Two states are all but guaranteed to elect their first women governors in the 2026 midterms.
In Minnesota, Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Republican state House Speaker Lisa Demuth are the nominees for their respective parties. And in Tennessee, the same is true for Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Jerri Green, a Memphis City Council member.
The winner of each race will become the first woman governor in her state’s history. And there could be similar firsts elsewhere in the country this fall.
Overall, 17 states have never had a female governor, according to data from Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics. Alongside those in Minnesota and Tennessee, three other gubernatorial races feature a major-party nominee who, if elected, would be the first woman to hold that office:
This analysis looks at the United States’ history of having women senators and governors ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The midterms may see historic firsts in several states for women in those offices.
Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. The analysis builds on our previous work about women leaders and the changing makeup of Congress.
The data in this analysis comes from Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics and from state and federal historical records. The counts for women candidates in the 2026 midterm elections include only major-party nominees.
In addition, 15 states have never had a woman senator. Two of those states have a woman on the ballot in this year’s general election.
Source link







