Democratic women make history as midterm wave extends to governor’s races

The Democratic wins extended well beyond Congress. Five states flipped their governorships from red to blue. Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, and Texas all elected Democratic governors, ending years of Republican control. In Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms becomes the first black woman ever elected governor in the United States. She's also the first Democrat to win Georgia's governorship in more than two decades. Georgia, we sent a message loud and clear. That we want a leader who will put Georgia first and who will stand up to all the chaos coming out of Washington, D.C. But even more importantly, you sent the message that in these times of division and acrimony, you believe in something foundational, and that is hope. And in Texas, one of the night's biggest upsets. Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated three-term Republican Governor Greg Abbott, ending more than three decades of GOP control of the governor's mansion. Hinojosa won nearly 53% of the vote, becoming Texas' first Latina governor. And she did it by unseating one of the country's most prominent Republican governors and a longtime Trump ally. In her victory speech, Hinojosa had a direct message for the people who've been running And I want to say something. To the powerful people who have gotten very comfortable running this state. This has delivered a mandate for change and it is change they will get. And President Trump didn't spare Abbott after the loss. In a social media post, Trump blamed the governor for his own defeat, accusing him of becoming a rhino, Republican in name only, over the past six months. In Ohio, another big win for Democrats. Former State Health Director Amy Acton defeated Trump-backed Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the race for governor. Acton won about 52% of the vote, defeating the billionaire entrepreneur and former presidential candidate. She campaigned heavily on the cost of living, and in her victory speech, said Ohioans are working harder than ever but still struggling to get ahead. She promised to make life more affordable regardless of party. But the campaign also took a deeply personal turn. Ramaswamy faced bipartisan backlash over an attack ad featuring Acton's estranged mother who accused her daughter of lying about her past. The two have been estranged for nearly 50 years. Ramaswamy defended the ad, but it was eventually pulled from the air. Acton now becomes Ohio's first female governor and the first Democrat elected to the office in 20 years. In Iowa, Democrats have won the governor's race for the first time in 20 years. State Auditor Rob Sand defeated Republican Zach Lawn, winning more than 55 percent of the vote. Lawn had the backing of President Trump and the Make America Healthy Again movement. But this is a state Trump won all three times he was on the ballot, including by more than 13 points in 2024. And Sand? He was already the only Democrat holding statewide office in Iowa. Now he's headed to the governor's mansion, ending nearly 16 years of Republican control. He'll still have to work with a Republican-controlled state legislature. Republicans did have some wins last night, though. In Florida, Trump-backed Republican Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly in the race for governor. And Donalds is making history, becoming Florida's first black governor and the first black Republican ever elected governor in the U.S. But it was a much closer race than expected. Donalds won about 50 percent of the vote, defeating Jolly by less than two points. He'll replace term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis in January, keeping the governor's mansion in Republican hands. Democrats haven't won a governor's race in Florida since 1994.