State executive official elections, 2025

• Elections by office
  • Gubernatorial elections, 2025
  • Lieutenant gubernatorial elections, 2025
  • Attorney General elections, 2025
• Elections by state
  • New Jersey
  • Virginia
  • Wisconsin

State Executive Officials

State executive elections by position and year:

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State executive offices up for election in 2025 include two gubernatorial seats, two lieutenant gubernatorial seats, and one attorney general seat. Including down-ballot races, there are six state executive offices up for election across three states in 2025.

The two gubernatorial races on the ballot in 2025 are in New Jersey and Virginia.

State executives act in many capacities according to the powers granted to them by their state's constitution. They are also charged with implementing and enforcing laws made by state legislatures. There are 748 executive seats spread across 13 distinct types of offices in the United States. Of the 13 executive offices, only seven exist in all 50 states: governor, attorney general, superintendent of schools, insurance commissioner, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner, and public service commissioner.

Other common offices include lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, controller, auditor, and natural resources commissioner.

State executive offices up for election in 2024 include 11 gubernatorial seats, nine lieutenant gubernatorial seats, 10 attorney general seats, and seven secretary of state seats. Including down-ballot races, there are 163 state executive seats up for election across 30 states in 2024.

In 2022, 307 state executive offices were up for election across 44 states. Twenty offices changed party control, including two previously held Republican lieutenant governorships that changed parties because the governor and lieutenant governor ran on a joint ticket. Of the 18 offices which changed partisan control due to direct election, 10 switched from Democrat to Republican, seven switched from Republican to Democrat, and one nonpartisan official was succeeded by a Republican. A total of 26 incumbents seeking re-election to state executive offices were defeated, with 10 of those losing in the general election and 16 losing in their party's primary or nominating convention.

State executive offices up for election in 2021 included gubernatorial seats, lieutenant gubernatorial seats, and an attorney general seat. Including down-ballot races, there were seven state executive offices up for election across four states in 2021. Additionally, California held a recall election for Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on September 14, 2021. As a result of the 2021 elections, Republicans gained the governorship, lieutenant governorship, and attorney's general office in Virginia.

While this page includes links to pages on state executive elections in the U.S. Territories, it does not include the territories in its statistics.

Governor

There are two gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2025.

Out of all the state executive offices, only the governor is elected in all 50 states. As the chief executive officer, the governor is among the most powerful figures in state government. Other executive offices ordinarily report to him or her.

• New Jersey
• Virginia

Lieutenant Governor

There are two lieutenant gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2025.

In 45 states, the lieutenant governor is the second-highest executive office, behind the governor. Although the powers and duties of the lieutenant governor vary from state to state, lieutenant governors are responsible for filling vacancies in the office of governor. In many states, lieutenant governors often sit on boards or commissions, and they are often involved in the proceedings of the state Senate.

• New Jersey
• Virginia

Attorney General

There is one attorney general seat on the ballot in 2025.

As the state's chief legal officer, the attorney general is responsible for enforcing state law and advising the state government on legal matters. In many states, attorneys general play a large role in the law enforcement process.

• Virginia

Secretary of State

There were no secretary of state seats on the ballot in 2025.

Down-ballot

There is one down-ballot state executive seat on the ballot in 2025.

Education officials

• Wisconsin (superintendent of public instruction)

Trifectas

See also: State government trifectas

State government trifecta is a term to describe single-party government, when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.

As of January 4, 2024, there are 22 Republican trifectas, 17 Democratic trifectas, and 11 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.

Triplexes

See also: State government triplexes

A state government triplex is a term used to describe when a state's governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same party.

As of January 4, 2024, there are 24 Republican triplexes, 20 Democratic triplexes, and 6 divided governments where neither party holds triplex control.

Historical election data

Ballotpedia covers America's 748 state executive seats across all 50 states. The following sections look at incumbency and partisanship in state executive elections from 2011 to 2023.

Incumbency

From 2011 to 2023, 64.3% of incumbents sought re-election. Of the incumbents who sought re-election during that period, 86.5% were successful. The first chart below shows the number of incumbents who sought election each year compared to the number of seats up for election. The second chart shows the number of incumbents who were re-elected compared to the number of incumbents who ran for re-election.

The table below is organized by year and includes the total number of offices up for election, the number and percentage of incumbents who sought re-election, and the number and percentage of incumbents who won another term.

State executive incumbents who sought re-election, 2011-2023
Year	Total seats	Incumbents who sought re-election	% incumbents who sought re-election	Incumbents who were re-elected	% incumbents who were re-elected
2023	36	19	52.8%	17	89.5%
2022	305	209	68.5%	183	87.6%
2021	7	3	42.9%	2	66.7%
2020	166	106	63.9%	91	85.8%
2019	36	21	58.3%	20	95.2%
2018	298	184	61.7%	149	81.0%
2017	8	3	37.5%	2	66.7%
2016	93	51	54.8%	40	78.4%
2015	25	16	64.0%	15	93.8%
2014	226	152	67.3%	139	91.4%
2013	6	3	50.0%	3	100.0%
2012	94	67	71.3%	59	88.1%
2011	26	19	73.1%	18	94.7%
Total	1,326	853	64.3%	738	86.5%

Partisanship

The table below details how many state executive seats changed parties from 2011 to 2023. The largest single-year gain by a party was in 2018, when Democrats gained 41 net seats. That year also had the highest number of seats up for election, with 303. The lowest net change was in 2011, when no parties gained or lost any seats. Twenty-six seats were on the ballot that year. The table is organized by year and shows the number of seats held by each party before the election and after the election and the net change each party saw.

State executive partisanship, 2011-2023
Year	Total seats	Before election			After election			Net change
		Democrats	Republicans	Other	Democrats	Republicans	Other	Democrats	Republicans	Other
2023	307	7	29	0	6	30	0	-1	+1	0
2022	307	125	156	26	124	158	25	-1	+2	-1
2021	7	5	1	1	2	4	1	-3	+3	0
2020	171	59	71	41	56	75	40	-3	+4	-1
2019	36	8	28	0	7	29	0	-1	+1	0
2018	303	81	184	38	122	143	38	+41	-41	0
2017	8	3	4	1	5	2	1	+2	-2	0
2016	93	50	39	3	37	53	2	-13	+14	-1
2015	25	8	16	1	6	19	0	-2	+3	-1
2014	226	79	144	3	67	156	3	-12	+12	0
2013	6	0	5	1	3	2	1	+3	-3	0
2012	94	50	38	6	49	42	3	-1	+4	-3
2011	26	9	17	0	9	17	0	0	0	0

Partisan control of governorships

The chart below looks at the number of governorships held by the Democratic and Republican parties between 1977 and 2023. The biggest difference between the number of seats held by Democrats compared to those held by Republicans was in 1977 and 1978, when Democrats held 37 seats and Republicans held 12. The lowest difference between the number of seats held by Democrats compared to those held by Republicans was in 1987, 2003, and 2019. In 1987, Democrats held 26 governorships and Republicans held 24; in both 2003 and 2019, Democrats held 24 governorships and Republicans held 26. Republicans gained one governorship in both the 2020 and 2021 elections. Democrats gained two net governorships in 2022. Republicans gained one net governorship in 2023.

See also

2025 elections:

• State legislative elections, 2025
• State judicial elections, 2025

Previous elections:

• State executive official elections, 2024
• State executive official elections, 2023
• State executive official elections, 2022

Ballotpedia exclusives:

• State executives compensation
• Who runs the states?