Politics

These Are The Republican Governors Who Lost In The Midterm Elections

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Henry Rodgers Chief National Correspondent
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A large number of Republican gubernatorial candidates lost the Nov. 6 midterm elections Tuesday night, delivering a blow to the GOP, however Republican governors still hold the majority.

Republicans were expected to lose control of the House but keep control in the Senate after the Nov. 6 midterm elections, according to a majority of polls. However, there was growing speculation that Republicans could be more successful than polls suggest. Out of the open 36 gubernatorial seats, 13 were ranked as likely Republican and two leaned Republican, according to Fox News.

There are currently 33 Republican governors, 16 Democrats and one Independent in the U.S.

Here is a list of all the top gubernatorial results from Tuesday’s election:

Alaska

Republican state Sen. Mike Dunleavy was in a tight race against Democrat Mark Begich, but is set to win. As of Wednesday, the race had not been called, but Dunleavy held a lead. As of Tuesday, Real Clear Politics (RCP) rated the race as a “Toss up.” 

Arizona

Incumbent Republican Doug Ducey took on Democrat David Garcia in Arizona. Ducey defeated Garcia Tuesday night, receiving nearly 58 percent of the vote.  This comes as RCP had the race rated as “Likely GOP,” as of Tuesday morning. 

Colorado

Democrat Jared Polis defeated Republican Walker Stapleton in the Nov. 6 midterm elections, receiving  51.6 percent of the vote. RCP had the race listed as “Leans Dem” on Tuesday. 

Florida 

In Florida, the gubernatorial race between Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis and Democratic Mayor Andrew Gillum was neck-and-neck. Less than 24 hours before the race, RCP had Gillum up just over three points. However, Desantis won the election. This comes as Gillum faced an FBI corruption investigation and allegations he accepted tickets to the musical “Hamilton” from an FBI agent.

DeSantis received 49.7 percent of the vote Tuesday night before Gillum conceded.

(Photo by Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images)

Georgia 

The Georgia gubernatorial election, where Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams was taking on Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, was also a close one. Despite the polls being close and Kemp receiving more votes, Abrams said Wednesday she refuses to concede. Abrams faced a tight race against Kemp, and took heat for saying the alleged “blue wave” Democrats expected was filled with “documented and undocumented” voters.

Abrams also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of her own money trying to secure the victory. She previously served as the minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives. (RELATED: Here’s What Happened In The Key Midterm Races Across The Country)

(Photo by Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)

Illinois

Democratic candidate J.B. Pritzker defeated Incumbent Republican Bruce Rauner Tuesday night, after receiving 54 percent of the vote. RCP had the race rated “Likely Dem” as of Tuesday. 

Iowa

Iowa also had a close gubernatorial race, as Democratic candidate Fred Hubbell took on Gov. Kim Reynolds. Reynolds defeated Hubbell, becoming the fist elected female governor of the state. She has served as governor since May 2017, when she replaced Terry Branstad, who joined the Trump administration as ambassador to China, but was not elected at the time. The race was very important as Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, 85, said a Democratic Iowa governor would appoint a Democrat to succeed him in the Senate if he undergoes any health problems while serving.

Kansas

Republican Kris Kobach was defeated by Democratic opponent Laura Kelly, after she received 47.8 percent of the vote Tuesday night. The race was rated as a “Toss up” hours before the election.

Maryland

Incumbent Republican Larry Hogan defeated Democrat Ben Jealous in the Maryland gubernatorial race Tuesday after receiving 56.2 percent of the vote. Hogan was a likely favorite.    

Michigan

Democrat Gretchen Whitmer defeated Republican Bill Schuette after receiving 52.9 percent of the vote. Whitmer had a big lead in public polling for months ahead of Election Day.

Minnesota

Democrat Tim Walz defeated his Republican opponent Jeff Johnson Tuesday night after receiving 53.9 percent of the vote. He was expected to win in many polls released before the election.  

Nevada

Republican state Attorney General Adam Laxalt was defeated by his Democratic opponent Steve Sisolak. Laxalt conceded after Sisolak received 49.4 percent of the vote. The race was rated as “Toss Up” as of Tuesday morning, according to RCP. 

New Mexico

Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham defeated Republican Steve Pearce after receiving 59.9 percent of the vote. The race was rated as “Leans Dem” as of Tuesday morning.

Ohio

Democrat Richard Cordray lost to his Republican opponent Mike DeWine  after DeWine received 50.7 percent of the vote. As of Tuesday morning, hours before the polls opened the race was rated as a “Toss Up.”

Oregon

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Kate Brown defeated her Republican opponent Knute Buehler after receiving 49.4 percent of the vote. The race was listed as a “Toss Up,” according to RCP.

Tennessee

Republican Bill Lee defeated Democrat Karl Dean, receiving 59.4 percent of the vote. The race was listed as “Likely GOP” Tuesday morning. 

Texas

Incumbent Republican Greg Abbott easily defeated Democrat Lupe Valdez, receiving 55.8 percent of the vote. Abbot has been governor of the state since 2015. 

Wisconsin

Incumbent Republican Gov. Scott Walker was defeated by Democrat Tony Evers. Evers received 49.6 percent of the vote compared to Walker’s 48.4 percent. Libertarian Phil Anderson received 0.8 percent of the vote, hurting Walker’s chance of winning. 

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