Nine Firsts: The Historic Governor Results

Nine states elected governors who break demographic and partisan barriers in Tuesday's midterms, marking a shift in state leadership across the nation. The results include the first Black woman, first Native American woman, and first Latino governor in several major states, alongside the first female governors in Tennessee, Minnesota, and Ohio.

Keisha Lance Bottoms, the 56-year-old former Atlanta mayor and Biden adviser, defeated Republican billionaire Rick Jackson to become Georgia's next governor. She is the first Black woman elected to the office in any U.S. state. Her victory also ends a long drought for Democrats in the state, as she is the first to win a gubernatorial race there in more than two decades.

In New Mexico, Democrat Deb Haaland won the governor's race against Republican Gregg Hull. Haaland, who is of Pueblo Indian descent, becomes the first Native American woman to serve as governor. She previously served as a U.S. Representative and as Secretary of the Interior under President Joe Biden, roles in which she also set historical precedents.

California elected Democrat Xavier Becerra, who becomes the state's first Latino governor. The former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and attorney general defeated Republican Steve Hilton. Becerra will succeed Gavin Newsom, whose tenure ended with the election.

Texas voters chose Democrat Gina Hinojosa, a state representative, to defeat incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Hinojosa is the first Latina governor of Texas and the first Democrat to hold the office in over 30 years. Her win aligns with a demographic shift as the state's Latino population continues to grow.

Florida and Wisconsin elected their first Black governors. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds, a congressman since 2021, won with the backing of President Trump and a large campaign budget. He defeated Democrat David Jolly by campaigning on affordability and the conservative legacy of outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis. In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, defeated Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany. Crowley, who briefly suspended his campaign during the primary, ran on a record of cross-party cooperation.

Three women won governorships in states where no woman had previously held the office. In Tennessee, Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn defeated Democrat Jerri Green and independent candidates. Her campaign focused on immigration, China, and government spending, though her win was narrower than projected. In Minnesota, Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar defeated Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth to become the state's first female governor.

In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in a race marked by intense negative campaigning. Acton, who served as the state's chief public health officer during the pandemic, becomes the first woman and first Jewish governor of Ohio. She is also the first Democrat to win the governor's mansion in the state in two decades.

These nine winners take office in January, reshaping the political map with leaders who represent new groups of voters and break long-standing barriers in state government.