Nine states elect firsts as historic governors take office

Tuesday's elections produced nine new governors who will hold office titles never before held in their respective states.

Keisha Lance Bottoms secured the Georgia governorship, becoming the first Black woman to lead a U.S. state. The 56-year-old Democrat defeated Republican Rick Jackson, ending a two-decade streak of Republican governors in the state. Bottoms previously served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022 and advised former President Joe Biden.

Deb Haaland won the New Mexico race as a Democrat of Pueblo Indian descent, making history as the first Native American woman governor. She defeated Republican Gregg Hull. Haaland previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, where she also became the first Native American cabinet secretary.

Latino representation expanded in the West as Xavier Becerra and Gina Hinojosa won their races. Becerra, a former California Attorney General and HHS Secretary, will take over from Gavin Newsom after defeating Republican Steve Hilton. Hinojosa, a state representative, defeated incumbent Greg Abbott to become Texas's first Latina governor and the state's first Democratic leader in over 30 years.

Byron Donalds and David Crowley became the first Black governors in Florida and Wisconsin, respectively. Donalds, a Republican, beat David Jolly with backing from President Trump and a focus on affordability. He has served in Congress since 2021. Crowley, a Democrat and Milwaukee County executive, defeated Tom Tiffany despite a lower campaign budget. Crowley campaigned on his ability to work across the political aisle.

Women broke through in three additional states. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, became Tennessee's first female governor after defeating Jerri Green. She campaigned on immigration and spending cuts. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, won Minnesota, defeating Lisa Demuth, who would have also been the state's first female governor.

Amy Acton created a major upset in Ohio by defeating Vivek Ramaswamy. The Democrat, who served as the state's chief public health officer during the pandemic, will be the first woman and first Jewish governor in Ohio's history. Her victory marks the first time a Democrat has held the office in the state in two decades.