Democrats Flip Four State Governorships
Key Facts
- Result: Democrats took governorships from Republicans in Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Iowa; 32 of 36 races were projected by 2:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET).
- Score: Of those 32, Democrats won 21 and Republicans 11; Alaska, Kansas, Nebraska and Nevada were still undecided.
- Closest: Kansas: Democrat Cindy Holscher 50.3%, Republican Ty Masterson 49.7%, with about 95% of the vote counted.
- Prediction markets: Polymarket, a prediction exchange, prices Holscher at 93% to win Kansas, as of 2:35 a.m. ET.
Published Wednesday, 4 November, 2:41 a.m. ET · Source: US state election results as projected by news organisations, PolymarketDemocrats took four state governorships from Republicans on Tuesday night, in Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Iowa.
The Texas win, over three-term Republican Governor Greg Abbott, ended a drought of more than three decades for Democrats there.
A governor runs a state: signs or vetoes its laws, proposes its budget and commands its National Guard. Our US midterms live results page tracks the four races still open.
Four States Changed Hands
In Texas, Gina Hinojosa, a state representative, beat Abbott by 52.7% to 45.9% with 90.8% counted. In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta, beat Republican Rick Jackson by 54.2% to 45.8%.
In Ohio, Amy Acton, a former state health director, beat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur, by 51.9% to 44.8%. In Iowa, Rob Sand, the state auditor, beat Republican Zach Lahn by 55.4% to 44.6%.
Where Each Party Held On
Among others, Democrats kept Pennsylvania, where Governor Josh Shapiro won again, and Michigan, where Jocelyn Benson, the secretary of state, won, as well as Arizona, California and New York. Republicans kept Florida, where Byron Donalds, a congressman, beat Democrat David Jolly, along with Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
We have recorded no Republican gains so far. The Democratic Governors Association, the party’s campaign group, says Democrats are set to hold a majority of the 50 governorships for the first time since 2010.
Four Races Are Still Open
Kansas is the closest. Democrat Cindy Holscher, a state senator, led Republican Ty Masterson 50.3% to 49.7% with about 95% counted, and about 57,000 votes were still to come.
In Nebraska, Republican Governor Jim Pillen led Democrat Lynne Walz 49.8% to 43.2% with 76.7% counted. Independent Brett Lindstrom had 4.4%.
In Alaska, Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins led with 49.0%, ahead of Republicans Bernadette Wilson with 29.5% and Dave Bronson with 14.1%, at 65.4% counted. Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, in which voters rank candidates and the weakest are dropped until one has a majority, so 49.0% is not yet a win.
In Nevada, Republican Governor Joe Lombardo faces Democrat Aaron Ford, the state attorney general. No results had been reported there at 2:30 a.m. ET.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, an exchange where traders bet real money, Holscher was priced at about 93% and Masterson at about 7% to win the Kansas governorship at 2:35 a.m. ET. More than US$750,000 had been traded in the market.
That price is a bet on the final result, not a poll. It does not replace the official count.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for You
Governors direct state agencies, so their choices on taxes, energy and immigration enforcement reach millions of residents, including large Latin American communities in Texas. Most new governors take office in January 2027, and Alaska’s starts in December.
If you follow US politics from abroad, these results show Democrats winning in states that voted for President Donald Trump two years ago. Our House report and Senate report cover Congress.
What Is Not Known
We do not yet know the winners in Alaska, Kansas, Nebraska and Nevada. Late-counted ballots can move close races.
Official results come from each state’s election authority. We treat a race as decided only when several news organisations have projected it.
Sources
The Rio Times US midterms live results · National Governors Association, the governors’ membership body · Polymarket
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Frequently Asked Questions
Which governorships did Democrats flip?
Democrats took Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Iowa from Republicans, according to projections by news organisations. Gina Hinojosa, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Amy Acton and Rob Sand won them.
Which governor races are still open?
At 2:30 a.m. ET, Alaska, Kansas, Nebraska and Nevada were undecided. Kansas was closest, with Democrat Cindy Holscher at 50.3% and Republican Ty Masterson at 49.7%.