Seventy-two women have filed papers to run for governor in 2026, the largest number of female candidates ever to seek the office, according to a new report.
The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University said 43 women filed to run as Democrats and 29 as Republicans.
The total number of women running exceeds the previous record of 69 women who filed to run for governor in 2022. Only three states with gubernatorial elections this year do not feature any women on the ballot: Alabama, Illinois and South Dakota.
Six of the women running for governor this year have the advantage of being incumbents seeking a new term: Democratic Govs. Katie Hobbs of Arizona, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Kathy Hochul of New York and Tina Kotek of Oregon; and Republican Govs. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire.
In several states, women have already won or are leading their party primary contests.
New Mexico Democrats on Tuesday nominated former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who would be the nation’s first Native American female governor if she wins in November.
Georgia Democrats nominated former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor last month. She will face the winner of an expensive Republican runoff election between businessman and first-time candidate Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.
Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat, last month won the right to face Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in November. Ohio Democrats nominated Amy Acton, the former state health commissioner, as their gubernatorial candidate. Democrats also chose female nominees in Idaho and Nebraska, where incumbent Republicans are strong favorites.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is leading her state’s Democratic primary, according to recent polls. In Minnesota, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is the heavy favorite to capture the Democratic nomination. Polls also show former CVS executive Helena Foulkes leading the Democratic primary against Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, who is deeply unpopular.
In Oregon, Republicans nominated Sen. Christine Drazan for governor, setting up a rematch with Kotek, who was elected by just a 3.5-point margin in 2022. Pennsylvania Republicans have coalesced behind state Treasurer Stacy Garrity as their gubernatorial nominee.
President Donald Trump endorsed South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the Republican primary, giving her a critical advantage before voters head to the polls next week. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn is likely to capture the Republican nomination in Tennessee.
Women are also playing prominent roles in crowded Democratic primaries in Kansas, Maine and Wisconsin, and the all-party primary in Alaska.
Six female governors are leaving office after this year. Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Janet Mills of Maine, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, and Laura Kelly of Kansas, and Republican Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama are all barred from running because of term limits. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, is retiring rather than seeking a new term.
Nineteen states have never been governed by a woman. The largest of those states, California, held an all-party primary on Tuesday. With about 60% of the vote counted, the leading woman in the race, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, lagged in fifth place with 4.6% of the vote.
Virginia’s first female governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, was sworn in in January.
The first woman in American history to serve as governor was Nellie Tayloe Ross, who won a special election in Wyoming in 1924 to fill the remainder of her late husband’s term. Miriam A. “Ma” Ferguson was elected to a full term in Texas on the same day but sworn in after Ross.
Arizona has elected the most women to its top office: Five women have served as governor, including four of the past five incumbents.