Voters in nine US states delivered historic governor election wins on Tuesday, electing candidates who will break racial, ethnic and gender barriers across the country.
Among the landmark results, Georgia chose Keisha Lance Bottoms as the first Black woman to be elected governor of any US state, while New Mexico elected Deb Haaland as the first Native American woman governor.
Historic governor election wins across the US
Bottoms, 56, defeated Republican healthcare executive Rick Jackson. The Democrat, who was mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022 before becoming an adviser to Joe Biden, also becomes the first Democrat to win the Georgia governor’s race in more than two decades.
Haaland defeated Republican Gregg Hull in New Mexico. Of Pueblo Indian descent, she served in Congress before becoming interior secretary under Mr Biden, having already made history as one of the first Native American women elected to Congress and the first Native American cabinet secretary.
California and Texas also elected governors who will mark significant milestones for Latino representation.
Xavier Becerra, a former California attorney general, congressman and US health and human services secretary, will become the first elected Latino governor of California. He defeated Republican Steve Hilton and will succeed Governor Gavin Newsom.
In Texas, state representative Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott to become the state’s first Latina governor and its first Democratic governor in more than 30 years.
Mr Abbott was described as one of the country’s most influential governors and an ally of President Trump. Ms Hinojosa’s victory follows a demographic shift in Texas and a rise in its Latino population.
First Black governors in Florida and Wisconsin
Florida and Wisconsin elected their first Black governors. Republican Byron Donalds won in Florida, while Democrat David Crowley prevailed in Wisconsin.
Donalds, who had President Trump’s backing and a substantial campaign war chest, defeated Democrat David Jolly after campaigning on affordability and promising to continue the conservative policies of outgoing Republican governor Ron DeSantis.
He has served in Congress since 2021 and previously completed two terms in the Florida state legislature.
Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, defeated Republican congressman Tom Tiffany, whose campaign spent considerably more than his rival’s. Crowley had suspended his campaign during the primary but returned after the candidate he supported withdrew, with the backing of outgoing governor Tony Evers.
He campaigned as a “deal maker” able to work across the political divide.
Women break new ground in three states
Women also secured historic victories in Tennessee, Minnesota and Ohio.
Republican senator Marsha Blackburn became the first woman to win a Tennessee governor’s race after defeating Democrat Jerri Green and several independent candidates. Although she had long been considered the favourite, her victory was narrower than expected.
Her campaign focused on restricting immigration, confronting China and reducing wasteful government spending.
Democratic senator Amy Klobuchar will become Minnesota’s first woman governor when she takes office in January. She defeated Republican Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, who would also have made history had she won.
In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton is poised to become the state’s first woman governor and its first Jewish governor. She will also be the first Democrat to hold the office in two decades after defeating Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.
Ms Acton served as Ohio’s chief public health officer during the pandemic. The contest was marked in its final weeks by personal attacks and a campaign advert that drew national criticism.
