- Control of most U.S. states is up for grabs this cycle
There are 36 gubernatorial races on the ballot in 2022. Of these, 20 governor's offices are held by Republicans and 16 by Democrats. But despite there being more Republican seats to defend, governorships held by Democrats are the most vulnerable to flipping come November 8.
2022 General EmbedsDemocrats made large gains in the 2018 blue-wave election where they gained seven governorships. Now, four years later — the length of most gubernatorial terms — those same governors are on the defensive. The COVID-19 pandemic put governors across the nation to the test, with COVID-19 lockdowns straining some communities.
In June, the Supreme Court ended federal abortion protections that were previously granted by the Roe v. Wade decision. In turn, state legislatures across the country responded by drafting bills severely limiting access to abortion — many governors signed the bills into law, while others such as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, flexed their veto powers.
Gubernatorial seats can also often be leveraged for future presidential runs — recently-elected governors such as Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis and Virginia's Gov. Glenn Youngkin have already parlayed their executive positions into becoming GOP household names.
Similarly, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gained enough Democratic support since her 2018 election to become a potential vice presidential running mate to President Joe Biden in 2020.