Women will lead at least 17 states in 2027, a record, and four states elected their first female governor

Women won governor's races in at least 17 states in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, midterms. That breaks the record of 14 set in 2025, according to a Wednesday, Nov. 4, release from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University. CAWP counts at least 14 Democrats and 3 Republicans, about a third of all governors. It cautioned that the numbers will change as uncalled races, including the governor's races in Alaska and Kansas, are decided.

A record 26 women were major-party nominees for governor this year, one more than in 2022, ABC News reported.

The firsts

• Georgia: Keisha Lance Bottoms becomes the first Black woman elected governor of any U.S. state.
• New Mexico: Deb Haaland becomes the first Native American woman governor. She and Lt. Gov.-elect Stephanie Garcia Richard form the first all-women-of-color ticket elected to lead a state, CAWP said.
• Tennessee: Marsha Blackburn becomes the state's first woman elected governor.
• Ohio: Amy Acton becomes the first woman elected governor. Nancy Hollister served briefly by succession in 1998 and 1999.
• Minnesota also elected its first woman governor, CAWP said.
• Texas: Gina Hinojosa becomes the state's first Latina governor.

Eight states will have women as both governor and lieutenant governor in 2027, and 14 states have still never had a woman governor, according to CAWP.

Congress moves the other way

The Senate firsts include Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota, the first Native American woman senator, and Annie Andrews, the first woman elected to the Senate from South Carolina. Republican Julia Letlow becomes Louisiana's first Republican woman senator. With Juliana Stratton's win in Illinois, three Black women will serve in the Senate at the same time for the first time, CAWP said.

Overall, though, the number of women in Congress is set to fall. CAWP projects at least 139 women in the next Congress, down from 152 now, as the number of Republican women drops. Dozens of women are still in uncalled House races, so that figure could rise.

A record of at least 101 women will hold statewide executive offices, CAWP said, including at least 18 Black women, up from the earlier record of 11.