Parties in seven additional states can tie their best mark for consecutive wins this November

Gubernatorial elections will take place in 36 states this cycle and Democrats and Republicans in more than half of them can extend or tie all-time party record winning streaks for the office.

Overall, 18 states are in the midst of record partisan winning streaks in elections for governor:

• 13 on the Republican side: Utah (12), Idaho (8), Texas (8), Florida (7), Alabama (6), Georgia (6), Indiana (6), Mississippi (6), South Carolina (6), Oklahoma (4), Tennessee (4), Arkansas (3), and Missouri (3, tied with 1920 to 1928 and 1980 to 1988)
• Five for the Democrats: Oregon (11), Washington (11), Delaware (9), California (4), and Minnesota (4)

Twelve of these states host elections for the office in 2026 with less than a handful expected to host competitive races that might see those streaks come to an end (e.g. Georgia, Oregon, Texas).

Parties in an additional seven states are on the cusp of tying all-time marks this November:

• South Dakota Republicans (12 in a row, 1978-present): Poised to tie the GOP mark of 13 set from 1900 to 1924
• Colorado Democrats (five, 2006-present): Aiming to equal the party record of six straight set twice previously – 1926 to 1936 and 1974 to 1994
• Connecticut Democrats (four, 2010-present): Looking to tie a mark set 150 years ago when Democrats won five consecutive one-year terms from 1873 to 1876 (with two elections taking place in 1876)
• Wyoming Republicans (four, 2010-present): Winning by an average of 43.2 points during their current streak, the Cowboy State GOP is in great shape to tie the party record of five straight wins set from 1894 to 1906
• Pennsylvania Democrats (three, 2014-present): Popular Governor Josh Shapiro looks to tie the Democratic record of four straight wins set from 1838 to 1847
• Alaska Republicans (two, 2018-present): The GOP also won three in a row from 2002 to 2010
• Wisconsin Democrats (two, 2018-present): The party only won back-to-back-to-back contests once, from 1958 to 1962

No current Democratic or Republican streak is anywhere close to touching the longest gubernatorial winnings streaks in party history.

On the Democratic side, a win by Governor Tina Kotek would break a tie with Washington to place Oregon all alone in 14th place for states with the longest Democratic streaks. Southern states almost completely populate that leader board: Texas (51 in a row), Georgia (50), Arkansas (47), South Carolina (37), Alabama (35), Mississippi (28), Louisiana (21), Virginia (21), Tennessee (20), North Carolina (18), New Hampshire (14), Oklahoma (14), and Florida (13).

On the Republican side, a win by Governor Larry Rhoden in South Dakota would equal the state’s record of 13 in a row as mentioned above – which is good for the 10th largest state GOP winning streak for the office nationwide.

Northeastern and Midwestern states – Vermont (62 in a row), Rhode Island (24), Maine (22), New Hampshire (21), Iowa (19), Minnesota (19), Wisconsin (19), Massachusetts (18), and Michigan (14) – fill up the #1 through #9 slots. [Republicans also had separate winnings streaks of 14 in a row in Maine, 19 and 14 in a row in New Hampshire, and 16 in a row in Iowa].

Look for additional Smart Politics reports on current partisan electoral streaks to be published before the midterms.

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The seven-candidate Democratic field is second largest in state history and includes four of the 12 major party candidacies for the office by women

Wisconsin’s Democratic primary to vie for the seat of retiring Governor Tony Evers has entertained political observers with enough twists and turns worthy of a soap opera.

In the end, seven candidates will appear on the August 11th primary ballot – including two who suspended their campaigns (Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez and former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO Melissa Hughes) and a third formerly withdrawn candidate who only recently jumped back into the race (Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley).

The 2026 Democratic primary field goes down in the history books as the second largest of the more than 140 gubernatorial party primaries in Wisconsin history since 1912.

The largest gubernatorial primary field for any political party in Wisconsin history is 10 candidates – set by the Democrats just eight years ago in 2018 when Evers easily defeated nine other opponents en route to unseating Governor Scott Walker.

Democrats have placed more than four candidates on the primary ballot in just two other cycles across the 45 held since the first such contest in 1912:

• 1942: Kaukauna dentist William Sullivan emerged victorious from a six-candidate field by the narrowest victory margin for the office in party history (0.3 points) with a record low 24.3 percent plurality
• 2012: Milwaukee Mayor and former U.S. Representative Tom Barrett cruised to a 24-point victory against ex-Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk in a five-candidate field

The Republican Party, which has consolidated support behind U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany in a two-candidate race this cycle, peaked at six gubernatorial candidates twice and five candidates in four other cycles:

• 1914: Milwaukee Police Commissioner Emanuel Philipp won a six-candidate primary with a plurality of 35.1 percent
• 1920: Attorney General John Blaine was nominated from six candidates with 29.9 percent of the vote – the lowest support ever received by a GOP gubernatorial nominee
• 1944: Ascended Governor Walter Goodland easily held off four challengers with a 47.2 percent plurality victory
• 1946: Governor Goodland was renominated with 42.5 percent – edging Wisconsin Adjutant General Ralph Immell by 3.4 points in a five-candidate field
• 1986: State Assembly Minority Leader Tommy Thompson cruised to a 29.8-point victory against four challengers in the first of his four nomination victories
• 2022: Businessman Tim Michels was nominated with a 47.1 percent plurality in a five-candidate field

The Progressive Party also fielded five candidates once during the six cycles in which they held primaries for governor from 1934 to 1944: in 1940, former Attorney General and state legislator Orland Loomis was nominated with 33.1 percent – 6.2 points ahead of Chippewa Falls attorney Harold Stafford. [Other third parties to appear on a gubernatorial primary ballot over the last century-plus include the Socialists (15 times), Prohibitionists (11), Libertarians (five), Wisconsin Greens (four), People’s Progressives (twice), American (twice), Conservatives (twice), Labor-Farmers (twice), U.S. Taxpayers (twice), and Social Democrats (once)].

In 2018, Evers was victorious by 25.5 points, but with a plurality of 41.8 percent. This cycle’s winner is likewise expected to fall well short of breaking the tape with a majority.

Only six other Democrats have been nominated for governor with a plurality of the vote across the previous 44 cycles:

• 1932: Madison Mayor Albert Schmedeman (44.0 percent) in a three-candidate field
• 1940: Former GOP Governor Francis McGovern (38.9 percent) in a four-candidate field
• 1942: Former Kaukauna Mayor and dentist William Sullivan (24.3 percent) in a six-candidate field
• 1966: Lieutenant Governor Patrick Lucey (45.2 percent) in a four-candidate field
• 1982: Former Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Tony Earl (45.9 percent) in a three-candidate field
• 2002: Attorney General Jim Doyle (38.4 percent) in a three-candidate field

The 2026 Democratic primary is also noteworthy with four women appearing on the ballot: Assemblywoman Francesca Hong, State Senator Kelda Roys, and the aforementioned Rodriguez and Hughes who suspended their campaigns.

Only once has a woman been nominated for governor by a major party in Wisconsin – Madison School Board member Mary Burke in 2014 secured the Democratic nod. That occurred 12 years after the first woman to ever appear on a major party primary ballot for governor in the Badger State: Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk in 2002. Falk placed third in a competitive contest with 27.2 percent of the vote behind AG Doyle and U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett.

Other women to run in the Democratic primary are Falk again during the 2012 recall election, State Senator Kathleen Vinehout in 2012, Republican-recruited protest candidate Gladys Huber in 2012, and the aforementioned Roys and Vinehout in 2018.

Republican primary voters have had the opportunity to nominate a woman for governor only once: in 2022, former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch fell five points short in a five-candidate race won by businessman Tim Michels.

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Andy Biggs sets a GOP record for a non-incumbent in his blowout victory

July has largely been summer break for state primaries, although Arizona voters had their chance to weigh in on their candidate preferences on Tuesday.

At the top of the ticket, Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs ran unopposed for her party’s nomination.

That marked just the third time a Democratic governor did not face any opposition in his or her quest for another term out of 20 renomination bids dating back to statehood.

Hobbs joins Gov. Ernest McFarland who ran unopposed for a second term in 1956 and Gov. Janet Napolitano who did the same in 2006.

Each of the first 14 times a Democratic governor sought reelection there was at least one opponent on the primary ballot. Ten were victorious:

• George Hunt in 1914, 1916, 1924, 1926, and 1928
• Benjamin Moeur in 1934
• Sidney Osborn in 1942, 1944, and 1946
• Dan Garvey in 1948

Four others lost renomination:

• 1932: Gov. George Hunt lost to Tempe Normal School Board member Benjamin Moeur by 6.2 points
• 1936: Gov. Moeur was defeated by former Maricopa County Judge Rawghlie Stanford by 12.0 points
• 1940: Gov. Robert Jones came up 4.5 points short to former Arizona Secretary of State Sidney Osborn
• 1950: Gov. Dan Garvey lost to State Auditor Ana Frohmiller by 6.6 points

Other Democratic governors winning renomination in contested primaries were Sam Goddard in 1966 and Bruce Babbitt in 1978 and 1982.

By contrast, Republican governors have run unopposed in eight of 12 attempts:

• Tom Campbell in 1922
• John Phillips in 1930
• John Howard Pyle in 1952 and 1954
• Paul Fannin in 1960 and 1962
• Jack Williams in 1968 and 1970

The remaining four gubernatorial incumbents were also nominated in their bids for another term for a perfect 12-for-12: Fife Symington (1994), Jane Dee Hull (1998), Jan Brewer (2010), and Doug Ducey (2018).

In Tuesday’s Republican race, with nearly 85 percent of the vote counted, U.S. Representative Andy Biggs pummeled his three opponents with a ~59-point victory over fellow U.S. House delegation member David Schweikert. Biggs is poised to carry at least 70 percent of the vote in each of the state’s 15 counties.

Biggs’ victory margin will easily go down as the largest in a GOP primary by a non-incumbent – besting Phoenix accountant Jerrie Lee’s 42.6-point win in 1944 against Arizona Citrus Growers’ Association president Harry Michael to seal his fourth consecutive Republican gubernatorial nomination.

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Failed U.S. Senate hopefuls have subsequently run for the office 12 additional times during the primary era – losing all 12 bids

Last weekend Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow ended her bid for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination effectively making the forthcoming August 4th primary a two-candidate race between four-term U.S. Representative Haley Stevens and former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed. [McMorrow’s name will remain on the primary ballot].

Former seven-term GOP U.S. Representative and presumptive U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers (pictured) awaits the Stevens vs. El-Sayed winner in what is projected to be the Republican Party’s best pick-up opportunity in a cycle that may result in the chamber’s balance of power being decided by a single seat.

Rogers will represent Republicans on the U.S. Senate ballot in an open seat race for a second consecutive cycle, two years after narrowly losing the 2024 U.S. Senate election to U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin by 19K votes in a state Donald Trump carried by 80K at the top of the ticket.

The former U.S. Representative’s name will also now be added to a long list of Michiganders who returned to the U.S. Senate ballot after suffering a primary or general election loss. However, Rogers is hoping for a different result: all previous candidates – totaling 12 bids – fell short of winning a seat all 12 times.

Prior to Rogers, Michigan Republicans nominated Detroit businessman and former U.S. Army aviation officer John James in both the 2018 and 2020 cycles. James fell 6.5 points short of unseating Debbie Stabenow and then lost a 1.7-point nail-biter two years later to Senator Gary Peters.

Six other Republicans have tallied eight failed attempts at the U.S. Senate in the state over the last 100+ years:

Former Governor Chase Osborn placed a distant third with 19.6 percent in 1918’s four-candidate primary won by former U.S. Navy Secretary Truman Newberry.

Osborn made a second bid in 1930 but lost the GOP primary by 38.6 points to incumbent James Couzens.

State Senator Robert Huber of Troy made his first of four bids for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 1970 – falling 2.6 points shy of nominee Lenore Romney (wife of former Governor George Romney) in a head-to-head matchup.

Huber subsequently won a seat in the U.S. House in 1972 and then placed third in 1976 (17.4 percent) and 1982 (18.7 percent) in four-candidate GOP U.S. Senate primary fields won by U.S. Representative Marvin Esch and former U.S. Rep. Philip Ruppe respectively.

Huber’s final U.S. Senate primary bid came in 1988 when he received 38.9 percent in a head-to-head race against former U.S. Rep. Jim Dunn.

Jim Dunn’s 1988 primary victory – and general election loss to Donald Riegle – followed his 1984 primary defeat by 25.6 points to former Skylab astronaut Jack Lousma.

University of Michigan Regent and commercial and industrial builder Deane Baker made his first U.S. Senate bid in 1976, placing fourth in the primary with 11.0 percent. Baker ran for a second time in 1982 and placed fourth again with 13.1 percent.

Detroit attorney Clark Durant recorded the state’s longest stint between failed U.S. Senate candidacies during the primary era. Durant lost to U.S. Rep. Bill Schuette by 19.4 points with 40.3 percent of the primary vote in 1990. Twenty-two years later, Durant made a second bid for the chamber and placed 20.7 points behind former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra with 33.5 percent of the vote in a four-candidate field.

Lastly, conservative talk show host Ronna Romney fell 3.9 points short of winning the GOP nomination in 1994 against attorney and ex-Michigan Republican Party chair Spencer Abraham. Two years later, Romney was nominated by the GOP but was trounced by nearly 20 points in the general election by incumbent Carl Levin.

On the Democratic side, there have been three retread candidacies – two of these resulting in primary losses during the 1936 and 1940 cycles: attorney Louis Ward of Pontiac and Common Pleas Judge Ralph Liddy of Detroit.

Ward lost to U.S. Representative Prentiss Brown by 2.1 points with 34.2 percent in 1936 while Liddy placed third of four candidates with 20.9 percent. In 1940, Ward (11.2 percent) and Liddy (8.3 percent) placed in distant third and fourth places respectively in a primary won by Detroit attorney Frank Fitzgerald.

The most recent failed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate to suit up and run again was former Senator Blair Moody in 1954. Moody was appointed to the chamber in April 1951 after the death of long-serving Republican Arthur Vandenberg.

Moody was simultaneously nominated for the short term without opposition in 1952 and was easily nominated for the full six-year term with 88.4 percent. That November, Moody lost the special and general elections to Republican U.S. Representative Charles Potter.

Two years later, Moody ran for the Democratic nomination against Detroit School Board member Patrick McNamara but died in July – two weeks before the primary. Moody still won 35.8 percent of the vote.

Rogers and the Republicans are attempting to end a Michigan U.S. Senate electoral drought of 10 consecutive races in 2026 – tied with Washington for the seventh largest active GOP drought in the nation behind Hawaii (20), New Jersey (18), California (15), Maryland (15), New York (12), and Delaware (11).

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