2026 United States lieutenant gubernatorial elections
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10 lieutenant governorships | ||||||||||
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 Democratic incumbent Term-limited Democrat Republican incumbent Term-limited Republican No election | ||||||||||
United States lieutenant gubernatorial elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026, in 31 states and three territories. The previous lieutenant gubernatorial elections for this group of states took place in 2022, except in Vermont, where lieutenant governors serve two-year terms and elected their lieutenant governor in 2024. Twenty-four lieutenant governors run on the same ticket as the governor.
There are four states with Democratic lieutenant governors in states Donald Trump won (Wisconsin R+0.9, Michigan R+1.4, Pennsylvania R+1.7, and Kansas R+16).[1] Additionally, there is no incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Arizona as this is a newly created position.[2]
Race summary
[edit]| State | Lieutenant governor | Party | First elected | Last race | Status | Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Will Ainsworth | Republican | 2018 | 83.7% R | Term-limited | |
| Arkansas | Leslie Rutledge | Republican | 2022 | 64.2% R | Incumbent's intent unknown | TBD |
| California | Eleni Kounalakis | Democratic | 2018 | 59.7% D | Term-limited |
|
| Georgia | Burt Jones | Republican | 2022 | 51.4% R[5] | Incumbent's intent unknown | TBD |
| Idaho | Scott Bedke | Republican | 2022 | 64.4% R[6] | Incumbent's intent unknown | TBD |
| Nevada | Stavros Anthony | Republican | 2022 | 49.4% R[7] | Incumbent's intent unknown | TBD |
| Oklahoma | Matt Pinnell | Republican | 2018 | 61.9% R[8] | Term-limited |
|
| Rhode Island | Sabina Matos | Democratic | 2021[a] | 50.9% D[10] | Incumbent running |
|
| Texas | Dan Patrick | Republican | 2014 | 53.8% R[12] | Incumbent running |
|
| Vermont | John Rodgers | Republican | 2024[b] | 48.8% R[14] | Incumbent's intent unknown | TBD |
Alabama
[edit]Two-term incumbent Republican Will Ainsworth is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has declared his intent to run. Attorney General Steve Marshall, Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate, and Public Service Commissioner Twinkle Cavanaugh are considered potential Republican candidates.[15][3]
Arkansas
[edit]One-term incumbent Republican Leslie Rutledge was first elected in 2022 and is eligible to run for re-election, but has not stated whether she intends to do so.[16]
California
[edit]Two-term incumbent Democrat Eleni Kounalakis is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. Treasurer Fiona Ma, former state senator Steven Bradford, and former mayor Michael Tubbs have declared their intent to run as Democrats.[4]
Georgia
[edit]One-term incumbent Republican Burt Jones was first elected in 2022 and is eligible to run for re-election. He has not stated his intention for 2026, but is considering a run for governor.[17]
Idaho
[edit]One-term incumbent Republican Scott Bedke was first elected in 2022 and is eligible to run for re-election. He has not stated his intention for 2026, but may consider running for governor.[18]
Nevada
[edit]One-term incumbent Republican Stavros Anthony was first elected in 2022 and is eligible to run for re-election, but has not stated whether he intends to do so.[19]
Oklahoma
[edit]Two-term incumbent Republican Matt Pinnell is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election.
Rhode Island
[edit]One-term incumbent Democrat Sabina Matos is running for re-election.[20][11]
Texas
[edit]Three-term incumbent Republican Dan Patrick is running for re-election.[13]
Vermont
[edit]One-term incumbent Republican John Rodgers is eligible to run for re-election.
Notes
[edit]- ^ Matos took office after her predecessor, Dan McKee, resigned. She was subsequently elected in 2022.
- ^ Since no candidate received a majority of the vote, Rodgers was ultimately elected by the Vermont General Assembly on January 9, 2025.
References
[edit]- ^ "2024 Presidential Elections By State Margin of Victory". Fox News Elections. November 26, 2024. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ "Arizona will elect its first lieutenant governor in 2026. What to know about the role".
- ^ a b "Musical Chairs in Alabama Politics". August 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "2026 California lieutenant governor race begins to take shape". Los Angeles Times. July 17, 2024.
- ^ "Trump-backed Burt Jones wins race for Georgia Lieutenant Governor". November 9, 2022.
- ^ "Longtime Idaho House speaker Bedke wins lieutenant governor race". Idaho Statesman. November 10, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ^ "Nevada Lieutenant Governor Midterm Election 2022: Live Results and Updates". NBC News.
- ^ "Oklahoma Election Results". The New York Times. November 6, 2018.
- ^ "State Auditor Cindy Byrd files to run for Oklahoma's lieutenant governor seat". The Oklahoman. January 3, 2025. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ "Incumbent Sabina Matos wins Lieutenant governor position over Aaron Guckian". The Providence Journal. November 8, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ^ a b "Approval for McKee and Matos falls in new Pell Center poll". The Public's Radio. Rhode Island PBS. September 30, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ^ "Texas Lieutenant Governor Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022.
- ^ a b "Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he'll run for reelection in 2026, reversing previous plan to retire". January 25, 2023.
- ^ "Vermont Lieutenant Governor Election Results". The New York Times. November 5, 2024.
- ^ "2026 governor's race has begun". November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Rutledge is elected lieutenant governor, becomes 1st woman voted into state's 2nd-highest office". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. November 9, 2022.
- ^ "Burt Jones says he 'might' run for Georgia governor in 2026".
- ^ "Idaho's Real Election Begins Wednesday". October 29, 2024.
- ^ "Stavros Anthony wins Nevada lieutenant governor's race defeating Cano Burkhead". November 11, 2022.
- ^ "Campaign reports show potential rematch shaping up for 2026 R.I. Governor's race". Rhode Island Current. August 1, 2024.