Auto-generated recap of a concluded election. Figures are the certified result. This article can be edited; edits are preserved and not overwritten by regeneration.
At a glance
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Governorships contested | 50 |
| DEM governorships | 38 (+2) |
| FLP governorships | 8 (+1) |
| CUP governorships | 2 (-1) |
| GOP governorships | 2 (-1) |
| Flips | 9 |
Overview
The 1978 gubernatorial elections left the Democratic Party with 38 governorships, a net gain of two, while Farmer-Labor rose to eight seats (+1). The Constitutional Union Party and Republican Party each fell to two governorships, both losing one net seat. Democrats now control more than three-quarters of all state executive offices, but the cycle was defined by cross-party flips rather than a single dominant wave.
The Map
Nine governorships changed party control. Democrats gained five: New Jersey (from Farmer-Labor), Vermont (from C), Florida and Georgia (both from Republican), and Texas (from Farmer-Labor). They lost three: Kansas to the Republicans, and Michigan and Delaware to Farmer-Labor. Farmer-Labor gained Alabama (from Constitutional Union), Michigan, and Delaware, while losing New Jersey and Texas to Democrats. Republicans picked up Kansas but surrendered Florida and Georgia. Constitutional Union lost Alabama.
The gain/loss map shows Democratic pickups scattered from the Northeast to the South and Southwest, offset by losses in the industrial Midwest and Delaware. Farmer-Labor’s gains were concentrated in Alabama, Michigan, and Delaware, while its losses came in New Jersey and Texas. The two smallest parties — Constitutional Union and Republican — each ended with just two governorships, tied for the fewest.
Closest Contests
The tightest race was Vermont, where Democrat Samantha Lombardi won by just 0.1 percentage points — a gain for the party. Hawaii (1.8 points), Illinois (2.0), and Idaho (3.2) were all Democratic holds decided by narrow margins. Georgia, a Democratic gain from the Republicans, came down to 3.4 points, and Nevada’s Farmer-Labor hold was decided by 3.6 points.
The closest-contests chart underscores how fragile the Democratic net gain of two really was. Three of the six closest races were Democratic holds that nearly flipped, while Vermont and Georgia were gains that could have gone the other way. Georgia’s winner took only 30.6% of the vote, and Vermont’s just 35%, indicating fragmented multi-candidate fields where a small swing would have changed the outcome. Nevada’s 3.6-point margin was the only close contest won by Farmer-Labor, preserving one of its eight governorships.
Results by state
| State | Governor-elect | Share | Margin | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK | Jamal Adams (DEM) | 54.6% | +9.2 | hold |
| AL | Queen (FLP) | 49.5% | +14.9 | gain from CUP |
| AR | Latoya Ramirez (DEM) | 60.6% | +21.2 | hold |
| AZ | Lin Lopez (FLP) | 75.7% | +51.3 | hold |
| CA | Moshe Greenbaum (DEM) | 66.9% | +33.7 | hold |
| CO | Nicole Jefferson (DEM) | 64.6% | +29.2 | hold |
| CT | Dorothy Stone (DEM) | 41.1% | +7.4 | hold |
| DE | Vikram Cook (FLP) | 100% | +100 | gain from DEM |
| FL | Keisha Morales (DEM) | 64.5% | +29.1 | gain from GOP |
| GA | Victoria Campbell (DEM) | 30.6% | +3.4 | gain from GOP |
| HI | Kimberly Martin (DEM) | 50.9% | +1.8 | hold |
| IA | James Rosenberg (DEM) | 64.8% | +29.6 | hold |
| ID | Lucia Williams (DEM) | 51.6% | +3.2 | hold |
| IL | Tyrone Robinson (DEM) | 39.5% | +2 | hold |
| IN | Samantha Harris (DEM) | 70.8% | +41.6 | hold |
| KS | Raymond Evans (GOP) | 53.1% | +26.9 | gain from DEM |
| KY | Sofia Scott (DEM) | 66.1% | +32.1 | hold |
| LA | Emily Shaw (DEM) | 61.8% | +23.5 | hold |
| MA | Christopher Schmidt (DEM) | 55.2% | +10.4 | hold |
| MD | Roberto Lawrence (CUP) | 44.3% | +14 | hold |
| ME | Andre Gonzalez (DEM) | 70.7% | +41.4 | hold |
| MI | Low Thia Khiang (FLP) | 63.1% | +26.2 | gain from DEM |
| MN | Deborah Graham (DEM) | 59.9% | +19.7 | hold |
| MO | Deprince (FLP) | 62.5% | +25 | hold |
| MS | Rachel Wiśniewski (DEM) | 58.4% | +16.9 | hold |
| MT | Christopher Scott (GOP) | 40.1% | +6.3 | hold |
| NC | Benjamin Rosenberg (DEM) | 54% | +8.1 | hold |
| ND | Richard Fischer (DEM) | 57.2% | +14.3 | hold |
| NE | Amanda Phillips (DEM) | 61.2% | +22.5 | hold |
| NH | Stephanie McAllister (DEM) | 56.2% | +12.4 | hold |
| NJ | Sofia Campbell (DEM) | 53.4% | +6.8 | gain from FLP |
| NM | Linda Hall (DEM) | 64.6% | +29.2 | hold |
| NV | Joshua Levy (FLP) | 51.8% | +3.6 | hold |
| NY | Franklin Delano Roosevelt (DEM) | 62.8% | +41.1 | hold |
| OH | Janet Shaw (DEM) | 67.6% | +45.7 | hold |
| OK | Juan Smith (DEM) | 59.7% | +19.4 | hold |
| OR | Carmen Anderson (FLP) | 53.2% | +6.4 | hold |
| PA | Benjamin Rogers (DEM) | 55.4% | +10.8 | hold |
| RI | Mei Knight (DEM) | 45.1% | +14.9 | hold |
| SC | Marine Dafeur (DEM) | 75.7% | +51.4 | hold |
| SD | Dennis Palmer (DEM) | 59.5% | +18.9 | hold |
| TN | Donna Lawrence (CUP) | 38.5% | +4.3 | hold |
| TX | Dorothy Chase (DEM) | 35.4% | +8.8 | gain from FLP |
| UT | Samuel Henderson (DEM) | 59.9% | +19.9 | hold |
| VA | Angela McCarthy (DEM) | 55.8% | +11.5 | hold |
| VT | Samantha Lombardi (DEM) | 35% | +0.1 | gain from C |
| WA | Jin Rodriguez (DEM) | 72.4% | +44.7 | hold |
| WI | Sofia Henderson (DEM) | 59% | +17.9 | hold |
| WV | Stephanie Hayes (FLP) | 53.1% | +6.2 | hold |
| WY | Jasmine Chavez (DEM) | 66% | +32 | hold |