jurisdiction's election authorities, where that candidate has not previously withdrawn his/her candidacy or otherwise indicated no longer [or even ever] being a candidate for that office).

"FEC" indicates the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Campaign Finance Summary.

When available, we post each candidate's FEC identification number, the date of their most recently filed Report of Receipts and Disbursements, their "Tot" [Total Receipts (contributions received or what came in: FEC Form 3, Line 16, Column B)] and their "Dsb" [Total Disbursements (expenditures or what was spent: FEC Form 3, Line 23, Column B)]. A link is provided to the Federal Election Commission's Summary Report for those who might wish to explore the details.

If a candidate raises or spends $5,000 or less, he or she is not subject to FEC reporting requirements.

 

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