Election results, 2025: State executive officials
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State executive offices up for election in 2025 included twogubernatorial seats, twolieutenant gubernatorial seats, and oneattorney general seat. Including down-ballot races, there were eight state executive seats up for election across four states in 2025.[1]
In the 2025 elections, Democrats gained a trifecta. As a result, there were 23Republican trifectas, 16Democratic trifectas, and 11 divided governments.
In the 2025 elections, Democrats gained a triplex. As a result, there were 25Republican triplexes, 20Democratic triplexes, and 5 divided governments where neither party held triplex control.
Democrats won both gubernatorial offices on the ballot in 2025.Virginia was the only state in which the partisan control of the governor's office changed afterAbigail Spanberger (D) defeatedWinsome Earle-Sears (R). Democrats retained control of the governor's office inNew Jersey afterMikie Sherrill (D) defeatedJack Ciattarelli (R).
Democrats won both lieutenant gubernatorial offices on the ballot in 2025.Virginia was the only state in which the partisan control of the lieutenant governor's office changed afterGhazala Hashmi (D) defeatedJohn Reid (R). Democrats retained control of the governor's office inNew Jersey afterMikie Sherrill (D) defeatedJack Ciattarelli (R). In New Jersey, the gubernatorial nominee chooses a lieutenant gubernatorial running mate, and they run together on a single ticket in the general election. Sherrill selectedDale Caldwell (D) as her running mate, and Ciattarelli selectedJames Gannon (R) as his running mate.
Democrats won the attorney general office on the ballot in 2025. Partisan control of the attorney general's office inVirginia changed afterJay Jones (D) defeated incumbentJason Miyares (R). Although there was no direct election for attorney general of New Jersey, the governor of New Jersey appoints itsAttorney General.
Although there were no direct elections for secretary of state in 2025,Democrats won both gubernatorial elections on the ballot. The governor of New Jersey appoints itsSecretary of State and the governor of Virginia appoints itsSecretary of the Commonwealth.
State executives act in many capacities according to the powers granted to them by their state constitutions. They are also charged with implementing and enforcing laws made by state legislatures. There are 748executive seats spread across13 distinct types of offices in the United States.[2] Of the 13 executive offices, only seven exist in all 50 states:governor,attorney general,superintendent of schools,insurance commissioner,agriculture commissioner,labor commissioner, andpublic service commissioner.
On this page you will find:
- Gubernatorial offices on the ballot
- Attorney general offices on the ballot
- Secretary of state offices on the ballot
- State financial offices on the ballot
- All state executive offices on the ballot
- Changes in trifecta status
- Changes in triplex status
Recent news
The section below provides a timeline of notable race calls in the Nov. 4, 2025, elections. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.Click here to read more about our race calling policy.
- Nov. 4, 2025, 9:31 p.m.
Mikie Sherrill (D) waselected as governor ofNew Jersey, retaining the office for Democrats.
- Nov. 4, 2025, 8:55 p.m.
- Nov. 4, 2025, 8:34 p.m.
Ghazala Hashmi (D) waselected as lieutenant governor of Virginia, changing party control of the office from Republican to Democratic upon her swearing-in.
Governors
- See also:Election results, 2025: Governors
There were twogubernatorial offices on the ballot in 2025. These elections were inNew Jersey andVirginia.
Heading into the 2025 elections, 27 governors wereRepublicans and 23 wereDemocrats. The 2025 elections resulted in 26 governors beingRepublicans and 24 beingDemocrats.
Abigail Spanberger (D) won election asgovernor of Virginia on Nov. 4, 2025. Incumbent Gov.Glenn Youngkin (R) wasterm-limited and unable to run for re-election. Spanberger's win meant Virginia would change from a divided government to a Democratic trifecta.
Mikie Sherrill (D) won election asgovernor of New Jersey on Nov. 4, 2025. Incumbent Gov.Phil Murphy (D) was term-limited and unable to run for re-election. Sherrill's win meant New Jersey would remain a Democratic trifecta as Democrats maintained partisan control of both legislative chambers.
In the 2025 elections, Democrats gained a trifecta. As a result, there were 23Republican trifectas, 16Democratic trifectas, and 11 divided governments.
In the 2025 elections, Democrats gained a triplex. As a result, there were 25Republican triplexes, 20Democratic triplexes, and 5 divided governments where neither party held triplex control.
Attorneys general
There was oneattorney general office on the ballot in 2025. This election was inVirginia.
Jay Jones (D) defeated incumbentJason Miyares (R). Miyares ran unopposed in the June 17 primary. No incumbents were defeated in2023, and one was defeated in2021, when Miyares defeated incumbentMark Herring (D).
The results of the 2025 attorney general election and the state'sgubernatorial election determined Virginia'striplex status. A triplex is when one political party holds the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state offices. In Virginia, the governor appoints thesecretary of the commonwealth.
The state became a Democratic triplex with the election of Jones andAbigail Spanberger (D). It would have remained a Republican triplex if Miyares and Republican gubernatorial candidateWinsome Earle-Sears had won the elections.
Virginia switched from a Democratic to a Republican triplex following the2021 elections of Gov.Glenn Youngkin (R) and Miyares. Youngkin appointedKay Coles James (R) secretary of the commonwealth when he took office in 2022.
Secretary of state
Heading into the 2025 elections, there were 26Republican secretaries of state and 21Democratic secretaries of state. The office does not exist inAlaska,Hawaii, andUtah.
In 2025, there were no direct elections for secretary of state across the country. However, there were two elections for governor inNew Jersey andVirginia in which the winner of the election could pick the next secretary of state.
In those elections,Democrats won both contests, meaning a Democratic governor will pick the next secretary of state in these states. Because Democrats gained one governorship, they also gained one secretary of state. After these elections, Republicans hold 25 secretaries of state to Democrats' 22.
State financial officers
Heading into the 2025 elections, there were40Democratic and60Republican state financial officers.Six officers' partisan affiliations were indeterminate.
In 2025, there were zero state financial officers directly on the ballot. However, there were two elections for governor inNew Jersey andVirginia in which the winner of the election could pick at least one of these positions. Heading into the election, New Jersey had aDemocratic governor, and Virginia had aRepublican governor.
In those elections,Democrats won both contests, meaning a Democratic governor will pick the next financial officers in these states.
Offices up for election
Click the tabs below to view information about the elections this year.
There weretwo gubernatorial seats on the ballot.
Out of all the state executive offices, only the governor is elected in all 50 states. As the chief executive officer, the governor is among the most powerful figures in state government. Other executive offices ordinarily report to him or her.
Changes in trifecta status
- See also:State government trifectas
State government trifecta is a term to describe single-party government, when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.
As of November 25, 2025, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 12 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.
The following map highlights the change in the trifecta status of state governments after the 2025 elections.
Changes in triplex status
- See also:State government triplexes
Astate government triplex is a term used to describe when a state's governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same party.
As of November 25, 2025, there are 25 Republican triplexes, 20 Democratic triplexes, and 5 divided governments where neither party holds triplex control.
The following map highlights the change in the triplex status of state governments after the 2025 elections.
Analysis of state elections, 2025
State legislative elections
- See also:State legislative elections, 2025
As ofNovember 25th, 2025, Republicans controlled55.29% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held43.53%. Republicans held a majority in57 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in39 chambers.Two chambers (Alaska House andAlaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions.One chamber (Minnesota House of Representatives) was split evenly between both parties.
| Partisan balance of all 7,386 state legislative seats | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative chamber |  |  |  Other | Vacant | ||||
| State senates | 829 | 1,118 | 6 | 20 | ||||
| State houses | 2,386 | 2,966 | 20 | 41 | ||||
| Total: | 3,215 | 4,084 | 26 | 61 | ||||
More related analysis
Tap the box below to show more analysis articles related to the 2025 state legislative elections.
- Ballotpedia's Top 10 Elections to Watch, 2025
- Annual Competitiveness Report
- State legislative special elections
- Primary election competitiveness in state government, 2025
- Impact of term limits
- Trifecta vulnerability in the 2025 elections
- Data on incumbents defeated in 2025
- Characteristics of incumbents defeated in 2025
- Veto-proof state legislatures and opposing party governors in the 2025 elections
- Contested primaries
- Open seats
- Incumbents in contested primaries
- Major party competition
- Unconstested incumbents
State executive elections
More related analysis
Tap the box below to show more analysis articles related to the 2025 state executive elections.
- Ballotpedia's Top 10 Elections to Watch, 2025
- Annual Competitiveness Report
- State executive official elections overview
- Primary election competitiveness in state government, 2025
- Gubernatorial elections
- Secretary of State elections
- Attorney General elections
- Historical and potential changes in trifectas
- State government trifectas
- Endorsements of school board members by state executive officeholders and candidates, 2025
- Impact of term limits on state executive elections
- Veto-proof state legislatures and opposing party governors
State judicial elections
- See also:State judicial elections, 2025
More related analysis
Tap the box below to show more analysis articles related to the 2025 state judicial elections.
See also
- Election results, 2025
- Election results, 2023
- State executive official elections, 2025
- State executive official elections, 2023
- State government triplexes
- State government trifectas
Congressional special electionsRead more
GovernorsRead more
Attorney generalRead more
Other state executivesRead more
State legislaturesRead more
State ballot measuresRead more
Local ballot measuresRead more
State judgesRead more
Local judgesRead more
Municipal governmentRead more
School boardsRead more
RecallsRead more
Footnotes
- ↑Ballotpedia describes the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state as top-ballot state executive offices. Down-ballot state executive offices that exist in all 50 states include superintendent of schools, insurance commissioner, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner, and public service commissioner. Examples of other down-ballot state executive offices include treasurer, auditor, and comptroller.
- ↑There are 13 state executive offices as Ballotpediadefines the term, however, there are other executive offices that Ballotpedia does not cover in some states.
