Gubernatorial elections, 2023

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Three states held elections for governor in 2023. Heading into the election, two states (Kentucky and Louisiana) had Democratic governors, while one state (Mississippi) had a Republican governor. Louisiana's governorship changed partisan hands, resulting in two Republican governors and one Democratic governor across the three states as a result of the elections.

Jeff Landry (R) won election as governor of Louisiana on October 14, 2023. Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) was term-limited and unable to run for re-election. Landry's win meant Louisiana would change from a divided government to a Republican trifecta.

Incumbent Andy Beshear (D) defeated Daniel Cameron (R) to win re-election as governor of Kentucky. Beshear was first elected in 2019 when he defeated incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin (R) 49.2% to 48.8%. Beshear's win meant the state would remain under divided government until at least 2024, when the next state legislative elections were scheduled to be held. Democrats controlled the governorship, and Republicans controlled both legislative chambers.

Incumbent Tate Reeves (R) defeated Brandon Presley (D) to win re-election as governor of Mississippi. Reeves was first elected in 2019. His win meant the state would remain a Republican trifecta as Republicans maintained partisan control of both chambers of the state legislature.

Following the November 2023 elections, there were a total of 40 state government trifectas. This was the highest number of trifectas across the country since at least 1992. There were 25 Republican triplexes, 20 Democratic triplexes, and five divided governments where neither party held triplex control.

As of October 31, 2023, The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball rated Kentucky either Lean Democratic or Tilt Democratic. They rated Louisiana and Mississippi as either Lean Republican or Likely Republican. On November 5, 2019, the same outlets rated Kentucky as either a Toss-Up or Lean Republican, Louisiana as a Toss-Up, and Mississippi as Lean Republican. To learn more click here.

Eleven states held gubernatorial elections in 2024. Click here for more information on the 2024 gubernatorial elections.

Election results

Kentucky

General election

General election for Governor of Kentucky

Incumbent Andy Beshear defeated Daniel Cameron and Brian Fishback in the general election for Governor of Kentucky on November 7, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Andy Beshear
Andy Beshear (D)
 
52.5
 
694,482
Image of Daniel Cameron
Daniel Cameron (R)
 
47.5
 
627,457
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Brian Fishback (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
83

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,322,022
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky

Incumbent Andy Beshear defeated Geoff M. Young and Peppy Martin in the Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 16, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Andy Beshear
Andy Beshear
 
91.3
 
176,589
Image of Geoff M. Young
Geoff M. Young
 
5.1
 
9,865
Image of Peppy Martin
Peppy Martin
 
3.6
 
6,913

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 193,367
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 16, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Daniel Cameron
Daniel Cameron
 
47.7
 
144,576
Image of Ryan Quarles
Ryan Quarles
 
21.7
 
65,718
Image of Kelly Knight Craft
Kelly Knight Craft
 
17.2
 
52,170
Image of Eric Deters
Eric Deters
 
5.8
 
17,464
Image of Mike Harmon
Mike Harmon
 
2.6
 
7,797
Image of Alan Keck
Alan Keck
 
2.4
 
7,317
Image of David Cooper
David Cooper Candidate Connection
 
0.8
 
2,282
Image of Jacob Clark
Jacob Clark
 
0.6
 
1,900
Image of Robbie Smith
Robbie Smith Candidate Connection
 
0.5
 
1,388
Image of Bob DeVore
Bob DeVore
 
0.3
 
931
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Johnny Ray Rice
 
0.2
 
726
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Denny Ormerod
 
0.2
 
696

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 302,965
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Louisiana


Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Governor of Louisiana

The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of Louisiana on October 14, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jeff Landry
Jeff Landry (R)
 
51.6
 
547,827
Image of Shawn Wilson
Shawn Wilson (D) Candidate Connection
 
25.9
 
275,525
Image of Stephen Waguespack
Stephen Waguespack (R)
 
5.9
 
62,287
Image of John Schroder
John Schroder (R)
 
5.3
 
56,654
Image of Hunter Lundy
Hunter Lundy (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
4.9
 
52,165
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Daniel Cole (D)
 
2.6
 
27,662
Image of Sharon Hewitt
Sharon Hewitt (R)
 
1.7
 
18,468
Image of Benjamin Barnes
Benjamin Barnes (Independent)
 
0.5
 
5,190
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Patrick Henry Barthel (R)
 
0.4
 
4,426
Image of Richard Nelson
Richard Nelson (R) (Unofficially withdrew)
 
0.3
 
3,605
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Jeffery Istre (Independent)
 
0.3
 
3,400
Image of Xavier Ellis
Xavier Ellis (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
1,734
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Keitron Gagnon (Independent)
 
0.1
 
1,260
Image of Xan John
Xan John (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
1,164
Image of Frank Scurlock
Frank Scurlock (Independent)
 
0.1
 
1,131

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,062,498
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Mississippi

General election

General election for Governor of Mississippi

Incumbent Tate Reeves defeated Brandon Presley and Gwendolyn Gray (Unofficially withdrew) in the general election for Governor of Mississippi on November 7, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Tate Reeves
Tate Reeves (R)
 
50.9
 
418,233
Image of Brandon Presley
Brandon Presley (D)
 
47.7
 
391,614
Image of Gwendolyn Gray
Gwendolyn Gray (Independent) (Unofficially withdrew)
 
1.4
 
11,153

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 821,000
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Mississippi

Brandon Presley advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Mississippi on August 8, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Brandon Presley
Brandon Presley
 
100.0
 
196,307

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Total votes: 196,307
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Mississippi

Incumbent Tate Reeves defeated John Witcher and David Hardigree in the Republican primary for Governor of Mississippi on August 8, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Tate Reeves
Tate Reeves
 
74.7
 
281,213
Image of John Witcher
John Witcher
 
17.7
 
66,698
Image of David Hardigree
David Hardigree
 
7.6
 
28,561

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 376,472
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Seats up for election

There were two Democratic seats and one Republican seat up for election in 2023. The table below shows what seats are up for election and the current incumbent in each race.


Most states impose some form of term limits on governors; of those that do, all but Virginia limit a governor to two four-year terms or to eight years in office. Although most states' term limit laws allow a governor who has served two terms to be elected once again after time has elapsed, some states impose a lifetime term limit like that on the presidency.

State Trifecta status (before) Triplex status (before) Incumbent Incumbent party Incumbent ran?
Kentucky Divided trifecta control Divided triplex status Andy Beshear.jpeg
Andy Beshear		 Democratic Party Democratic Yes
Louisiana Divided trifecta control Divided triplex status John Bel Edwards1.jpeg
John Bel Edwards		 Democratic Party Democratic No
(termed-out)[1]
Mississippi Republican trifecta Republican triplex Tate Reeves1.jpeg
Tate Reeves		 Republican Party Republican Yes

Partisan balance

The following chart displays the number of governors' offices held by each party before and after the 2023 elections.

U.S. governors partisan breakdown
Party As of the 2023 elections After the 2023 elections
     Democratic Party 24 23
     Republican Party 26 27
Total 50 50

Partisan affiliation

Trifectas

See also: State government trifectas

State government trifecta is a term to describe single-party government, when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.

As of November 29, 2024, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 17 Democratic trifectas, and 10 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.


The table below shows the trifecta statuses in the four states that held state legislative elections in 2023. Bolded offices or chambers were up for election.

Trifecta statuses and state legislative elections, 2023
State Trifecta Gov. Senate House
Louisiana Divided D R R
Mississippi Republican R R R
New Jersey Democratic D D D
Virginia Divided R D R


Triplexes

See also: State government triplexes

State government triplex is a term to describe when one political party holds the following three positions in a state's government: governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. In states where the attorney general or secretary of state are appointed by the governor, Ballotpedia considers the office to be held by the governor's party for the purposes of defining triplexes until the governor appoints a specific person to those offices.[2] If a state does not have a secretary of state, Ballotpedia considers that state a triplex if one party controls both triplex offices.

As of November 29, 2024, there are 25 Republican triplexes, 20 Democratic triplexes, and 5 divided governments where neither party holds triplex control.

The table below shows the triplex statuses in the three states that held state executive elections in 2023. Bolded offices were up for election.

Triplex statuses and state executive elections, 2023
State Triplex Gov. Attorney General Secretary of State
Kentucky Divided D R R
Louisiana Divided D R R
Mississippi Republican R R R



2020 presidential election results in states with 2023 gubernatorial elections

Donald Trump (R) won all three states in the 2020 presidential election that held gubernatorial elections in 2023:

Kentucky


Presidential election in Kentucky, 2020
 
Candidate/Running mate
%
Popular votes
Electoral votes
✔
Image of
Image of
Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R)
 
62.1
 
1,326,646 8
Image of
Image of
Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D)
 
36.2
 
772,474 0
Image of
Image of
Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L)
 
1.2
 
26,234 0
Image of
Image of
Ye/Michelle Tidball (Independent)
 
0.3
 
6,483 0
Image of
Image of
Brock Pierce/Karla Ballard (Independent)
 
0.2
 
3,599 0
Image of
Image of
Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker (Unaffiliated) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
716 0
Image of
Image of
Brian T. Carroll/Amar Patel (Unaffiliated) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
408 0
Image of
Image of
Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freeman (Unaffiliated) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
98 0
Image of
Image of
Mark Charles/Adrian Wallace (Unaffiliated)
 
0.0
 
43 0
Image of
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Jade Simmons/Claudeliah Roze (Unaffiliated) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
29 0
Image of
Image of
Tom Hoefling/Andy Prior (Unaffiliated)
 
0.0
 
20 0
Image of
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Shawn W. Howard/Alyssa Howard (Unaffiliated) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
9 0
Image of
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
President Boddie/Eric Stoneham (Unaffiliated)
 
0.0
 
7 0
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Timothy Stevens/Susan Congleton Fletcher (Unaffiliated) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
1 0
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Kasey Wells/Rachel Wells (Unaffiliated) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
1 0

Incumbents are bolded and underlined The results have been certified.

Total votes: 2,136,768


Louisiana


Presidential election in Louisiana, 2020
 
Candidate/Running mate
%
Popular votes
Electoral votes
✔
Image of
Image of
Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R)
 
58.5
 
1,255,776 8
Image of
Image of
Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D)
 
39.9
 
856,034 0
Image of
Image of
Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L)
 
1.0
 
21,645 0
Image of
Image of
Ye/Michelle Tidball (Birthday Party)
 
0.2
 
4,897 0
Image of
Image of
Brian T. Carroll/Amar Patel (American Solidarity Party)
 
0.1
 
2,497 0
Image of
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Jade Simmons/Claudeliah Roze (Becoming One Nation)
 
0.1
 
1,626 0
Image of
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
President Boddie/Eric Stoneham (C.U.P.)
 
0.1
 
1,125 0
Image of
Image of
Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freeman (Party for Socialism and Liberation)
 
0.0
 
987 0
Image of
Image of
Don Blankenship/William Mohr (Constitution Party)
 
0.0
 
860 0
Image of
Image of
Brock Pierce/Karla Ballard (Freedom and Prosperity)
 
0.0
 
749 0
Image of
Image of
Tom Hoefling/Andy Prior (Life, Liberty, Constitution)
 
0.0
 
668 0
Image of
Image of
Bill Hammons/Eric Bodenstab (Unity Party)
 
0.0
 
662 0
Image of
Image of
Alyson Kennedy/Malcolm Jarrett (Socialist Workers Party)
 
0.0
 
536 0

Incumbents are bolded and underlined The results have been certified.

Total votes: 2,148,062


Mississippi


Presidential election in Mississippi, 2020
 
Candidate/Running mate
%
Popular votes
Electoral votes
✔
Image of
Image of
Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R)
 
57.6
 
756,764 6
Image of
Image of
Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D)
 
41.1
 
539,398 0
Image of
Image of
Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L)
 
0.6
 
8,026 0
Image of
Image of
Ye/Michelle Tidball (Independent)
 
0.3
 
3,657 0
Image of
Image of
Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker (G)
 
0.1
 
1,498 0
Image of
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Phil Collins/Billy Joe Parker (Independent)
 
0.1
 
1,317 0
Image of
Image of
Don Blankenship/William Mohr (American Constitution Party)
 
0.1
 
1,279 0
Image of
Image of
Brian T. Carroll/Amar Patel (American Solidarity Party)
 
0.1
 
1,161 0
Image of
Image of
Brock Pierce/Karla Ballard (Independent)
 
0.1
 
659 0

Incumbents are bolded and underlined The results have been certified.

Total votes: 1,313,759



Important dates and deadlines

The table below lists important dates throughout the 2023 election cycle for states that held statewide elections in 2023, including filing deadlines and primary dates.

Primary dates and filing deadlines, 2023
State Primary date Primary runoff date Filing deadline for primary candidates Source
Kentucky 5/16/2023 N/A 1/6/2023 Source
Louisiana 10/14/2023 N/A 8/10/2023 Source
Mississippi 8/8/2023 8/29/2023 2/1/2023 Source
New Jersey 6/6/2023 N/A 3/27/2023 Source
Pennsylvania 5/16/2023 N/A 3/7/2023 Source
Virginia 6/20/2023 N/A 4/6/2023 Source
Washington 8/1/2023 N/A 5/19/2023 Source
Wisconsin 2/21/2023 N/A 1/3/2023 Source


Historical control

Republicans led in governorships from 1994 until 2006, after which there were 28 Democratic governors to the Republicans' 22. Republicans regained their national majority in the 2010 midterm elections. Between 2010 and 2017, the number of Republican governors continued to increase, reaching a high point of 33 following West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice's switch to the Republican Party in August 2017.[3] From 2017 to 2019, Democrats won Republican-held governorships in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. Republicans, meanwhile, gained a governorship in Alaska previously held by independent Bill Walker. In 2020 and 2021, Republicans won Democratic-held governorships in Montana and Virginia. Four gubernatorial offices changed partisan control in 2022, with Democrats winning three previously Republican-held seats in Arizona, Maryland, and Massachusetts, and Republicans defeating the Democratic incumbent in Nevada. These changes brought Republicans to 26 governorships and Democrats to 24.

Outside race ratings

The following table compared gubernatorial race ratings from The Cook Political Report, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and Inside Elections prior to the November 2023 elections.

Gubernatorial offices that changed party control in 2022

Four governors' offices changed partisan control as a result of the 2022 elections.

Twenty-seven gubernatorial incumbents were re-elected in 2022—twelve Democrats and fifteen Republicans.

2022 gubernatorial elections

There were 20 Republican and 16 Democratic gubernatorial seats up for election in 2022. These statistics do not include elections in the U.S. territories. The table and map below show which states held gubernatorial elections in 2022.


Table last updated December 20, 2022.

Gubernatorial elections, 2022
State Incumbent Incumbent running? Election winner Last time office flipped 2020 presidential result 2018 gubernatorial result[4] 2022 gubernatorial result
Alabama Republican Party Kay Ivey Yes Republican Party Kay Ivey 2002 R+25.4 R+19.1 R+38.0
Alaska Republican Party Mike Dunleavy Yes Republican Party Mike Dunleavy 2018 R+10.0 R+7.0 R+26.1
Arizona Republican Party Doug Ducey No* Democratic Party Katie Hobbs 2009 D+0.3 R+14.2 D+0.7
Arkansas Republican Party Asa Hutchinson No* Republican Party Sarah Huckabee Sanders 2014 R+27.6 R+33.5 R+27.8
California Democratic Party Gavin Newsom Yes Democratic Party Gavin Newsom 2010 D+29.2 D+23.8 D+18.4
Colorado Democratic Party Jared Polis Yes Democratic Party Jared Polis 2006 D+13.5 D+10.6 D+19.3
Connecticut Democratic Party Ned Lamont Yes Democratic Party Ned Lamont 2010 D+20.1 D+3.2 D+12.8
Florida Republican Party Ron DeSantis Yes Republican Party Ron DeSantis 2010 R+3.3 R+0.4 R+19.4
Georgia Republican Party Brian Kemp Yes Republican Party Brian Kemp 2002 D+0.2 R+1.4 R+7.5
Hawaii Democratic Party David Ige No* Democratic Party Joshua Green 2010 D+29.4 D+29.0 D+26.4
Idaho Republican Party Brad Little Yes Republican Party Brad Little 1994 R+30.7 R+21.6 R+40.2
Illinois Democratic Party J.B. Pritzker Yes Democratic Party J.B. Pritzker 2018 D+17.0 D+15.7 D+12.0
Iowa Republican Party Kim Reynolds Yes Republican Party Kim Reynolds 2010 R+8.2 R+2.8 R+18.6
Kansas Democratic Party Laura Kelly Yes Democratic Party Laura Kelly 2018 R+14.6 D+5.0 D+2.1
Maine Democratic Party Janet Mills Yes Democratic Party Janet Mills 2018 D+9.1 D+7.7 D+12.9
Maryland Republican Party Larry Hogan No* Democratic Party Wes Moore 2014 D+33.2 R+11.9 D+32.5
Massachusetts Republican Party Charles D. Baker No Democratic Party Maura Healey 2014 D+33.5 R+32.5 D+29.1
Michigan Democratic Party Gretchen Whitmer Yes Democratic Party Gretchen Whitmer 2018 D+2.8 D+9.6 D+10.6
Minnesota Democratic Party Tim Walz Yes Democratic Party Tim Walz 2010 D+7.1 D+11.4 D+7.7
Nebraska Republican Party Pete Ricketts No* Republican Party Jim Pillen 1998 R+19.1 R+18.0 R+23.4
Nevada Democratic Party Steve Sisolak Yes Republican Party Joe Lombardo 2018 D+2.4 D+4.1 R+1.5
New Hampshire Republican Party Chris Sununu Yes Republican Party Chris Sununu 2016 D+7.3 R+31.7 R+15.5
New Mexico Democratic Party Michelle Lujan Grisham Yes Democratic Party Michelle Lujan Grisham 2018 D+10.8 D+14.4 D+6.4
New York Democratic Party Kathy Hochul Yes Democratic Party Kathy Hochul 2006 D+23.2 D+23.4 D+5.8
Ohio Republican Party Mike DeWine Yes Republican Party Mike DeWine 2010 R+8.1 R+3.7 R+25.6
Oklahoma Republican Party Kevin Stitt Yes Republican Party Kevin Stitt 2010 R+33.1 R+12.1 R+13.6
Oregon Democratic Party Kate Brown No* Democratic Party Tina Kotek 1986 D+16.1 D+6.4 D+3.4
Pennsylvania Democratic Party Tom Wolf No* Democratic Party Josh Shapiro 2014 D+1.2 D+17.1 D+14.8
Rhode Island Democratic Party Daniel McKee Yes Democratic Party Daniel McKee 2010 D+20.8 D+15.4 D+19.1
South Carolina Republican Party Henry McMaster Yes Republican Party Henry McMaster 2002 R+11.7 R+8.1 R+17.4
South Dakota Republican Party Kristi Noem Yes Republican Party Kristi Noem 1978 R+26.2 R+3.4 R+26.8
Tennessee Republican Party Bill Lee Yes Republican Party Bill Lee 2010 R+23.2 R+21.0 R+32.0
Texas Republican Party Greg Abbott Yes Republican Party Greg Abbott 1994 R+5.6 R+13.3 R+10.9
Vermont Republican Party Phil Scott Yes Republican Party Phil Scott 2016 D+35.1 R+41.1 R+47.2
Wisconsin Democratic Party Tony Evers Yes Democratic Party Tony Evers 2018 D+0.7 D+1.1 D+3.4
Wyoming Republican Party Mark Gordon Yes Republican Party Mark Gordon 2010 R+43.1 R+39.6 R+61.9
* denotes a term-limited incumbent.

About the office

See also: Governor (state executive office)

In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state. The governor is not directly subordinate to the federal authorities but is the political and ceremonial head of the state. The governor may also assume additional roles, such as the commander-in-chief of the National Guard when the role is not federalized. The governor may also have the ability to commute or pardon a criminal sentence.

In all states, the governor is directly elected and, in most cases, has considerable practical powers. Notable exceptions with weak governorships include the office of the governor in Texas, though this may be moderated by the state legislature and, in some cases, by other elected executive officials. Governors can veto state bills. The specific duties and powers vary widely between states.

Compensation


According to compensation figures for 2022 compiled by the Council of State Governments in the Book of the States, the highest salary for a governor was $250,000 in New York while the lowest is $70,000 in Maine. To view the compensation of a particular governor, hover your mouse over the state.[5]

Staff size


According to figures for 2022 compiled by the Council of State Governments in the Book of the States, gubernatorial offices range in size from 9 staffers in Nebraska to 277 staffers in Texas.[5]

Involvement in budget proposals


Although all governors have some involvement in the process of developing a state budget, the specific level of involvement differs from state to state. According to information published in the 2022 Book of the States, 24 governors share responsibility for developing a budget proposal, while 11 governors have full responsibility for developing an initial budget proposal and the remaining 15 have full responsibility for developing a budget.[6]

Term limits

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits


Most states impose some form of term limits on governors; of those that do, all but Virginia limit a governor to two four-year terms or to eight years in office. Although most states' term limit laws allow a governor who has served two terms to be elected once again after time has elapsed, some states impose a lifetime term limit like that on the presidency. Although Vermont and New Hampshire do not have term limit laws, they are the only states whose governors serve two-year terms rather than four-year terms.

Line-item veto powers


The term line-item veto refers to the ability of a governor or other chief executive to veto specific parts of a bill while signing the rest of the bill into law. Currently, 44 states grant their governors line-item veto powers.[6]

See also


Footnotes

  1. ↑ Louisiana governors are limited to two consecutive terms in office. A former governor may run for the seat again after one full term out of office.
  2. ↑ This is because it is very uncommon for an attorney general or secretary of state appointed by a governor to often be in direct conflict with that governor.
  3. ↑ Because Justice switched his registration more than halfway through the year, he was counted as a Democrat in 2017 for the purposes of the chart.
  4. ↑ 2020 election for New Hampshire and Vermont.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Council of State Governments' Book of the States 2022 Table 4.3: The Governors: Compensation, Staff, Travel and Residence provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Council of State Governments' Book of the States 2022 Table 4.4: The Governors: Powers provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
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