US midterms: Bottoms, Haaland, Klobuchar, Blackburn win historic governor races
By Priya NairLeadership & Growth Editor, Peepals Shakti
Representative image: Ralphs_Fotos / Pixabay
Women won governor races in Georgia, New Mexico, Minnesota and Tennessee on 3 November 2026, giving three states their first woman governor and the US its first Black woman governor.
What Happened
Four women won races for state governor in the United States midterm elections on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, and each win set a record. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won in Georgia, becoming the first woman elected governor of the state and the first Black woman elected governor of any US state. Democrat Deb Haaland won in New Mexico and will be the first Native American woman to serve as a US governor. Democrat Amy Klobuchar won in Minnesota and Republican Marsha Blackburn won in Tennessee; both states had never had a woman governor. The figures below are from live counts reported on 4 November 2026, with most votes in but results not yet certified.
Key Facts
- Georgia: Keisha Lance Bottoms (Democrat) beat Rick Jackson (Republican), about 54.3% to 45.7%, with about 98.6% of expected votes counted.
- New Mexico: Deb Haaland (Democrat) beat Gregg Hull (Republican), about 57.2% to 42.8%, with about 98% of expected votes counted.
- Minnesota: Amy Klobuchar (Democrat) beat Lisa Demuth (Republican), about 55.5% to 42.6%, as reported by NBC News.
- Tennessee: Marsha Blackburn (Republican) beat Jerri Green (Democrat), about 45.5% to 43.0%, a narrower margin than expected.
- Before the vote, a record 14 women were serving as US governors, and six of them were leaving office this year, according to the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP).
- CAWP counted 85 women running for governor in 2026, above the previous high of 69 in 2022.
- Pew Research Center reported on 28 October 2026 that 17 states had never had a woman governor; Minnesota and Tennessee are now off that list.
Why It Matters
For women in politics, these results matter well beyond the four states. Bottoms' win breaks a barrier that had stood for the whole history of US state government: no Black woman had been elected governor of any state before. Haaland's win in New Mexico does the same for Native American women. Both were firsts that researchers had flagged before polling day; both are now confirmed by the counts.
The Minnesota and Tennessee results show that the change is not tied to one party. In Minnesota, the race was between two women, so the state was certain to get its first woman governor whoever won. In Tennessee, a Republican senator won a close contest to become the state's first woman governor. When women lead tickets on both sides, the question shifts from whether a woman can win to which woman voters prefer.
The numbers also show how fast the pipeline has grown. CAWP's count of 85 women running for governor this year was well above the previous record. Before the vote, it said that at least six new women would have to win just to keep the number of women governors at its record level of 14, because six were leaving office. Final totals will depend on the remaining races and certification.
For readers in India, where women have served as chief ministers of several states, the US results are a reminder that representation in top executive posts is still uneven in many democracies, and that each first tends to open the door for others.
Peepals calculation: The winning margins in the reported counts were about 8.6 points in Georgia (54.3 minus 45.7), 14.4 points in New Mexico (57.2 minus 42.8), 12.9 points in Minnesota (55.5 minus 42.6) and 2.5 points in Tennessee (45.5 minus 43.0). Our calculation from the reported figures; final certified results may differ slightly.
| State | Winner | Reported share | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) | 54.3% | 8.6 points |
| New Mexico | Deb Haaland (D) | 57.2% | 14.4 points |
| Minnesota | Amy Klobuchar (D) | 55.5% | 12.9 points |
| Tennessee | Marsha Blackburn (R) | 45.5% | 2.5 points |
Impact
Short-term: Four women will take office as governors in January 2027, three of them as the first woman to lead their state.
Long-term: The wins add to a growing pool of women with executive experience, experience that can lead to higher office, including places on national tickets.
Who is affected: Voters in Georgia, New Mexico, Minnesota and Tennessee, women in American politics, and the parties that nominated them.
What to watch next: Certification of results and CAWP's final count of women governors once all races are called.
Key Takeaway
Keisha Lance Bottoms, Deb Haaland, Amy Klobuchar and Marsha Blackburn each made history on 3 November 2026, with Bottoms becoming the first Black woman elected governor in the US.
Questions and Answers
Did Keisha Lance Bottoms win the Georgia governor race?
Yes. Reported counts on 4 November 2026 showed her winning about 54.3% to Rick Jackson's 45.7%, making her the first woman elected governor of Georgia and the first Black woman elected governor of any US state.
Which states elected their first woman governor in 2026?
Georgia (Keisha Lance Bottoms), Minnesota (Amy Klobuchar) and Tennessee (Marsha Blackburn), according to the reported results.
Why is Deb Haaland's win historic?
She will be the first Native American woman to serve as governor of a US state, after winning in New Mexico with about 57.2% of the reported vote.
How many women ran for governor in 2026?
The Center for American Women and Politics counted 85 women running for governor, more than the previous high of 69 in 2022.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Priya Nair, Leadership & Growth EditorCovers Leadership & Growth and more for Peepals Shakti. All stories by Priya Nair
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Priya Nair is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
