This OTYCD entry originally posted in January 2018.
Learn which 36 governorships are on the ballot in 2018.
In addition to hundreds of Congressional races, 2018 is a big year for governorships. No less than 36 of the 50 posts will be contested. As of January 1, 2018, 17 sitting governors intend to run and 17 others won’t run again or are term-limited out.
A total of 26 of those 36 governorships are held by Republicans, which creates a huge opportunity for Democratic pickups.
The situation also creates opportunities to break Republican trifectas and maybe create a few new Democratic trifectas.
A trifecta happens when one party controls the governorship and both chambers of a state’s legislature. If a majority of states muster trifectas, those states could call a Constitutional Convention and rewrite the basics of how our country is governed.
Maneuvering America toward a Constitutional Convention has been a long-term goal of some right-wing groups. Frustrating Republican trifectas should factor into your concerns as a voter and a citizen.
What follows is a list of the 36 governors’ races, and notes on whether the incumbent is running.
Alabama: Republican incumbent Kay Ivey is running. She was sworn in in April 2017 after the previous governor, Republican Robert Bentley, resigned following a scandal that could have ended in impeachment. Alabama has a Republican trifecta.
At least six Democratic candidates will run in the June 5 primary.
Alaska: Independent incumbent Bill Walker is running for his second term. He won in 2014 with 48.1 percent of the vote.
As of January 1, 2018, no Democrats had declared they would run in the August 21 primary.
Arizona: Republican incumbent Doug Doucey is running for a second term. He won in 2014 with 53.4 percent of the vote. Arizona has a Republican trifecta.
At least two Democrats will run in the August 28 primary.
Arkansas: Republican incumbent Asa Hutchinson is running for a second term. He won in 2014 with 55.4 percent of the vote. Arkansas has a Republican trifecta.
As of January 1, 2018, no Democrats had pledged to run in the May 22 primary.
California: Democratic incumbent Jerry Brown is term-limited out. California has a Democratic trifecta.
At least ten Democrats will run in the June 5 primary, including lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Colorado: Democratic incumbent John Hickenlooper is term-limited out.
At least nine Democrats will run in the June 26 primary, including House Rep Jared Polis.
Connecticut: Democratic incumbent Dan Malloy has chosen not to run for a third term. Connecticut has a Democratic trifecta.
At least five Democrats will run in the August 14 primary.
Florida: Republican incumbent Rick Scott is term-limited out. Florida has a Republican trifecta.
At least seven Democrats will run in the August 28 primary.
Georgia: Republican incumbent Nathan Deal is term-limited out. Georgia has a Republican trifecta.
At least two Democrats, including Stacey Abrams, will appear in the May 22 primary.
Hawaii: Democratic incumbent David Ige will run for a second term. In 2014 he won with 49.5 percent of the vote; his nearest competitor got 37.1 percent. Hawaii has a Democratic trifecta.
At least two other Democrats will meet Ige in the August 11 primary.
Idaho: Republican incumbent Butch Otter chose not to run for a fourth term. Idaho has a Republican trifecta.
At least three Democrats will run in the May 15 primary.
Illinois: Republican incumbent Bruce Rauner will run for a second term. He won in 2014 with 50.3 percent of the vote, four points ahead of his Democratic rival.
At least seven Democrats will run in the March 20 primary, including Chris Kennedy and J. B. Pritzker.
Iowa: Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds will run for her first full term. She was sworn in in May 2017 when the sitting governor, Terry Branstad, became the U.S. ambassador to China. In 2014, running as lieutenant governor alongside Branstad, the two drew 59 percent of the vote to the Democrats’ 37.3 percent. Iowa has a Republican trifecta.
At least eight Democrats will run in the June 5 primary, including physician and former Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman Andrea “Andy” McGuire.
Kansas: Republican incumbent Sam Brownback is term-limited out. Kansas has a Republican trifecta.
At least seven Democrats will run in the August 7 primary.
Maine: Republican incumbent Paul LePage is term-limited out.
At least 13–yes, you read that right, 13–Democrats will run in the June 12 primary.
Maryland: Republican incumbent Larry Hogan is running for his second term. He won in 2014 with 51 percent of the vote; the Democrats got 47.2 percent.
At least nine Democrats, including former NAACP president and CEO Ben Jealous, will run in the June 26 primary.
Massachusetts: Republican incumbent Charlie Baker is running for his second term. In 2014, he won with 48.4 percent of the vote to the Democrats’ 46.5 percent. He might do better this time around; he has the highest popularity ratings of any sitting governor in America.
At least three Democrats, including Newton Mayor Setti Warren (no relation to Elizabeth Warren), will run in the September 18 primary.
Michigan: Republican incumbent Rick Snyder is term-limited out. Michigan has a Republican trifecta.
At least eight Democrats will run in the August 7 primary.
Minnesota: Democratic incumbent Mark Dayton declined to run for a third term. Minnesota has a Democratic trifecta.
At least six Democrats will run in the August 14 primary.
Nebraska: Republican incumbent Pete Ricketts is running for a second term. In 2014, he won with 57.2 percent of the vote to the Democrats’ 39.3 percent. Nebraska has a Republican trifecta.
As of January 1, 2018, no Democrats had signed up for the May 15 primary.
Nevada: Republican incumbent Brian Sandoval is term-limited out.
At least three Democrats will appear in the June 12 primary.
New Hampshire: Republican incumbent Chris Sununu will run for a second term. In 2016, he won with 48.8 percent of the vote; his Democratic competitor got 46.9 percent. The state has a Republican trifecta.
At least one Democrat, former Portsmouth mayor Steve Marchand, will run in the September 11 primary.
New Mexico: Republican incumbent Susana Martinez is term-limited out.
At least four Democrats will run in the June 5 primary.
New York: Democratic incumbent Andrew Cuomo will run for a third term. He won the 2014 election handily, getting 54.3 percent of the vote to the Republicans’ 40.3 percent.
As of January 1, 2018, no other Democrats had announced they would run in the September 11 primary.
Ohio: Republican incumbent John Kasich is term-limited out. Ohio has a Republican trifecta.
At least six Democrats will run in the May 8 primary, including Richard Cordray, former head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Oklahoma: Republican incumbent Mary Fallin is term-limited out. Oklahoma has a Republican trifecta.
At least three Democrats will appear in the June 26 primary.
Oregon: Democratic incumbent Kate Brown will run for her first full term after being appointed in February 2015 and winning a special election in 2016. The previous governor, Democrat John Kitzhaber, resigned over an ethics scandal. In her 2016 race, she garnered 50.7 percent of the vote. Her nearest rival, the Republican, got 43.5 percent.
As of January 1, 2018, no other Democrats had agreed to appear in the May 15 primary.
Pennsylvania: Democratic incumbent Tom Wolf will run for his second term. He won his first decisively in 2014, getting 54.9 percent of the vote to the Republicans’ 45.1 percent.
As of January 1, 2018, no other Democrats had agreed to appear in the May 15 primary.
Rhode Island: As of January 1, 2018, Democratic incumbent Gina Raimondo had not yet decided if she’ll run for a second term. Rhode Island has a Democratic trifecta. In 2014, she pulled in 40.7 percent of the vote. Her nearest competitor, a Republican, got 36.2 percent.
If she runs, Raimondo will meet at least two other Democrats in the September 12 primary.
South Carolina: Republican incumbent Henry McMaster will run for his first full term after being appointed in 2017 when Nikki Haley left to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. South Carolina has a Republican trifecta.
At least three Democrats have committed to the June 12 primary.
South Dakota: Republican incumbent Dennis Daugaard is term-limited out. South Dakota has a Republican trifecta.
At least one Democrat, state Senator Billie Sutton, has signed up for the June 5 primary.
Tennessee: Republican incumbent Bill Haslam is term-limited out. Tennessee has a Republican trifecta.
At least two Democrats will run in the August 2 primary.
Texas: Republican incumbent Greg Abbott will run for a second term. He won decisively in 2014, getting 59.3 percent of the vote to Democrat Wendy Davis’s 38.9 percent. Texas has a Republican trifecta.
A total of ten Democrats have committed to the March 6 primary.
Vermont: As of January 1, 2018, Republican incumbent Phillip Scott had not decided if he would run for a second term. In 2016, he received 52.9 percent of the vote to the Democrats’ 44.2 percent.
At least two Democrats will run in the August 14 primary.
Wisconsin: Republican incumbent Scott Walker will run for a third term. In 2014, he won 52.3 percent of the vote to the Democrats’ 46.6 percent. Wisconsin has a Republican trifecta.
Wow! At least 14 Democrats will face off in the August 14 primary.
Wyoming: Republican incumbent Matt Mead is term-limited out. Wyoming has a Republican trifecta.
At least one Democrat, former state Rep. Mary Throne, will appear in the August 21 primary.
Check out Ballotpedia’s page on the 2018 gubernatorial races:
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Read a November 2016 Politico story on how Democrats hope to make pickups in gubernatorial races:
https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/2018-governors-races-democrats-231815
Read a July 2017 New York magazine story on the same topic:
One Thing You Can Do 