2026 United States lieutenant gubernatorial elections
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 United States lieutenant gubernatorial elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026, in 10 states. 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.
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November 3, 2026
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Partisan composition
Going into the election, there are 11 Republican lieutenant governors and 6 Democratic lieutenant governors in the United States. This class of lieutenant governors is made up of 8 Republicans and 2 Democrats. Republicans are defending one lieutenant governorship in a state that Kamala Harris won in 2024 (Vermont), while there are no states with Democratic lieutenant governors which Donald Trump won.[1]
Race summary
| State | Lieutenant governor | Party | First elected | Last race | Status | Candidates |
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| Alabama | Will Ainsworth | Republican | 2018 | 83.7% R | Term-limited |
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| Arkansas | Leslie Rutledge | Republican | 2022 | 64.2% R | Incumbent renominated |
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| California | Eleni Kounalakis | Democratic | 2018 | 59.7% D | Term-limited |
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| Georgia | Burt Jones | Republican | 2022 | 51.4% R[8] | Incumbent retiring to run for governor[9] |
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| Idaho | Scott Bedke | Republican | 2022 | 64.4% R[11] | Incumbent renominated |
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| Nevada | Stavros Anthony | Republican | 2022 | 49.4% R[13] | Incumbent renominated |
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| Oklahoma | Matt Pinnell | Republican | 2018 | 61.9% R[15] | Term-limited |
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| Rhode Island | Sabina Matos | Democratic | 2021[b] | 50.9% D[18] | Incumbent running |
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| Texas | Dan Patrick | Republican | 2014 | 53.8% R[26] | Incumbent renominated |
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| Vermont | John Rodgers | Republican | 2024[c] | 48.8% R[31] | Incumbent renominated |
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Alabama
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November 3, 2026
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The Alabama Republican primary election is May 19, 2026. Two-term incumbent Republican Will Ainsworth is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. Declared Republican candidates include incumbent secretary of state Wes Allen, Cullman County deputy Patrick Bishop, community advocate George Childress, incumbent commissioner of agriculture and industries Rick Pate, physician Stewart Tankersley, economic developer Nicole Wadsworth, and former Alabama Republican Party chair John Wahl.[36] Wahl defeated Allen in the June 16 Primary Runoff to gain the Republican nomination.
State representative Phillip Ensler and funeral company CEO Darryl Perryman are running in the Democratic primary.[36]
Arkansas
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November 3, 2026
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One-term incumbent Republican Leslie Rutledge is seeking re-election.[37]
As the filing deadline passed without any Democratic candidates filing, Rutledge will be opposed in the general election by firefighter and United States Navy veteran Michael Kalagias as the Libertarian nominee.[38]
California
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November 3, 2026
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Two-term incumbent Democrat Eleni Kounalakis is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. California State Treasurer Fiona Ma and former state senator Gloria Romero secured the top two positions in the June 2 primary to run in the general election to succeed her.
Other notable candidates who ran included Democrats Josh Fryday (chief service officer for governor Gavin Newsom and former mayor of Novato),[39] former mayor of Stockton Michael Tubbs,[40] musician and record producer Tim Myers, and civil rights attorney Oliver Ma (no relation to Fiona Ma)[41] and Republicans David Collenberg (farmer and business owner)[42] and entrepreneur David Fennell[43]
Georgia
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November 3, 2026
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One-term incumbent Republican Burt Jones was first elected in 2022 and was eligible to run for re-election. On July 8, 2025, he announced that he would run for governor in 2026 instead of seeking reelection to a second term as lieutenant governor.[9]
The Republican candidates who filed to run included state Representative David Clark, Marine veteran Brenda Nelson-Porter,[44] small business owner Takosha Swan,[45] and state Senators Greg Dolezal, Blake Tillery, Steve Gooch (also majority leader of the Georgia State Senate (2023–2025)) and John F. Kennedy (who had also served as president pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate (2023–2025)). After the June 16 Primary runoff, Dolezal won the nomination over Kennedy.
Democratic candidates who filed included Georgia state Senators Josh McLaurin and Nabilah Parkes as well as accountant Richard Wright.[46] Former Macon mayor pro tempore Seth Clark had initially filed, but withdrew[47] McLaurin won in the Primary runoff over Parkes.
Idaho
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November 3, 2026
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One-term incumbent Republican Scott Bedke was first elected in 2022. He is running for re-election.[48] He is being challenged by Democrat Eric Myricks.[49]
Nevada
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November 3, 2026
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One-term incumbent Republican Stavros Anthony was elected in 2022 with 49.41% of the vote. He is running for re-election.[50] Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui ran in the Democratic primary[51] and won against nurse practitioner Courtney Burke[52] and entertainer BridgieNix Scheiner[53]
Oklahoma
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November 3, 2026
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Two-term incumbent Republican Matt Pinnell is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election.
Businessman Victor Flores,[54] state Representatives Brian Hill and Justin Humphrey, businessman and Navy veteran David Ostrowe,[55] State senator Darrell Weaver,[56] and former Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives T. W. Shannon filed for the Republican primary. Shannon won the Republican Primary outright with 54% of the vote.[57]
Consultant and educator Kelly Forbes was unopposed for the Democrat nomination following Navy veteran Candice Jay's withdraw.
Rhode Island
One-term incumbent Democrat Sabina Matos was elected in 2022 with 51.2% of the vote. She is running for re-election.[58][24] Other candidates in the Democratic primary include Providence city councilor Sue AnderBois,[59] former state senator Cynthia Armour Coyne, former mayor of Newport Xay Khamsyvoravong,[60] and teacher, U.S. Air Force veteran, and 2022 Independent candidate for Lieutenant Governor Ross McCurdy.[61]
Former state Representative John Loughlin is the presumptive Republican nominee as no other Republican candidates filed.[62]
Texas
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November 3, 2026
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Three-term incumbent Republican Dan Patrick is running for re-election.[63] The Texas Constitution does not have term limits for any statewide office.
Other Republicans who opposed Patrick in the Republican primary were educator Perla Muñoz Hopkins, business consultant Timothy Mabry, and U.S. Air Force veteran Esala Wueschner.[64]
Candidates in the Democratic primary included state representative Vikki Goodwin, contracts and privacy manager Courtney Head, and union representative Marcos Velez[29] Goodwin would defeat Velez in the primary runoff to earn the Democratic nomination.
Vermont
One-term incumbent Republican John Rodgers was elected in 2024 with 48.76% of the vote. He is running for re-election.[35] Former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray will run against him.[33] Other candidates in the Democratic primary include Esther Charlestin (chair of the Vermont Commission on Women)[65] and Democratic National Committee member Ryan McLaren.[66]
Notes
- Seat tallies and popular vote do not include states that do not elect lieutenant governors separately from governors.
- Since no candidate received a majority of the vote, Rodgers was ultimately elected by the Vermont General Assembly on January 9, 2025.