Governors in the United States are elected by each of the fifty states and five inhabited territories. The governor serves as the chief executive of the state or territorial government. The sole federal district, the District of Columbia, elects a mayor to oversee its government in a similar manner. As of 2024, there are twenty-seven states with Republican governors and twenty-three states with Democratic governors. For most states and territories, the current gubernatorial term ends and a new term begins in January, two months after the election; in Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota and Kentucky, the term begins in December. Governors serve four-year terms in most states and all territories; New Hampshire and Vermont have two-year terms for their governors. Thirty-seven states and four territories also have term limits that generally allow a governor to serve two consecutive terms. All fifty-five governors are members of the National Governors Association, a non-partisan organization that represents states and territories in discussions with the federal government. (Full list...)