Nine historic wins reshape the map of American governors

Voters in nine states made history on Tuesday as they elected governors who will hold firsts in American political demographics.

Keisha Lance Bottoms won the governor's race in Georgia. At 56, the former mayor of Atlanta will become the first Black woman to serve as a state chief executive in the country. Her victory over Republican Rick Jackson also marks a return for the Democratic Party in Georgia, as she is the first Democrat to win the office in the state in more than 20 years.

In New Mexico, Democrat Deb Haaland defeated Republican Gregg Hull to become the first Native American woman governor. Haaland, who is of Pueblo Indian descent, previously served in Congress and as Interior secretary in the Biden administration. She had already broken barriers in those roles as one of the first Native American women in Congress and the first Native American cabinet secretary.

Two victories expanded Latino representation in statehouses. Xavier Becerra, the former California attorney general and HHS secretary, defeated Republican Steve Hilton. Becerra will be the first elected Latino governor of California. He succeeds Gavin Newsom in a race where he secured a decisive win against a political outsider.

Gina Hinojosa, a Texas state representative, defeated incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott. She will be the first Latina governor of Texas. Her win ends a 30-year stretch of Republican control in the state and follows a demographic shift toward a growing Latino population in Texas.

Florida and Wisconsin both elected their first Black governors. Byron Donalds, a Republican congressman, defeated Democrat David Jolly in Florida. Donalds campaigned on affordability and the continuation of conservative policies previously led by Ron DeSantis. In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, defeated Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany. Crowley suspended his campaign during the primary but re-entered with the support of outgoing Governor Tony Evers.

Three more states saw women break through in gubernatorial races. Senator Marsha Blackburn became the first woman to win a governor's race in Tennessee, defeating Democrat Jerri Green. Her campaign focused on immigration, China, and government spending. Senator Amy Klobuchar defeated Republican Lisa Demuth to become the first woman governor of Minnesota.

Amy Acton defeated Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio, marking one of the larger upsets of the election. The former chief public health officer will be the first woman and first Jewish person to serve as governor of Ohio. She is also the first Democrat to win the office in the state in two decades.