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State executive official elections, 2020

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State Executive Officials
State executive elections by position and year:
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Last updated February 9, 2021

State executive offices up for election in 2020 included 11 gubernatorial seats, nine lieutenant gubernatorial seats, 10 attorney general seats, and seven secretary of state seats. Including down-ballot races, there were 171 state executive offices up for election across 29 states in 2020.[1]

Republicans gained one governorship and one lieutenant governorship. Democrats gained one lieutenant governorship and one secretary of state's office.

Highlights

A state government trifecta exists when one party controls the governorship and both state legislative chambers. Republicans increased their trifecta total with a net gain of two trifectas as a result of the 2020 elections. States with divided government—no trifecta for either major party—declined by two. Democrats neither gained nor lost trifectas. Republicans won control of the governorship in Montana and flipped both chambers of the state legislature in New Hampshire.

A state government triplex is defined as one political party holding the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. Republicans and Democrats each gained triplex status in one state in the 2020 elections. Montana transitioned from divided control to a Republican triplex: Republicans flipped the governor's office and maintained control of the secretary of state and attorney general offices. Oregon transitioned from divided control to a Democratic triplex: Democrats flipped the secretary of state's office and maintained control of the attorney general office. Oregon did not hold a gubernatorial election in 2020.

This page includes the following:

While this page includes links to pages on state executive elections in the U.S. Territories, it does not include the territories in its statistics.

Beyond the Headlines - Title Banner.png
Staff Researcher Madison Adkins gives a quick overview of the most vulnerable trifectas in 2020
View other episodes here.


Battleground elections

Ballotpedia designated certain 2020 elections as battleground races, due to those races being either particularly competitive, interesting, or meaningful to the future balance of power in that jurisdiction.

Of the 171 state executive official seats up for election in 2020, Ballotpedia identified 11 races as battlegrounds, including six gubernatorial elections, one attorney general election, two secretary of state elections, and two board of education elections.

  • For more information about 2020 gubernatorial battleground elections, click here.
  • For more information about the 2020 attorney general battleground election, click here.
  • For more information about 2020 secretary of state battleground elections, click here.
  • For more information about 2020 board of education battlegrounds, click here.

To view election results for these 11 battleground races, expand the section below.

Offices that changed party control

Twenty-one state executive offices changed partisan control. Republicans gained a net four offices and Democrats lost a net three. Twelve offices flipped from Democratic to Republican control, eight flipped from Republican to Democratic control, and one flipped from minor-party to Democratic control.[2]

The table below shows the direction and totals of these flips.

Party flips of state executive offices, 2020
To Democrats To Republicans To Independent/
minor parties 		Total
From Democrats - 12 0 12
From Republicans 8 - 0 8
From Independent/
minor parties		 1 0 - 1
Total 9 12 0 21
Net change, 2020 -3 +4 -1 -



Fifteen states saw partisan flips in their state executive offices in 2020. Eight states’ offices became more Democratic and seven became more Republican. The state with the largest Democratic gains was Kansas where two positions on the state board of education flipped from Republican to Democratic control. The state with the largest Republican gains was Michigan where three members of the state’s university’s boards of regents flipped from Democrats to Republicans.

The map below shows states where party flips occurred in 2020. States shaded dark gray saw no change in the party control of the state executive offices up for election in 2020. Hover over a state to view the pre- and post-election partisan make-up of the offices up for election in 2020.

List of offices that changed party control

State executive offices that changed party control, 2020 elections
Office Pre-election incumbent Election winner
Governor of Montana Democratic Party Steve Bullock Republican Party Greg Gianforte
Lieutenant Governor of Montana Democratic Party Mike Cooney Republican Party Kristen Juras
Lieutenant Governor of Vermont Lime2.png David Zuckerman Democratic Party Molly Gray
Oregon Secretary of State Republican Party Bev Clarno Democratic Party Shemia Fagan
Pennsylvania Treasurer Democratic Party Joseph Torsella Republican Party Stacy Garrity
Washington Treasurer Republican Party Duane Davidson Democratic Party Mike Pellicciotti
West Virginia Treasurer Democratic Party John Perdue Republican Party Riley Moore
Pennsylvania Auditor Democratic Party Eugene DePasquale Republican Party Timothy DeFoor
Colorado State Board of Regents District 6 Republican Party John Carson Democratic Party Ilana Spiegel
Kansas State Board of Education District 2 Republican Party Steve Roberts Democratic Party Melanie Haas
Kansas State Board of Education District 8 Republican Party Kathy Busch Democratic Party Betty Arnold
University of Michigan Board of Regents Democratic Party Shauna Ryder Diggs Republican Party Sarah Hubbard
Michigan State University Board of Trustees Democratic Party (at-large) Republican Party Pat O'Keefe
Wayne State University Board of Governors Democratic Party Sandra O'Brien Republican Party Terri Lynn Land
New Mexico Public Education Commission District 8 Democratic Party Sonia Raftery Republican Party Michael Taylor
New Mexico Public Education Commission District 9 Democratic Party Trish Ruiz Republican Party K.T. Manis
Texas State Board of Education District 5 Republican Party Ken Mercer Democratic Party Rebecca Bell-Metereau
Arizona Corporation Commission Republican Party (at-large) Democratic Party Anna Tovar
Massachusetts Governor's Council District 7 Republican Party (vacant) Democratic Party Paul DePalo
New Hampshire Executive Council District 1 Democratic Party Michael Cryans Republican Party Joseph Kenney
New Hampshire Executive Council District 5 Democratic Party Debora Pignatelli Republican Party Dave Wheeler

Incumbents defeated

The following table shows incumbents who sought re-election but were defeated in primaries or general elections in races called as of December 30.

State executive defeated incumbents, 2020
Office Pre-election incumbent Election winner Partisan switch?
Indiana Attorney General Republican Party Curtis Hill Republican Party Todd Rokita No
Pennsylvania Treasurer Democratic Party Joseph Torsella Republican Party Stacy Garrity Yes
Washington Treasurer Republican Party Duane Davidson Democratic Party Mike Pellicciotti Yes
West Virginia Treasurer Democratic Party John Perdue Republican Party Riley Moore Yes
Kansas State Board of Education District 8 Republican Party Kathy Busch Democratic Party Betty Arnold Yes
University of Michigan Board of Regents Democratic Party Shauna Ryder Diggs Republican Party Sarah Hubbard Yes
Michigan State University Board of Trustees Democratic Party Brian Mosallam Cross filed Republican Party/Democratic Party (at-large) N/A
Nevada State Board of Education District 4 Mark Newburn (Nonpartisan) Rene Cantu (Nonpartisan) No
New Mexico Public Education Commission District 1 Democratic Party Ricardo Caballero Democratic Party Melissa Armijo No
New Mexico Public Education Commission District 9 Democratic Party Trish Ruiz Republican Party K.T. Manis Yes
Ohio State Board of Education District 5 Lisa Woods (Nonpartisan) Christina Collins (Nonpartisan) No
Texas Railroad Commission Republican Party Ryan Sitton Republican Party James Wright No
Office of Hawaiian Affairs Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i Resident Trustee Colette Machado (Nonpartisan) Luana Alapa (Nonpartisan) No
New Hampshire Executive Council District 1 Democratic Party Michael Cryans Republican Party Joseph Kenney Yes
New Hampshire Executive Council District 5 Democratic Party Debora Pignatelli Republican Party Dave Wheeler Yes

Offices up for election

Governor

There were 11 gubernatorial seats up for election in 2020.

Out of all top state executive offices, only the governor and attorney general exist in all 50 states, and only the governor is elected in all 50 states. As the chief executive officer, the governor is among the most powerful figures in state government. Other executive offices ordinarily report to him or her.

Lieutenant Governor

There were nine lieutenant gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2020.

In 45 states, the lieutenant governor is the second-highest executive office, behind the governor. Although the powers and duties of the lieutenant governor vary from state to state, lieutenant governors are responsible for filling vacancies in the office of governor. In many states, lieutenant governors often sit on boards or commissions, and they are often involved in the proceedings of the state Senate.

Attorney General

There were 10 attorney general seats on the ballot in 2020.

As the state's chief legal officer, the attorney general is responsible for enforcing state law and advising the state government on legal matters. In many states, attorneys general play a large role in the law enforcement process.

Secretary of State

There were seven secretary of state seats on the ballot in 2020.

Although the duties and powers of the secretary of state vary from state to state, a common responsibility is management and oversight of elections and voter rolls, which are assigned to the secretary of state in 41 states. Other common responsibilities include registration of businesses, maintenance of state records, and certification of official documents.

Down-ballot

There were 134 down-ballot state executive offices up for election in 2020.

Treasurer

Auditor

Education officials

Commissioners

Other

Total executive officials by party

Of the 171 state executive positions up for election in 2020, 59 were held by Democrats heading into the election, 71 were held by Republicans, and 41 were nonpartisan offices or were held by an independent or minor-party candidate. The chart below shows a breakdown of partisan control by office type.

Competitiveness

Races with one major party candidate

See also: State executive official elections without a Democratic or Republican candidate, 2020

Ballotpedia tracked state executive races without a Democratic or Republican candidate in the 2020 elections. Fourteen state executive races did not have a Democratic candidate, and 17 state executive races did not have a Republican candidate.

Races without Democratic candidates

Races without Republican candidates

Primary competitiveness

See also: 2020 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government

State executive primaries were more competitive in 2020 than in 2016—the previous time a comparable number of state executive offices were up for election. The number of open seats where the incumbent did not seek re-election increased from 45 to 58, while the number of incumbents facing a primary challenger also increased from 19 to 37.

The number of overall contested primaries also increased. In 2016, there were 68 contested state executive primaries—30 Republican, 29 Democratic, and nine top-two . In 2020, this number increased to 101 contested primaries—48 Republican, 41 Democratic, and 22 top-two.


2020 state government trifecta results summary

See also: Election results, 2020: State government trifectas

Updated February 12, 2021

Republicans gained trifecta control in Montana and New Hampshire. Republicans have 23 trifectas (a net gain of two), Democrats have 15 trifectas, and 12 states have divided governments (a net loss of two).

Heading into the 2020 elections, there were 36 state government trifectas—the most since 2013. Republicans had 21 trifectas, and Democrats had 15. The other 14 states had divided government, meaning neither party had a trifecta.

In the November 3, 2020, elections, 44 states held elections for one or more trifecta offices. A state government trifecta occurs when one party holds the governorship and a majority in both chambers of a state's legislature. We identified 16 vulnerable trifectas: eight Democratic and eight Republican. We also identified seven states where one or both parties had the potential to gain a trifecta.

The states under divided government included eight with a Democratic governor and Republican legislature and four with a Republican governor and Democratic legislature. The final two states were Alaska (with a Republican governor and state Senate majority, but a minority coalition in the state House) and Minnesota (with a Democratic governor and state House majority, but a Republican state Senate majority).

Though Republicans won a plurality of seats in the Alaska House, Republicans were unable to organize a majority, resulting in a minority coalition comprised of 16 Democrats, three independents, and two Republicans. Click here to read more.

The Republican flips from divided power to trifecta control in 2020 were in:

  • Montana: Republicans won control of the governorship.
  • New Hampshire: Republicans won control of the state Senate and House.

As a result of the 2020 elections, the country had 23 Republican-held trifectas, 15 Democratic-held trifectas, and 12 divided governments, as illustrated by the table below.

Change in state government trifectas, 2020 elections
Trifecta status Before After Net
Democratic trifectas Democratic Party 15 15 0
Republican trifectas Republican Party 21 23 +2
Divided government 14 12 -2



The map below shows trifecta statuses following the 2020 election.



The map below shows trifecta control in states going into the 2020 election.



2020 state government triplex results summary

See also: Election results, 2020: State government triplexes

Thirteen states held elections for one or more triplex offices on November 3, 2020. A state government triplex occurs when the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state in a given state are all members of the same political party.

In the November 3 elections, Republicans and Democrats each gained triplex status in one state.

Heading into 2020, there were 36 state government triplexes: 19 Republican triplexes and 17 Democratic triplexes. The remaining 14 states were under divided control, meaning neither party had a triplex. As a result of the November 3 elections, the total number of triplexes increased to 38: 20 Republican triplexes and 18 Democratic triplexes. Twelve states remained under divided control.

Changes in triplex status

Montana

As a result of the 2020 elections, Montana transitioned from divided control to a Republican triplex. Republicans flipped the governor's office and maintained control of the secretary of state and attorney general offices.

Oregon

As a result of the 2020 elections, Oregon transitioned from divided control to a Democratic triplex. Democrats flipped the secretary of state's office and maintained control of the attorney general office. Incumbent Gov. Kate Brown (D) was not up for re-election in 2020.


Changes in triplex status
Democratic triplexes Republican triplexes Divided control
Before 2020 election 17 19 14
After 2020 election 18 20 12



Rematches in 2020 general elections

See also: Rematches in 2020 general elections

Updated February 8, 2021
An election rematch occurs when the same candidates run against each other in consecutive election cycles. One race in Ballotpedia's coverage scope for state executives was a rematch in the 2020 general election.[3] The Republican candidate won the seat in 2018 and 2020.

State executive rematches, 2020
District Candidates 2018 margin 2020 margin
North Dakota Public Service Commission Democratic Party Casey D. Buchmann Republican Party Brian Kroshus R+23.12 R+35.41


Historical election data

Ballotpedia covers America's 748 state executive seats across all 50 states. The following sections look at incumbency and partisanship in state executive elections from 2011 to 2019.

Incumbency

From 2011 to 2019, 63.4% of incumbents sought re-election. Of the incumbents who sought re-election during that period, 86.3% were successful. The first chart below shows the number of incumbents who sought election each year compared to the number of seats up for election. The second chart shows the number of incumbents who were re-elected compared to the number of incumbents who ran for re-election.

The table below is organized by year and includes the total number of offices up for election, the number and percentage of incumbents who sought re-election, and the number and percentage of incumbents who won another term.

State executive incumbents who sought re-election, 2011-2019
Year Total seats Incumbents who
sought re-election 		% incumbents who
sought re-election 		Incumbents who
were re-elected 		% incumbents who
were re-elected
2019
36
21
58.3%
20
95.2%
2018
303
186
61.4%
151
81.2%
2017
8
3
37.5%
2
66.7%
2016
93
51
54.8%
40
78.4%
2015
25
16
64.0%
15
93.8%
2014
226
152
67.3%
139
91.4%
2013
6
3
50.0%
3
100.0%
2012
94
67
71.3%
59
88.1%
2011
26
19
73.1%
18
94.7%
Total
817
518
63.4%
447
86.3%

Partisanship

The table below details how many state executive seats changed parties from 2011 to 2019. The largest single-year gain by a party was in 2018, when Democrats gained 41 net seats. That year also had the highest number of seats up for election, with 303. The lowest net change was in 2011, when no parties gained or lost any seats. Twenty-six seats were on the ballot that year. The table is organized by year and shows the number of seats held by each party before the election and after the election and the net change each party saw.

State executive partisanship, 2011-2019
Year Total seats Before election After election Net change
Democratic Party
Democrats 		Republican Party
Republicans 		Grey.png
Other 		Democratic Party
Democrats 		Republican Party
Republicans 		Grey.png
Other 		Democratic Party
Democrats 		Republican Party
Republicans 		Grey.png
Other
2019
36
8
28
0
7
29
0
-1
+1
0
2018
303
81
184
38
122
143
38
+41
-41
0
2017
8
3
4
1
5
2
1
+2
-2
0
2016
93
50
39
3
37
53
2
-13
+14
-1
2015
25
8
16
1
6
19
0
-2
+3
-1
2014
226
79
144
3
67
156
3
-12
+12
0
2013
6
0
5
1
3
2
1
+3
-3
0
2012
94
50
38
6
49
42
3
-1
+4
-3
2011
26
9
17
0
9
17
0
0
0
0

Partisan control of governorships

The chart below looks at the number of governorships held by the Democratic and Republican parties between 1977 and 2019. The biggest difference between the number of seats held by Democrats compared to those held by Republicans was in 1977 and 1978, when Democrats held 37 seats and Republicans held 12. The lowest difference between the number of seats held by Democrats compared to those held by Republicans was in 1987, 2003, and 2019. In 1987, Democrats held 26 governorships and Republicans held 24; in both 2003 and 2019, Democrats held 24 governorships and Republicans held 26.

The offices

Beyond the Headlines - Title Banner.png
Staff Writer Kate Carsella gives a quick overview of the 2020 gubernatorial races
View other episodes here.

State executives act in many capacities according to the powers granted to them by their state's constitution. They are also charged with implementing and enforcing laws made by state legislatures. There are 748 executive seats spread across 13 distinct types of offices in the United States.[4] Of the 13 executive offices, only seven exist in all 50 states: governor, attorney general, superintendent of schools, insurance commissioner, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner, and public service commissioner.

Other common offices include lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, controller, auditor, and natural resources commissioner.

Analysis of state elections

See also: Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020


In November 2020, regular elections were held for 86 of 99 state legislative chambers, plus 11 gubernatorial offices, nine lieutenant gubernatorial offices, 10 attorney general offices, and seven secretary of state offices.

Election analysis

All state elections

Trifectas

State executive elections

State legislative elections

State ballot measures



See also

2020 elections:

Previous elections:

Ballotpedia exclusives:

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Ballotpedia describes the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state as top-ballot state executive offices. Down-ballot state executive offices that exist in all 50 states include superintendent of schools, insurance commissioner, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner, and public service commissioner. Examples of other down-ballot state executive offices include treasurer, auditor, and comptroller.
  2. ↑ 2020 was the first year that the Utah State Board of Education held partisan elections. Prior to 2020, the elections were nonpartisan. For more information on this change, click here.
  3. ↑ This figure only counts exact rematches between candidates and does not capture major party rematches if minor party candidates for office differed between 2018 and 2020.
  4. ↑ There are 13 state executive offices as Ballotpedia defines the term; however, there are other executive offices in some states that are not covered by Ballotpedia.
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2020 state executive official elections
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Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Secretary of State
Treasurer
Auditor
Education officials
Commissioners
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