State executive official elections, 2014
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November 4, 2014 |
Forty-three states held state executive official elections on November 4, 2014.
Heading into 2014, eight states were not scheduled to hold executive official elections: Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. Utah was forced to schedule a special election for attorney general, following the resignation of John Swallow in December 2013. Sean Reyes (R) won the special election for the remaining two years of Swallow's elected term.
In the 43 states that held elections in 2014, a total of 225 state executive officials were elected. That is more than double the number of positions that were elected in 2012, when 94 positions were elected.
Offices up for election
Democratic Governor of Rhode Island Lincoln Chafee, the former Republican and sole sitting Independent governor until May 2013, was expected to seek re-election on the Democratic ticket in 2014, but announced on September 4, 2013 that he would not seek a second term.[1][2]
The offices up for election included:
- 36 governors. Four governors were term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. They were:
- Of those states holding gubernatorial elections in 2014, nine states were considered toss-ups or vulnerable for partisan switch, according to polling figures and reports from FiveThirtyEight, Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball, and Governing. The vulnerable governor seats were held by the following incumbents:[3][4][5]
Arizona - Jan Brewer (R) was ineligible to seek re-election due to term limits.
- Verdict: This seat remained Republican.
- Verdict: This seat remained
Arkansas - Mike Beebe (D) was ineligible to seek re-election due to term limits.
- Verdict: This seat flipped to Republican control.
- Verdict: This seat flipped to
- Connecticut - Dan Malloy (D) ran for re-election.
- Verdict: This seat remained Democratic.
- Verdict: This seat remained
- Florida - Rick Scott (R) ran for re-election.
- Verdict: This seat remained Republican.
- Verdict: This seat remained
- Georgia - Nathan Deal (R) ran for re-election.
- Verdict: This seat remained Republican.
- Verdict: This seat remained
- Illinois - Pat Quinn (D) ran for re-election.
- Verdict: This seat flipped to Republican control.
- Verdict: This seat flipped to
- Kansas - Sam Brownback (R) ran for re-election.
- Verdict: This seat remained Republican.
- Verdict: This seat remained
- Maine - Paul LePage (R) ran for re-election.
- Verdict: This seat remained Republican.
- Verdict: This seat remained
- Pennsylvania - Tom Corbett (R) ran for re-election.[6]
- Verdict: This seat flipped to Democratic control.
- Verdict: This seat flipped to
Besides governors, the other offices up for election included:
- 30 lieutenant governors
- 31 attorneys general
- 26 secretaries of state
- 25 treasurers
- 15 auditors
- 17 public service commissioners
- 9 controllers/comptrollers
- 7 agriculture commissioners
- 7 superintendents of schools
- 4 insurance commissioners
- 7 education commission seats
- 3 labor commissioners
- 4 land commissioners
- 1 adjutant general
- 1 mine inspector
- 1 railroad commissioner
- 1 tax commissioner
Please click the tabs to find more information.
Results analysis
Ballotpedia covered elections for 225 state executive seats in 43 states. The following charts tracked results for hotly contested races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state. There are also sections devoted to specialized tracking based on major political trends, including the 2010 wave election and Obamacare. Our analysis starts by looking at the partisan composition of these four offices.
| Governors | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dem. | 17 | |
| Rep. | 31 | |
| Ind. | 1 | |
| TOTAL | 49 | |
| UNDECIDED | 1 | |
| Click here for more details. | ||
| Partisan Breakdown: Governors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 4, 2014 | After the 2014 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 21 | 18 | |
| Republican Party | 29 | 31 | |
| Independent | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 50 | 50 | |
| Partisan Breakdown: Lieutenant Governors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 4, 2014 | After the 2014 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 16 | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | 30 | |
| Vacant | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 45 | 45 | |
| Partisan Breakdown: Attorneys General | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 4, 2014 | After the 2014 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 26 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 24 | 26 | |
| Total | 50 | 50 | |
| Partisan Breakdown: Secretaries of State | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 4, 2014 | After the 2014 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 20 | 19 | |
| Republican Party | 26 | 27 | |
| Nonpartisan | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 47 | 47 | |
Priority races
The following races were identified by Ballotpedia staff as the most competitive and interesting state executive elections in 2014.
What happened to the governors elected in the 2010 tea party wave?
Twelve Republican challengers replaced Democratic governors during the 2010 midterm elections. All of these first-term governors were seeking re-election in 2014 with hopes of continuing the conservative wave that swept them into office four years earlier. The following table tracks the outcomes of these re-election bids.
| Re-election outcomes: 2010 GOP governors | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Office party change? |
| Florida | Rick Scott |  Republican |
Rick Scott | Republican |
No |
| Iowa | Terry E. Branstad | Republican |
Terry E. Branstad | Republican |
No |
| Kansas | Sam Brownback | Republican |
Sam Brownback | Republican |
No |
| Maine | Paul LePage | Republican |
Paul LePage | Republican |
No |
| Michigan | Rick Snyder | Republican |
Rick Snyder | Republican |
No |
| New Mexico | Susana Martinez | Republican |
Susana Martinez | Republican |
No |
| Ohio | John Kasich | Republican |
John Kasich | Republican |
No |
| Oklahoma | Mary Fallin | Republican |
Mary Fallin | Republican |
No |
| Pennsylvania | Tom Corbett | Republican |
Tom Wolf |  Democratic |
Yes |
| Tennessee | Bill Haslam | Republican |
Bill Haslam | Republican |
No |
| Wisconsin | Scott Walker | Republican |
Scott Walker | Republican |
No |
| Wyoming | Matt Mead | Republican |
Matt Mead | Republican |
No |
States with Obamacare lawsuits
Attorneys general in 27 states filed lawsuits in 2010 and 2011 challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Two-thirds (18) of those attorney general seats were up for election in 2014. The following table tracks partisan control over these attorney general offices before and after the 2014 election.[7]
Note: Catherine Cortez Masto (D) refused to file a lawsuit against the federal government in 2010, leading then-Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) to appoint attorney Mark Hutchison to sue the government on the state's behalf.[8]
Targeted secretary of state races
Competing political action committees (PACs) emerged in 2014 to exert influence in secretary of state elections across the country. SOS for Democracy and SOS for SOS worked to secure these offices for liberal and conservative interests, respectively. The following table tracks the election outcomes for six races targeted by both SOS for Democracy and SOS for SOS in 2014.[9][10]
| Targeted Secretaries of State | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Office party change? |
| Arizona | Ken Bennett | Republican |
Michele Reagan | Republican |
No |
| Colorado | Scott Gessler | Republican |
Wayne Williams | Republican |
No |
| Iowa | Matt Schultz | Republican |
Paul Pate | Republican |
No |
| Michigan | Ruth Johnson | Republican |
Ruth Johnson | Republican |
No |
| New Mexico | Dianna Duran | Republican |
Dianna Duran | Republican |
No |
| Ohio | Jon Husted | Republican |
Jon Husted | Republican |
No |
Election dates
General election
November 4
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Primaries
| 2014 State Executive Primary Information |
|---|
| State | Signature Filing Deadline | Primary Date | Notes/Costs for candidates | Days between Deadline and Primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama |  2/7/2014
|
6/3/2014
|
116 | |
| Alaska | 6/2/2014
|
8/19/2014
|
The filing fee for governor and lieutenant governor is $100.[11] | 85 |
| Arizona | 5/28/2014
|
8/26/2014
|
Write-in candidates must file by 7/17/2014.[12] | 90 |
| Arkansas | 3/3/2014
|
5/20/2014
|
Independent candidates must also submit petitions with the Secretary of State Office. Those are due by 5/1/2014.[13][14] | 68 |
| California | 2/20/2014
|
6/3/2014
|
Candidates must submit a minimum of 3,000 registered voters' signatures to the counties in which the signers reside. Instead of filing petitions, candidates may instead pay a fee equal to one percent of the salary of the desired office to their home county elections office.[15][16] That fee is due by 3/7/2014. Write-in candidates must file by 5/20/2014.[17] | 113 |
| Colorado | 3/31/2014
|
6/24/2014
|
Candidates may also file by assembly nomination with a major party and by the write-in process. Major party candidates must file by 4/12/2014, and write-in candidates must file by 4/18/2014.[18][19][20] | 85 |
| Connecticut | 6/10/2014
|
8/12/2014
|
Candidates running by petition must collect registered voter signatures equal to one percent of the votes cast in the previous election for the same office or 7,500 signatures of registered voters, whichever is fewer.[21] | 63 |
| Delaware | 7/8/2014
|
9/9/2014
|
63 | |
| Florida | 5/19/2014
|
8/26/2014
|
The deadline for candidates paying a filing fee instead of submitting petitions is 6/20/2014.[22][23] | 99 |
| Georgia | 3/7/2014
|
5/20/2014
|
53 | |
| Hawaii | 6/3/2014
|
8/9/2014
|
67 | |
| Idaho | 3/14/2014
|
5/20/2014
|
67 | |
| Illinois | 12/2/2013
|
3/18/2014
|
106 | |
| Indiana | 2/7/2014
|
5/6/2014
|
88 | |
| Iowa | 3/14/2014
|
6/3/2014
|
81 | |
| Kansas | 6/2/2014
|
8/5/2014
|
64 | |
| Louisiana | 8/22/2014
|
11/4/2014 | 74 | |
| Maine | 3/17/2014
|
6/10/2014
|
The deadline for independent candidates is 6/2/2014.[24] | 85 |
| Maryland | 2/25/2014
|
6/24/2014
|
Filing fees depend upon the office sought. The fee must be paid either by check, money order or cash. It is permissible for a state candidate’s campaign finance entity to pay the fee.[25] | 129 |
| Massachusetts | 5/6/2014
|
9/9/2014
|
The 5/6/2014 deadline is for candidates to file nomination papers with the Registrar of Voters in order to be certified. Candidates must also file paperwork with the Secretary of the Commonwealth by 6/3/2014. The deadline for non-party candidates running for federal and statewide offices to file nomination papers with the Registrar of Voters for certification is 7/29/2014, and the deadline for these non-party candidates to file paperwork with the Secretary of the Commonwealth is 8/26/2014.[26] | 126 |
| Michigan | 4/22/2014
|
8/5/2014
|
Candidates for governor must file 15,000 valid signatures from at least half of the congressional districts in the state.[27] Candidates for the offices of Secretary of State and Attorney General do not participate in the primary election.[28] | 105 |
| Minnesota | 6/3/2014
|
8/12/2014
|
70 | |
| Missouri | 3/25/2014
|
8/5/2014
|
133 | |
| Montana | 3/10/2014
|
6/3/2014
|
85 | |
| Nebraska | 3/3/2014
|
5/13/2014
|
Incumbents running for re-election must file by 2/18/2014.[29] | 71 |
| Nevada | 3/14/2014
|
6/10/2014
|
88 | |
| New Hampshire | 6/13/2014
|
9/9/2014
|
88 | |
| New Mexico | 2/4/2014
|
6/3/2014
|
119 | |
| New York | - | 9/9/2014
|
||
| North Dakota | 4/7/2014
|
6/10/2014
|
64 | |
| Ohio | 2/5/2014
|
5/6/2014
|
90 | |
| Oklahoma | 4/11/2014
|
6/24/2014
|
74 | |
| Oregon | 3/11/2014
|
5/20/2014
|
70 | |
| Pennsylvania | 3/11/2014
|
5/20/2014
|
70 | |
| Rhode Island | 6/25/2014
|
9/9/2014
|
76 | |
| South Carolina | 3/30/2014
|
6/10/2014
|
72 | |
| South Dakota | 3/25/2014
|
6/3/2014
|
65 | |
| Tennessee | 4/3/2014
|
8/7/2014
|
116 | |
| Texas | 12/9/2013
|
3/4/2014
|
85 | |
| Vermont | 6/12/2014
|
8/26/2014
|
75 | |
| Wisconsin | 6/2/2014
|
8/12/2014
|
85 | |
| Wyoming | 5/30/2014
|
8/19/2014
|
74 |
By state
Alabama
- Governor
- Lt. Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- Auditor
- Commissioner of Agriculture & Industries
- Public Service Commission (2 seats)
Alaska
Arizona
- Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Corporation Commission (2 positions)
- Mine Inspector
Arkansas
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- Auditor
- Commissioner of State Lands
California
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- Controller
- Superintendent
- Insurance Commissioner
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Superintendent
- Insurance Commissioner
- Agriculture Commissioner
- Labor Commissioner
- Public Services Commission (2 seats)
Hawaii
Idaho
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- Controller
- Superintendent
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- Auditor
- Agriculture Commissioner
Kansas
Louisiana
- Public Services Commission (2 seats)
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
- Public Services Commission (2 seats)
Nebraska
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- Auditor
- Public Service Commissioner
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- Auditor
- Commissioner of Public Lands
- Public Service Commissioner (3 seats)
- Education Commissioner (7 seats)
New York
North Dakota
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Agriculture Commissioner
- Tax Commissioner
- Public Service Commissioner
Ohio
Oklahoma
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- Auditor
- Superintendent
- Insurance Commissioner
- Labor Commissioner
- Corporation Commissioner
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- Controller
- Superintendent
- Agriculture Commissioner
- Adjutant General
South Dakota
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- Auditor
- Commissioner of School and Public Lands
- Public Service Commissioner
Tennessee
Texas
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Attorney General
- Comptroller
- Land Commissioner
- Railroad Commission
- Agriculture Commissioner
Utah
Vermont
Wisconsin
Wyoming
By office
Gubernatorial
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Lt. Governor
Secretary of State
Attorney General
State Treasurer
Controller
Auditor
Superintendent of Schools
Adjutant General
Mine Inspector
Education Commissioner
- New Mexico (7 seats)
Public Service Commissioner
- Alabama (2 seats)
- Arizona (2 seats)
- Georgia (2 seats)
- Louisiana (2 seats)
- Montana (2 seats)
- Nebraska (1 seat)
- New Mexico (3 seats)
- Public Service Commissioner (1 seat)
- Oklahoma (1 seat)
- South Dakota (1 seat)
Commissioner of Insurance
Commissioner of Agriculture
Labor Commissioner
Land Commissioner
Railroad Commissioner
Tax Commissioner
Incumbent information
See also
- State executive offices
- List of candidates running in state executive elections, 2014
- Preview of 2014's most competitive gubernatorial races
- Preview of 2014's most competitive down ballot state executive races
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Associated Press, "RI Gov. Chafee open to running for 2nd term as Dem," December 14, 2012
- ↑ ABC News, "RI Gov. Lincoln Chafee Won't Run for 2nd Term," September 4, 2013
- ↑ University of Virginia Center for Politics, "2014 Governor," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Governing, "2014 Governors Races: A Look at the Too-Close-to-Call Contests," March 6, 2014
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Governors’ Races Are Close, But There’s More Upside For Democrats," July 17, 2014
- ↑ Quinnipiac University Poll, "LEADING DEMS TOP CORBETT IN PENNSYLVANIA GOV RACE,QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FINDS;DEM PRIMARY IS A RACE BETWEEN SCHWARTZ AND SESTAK," April 29, 2013
- ↑ The Daily Signal, "List of 27 States Suing Over Obamacare," January 27, 2011
- ↑ Legal Newsline, "Governor hires lawyer to fight Obamacare," April 8, 2010
- ↑ SOS for Democracy, "Races to Watch," accessed October 23, 2014
- ↑ SOS for SOS, "Home," accessed October 23, 2014
- ↑ Alaska Statutes, "Section 15.25, Nomination of Candidates," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Secretary of State Website, "2014 Election Important Dates," accessed November 4, 2013
- ↑ Running for Public Office, "A 'Plain English' Handbook for Candidates," 2012 Edition (dead link)
- ↑ Arkansas Code of 1987, "Title 7, Elections," accessed October 30, 2013
- ↑ Summary of Qualifications and Requirements for the Office of State Senator, Member of the Assembly, "June 3, 2014, Primary Election," accessed October 21, 2013
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8100-8107," accessed October 28, 2013
- ↑ California Secretary of State Website, "Key Dates and Deadlines," accessed October 21, 2013
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State Website, "Major Political Parties FAQs," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Colorado Revised Statutes, "Title 1, Elections," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Ballotpedia phone call with Colorado Secretary of State Office, September 9, 2013
- ↑ Connecticut Secretary of State Website, "Frequently Asked Questions, Nominating Papers," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Florida Department of State Division of Elections, "2013-2014 Dates to Remember," accessed November 6, 2013
- ↑ 2013 Florida Statutes, "Section 99.061," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ Maine Secretary of State "State of Maine 2014 Candidate's Guide to Ballot Access," accessed February 11, 2014
- ↑ The State Board of Elections, "Candidacy," accessed November 5, 2013
- ↑ 2014 Massachusetts State Primary and State Election Schedule, accessed December 2, 2013
- ↑ State of Michigan Department of State, "Filing Requirements: Office of Governor 2014 Election Cycle," accessed November 19, 2013
- ↑ State of Michigan Department of State, "Filing Requirements: Office of Secretary of State, Attorney General 2014 Election Cycle," accessed November 19, 2013
- ↑ Official Election Calendar for the State of Nebraska, accessed November 18, 2014
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