2010 United States gubernatorial elections

2010 United States gubernatorial elections
← 2009 November 2, 2010 2011 →
39 governorships
37 states; 2 territories[a]
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Seats before 23[b] 26
Seats after 29 20
Seat change Increase 6 Decrease 6
Popular vote 33,851,797[1] 33,331,319
Percentage 47.75% 47.02%
Seats up 17 19
Seats won 23 13
  Third party
 
Party Independent
Seats before 1
Seats after 1
Seat change Steady
Popular vote 1,123,209
Percentage 1.58%
Seats up 1
Seats won 1
2010 Utah gubernatorial special election2010 Alabama gubernatorial election2010 Alaska gubernatorial election2010 Arizona gubernatorial election2010 Arkansas gubernatorial election2010 California gubernatorial election2010 Colorado gubernatorial election2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election2010 Florida gubernatorial election2010 Georgia gubernatorial election2010 Hawaii gubernatorial election2010 Idaho gubernatorial election2010 Illinois gubernatorial election2010 Iowa gubernatorial election2010 Kansas gubernatorial election2010 Maine gubernatorial election2010 Maryland gubernatorial election2010 Massachusetts gubernatorial election2010 Michigan gubernatorial election2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election2010 Nebraska gubernatorial election2010 Nevada gubernatorial election2010 New Hampshire gubernatorial election2010 New Mexico gubernatorial election2010 New York gubernatorial election2010 Ohio gubernatorial election2010 Oklahoma gubernatorial election2010 Oregon gubernatorial election2010 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election2010 Rhode Island gubernatorial election2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election2010 South Dakota gubernatorial election2010 Tennessee gubernatorial election2010 Texas gubernatorial election2010 Vermont gubernatorial election2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election2010 Wyoming gubernatorial election2010 Guam gubernatorial election2010 United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election
Map of the results
     Democratic gain      Republican gain
     Democratic hold      Republican hold
     Independent gain
     No election

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 2, 2010, in 37 states (with a special election in Utah) and two territories. These elections coincided with the elections for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives as well as other state and local elections. As in most midterm elections, the party controlling the White House lost ground.[2] Democrats took five governorships from the Republicans, while Republicans took 12 governorships from the Democrats. An independent won one governorship previously held by a Republican, while a Republican won one governorship previously held by an independent. Republicans held a majority of governorships for the first time since before the 2006 elections. One state, Louisiana, had no election for governor, but it did feature a special election for lieutenant governor.

Most gains from both parties were made in races where no incumbent was running, either due to term limits or voluntary retirement. However, Republicans did defeat incumbent Democrats Ted Strickland of Ohio and Chet Culver of Iowa, and held Nevada, where Republican Jim Gibbons lost in the primary.

As of 2024, this is the last time Democrats have won an Arkansas gubernatorial race and the only time since 1998 that Republicans won a Pennsylvania gubernatorial race. This is also the last time a third-party candidate won in Rhode Island.


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  1. ^ "2010 Gubernatorial General Election Results".
  2. ^ Crockett, David (2002). The Opposition Presidency: Leadership and the Constraints of History. College Station: Texas A&M University Press. pp. 228. ISBN 1585441570.