Democrats Storm Governor Races, Flip Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Iowa

While Washington's eyes were glued to Congress, Democrats quietly tore up the governors' map. State representative Gina Hinojosa knocked off Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in Texas — a stunning upset that makes her the state's first Latina governor and the first Democrat to hold the office in 30 years. Georgia followed, with Keisha Lance Bottoms defeating billionaire Rick Jackson in a state Republicans have run for more than two decades.

Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, becomes the first Black woman elected governor of any state. Ohio swung next: Democrat Amy Acton beat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, a race that drew national attention after Ramaswamy's campaign aired a widely criticized ad featuring Acton's estranged mother, who lost custody of her children after her husband was accused of sexually abusing Acton as a child. Acton is Ohio's first Democratic governor since 2006 and its first woman governor.

In Iowa, Democrat Rob Sand upset Republican Zach Lahn, a step toward rebuilding the party's standing in a state Trump has carried three times. Wisconsin went blue too, with David Crowley beating Republican Tom Tiffany to become the state's first Black governor. Crowley had withdrawn from the race before rejoining at the urging of outgoing Democratic governor Tony Evers, and still overcame a huge fundraising gap.

The wins stacked up elsewhere. Pennsylvania's popular incumbent Josh Shapiro handily defeated Stacy Garrity, Kathy Hochul sailed to re-election in New York, Deb Haaland became New Mexico's governor and the first Native American woman to win a governorship, and Xavier Becerra became California's first Latino governor. Florida broke the pattern: Republican congressman and Trump ally Byron Donalds edged out former Republican turned Democrat David Jolly to become the Sunshine State's first Black governor.

The governor races matter because 36 states chose governors on Tuesday, including swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin that help decide who takes the White House. Democratic governors have spent the first two years of Trump's second term as a bulwark against his policies, filing lawsuits and issuing executive actions. Some also appoint election officials and can sign laws protecting voter rights, though the rules vary by state.

Republicans have held a majority of governorships since the 2010 election. The string of upsets in traditionally red states could reset the map well before the 2028 presidential contest.