United States gubernatorial elections, 2022

United States gubernatorial elections, 2022
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Election name	United States gubernatorial elections, 2022
Country	United States
Type	gubernatorial
Previous election	United States gubernatorial elections, 2021
Previous year	2021
Next election	United States gubernatorial elections, 2023
Next year	2023
Election date	November 8, 2022

United States gubernatorial elections, 2022 The 2022 cycle of state and territorial gubernatorial contests occurred during the Joe Biden presidency and the 117th United States Congress midterm period, producing a map-altering set of results that influenced control dynamics alongside the 2022 United States Senate elections and the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections. Major-party nominees included incumbents and challengers drawn from Democratic Party (United States) and Republican Party (United States), with several races featuring prominent figures such as Gavin Newsom, Greg Abbott, Katie Hobbs, Ron DeSantis, and Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Summary and overall results

The 2022 gubernatorial slate saw contests in 36 states and three territories, yielding partisan changes that affected the balance of governorships between Democratic Party (United States) and Republican Party (United States), with notable pickups in swing states and holdovers in solidly partisan jurisdictions. National summaries from outlets including The Cook Political Report, Sabato's Crystal Ball, FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics tracked margins in races such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, while state-level results were certified by secretaries of state including Katie Hobbs in Arizona, Brad Raffensperger in Georgia, and Jocelyn Benson in Michigan.

Election schedule and participating states/territories

Regularly scheduled contests on November 8, 2022 included gubernatorial elections in states such as California, Texas, Florida, New York and numerous others, with off-year or special elections in territories like Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico. Primary schedules earlier in 2022 were set by state institutions including California Secretary of State, Texas Secretary of State, and Florida Division of Elections, and varied systems such as closed primary and top-two primary influenced candidate lineups. Several states featured open-seat contests due to term limits, retirements, or gubernatorial transitions involving figures like Phil Murphy, Andrew Cuomo, Tom Wolf, and Mike DeWine.

Campaigns and key issues

Campaign messaging across races referenced national and regional issues championed by personalities such as Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Gavin Newsom, Nikki Haley, and Pete Buttigieg, with policy debates touching on matters associated with laws and institutions like the Affordable Care Act, Supreme Court decisions, and federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Justice. High-profile themes included responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, economic conditions tied to discussions of inflation and supply chain disruptions, public safety narratives invoking incidents in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City, and education controversies involving debates over curricula tied to groups such as Parents Defending Education and litigation in state courts. Campaign tactics involved advertising buys from firms that previously worked for Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Hillary Clinton, while external spending by National Republican Senatorial Committee, Democratic Governors Association, Club for Growth, and NextGen America shaped turnout operations.

Election outcomes by state and territory

State results produced incumbents who prevailed, such as Gavin Newsom in California, Greg Abbott in Texas, and challengers who unseated incumbents in battlegrounds like Arizona where races involved candidates associated with Kari Lake and Katie Hobbs, and Michigan featuring Gretchen Whitmer and Tudor Dixon-linked contest narratives. In Georgia, the rematch atmosphere tied to figures like Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams influenced margins, while Wisconsin and Pennsylvania races connected to personalities including Tony Evers and Doug Mastriano drew national attention. Territorial outcomes in Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico reflected local political dynamics involving parties such as the Democratic Party of Guam, Republican Party of Guam, New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico), and leaders like Pedro Pierluisi.

Voter turnout and demographics

Turnout patterns mirrored trends analyzed by Pew Research Center, U.S. Census Bureau, Catalist, and Edison Research, showing variation across jurisdictions with higher participation in competitive states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania and lower rates in less competitive states including Vermont and Wyoming. Exit polls conducted by CNN, NBC News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post indicated demographic splits with age cohorts, racial groups (including African Americans, Latino Americans, and Asian Americans), and education levels correlating with partisan preferences; analyses also referenced migration trends involving Sun Belt states and suburban shifts observed in counties like Maricopa County, Arizona, Gwinnett County, Georgia, and Wayne County, Michigan.

Aftermath and political implications

Post-election consequences affected policy debates in state capitols such as Sacramento, California, Austin, Texas, Tallahassee, Florida, and Madison, Wisconsin, where governors worked with legislatures including the California State Legislature, Texas Legislature, and Florida Legislature to address priorities tied to infrastructure programs like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and legal challenges reaching courts such as state supreme courts and the United States Supreme Court. Nationally, outcomes influenced 2024 positioning for figures like Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Gavin Newsom, and Greg Abbott in presidential speculation lists maintained by outlets including Politico and The New Yorker, while results reshaped the strategic calculus of organizations such as the Democratic Governors Association and Republican Governors Association for upcoming cycles.

Category:2022 elections in the United States