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Gubernatorial elections, 2025

From Ballotpedia
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State Executive Officials

State executive elections by position and year:
On the Ballot takes an early look at 2025's gubernatorial elections.

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.

Eleven states held elections for governor in2024. Heading into the election, three states (Delaware, North Carolina, and Washington) had Democratic governors, while eight states (Indiana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Missouri, Montana, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia) had a Republican governor. No seats changed hands as a result of the 2024 elections. To read more about those elections,click here.

Explore Ballotpedia's coverage of these elections:
  • Partisan balance
    The partisan balance of U.S. governors
    Read more
  • On the ballot
    A list of elections and candidates on the ballot
    Read more
  • Pre-election analysis
    Analysis leading up to the 2025 gubernatorial elections
    Read more
  • Trifectas and triplexes
    Information on trifectas and triplexes
    Read more
  • Important dates and deadlines
    A list of important dates and deadlines for the 2025 election cycle
    Read more
  • About the office
    Information about governors across all 50 states
    Read more


Partisan balance

The following chart displays the number of governors' offices held by each party before and after the 2025 elections.

U.S. governors partisan breakdown
PartyAs of November 2025After the 2025 elections
Democratic2324
Republican2726
Total5050



The chart below shows historical partisan breakdown information for governors.

Republicans led in governorships from 1994 until 2006, after which there were 28 Democratic governors to the Republicans' 22. Republicans regained their national majority in the 2010 midterm elections. Between 2010 and 2017, the number of Republican governors continued to increase, reaching a high point of 33 followingWest VirginiaGov.Jim Justice's switch to the Republican Party in August 2017.[1] From 2017 to 2019, Democrats won Republican-held governorships inIllinois,Kansas,Kentucky,Maine,Michigan,Nevada,New Jersey,New Mexico, andWisconsin. Republicans, meanwhile, gained a governorship inAlaska previously held by independentBill Walker. No governorships changed party hands in 2024. Democrats gained one governorship inVirginia in 2025.

Election results

Gubernatorial elections, 2025
StateIncumbentIncumbent running?Election winnerLast time office changed parties2025 election result2021 gubernatorial result2024 presidential result
New JerseyDemocratic PartyPhil MurphyNoDemocratic PartyMikie Sherrill2017D+13.2D+3.2D+5.9
VirginiaRepublican PartyGlenn YoungkinNoDemocratic PartyAbigail Spanberger2021D+13.5R+2D+5.7
Election results map
Offices that changed party hands
Incumbents defeated

On the ballot

Click the tabs below to view information about the elections this year. In this section, you will find:

  • A list of seats up for election
  • A list of candidates running
  • Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup Tool
Seats up for election
List of candidates
What's on your ballot?

There was one Democratic and one Republican seat up for election in 2025. These statistics do not include elections in the U.S. territories. The table and map below shows which states held gubernatorial elections in 2025.

2025 Gubernatorial Races
2025 Gubernatorial races
StateCurrent IncumbentTerm-limited (Y/N)
New JerseyPhil MurphyYes
VirginiaGlenn YoungkinYes



Pre-election analysis

Incumbents not seeking re-election
Competitiveness
Battlegrounds
Polls
Outside race ratings
Offices that changed party control in 2021

Incumbent governorsGlenn Youngkin (R-Va.) andPhil Murphy (D-N.J.) were term-limited and could not seek re-election.

As of 2025, governors of Virginia could not run for consecutive terms, although they could run for another term after spending a term out of office. Governors of New Jersey were limited to two four-year terms, and could run again after a four-year break.

Trifectas and triplexes

The office of governor is a component of bothtrifectas andtriplexes. Click the tabs below to view the current status of trifectas and triplexes across the country.

Trifectas
Triplexes
See also:State government trifectas

Astate government trifecta is a term used to describe when a single-party government in which 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.

Presidential data

See also:Presidential election, 2024

Kamala Harris (D) carried both states that held gubernatorial elections in 2025 in the 2024 presidential election. Harris carriedNew Jersey by a margin of 5.9 percentage points andVirginia by a margin of 5.7 percentage points.

New Jersey
Virginia
See also:Presidential election in New Jersey, 2024


Presidential election in New Jersey, 2024
 
Candidate/Running mate
%
Popular votes
Electoral votes
Image of
Image of
Kamala D. Harris/Tim Walz (D)
 
52.0
 
2,220,71314
Image of
Image of
Donald Trump/J.D. Vance (R)
 
46.1
 
1,968,2150
Image of
Image of
Jill Stein/Samson LeBeau Kpadenou (G)
 
0.9
 
39,0410
Image of
Image of
Robert F. Kennedy Jr./Nicole Shanahan (Independent)
 
0.5
 
23,4790
Image of
Image of
Chase Oliver/Mike ter Maat (L)
 
0.2
 
10,5000
Image of
Image of
Claudia De La Cruz/Karina Garcia (Party for Socialism and Liberation)
 
0.1
 
5,1050
Image of
Image of
Randall Terry/Stephen E. Broden (Constitution Party)
 
0.1
 
3,0240
Image of
Image of
Joseph Kishore/Jerry White (Socialist Equality Party)
 
0.0
 
1,3710
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Rachele Fruit/Margaret Trowe (Socialist Workers Party)
 
0.0
 
1,2770

Ballotpedia Logo

There were no incumbents in this race The results have been certified.

Total votes: 4,272,725

Important dates and deadlines

The table below lists important dates throughout the 2025 election cycle, including filing deadlines and primary dates.

Statewide filing deadlines
StateElection dateFiling deadlineSource
New JerseyJune 10, 2025

March 24, 2025 - New Jersey statewide primary candidate filing deadline

Source
PennsylvaniaMay 20, 2025

March 11, 2025 - Pennsylvania statewide primary candidate filing deadline

Source
VirginiaJune 17, 2025

April 3, 2025 - Virginia statewide primary candidate filing deadline

Source
WisconsinFeb. 18, 2025

Jan. 7, 2025 - Wisconsin statewide spring primary candidate filing deadline

Source


2021 gubernatorial elections

See also:Gubernatorial elections, 2021

Two states—New Jersey and Virginia—held elections for governor in 2021.California also held arecall election for Gov.Gavin Newsom (D) on September 14, 2021.

IncumbentPhil Murphy (D) was re-elected inNew Jersey.Glenn Youngkin (R) was elected to succeed term-limitedRalph Northam (D) inVirginia. California Gov.Gavin Newsom (D) was retained in the recall election.

The following table details the margin of victory for winning candidates in states that held gubernatorial elections in 2005, 2009, 20132, 2017, and 2021.

Margin of victory analysis, 2005-2021
State2021 margin of victory (%)2017 margin of victory (%)2013 margin of victory (%)2009 margin of victory (%)2005 margin of victory (%)
New JerseyD+3.2D+14.1R+22.1R+3.6D+10.5
VirginiaR+2D+8.9D+2.6R+17.3R+5.7

Gubernatorial offices that changed party control in 2021

One gubernatorial office changed party control in 2021. InVirginia,Glenn Youngkin (R) was elected to succeed term-limited Gov.Ralph Northam (D).

About the office

See also:Governor (state executive office)

In the United States, the titlegovernor refers to the chief executive of each state. The governor is not directly subordinate to the federal authorities but is the political and ceremonial head of the state. The governor may also assume additional roles, such as the commander-in-chief of the National Guard when the role is not federalized. The governor may also have the ability to commute or pardon a criminal sentence.

In all states, the governor is directly elected and, in most cases, has considerable practical powers. Notable exceptions with weak governorships include the office of the governor inTexas, though this may be moderated by thestate legislature and, in some cases, by other elected executive officials. Governors can veto state bills. The specific duties and powers vary widely between states.

Compensation
Vacancy fill offices
Staff size
Involvement in budget proposals
Term limits
Line-item veto powers


According to compensation figures for 2023 compiled by the Council of State Governments in theBook of the States, the highest salary for a governor was $250,000 inNew York, while the lowest was $70,000 inMaine. To view the compensation of a particular governor, hover your mouse over the state.[60]

Analysis of state elections

State legislative elections

State Houses-Tile image.png
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 chamberDemocratic PartyRepublican PartyGrey.png OtherVacant
State senates8291,118620
State houses2,3862,9662041
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.

State executive elections

State-capitol-utah.jpg
See also:State executive official elections, 2025



More related analysis

Tap the box below to show more analysis articles related to the 2025 state executive elections.

State judicial elections

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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.


Election coverage by office

Click the tiles below to navigate to 2025 election coverage:
  • Congressional special elections
    Congressional special elections
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  • Governors
    Governors
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  • Attorney general
    Attorney general
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  • Other state executives
    Other state executives
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  • State legislatures
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  • State ballot measures
    State ballot measures
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  • Local ballot measures
    Local ballot measures
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  • State judges
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  • Local judges
    Local judges
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  • Municipal government
    Municipal government
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  • School boards
    School boards
    Read more
  • Recalls
    Recalls
    Read more

See also

Footnotes

  1. Because Justice switched his registration more than halfway through the year, he was counted as a Democrat in 2017 for the purposes of the chart.
  2. For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from theAmerican Association for Public Opinion Research andIpsos.
  3. Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
  4. RV=Registered Voters
    LV=Likely Voters
  5. The sponsor is the person or group that funded all or part of the poll.
  6. Undecided: 1%
  7. Other: 2%; Undecided: 7%
  8. Other: 1%; Undecided: 1%
  9. Other: 1%; Undecided: 2%
  10. Undecided: 3%
  11. Undecided: 5%
  12. Other: 2%; Undecided: 4%
  13. Undecided: 4%
  14. Other: 2%
  15. Other: 1%; Undecided: 6%
  16. Undecided: 5%
  17. Other: 1%; Undecided: 5%
  18. Undecided: 8%
  19. Undecided: 11%
  20. Undecided: 5%
  21. Undecided: 9%
  22. Other: 4%; Undecided: 7%
  23. Undecided: 3%
  24. Undecided: 8%
  25. Undecided: 8%
  26. Other: 2%; Undecided: 4%
  27. Undecided: 4%
  28. Other: 4%; Undecided: 9%
  29. Undecided: 12%
  30. Undecided: 8%
  31. Undecided: 8%
  32. Undecided: 6%
  33. Undecided: 8%
  34. Undecided: 11%
  35. Undecided: 7%
  36. Undecided: 7%
  37. Other: 3%; Undecided: 11%
  38. Undecided: 10%
  39. Undecided: 9%
  40. Other: 2%; Undecided: 6%
  41. Undecided: 7%
  42. Undecided: 8%
  43. Undecided: 12%
  44. Undecided: 12%
  45. Undecided: 27%
  46. Other: 2%; Undecided: 12%
  47. Other: 2%; Undecided: 8%
  48. Other: 3%; Undecided: 17%
  49. Other: 3%; Undecided: 12%
  50. Other: 1%; Undecided: 9%
  51. Other: 3%; Undecided: 15%
  52. Undecided: 11%
  53. Undecided: 7%
  54. Undecided: 18%
  55. Undecided: 9%
  56. Undecided: 12%
  57. Undecided: 12%
  58. For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from theAmerican Association for Public Opinion Research andIpsos.
  59. Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
  60. Book of the States, "2023 edition: Chapter 4 - Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 18, 2024
  61. Council of State Governments'Book of the States 2022 Table 4.3: The Governors: Compensation, Staff, Travel and Residence provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  62. 62.062.1Council of State Governments'Book of the States 2022 Table 4.4: The Governors: Powers provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
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