Gubernatorial elections, 2019

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  • Gubernatorial elections, 2019
  • Lieutenant gubernatorial elections, 2019
  • Attorney General elections, 2019
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  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi

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There were three gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2019. These elections were in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Heading into the election, Kentucky and Mississippi had Republican governors, while Louisiana's governor was a Democrat. Republicans held Mississippi's governorship, Democrats held Louisiana's, and Kentucky's switched party hands from Republican to Democratic.

Out of all the state executive offices, 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.

Most states impose some form of term limits on governors; of those that do, all but Virginia limit a governor to two four-year terms or to eight years in office. Although most states' term limit laws allow a governor who has served two terms to be elected once again after time has elapsed, some states impose a lifetime term limit like that on the presidency.

On this page, you will find:

• An overview of how many governorships each party held heading into the 2019 elections.
• A table with details on the three gubernatorial elections which took place in 2019.
• A list of governorships which changed partisan control in 2018.
• An analysis of competitiveness in the 2019 gubernatorial elections.
• Overviews of all three elections taking place in 2019.
• Outside race ratings from The Cook Political Report, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and Inside Elections.
• An overview of poll results in all three elections.
• A look at state government trifectas.
• Presidential election results in all three states for the 2016 election.
• A list of important deadlines for candidates and voters in all three elections.
• A look at partisan winning streaks across gubernatorial races in the three states up.
• A comparison of the office of governor across all 50 states.

2019 election results

See also: Election results, 2019

Kentucky

General election

General election for Governor of Kentucky

Andy Beshear defeated incumbent Matt Bevin and John Hicks in the general election for Governor of Kentucky on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andy Beshear (D)	49.2	709,890
		Matt Bevin (R)	48.8	704,754
		John Hicks (L)	2.0	28,433
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	46

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,443,123 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Louisiana

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

General election for Governor of Louisiana

Incumbent John Bel Edwards defeated Eddie Rispone in the general election for Governor of Louisiana on November 16, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Bel Edwards (D)	51.3	774,498
		Eddie Rispone (R)	48.7	734,286

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,508,784 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Mississippi

General election

General election for Governor of Mississippi

Tate Reeves defeated Jim Hood, David Singletary, and Bob Hickingbottom in the general election for Governor of Mississippi on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tate Reeves (R)	51.9	459,396
		Jim Hood (D)	46.8	414,368
		David Singletary (Independent)	1.0	8,522
		Bob Hickingbottom (Constitution Party)	0.3	2,625

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 884,911 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Partisan breakdown

The following chart displays the number of governors' offices held by each party as of the 2019 elections and immediately after the elections took place.

U.S. Governors Partisan Breakdown
Party		As of November 2019	After the 2019 elections
	Democratic Party	23	24
	Republican Party	27	26
Total		50	50

Historical control

Republicans led in governorships from 1994 until 2006, after which there were 28 Democratic governors to the Republicans' 22. Republicans regained their national majority in the 2010 midterm elections. Between 2010 and 2017, the number of Republican governors continued to increase, reaching a high point of 33 following West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice's switch to the Republican Party in August 2017. From 2017 to 2019, Democrats won Republican-held governorships in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. Republicans, meanwhile, gained a governorship in Alaska previously held by independent Bill Walker. These changes brought Republicans to 26 governorships and Democrats to 24.

List of gubernatorial elections

The table below shows gubernatorial elections which took place in 2019.

State	Trifecta status (before)	Trifecta status (after)	Triplex status (before)	Triplex status (after)	Incumbent	Incumbent ran?	Winner	Margin of victory
Kentucky	Republican trifecta	Divided trifecta control	Divided triplex status	Divided triplex status	Matt Bevin	Yes	Andy Beshear	D+0.4
Louisiana	Divided trifecta control	Divided trifecta control	Divided triplex status	Divided triplex status	John Bel Edwards	Yes	John Bel Edwards	D+2.6
Mississippi	Republican trifecta	Republican trifecta	Divided triplex status	Republican triplex	Phil Bryant	No (termed-out)	Tate Reeves	R+5.7

Seats that flipped in the 2018 elections

See also: Gubernatorial elections, 2018

What happened in the 2019 gubernatorial elections? Click to watch View other episodes here.

Thirty-six states held elections for governor in 2018. Democrats gained control of seven Republican-held governorships in the elections, while Republicans gained one previously-independent seat. As a result of the election, Republicans held 27 gubernatorial seats to Democrats' 23.

Gubernatorial offices that changed party hands, 2018 elections
State	Pre-election control	Post-election control
Alaska	Bill Walker	Mike Dunleavy
Illinois	Bruce Rauner	J.B. Pritzker
Kansas	Jeff Colyer	Laura Kelly
Maine	Paul LePage	Janet Mills
Michigan	Rick Snyder	Gretchen Whitmer
Nevada	Brian Sandoval	Steve Sisolak
New Mexico	Susana Martinez	Michelle Lujan Grisham
Wisconsin	Scott Walker	Tony Evers

Competitiveness

An election is considered more competitive when the incumbent officeholder is not a candidate for re-election in the general election. This analysis examines both the degree of competitiveness, relative to past election years, and factors that may or may not have contributed to the degree of competitiveness in the current year.

The advantage an incumbent holds over a challenger in a given election is frequently cited in political theory and its impetus frequently debated. For example, data compiled by OpenSecrets.org shows the re-election rate for incumbents in the U.S. House of Representatives has been 85% or higher for each of the 27 two-year election cycles that occurred between 1964 and 2016; and that from 2006-2016 the re-election rate averaged 92.5%.

Across the three gubernatorial elections which took place in 2019:

• 28 candidates, including 14 Democrats, 10 Republicans, and four minor-party or independent candidates, filed to run.
• Two incumbents filed for re-election; Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant (R) was prevented from doing so by term limits.
• Both incumbents running for re-election faced a challenger from their party in the primary.
• All three races featured at least one Democrat and one Republican in the general as well as contested primaries among each party.

Margin of victory analysis

The following analysis details the margin of victory for winning candidates from the previous three elections in states that held regularly-scheduled gubernatorial elections in 2019. Gubernatorial elections in all three states were decided by smaller margins than in any of the previous three cycles. Across the 2015, 2011, and 2007 cycles, the smallest margin of victory for a candidate of either party in any of the three states was Matt Bevin's (R) 8.7% margin in Kentucky's 2015 election. In the 2019 cycle, the widest margin was Tate Reeves' (R) 5.7% in Mississippi. Both Democratic winners had margins under 3%.

Margin of victory analysis, 2007-2019
State	2019 margin of victory	2015 margin of victory	2011 margin of victory	2007 margin of victory
Kentucky	D+0.4	R+8.7	D+20.4	D+17.4
Louisiana	D+2.6	D+12.2	R+47.9	R+36.4
Mississippi	R+5.7	R+34.1	R+22.0	R+15.8

Election overviews

Kentucky

Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear (D) defeated Gov. Matt Bevin (R) and John Hicks (L) in Kentucky's gubernatorial election on November 5, 2019. Beshear's victory meant that Kentucky transitioned from a Republican state government trifecta to divided government. This election followed nearly four years of conflict between Bevin and Beshear, which began when each was elected in 2015. The main issues in the race were healthcare and education funding.

Daniel Desrochers of the Lexington Herald-Leader said of the relationship between Bevin and Beshear that "the two men found in each other a rival to battle in courtroom filings, newspaper headlines and social media posts." The campaign elevated this conflict, with the candidates exchanging personal attacks. Bevin called Beshear’s family “crooked and corrupt,” while the Beshear campaign has called Bevin wild, a bully, and "an unhinged failure." For more information on how and in what policy areas Bevin and Beshear have disagreed, click here.

Bevin and Beshear had differing proposals for the state’s healthcare system. Bevin said that he would impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients, while Beshear said that he would enact consumer protections based on the Affordable Care Act.

Education took center stage following a teacher walkout in spring 2018 that closed more than 20 schools across the state. Teachers were protesting changes to their pensions and to state education funding. Bevin and Beshear disagreed on the best formula for funding, vouchers, and cost sharing between state and local governments.

Healthcare and education were evident as priorities in each candidates' selection of a lieutenant gubernatorial running mate. Bevin chose state Sen. Ralph Alvarado, a physician, as his running mate, becoming the third governor in a row to select a new running mate for their re-election bid. Beshear chose assistant high school principal Jacqueline Coleman.

This race decided the state's trifecta status until at least the 2020 state legislative elections. Prior to the election, Kentucky was a Republican trifecta. Before Bevin's 2015 victory, Democrats held the governorship for 16 of the previous 20 years. Beshear is the son of former Gov. Steve Beshear (D), who served from 2007 to 2015.

Prior elections

Click here to see the results of the 2015 and 2011 gubernatorial races.

2015 See also: Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2015 Governor and Lieutenant Governor, 2015 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Matt Bevin/Jenean M. Hampton 52.5% 511,771      Democrat Jack Conway/Sannie Overly 43.8% 426,827      Independent Drew Curtis/Heather Curtis 3.7% 35,627 Total Votes 974,225 Election results via Kentucky Secretary of State 2011 See also: Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2011 Governor and Lt. Governor of Kentucky, 2011 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Steve Beshear and Jerry E. Abramson 55.7% 464,245      Republican David Williams and Richie Farmer 35.3% 294,034      Independent Gatewood Galbraith and Dea Riley 9% 74,860 Total Votes 833,139 Election results via Kentucky Secretary of State

Louisiana

Incumbent Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) defeated businessman Eddie Rispone (R) in the general election for governor of Louisiana on November 16, 2019.

Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

At the time of the election, Edwards was the only Democratic governor in the Deep South, and he was the only Democrat holding statewide office in Louisiana. He defeated U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R) in 2015 and succeeded Bobby Jindal (R) in the governor's office, breaking a Republican trifecta in the state.

John Bel Edwards was the first incumbent Louisiana governor to run in a general election since the state adopted an all-party primary system in 1975. Under that system, a candidate can win an election by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary; otherwise, the top two finishers advance to a general election. Of the 11 gubernatorial elections from 1975 to 2015, five were open and six featured incumbents seeking re-election. One incumbent advanced to a general election—Edwin Edwards (no known relation to John Bel) in 1987—but he conceded to his opponent before the election. Of the other five incumbents who ran for re-election, two lost in primaries and three won outright in primaries.

The gubernatorial election coincided with elections for the state Senate and state House, meaning that all three trifecta components were on the ballot. Republicans maintained their majorities in the state House and Senate. They won a veto-proof supermajority in the Senate but fell two seats short of the threshold in the House. Edwards' win meant the state would remain under divided government. A win from Rispone would have made Louisiana a Republican trifecta.

Prior elections

Click here to see the results of the 2015 and 2011 gubernatorial races.

2015 See also: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2015 The general election for Louisiana governor between David Vitter (R) and John Bel Edwards (D) was held on November 21, 2015. Edwards defeated his Republican opponent. Governor of Louisiana, Run-off election, 2015 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic John Bel Edwards 56.1% 646,860      Republican David Vitter 43.9% 505,929 Total Votes 1,152,789 Election Results via the Louisiana Secretary of State. 2011 See also: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2011 Governor of Louisiana, 2011 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Bobby Jindal Incumbent 65.8% 673,239      Democratic Tara Hollis 17.9% 182,925      Democratic Cary Deaton 4.9% 50,071      Democratic Trey Roberts 3.3% 33,280      Independent David Blanchard 2.6% 26,705      Democratic Niki Bird Papazoglakis 2.1% 21,885      Libertarian Scott Lewis 1.2% 12,528      Independent Robert Lang, Jr. 0.9% 9,109      Independent Ron Caesar 0.8% 8,179      Independent Leonard Bollingham 0.5% 5,242 Total Votes 1,023,163 Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State

Mississippi

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) defeated state Attorney General Jim Hood (D), Bob Hickingbottom (Constitution), and David Singletary (I) in the November 5, 2019, election for governor of Mississippi. Reeves received 52.2% of the vote to Hood's 46.5%.

Term limits prevented incumbent Phil Bryant (R) from seeking re-election, leaving the seat open to a newcomer.

Reeves defeated former state Supreme Court Chief Justice William Waller (R) in an August 27 runoff after no candidate won a majority of the vote in the Republican primary.

In the Democratic primary, Hood won the nomination over seven other candidates.

Hood was first elected state attorney general in 2003 and served in that office through the 2019 election. Hood won election to each of his four terms as state attorney general by a margin of 10 percentage points or larger. Hood said he was a moderate: "I reload guns. I'm pro-life. People have seen my record for 16 years, so it gives a comfort level to Republicans to cross over." Reeves said that Hood was no moderate: "He’s a liberal Democrat, he has been for 16 years, he continues to be, and that's okay...There are some people in Mississippi that are looking for a liberal Democrat to represent them in the governor's office. But if you are a conservative, I think that you only have one option."

Reeves said that he cut taxes and lowered the state debt while in office, with a Reeves campaign ad saying that "Mississippi's got less debt today than when I got elected, first time in history. More of our people are working than ever before." Hood says that Reeves' tax cuts did not benefit the average Mississippian: "Since 2012, Reeves has handed out $765 million in tax giveaways, mainly to benefit large, out-of-state corporations...When politicians crow about how many times they’ve cut taxes, look at your own pocketbook to see how much tax relief you’ve gotten."

Both Reeves and Hood accused one another of ethics violations, with both saying that their opponent had identified policy priorities based on the interests of campaign donors.

As of October 29, 2019, three race ratings agencies rated the race Leans Republican.

To win the general election, a candidate needed to receive a majority in the popular vote and win a majority of Mississippi's 122 state house districts. Had no candidate fulfilled both of these requirements, the Mississippi House of Representatives would have selected the winner. As of November 2019, Republicans held a 74-44 majority in the state House.

On May 30, 2019, four voters, backed by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, sued to overturn the procedure for electing the governor, alleging it discriminated against black candidates. On November 1, 2019, Judge Daniel Jordan announced that he would not issue an injunction blocking the procedure. Read more here.

Prior elections

Click here to see the results of the 2015 and 2011 gubernatorial races.

2015 See also: Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2015 Governor of Mississippi, 2015 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Robert Gray 32.4% 234,858      Republican Phil Bryant Incumbent 66.2% 480,399      Reform Shawn O'Hara 1.4% 9,950 Total Votes 725,207 Election results via Mississippi Secretary of State 2011 See also: Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2011 Governor of Mississippi, 2011 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Phil Bryant 61% 544,851      Democratic Johnny DuPree 39% 348,617 Total Votes 893,468 Election results via Mississippi Secretary of State

Outside race ratings

The following table compared gubernatorial race ratings from The Cook Political Report, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and Inside Elections prior to the November 2019 elections.

Polls

Kentucky

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Governor of Kentucky, 2019
Poll	Andy Beshear (D)	Matt Bevin (R)*	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Targoz Market Research October 13-20, 2019	50%	32%	15%	+/-4.2	548
Mason-Dixon October 16, 2019	46%	46%	7%	+/-4.0	625
Gravis Marketing June 11-12, 2019	42%	48%	10%	+/-3.6	741
AVERAGES	46%	42%	10.67%	+/-3.93	638
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Click "show" to the right to see polls conducted before the May 21, 2019, primary election.

Governor of Kentucky, 2019 (Democratic candidate vs Bevin hypothetical matchup) Poll Democratic candidate Matt Bevin (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Public Policy Polling May 6-7, 2019 49% 39% 11% +/-3.8 676 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Governor of Kentucky, 2019 (Beshear vs. Bevin hypothetical matchup) Poll Andy Beshear (D) Matt Bevin (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy 48% 40% 12% +/-4.0 625 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Governor of Kentucky, 2019 (Adkins vs. Bevin hypothetical matchup) Poll Rocky Adkins (D) Matt Bevin (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy 42% 41% 17% +/-4.0 625 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Governor of Kentucky, 2019 (Grimes vs. Bevin hypothetical matchup) Poll Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) Matt Bevin (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy 46% 47% 7% +/-4.0 625 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Louisiana

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2019
Poll	Poll sponsor	Edwards (D)	Rispone (R)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Cygnal November 7-9, 2019	N/A	50%	48%	2%	+/-3.5	800
Mason-Dixon Polling & Research November 5-7, 2019	Gray Television	48%	46%	6%	+/-4	625
JMC Analytics October 24-26, 2019	Nexstar Communications	48%	46%	6%	+/-4.0	600
We Ask America October 14-16, 2019	N/A	47%	47%	6%	+/-4.0	600
AVERAGES		48.25%	46.75%	5%	+/-3.88	656.25
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Click here to see polls conducted ahead of the October 12 primary election.

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Dantzler (D) Landry (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size JMC Analytics October 3-5, 2019 Louisiana Association of Health Plans 45% 19% 20% 1% 2% 1% 14% +/-4.0 600 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Dantzler (D) Landry (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Mason-Dixon Polling & Research October 1-4, 2019 Gray Television 45% 17% 22% 4% 0% 2% 10% +/-4 625 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Undecided Margin of error Sample size We Ask America September 24-26, 2019 47% 17% 23% 2% 11% +/-4.0 600 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Dantzler (D) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Remington Research Group September 25, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 47% 22% 20% 1% 2% 8% +/-2.9 1,040 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Dantzler (D) Landry (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size JMC Analytics September 19-21, 2019 Louisiana Association of Health Plans 46% 18% 21% 1% 2% 1% 12% +/-4.2 550 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Dantzler (D) One of the other candidates Undecided Margin of error Sample size Remington Research Group September 10-11, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 45% 27% 19% 2% 0% 1% 6% +/-2.9 1,144 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Remington Research Group June 1-2, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 42% 34% 8% 16% +/-2.6 1,471 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Hypothetical matchup polls: Louisiana gubernatorial election hypothetical matchup, Edwards vs. Abraham Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Mason-Dixon Polling & Research October 1-4, 2019 Gray Television 53% 38% 9% +/-4 625 Remington Research Group September 10-11, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 48% 44% 8% +/-2.9 1,144 Remington Research Group June 1-2, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 45% 45% 10% +/-2.6 1,471 AVERAGES 48.67% 42.33% 9% +/-3.17 1,080 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial election hypothetical matchup, Edwards vs. Rispone Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Rispone (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Mason-Dixon Polling & Research October 1-4, 2019 Gray Television 51% 42% 7% +/-4 625 Remington Research Group September 10-11, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 49% 44% 7% +/-2.9 1,144 Remington Research Group June 1-2, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 49% 38% 13% +/-2.6 1,471 AVERAGES 49.67% 41.33% 9% +/-3.17 1,080 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Mississippi

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2019
Poll	Jim Hood (D)	Tate Reeves (R)	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size
Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy October 17-19, 2019	43%	46%	11%	+/-4	625
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Click [show] to view hypothetical polls conducted before the general election.

Hypothetical polls Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2019 (Hood vs. Reeves vs. Singletary) Poll Poll sponsor Jim Hood (D) Tate Reeves (R) David Singletary (I) Undecided/Other Margin of error Sample size Impact Management Group June 10-14, 2019 Y'all Politics 36% 48% 4% 12% +/-4.0 610 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2019 (Hood vs. Waller vs. Singletary) Poll Poll sponsor Jim Hood (D) William Waller (R) David Singletary (I) Undecided/Other Margin of error Sample size Impact Management Group June 10-14, 2019 Y'all Politics 36% 43% 4% 17% +/-4.0 610 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2019 (Waller Jr. vs. Hood) Poll Poll sponsor William Waller (R) Jim Hood (D) Undecided/Other Margin of error Sample size NBC News/SurveyMonkey July 2-16 Mississippi Today 53% 41% 6% +/-4.2 1,042 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2019 (Reeves vs. Hood) Poll Poll sponsor Tate Reeves (R) Jim Hood (D) Other/undecided Margin of error Sample size NBC News/SurveyMonkey July 2-16 Mississippi Today 51% 42% 7% +/-4.2 1,042 Hickman Analytics May 5-9 Hood campaign 40% 45% 15% +/-4.0 604 OnMessage Inc. January 30 Reeves campaign 51% 36% 13% +/-3.46 600 Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy January 30 - February 1, 2019 N/A 42% 44% 14% +/-4.0 625 AVERAGES 46% 41.75% 12.25% +/-3.92 717.75 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2019 (Reeves vs. Hood vs. Waller Jr.) Poll Poll sponsor Tate Reeves (R) Jim Hood (D) Bill Waller Jr. (I) Other/undecided Margin of error Sample size Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy January 30 - February 1, 2019 N/A 38% 40% 9% 13% +/-4.0 625 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term to describe single party government, when one political party holds the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house in a state's government.

Updated November 18, 2019

This content is part of Ballotpedia's analysis of the 2019 elections. For comprehensive election results, click here.

As a result of the 2019 elections, Democrats gained one state government trifecta in Virginia. A state government trifecta exists when one political party controls the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house in a state's government. Republicans also lost a trifecta following incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin's (R) defeat in Kentucky. The new trifecta count stands at 15 Democratic trifectas, 21 Republican trifectas, and 14 divided governments.

Prior to the 2019 elections, Republicans had eight more state government trifectas than Democrats: of 36 states with trifectas, 22 were Republican and 14 were Democratic. Democrats saw a net gain of one trifecta and Republicans lost one trifecta. The number of states with divided government (i.e. no trifecta for either major party) remained at 14.

For comparison, following the 2017 elections, Republicans controlled 26 trifectas to Democrats' eight, leaving 16 states without a trifecta. Following the 2014 midterm election, Republicans had 24 trifectas, Democrats had 13, and 13 states had no trifecta advantage for either major party. After the 2010 midterms, 25 states had no trifectas, Republicans had nine, and Democrats had 16.

The new Democratic trifecta in Virginia was formed after the party won majorities in the state Senate and state House. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 20-19 majority with one vacancy in the Senate and a 51-48 majority with one vacancy in the House. Democrats won a 21-19 majority in the state Senate and a 55-45 majority in the state House.

The total number of trifectas—36—is the highest number since 2014, when there were 37 trifectas.

Change in state government trifectas, 2019 elections
Trifecta status	Before	After	Net
Democratic trifectas	14	15	+1
Republican trifectas	22	21	-1
Divided government	14	14	--

The maps and charts below show the pre- and post-2019 election state government trifectas and the percentage of the population living under trifecta control.

Percent of the U.S. population living under trifectas as of Election Day 2019
	Total	Democratic trifectas	Republican trifectas	Divided governments
Population	326,464,979	111,656,588	137,380,514	77,427,877
Proportion (%)	100%	34.2%	42.1%	23.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Percent of the U.S. population living under trifectas following the 2019 elections
	Total	Democratic trifectas	Republican trifectas	Divided governments
Population	326,464,979	120,174,273	132,912,112	73,378,594
Proportion (%)	100%	36.8%	40.7%	22.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Triplexes

A state government triplex is a term to describe when a state's governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same political party.

Updated 1:00 p.m. EST, November 18, 2019

This content is part of Ballotpedia's analysis of the 2019 elections. For comprehensive election results, click here.

As a result of the 2019 elections, Republicans gained one state government triplex in Mississippi while Kentucky and Louisiana remained divided triplexes. Heading into the election, the triplex count stood at 18 Republican, 17 Democratic, and 15 divided triplexes. The new triplex count will be 19 Republican, 17 Democratic, and 14 divided triplexes.

The states holding triplex office elections on November 5, 2019, were:

• Kentucky: Kentucky remained a divided triplex. Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear (D) defeated Gov. Matt Bevin (R) in the gubernatorial election. Daniel Cameron (R) won the attorney general election for the position held by Andy Beshear (D), while Michael Adams (R) won the secretary of state election for the position held by Alison Lundergan Grimes (D). Kentucky was most recently a triplex in 2015 when Democrats held all three positions.

• Mississippi: The state became a Republican triplex as a result of the election. Tate Reeves (R) won the race for term-limited Gov. Phil Bryant's (R) position. Lynn Fitch (R) won the attorney general position held by Jim Hood (D), and Michael Watson (R) won the secretary of state position held by Delbert Hosemann (R). Mississippi was most recently a triplex in 2004 when Democrats held all three positions.

One other state held elections for triplex offices on November 16, 2019:

• Louisiana: Louisiana remained a divided triplex. In the gubernatorial election, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) defeated Eddie Rispone (R). In the secretary of state election, incumbent Kyle Ardoin (R) defeated Gwen Collins-Greenup (D). State Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) won re-election in the primary election. Louisiana was most recently a triplex in 2015 when Republicans held all three positions.

Change in state government triplexes, 2019 elections
Triplex status	Before	After	Net
Democratic triplexes	17	17	--
Republican triplexes	18	19	+1
Divided triplexes	15	14	-1

In 2015, when all three states last held elections for triplex offices, two states lost triplexes while one remained under a divided triplex. Democrats lost their triplex in Kentucky when Bevin defeated Jack Conway (D) in the gubernatorial election. Republicans lost their triplex in Louisiana when Edwards picked up the seat held by term-limited Gov. Bobby Jindal (R). Mississippi remained a divided triplex because all three incumbents (Bryant, Hood, and Hosemann) each won re-election.

Presidential data

See also: Presidential election, 2016

Donald Trump (R) carried all three states holding 2019 gubernatorial elections in the 2016 presidential election. His largest margin of victory was 29.8% in Kentucky while his narrowest was 17.8% in Mississippi.

Kentucky

See also: Presidential election in Kentucky, 2016

U.S. presidential election, Kentucky, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine	32.7%	628,854	0
	Republican	Donald Trump/Mike Pence	62.5%	1,202,971	8
	Libertarian	Gary Johnson/Bill Weld	2.8%	53,752	0
	Green	Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka	0.7%	13,913	0
	American Delta	Roque De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg	0.1%	1,128	0
	Independent	Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson	1.2%	22,780	0
	-	Write-in votes	0%	751	0
Total Votes				1,924,149	8
Election results via: Kentucky Secretary of State

Louisiana

See also: Presidential election in Louisiana, 2016

U.S. presidential election, Louisiana, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine	38.4%	780,154	0
	Republican	Donald Trump/Mike Pence	58.1%	1,178,638	8
	Libertarian	Gary Johnson/Bill Weld	1.9%	37,978	0
	Green	Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka	0.7%	14,031	0
	Constitution	Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley	0.2%	3,129	0
	Courage Character Service	Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson	0.4%	8,547	0
	It's Our Children	Laurence Kotlikoff/Edward Lea	0.1%	1,048	0
	Life Family Constitution	Tom Hoefling/Steve Schulin	0.1%	1,581	0
	Loyal Trustworthy Compasion	Princes Jacob/Milton Fambro	0%	749	0
	Socialism and Liberation	Gloria Estela La Riva/Eugene Puryear	0%	446	0
	Socialism Equality Anti-War	Jerry White/Niles Niemuth	0%	370	0
	Socialist Workers Party	Alyson Kennedy/Osborne Hart	0%	480	0
	Socialist Workers Party	Chris Keniston/Deacon Taylor	0.1%	1,881	0
Total Votes				2,029,032	8
Election results via: Louisiana Secretary of State

Mississippi

See also: Presidential election in Mississippi, 2016

U.S. presidential election, Mississippi, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine	40.1%	485,131	0
	Republican	Donald Trump/Mike Pence	57.9%	700,714	6
	Libertarian	Gary Johnson/Bill Weld	1.2%	14,435	0
	Green	Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka	0.3%	3,731	0
	Constitution	Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley	0.3%	3,987	0
	American Delta	Rocky De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg	0.1%	644	0
	Prohibition	Jim Hedges/Bill Bayes	0.1%	715	0
Total Votes				1,209,357	6
Election results via: Mississippi Secretary of State

Important dates and deadlines

This section will provide important dates throughout the 2019 election cycle, including filing deadlines, primaries, and campaign finance reporting deadlines, when available. These dates are divided by state.

Kentucky

Primary election

• January 29, 2019: Filing deadline in Kentucky
• April 22, 2019: Voter registration deadline
• May 14, 2019: Absentee application deadline
• May 21, 2019: Primary election in Kentucky

General election

• October 7, 2019: Voter registration deadline
• October 29, 2019: Absentee application deadline
• November 5, 2019: General election in Kentucky

Louisiana

Primary election

• August 8, 2019: Filing deadline in Louisiana
• September 11, 2019: In-person voter registration deadline
• September 21, 2019: Online voter registration deadline
• September 28, 2019: Early voting begins
• October 5, 2019: Early voting ends
• October 8, 2019: Deadline to request a mail ballot
• October 12, 2019: Primary election in Louisiana

General election

• October 16, 2019: In-person voter registration deadline
• October 26, 2019: Online voter registration deadline
• November 2, 2019: Early voting begins
• November 9, 2019: Early voting ends
• November 12, 2019: Deadline to request a mail ballot
• November 16, 2019: General election in Louisiana

Mississippi

Primary election

• March 1, 2019: Filing deadline in Mississippi
• July 8, 2019: Voter registration deadline (primary)
• July 29, 2019: Voter registration deadline (primary runoff)
• August 5, 2019: Absentee ballot return deadline (primary)
• August 6, 2019: Primary election in Mississippi
• August 26, 2019: Absentee ballot return deadline (primary runoff)
• August 27, 2019: Primary runoff election in Mississippi

General election

• October 7, 2019: Voter registration deadline
• November 4, 2019: Absentee ballot return deadline
• November 5, 2019: General election in Mississippi

About the office

See also: Governor (state executive office)

In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state. The governor is not directly subordinate to the federal authorities but is the political and ceremonial head of the state. The governor may also assume additional roles, such as the commander-in-chief of the National Guard when the role is not federalized. The governor may also have the ability to commute or pardon a criminal sentence.

In all states, the governor is directly elected and, in most cases, has considerable practical powers. Notable exceptions with weak governorships include the office of the governor in Texas, though this may be moderated by the state legislature and, in some cases, by other elected executive officials. Governors can veto state bills. The specific duties and powers vary widely between states.

Compensation

According to compensation figures for 2022 compiled by the Council of State Governments in the Book of the States, the highest salary for a governor was $250,000 in New York while the lowest is $70,000 in Maine. To view the compensation of a particular governor, hover your mouse over the state.

Staff size

According to figures for 2022 compiled by the Council of State Governments in the Book of the States, gubernatorial offices range in size from 9 staffers in Nebraska to 277 staffers in Texas.

Involvement in budget proposals

Although all governors have some involvement in the process of developing a state budget, the specific level of involvement differs from state to state. According to information published in the 2022 Book of the States, 24 governors share responsibility for developing a budget proposal, while 11 governors have full responsibility for developing an initial budget proposal and the remaining 15 have full responsibility for developing a budget.

Term limits

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits

Most states impose some form of term limits on governors; of those that do, all but Virginia limit a governor to two four-year terms or to eight years in office. Although most states' term limit laws allow a governor who has served two terms to be elected once again after time has elapsed, some states impose a lifetime term limit like that on the presidency. Although Vermont and New Hampshire do not have term limit laws, they are the only states whose governors serve two-year terms rather than four-year terms.

Line-item veto powers

The term line-item veto refers to the ability of a governor or other chief executive to veto specific parts of a bill while signing the rest of the bill into law. Currently, 44 states grant their governors line-item veto powers.

Comparison to all-time best state party performances

See also: All-time best performance in gubernatorial elections

Winning gubernatorial candidates compared to state party all-time records, 2019
State	Winning candidate	Winning candidate votes	State party all-time winner	State party all-time winner votes
Kentucky	Andy Beshear	49.2%	John W. Stevenson (1868)	81.3%
Louisiana	John Bel Edwards	51.3%	Sam H. Jones (1940)	99.4%
Mississippi	Tate Reeves	52.2%	James Alcorn (1869)	66.7%

Winning streaks

See also: Gubernatorial winning streaks

Gubernatorial elections and same-party winning streaks, 2019
State	Winning party	Winning streak continued or broken?	Longest Democratic winning streak	Longest Republican winning streak
Kentucky	Democratic	No winning streak	Eight	Two
Louisiana	Democratic	Democratic streak started	21	Four
Mississippi	Republican	Four-election Republican streak continued	28	Five

Analysis of state elections

See also: Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2019

In 2019, eight states held elections for executive, legislative, or judicial seats, including elections for seven of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers and for three gubernatorial seats.

All state elections:

2019 election analysis: State government trifectas

Trifecta vulnerability in the 2019 elections

2019 primary election competitiveness in state government

State executive elections:

State executive official elections, 2019

Gubernatorial elections, 2019

Secretary of State elections, 2019

Attorney General elections, 2019

2019 election analysis: State government triplexes

State executive official elections without a Democratic or Republican candidate, 2019

List of candidates in state executive elections, 2019

State legislative elections:

State legislative elections, 2019

State legislative special elections, 2019

Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 9, 2019

State legislative elections without a Democratic or Republican candidate, 2019

Open seats in the 2019 state legislative elections

Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2019

2019 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government

Incumbents defeated in 2019's state legislative elections

List of candidates in state legislative elections, 2019

Other state elections:

State judicial elections, 2019

2019 ballot measures

See also

Lieutenant gubernatorial elections

Attorney General elections

Secretary of State elections