As of January 2026, the United States has 24 Democratic governors. This marks a slight gain for Democrats following the 2025 elections in New Jersey and Virginia, where they retained one seat and flipped another from Republican control. Republicans hold the remaining 26 governorships out of 50 states.

Recent Changes

Democrats entered 2025 with 23 governors, per pre-election tallies. Key shifts occurred in November 2025: New Jersey's governorship stayed Democratic with Mikie Sherrill's win, while Virginia flipped to Democrat Abigail Spanberger, defeating the incumbent Republican. These results netted Democrats one additional seat heading into 2026.

Current Breakdown

Here's the partisan split for state governors:

Party| Number of Governors| Notes 157
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Democratic| 24| Includes recent NJ/VA wins
Republican| 26| Majority as of early 2026

This balance reflects outcomes from cycles like 2024 (no net change) and earlier years, with eight female Democratic governors noted as a historic high.

Looking Ahead

Thirty-six states face gubernatorial elections in November 2026, including 18 currently held by Democrats—many with term limits or competitive races in states like Kansas and New Mexico. Republicans defend seats in battlegrounds like Nevada. Analysts track these via maps and polls for potential shifts.

TL;DR: 24 Democratic governors currently, up from 23 after 2025 flips. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.