2022 is a big year for governor elections. We’ve got a whopping 36 of them!
Today we’re taking a quick look at which states have races coming up next year, which party is currently in the seat, whether or not the incumbent is eligible to run again, and how the race is rated at this early point in the game. (I generally use Cook Political Report for the ratings.)
The reason I like to take a look at these races this far in advance is it’s good to know well ahead of time who will need support in terms of dollars and volunteers, and also so we can get ahead of the race. We can all help boost the Democratic governors in tight races by sharing good stories of their effective leadership and the great results they’ve gotten for their state, and for Republicans, we can point out how their policies have been detrimental to their citizens. Which of these races will you be focusing on?
The ratings: Safe D – Likely D – Lean D – Toss Up – Lean R – Likely R – Safe R
The Most Flippable
Republican held governorships: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maryland
Democratic held governorships: Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
Here’s the details for every state with a governor’s race in 2022:
Alabama
The current governor is Republican Kay Ivey. She’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
Alaska
The current governor is Republican Mike Dunleavy. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
Arizona
The current governor is Republican Doug Ducey. He’s NOT eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as a Toss Up.
Arkansas
The current governor is Republican Asa Hutchinson. He’s NOT eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
California
The current governor is Democrat Gavin Newsom. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Democratic.
Colorado
The current governor is Democrat Jared Polis. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Democratic.
Connecticut
The current governor is Democrat Ned Lamont. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Democratic.
Florida
The current governor is Republican Ron DeSantis. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Lean Republican.
Georgia
The current governor is Republican Brian Kemp. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Lean Republican.
Hawaii
The current governor is Democrat David Ige. He’s NOT eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Democratic.
Idaho
The current governor is Republican Brad Little. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
Illinois
The current governor is Democrat J.B. Pritzker. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Democratic.
Iowa
The current governor is Republican Kim Reynolds. She’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Likely Republican.
Kansas
The current governor is Democrat Laura Kelly. She’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Lean Democratic.
Maine
The current governor is Democrat Janet T. Mills. She’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Likely Democratic.
Maryland
The current governor is Republican Larry Hogan. He’s NOT eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as a Toss Up.
Massachusetts
The current governor is Republican Charles D. Baker. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
Michigan
The current governor is Democrat Gretchen Whitmer. She’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Lean Democratic.
Minnesota
The current governor is Democrat Tim Walz. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Likely Democratic.
Nebraska
The current governor is Republican Pete Ricketts. He’s NOT eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
Nevada
The current governor is Democrat Steve Sisolak. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Likely Democratic.
New Hampshire
The current governor is Republican Chris Sununu. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
New Mexico
The current governor is Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham. She’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Democratic.
New York
The current governor is Democrat Andrew Cuomo. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Democratic.
Ohio
The current governor is Republican Mike DeWine. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Likely Republican.
Oklahoma
The current governor is Republican Kevin Stitt. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
Oregon
The current governor is Democrat Kate Brown. She’s NOT eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Democratic.
Pennsylvania
The current governor is Democrat Tom Wolf. He’s NOT eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as a Toss Up.
Rhode Island
The current governor is Democrat Gina Raimondo. She is also Joe Biden’s nominee to become the Secretary of Commerce, and is expected to be confirmed soon, so this race will not have an incumbent.
This race is currently rated as Safe Democratic.
South Carolina
The current governor is Republican Henry McMaster. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
South Dakota
The current governor is Republican Kristi Noem. She’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
Tennessee
The current governor is Republican Bill Lee. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
Texas
The current governor is Republican Greg Abbott. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Likely Republican.
Vermont
The current governor is Republican Phil Scott. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
Wisconsin
The current governor is Democrat Tony Evers. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Lean Democratic.
Wyoming
The current governor is Republican Mark Gordon. He’s eligible to run again.
This race is currently rated as Safe Republican.
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~ Thank you for another detailed article. Would you check into Gerrymandering & even though it will happen, is there a way to still win races, once the lines are drawn ~ Some people think it is hopeless once this happens, We need to know what we can do. Any info is appreciated ~
Yes, I plan to write about gerrymandering. It’s a bit murky as we don’t yet know when we’ll get the census data.