The Associated Press called Tuesday victories for three Democratic governors, leaving them in office as their party pursued a majority of governorships in a nationwide contest shaped by disputes with the Trump administration.
AP’s calls put Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro back in office. The news service has also described each as a possible contender for the 2028 presidential nomination.
Maryland State Board of Elections returns, marked unofficial, showed Moore and running mate Aruna Miller with 1,119,527 votes, or 62.10%, at 11:46:16 p.m. EST Nov. 3. Republican Dan Cox and Rob Krop had 606,238 votes, or 33.63%. The tally included 1,852 of the state’s 1,979 Election Day precincts.
Thirty-six states held governor elections, covering roughly four-fifths of the country’s residents, AP reported. Nineteen of those offices had no incumbent on the ballot. Before Election Day, Republicans controlled 26 governorships; Democratic governors led states containing 60% of the U.S. population, the AP said.
Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper told AP, “Our goal is not just the majority of the population, but the majority of states.”
AP reported that the races unfolded amid disagreements over National Guard deployments, immigration operations, conditions on federal aid and federal efforts to change election requirements, including mail voting. The news service said a larger group of Democratic governors could mean more state leaders oppose or decline to carry out parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Governors in six states that were presidential battlegrounds in 2024, including Pennsylvania, may influence election administration ahead of the 2028 presidential election, AP reported. Democrats gained a majority of governorships in 2006 after flipping six offices; Republicans regained the majority in 2010, according to AP.
