Key takeaways
- 21 of the 36 states with governor races elected someone new; 15 incumbents won another term.
- Six states changed parties: Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas.
- Alaska's new governor takes office December 7, 2026; the rest take office in January 2027, ending with Texas on January 19.
- New administrations bring new agency leaders and new budget priorities, so vendors should protect current accounts and track appointments now.
Why new governors matter to government vendors
When a new governor takes office, agency leadership, budget priorities and sometimes technology strategy change with them. For vendors, that means some contacts will leave, new decision-makers will arrive and the first budget will reflect the new administration's agenda.
Thirty-six states held governor races on November 3, 2026. Twenty-one elected someone new, and six of those states changed parties. Most of the new governors take office in January, during legislative sessions that will set their first budgets.
New governors taking office, by state
Inauguration dates are set by each state's constitution or law; ceremonies can be held on a different day.
| State | Governor-elect | Party | Previous role | Takes office | Party change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Tommy Tuberville | Republican | U.S. senator | Jan. 18, 2027 | No |
| Alaska | Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins | Democrat | Former state representative | Dec. 7, 2026 | Yes, R to D |
| California | Xavier Becerra | Democrat | Former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary | Jan. 4, 2027 | No |
| Colorado | Phil Weiser | Democrat | State attorney general | Jan. 12, 2027 | No |
| Florida | Byron Donalds | Republican | U.S. representative | Jan. 5, 2027 | No |
| Georgia | Keisha Lance Bottoms | Democrat | Former Atlanta mayor | January 2027 | Yes, R to D |
| Iowa | Rob Sand | Democrat | State auditor | January 2027 | Yes, R to D |
| Kansas | Cindy Holscher | Democrat | State senator | Jan. 11, 2027 | No |
| Maine | Hannah Pingree | Democrat | Former speaker of the Maine House | Jan. 6, 2027 | No |
| Michigan | Jocelyn Benson | Democrat | Secretary of state | Jan. 1, 2027 | No |
| Minnesota | Amy Klobuchar | Democrat | U.S. senator | Jan. 4, 2027 | No |
| Nevada | Aaron Ford | Democrat | State attorney general | Jan. 4, 2027 | Yes, R to D |
| New Mexico | Deb Haaland | Democrat | Former U.S. Interior secretary | Jan. 1, 2027 | No |
| Ohio | Amy Acton | Democrat | Former state health director | Jan. 11, 2027 | Yes, R to D |
| Oklahoma | Mike Mazzei | Republican | Former state senator | Jan. 11, 2027 | No |
| Rhode Island | Helena Foulkes | Democrat | Former business executive | Jan. 5, 2027 | No |
| South Carolina | Alan Wilson | Republican | State attorney general | Jan. 13, 2027 | No |
| Tennessee | Marsha Blackburn | Republican | U.S. senator | Jan. 16, 2027 | No |
| Texas | Gina Hinojosa | Democrat | State representative | Jan. 19, 2027 | Yes, R to D |
| Wisconsin | David Crowley | Democrat | Milwaukee County executive | Jan. 4, 2027 | No |
| Wyoming | Eric Barlow | Republican | Former speaker of the Wyoming House | Jan. 4, 2027 | No |
Sources: MultiState 2026 governor results (updated through November 7, 2026), KFF, the Associated Press via news reports, and state constitutions. Previous roles are the most recent public or leadership position.
Inauguration timeline
| Date | States |
|---|---|
| Dec. 7, 2026 | Alaska |
| Jan. 1, 2027 | Michigan, New Mexico |
| Jan. 4, 2027 | California, Minnesota, Nevada, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
| Jan. 5, 2027 | Florida, Rhode Island |
| Jan. 6, 2027 | Maine |
| Jan. 11, 2027 | Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma |
| Jan. 12, 2027 | Colorado |
| Jan. 13, 2027 | South Carolina |
| Jan. 16, 2027 | Tennessee |
| Jan. 18, 2027 | Alabama |
| Jan. 19, 2027 | Texas |
| January 2027 | Georgia, Iowa (date set by state law) |
Governors who won another term
Fifteen incumbents were re-elected: Arizona (Katie Hobbs), Arkansas (Sarah Huckabee Sanders), Connecticut (Ned Lamont), Hawaii (Josh Green), Idaho (Brad Little), Illinois (JB Pritzker), Maryland (Wes Moore), Massachusetts (Maura Healey), Nebraska (Jim Pillen), New Hampshire (Kelly Ayotte), New York (Kathy Hochul), Oregon (Tina Kotek), Pennsylvania (Josh Shapiro), South Dakota (Larry Rhoden) and Vermont (Phil Scott). In these states, expect more continuity in agency leadership, though second-term reshuffles are common.
Other shifts that affect state buying
- Party changes in six states. Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas will have a governor from a different party. Government Technology data shows state CIOs are least likely to stay when the party changes.
- New unified control. KFF reports that in Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and Wisconsin, Democrats will newly control both the governorship and the legislature, which can make a new agenda easier to pass.
- Newly divided legislatures. Georgia and Texas will have legislatures split between the parties, so expect more negotiation on budgets.
- Medicaid changes in progress. New appointees, including Medicaid directors, take office while states implement federal changes on tight timelines.
Early signals of what new administrations will fund
Campaign platforms are the first public signal of priorities. A few examples from reporting on the incoming class:
- Minnesota: Amy Klobuchar has proposed a review of state agencies to combat fraud, along with affordability and housing measures.
- Nevada: Aaron Ford has pledged to lower energy costs, raise education funding and make housing easier to build, and to pause data center tax breaks.
- Georgia: Keisha Lance Bottoms has prioritized Medicaid expansion, housing and school funding.
- Iowa: Rob Sand campaigned on reducing chemical pollution and investing in clean water.
- Ohio: Amy Acton campaigned on lowering health care costs.
- Kansas: Cindy Holscher has called for pausing new data center approvals until guardrails are in place, and for Medicaid expansion.
For a deeper look at what this means for outreach, read 21 states get new governors in January. Here's how vendors get ahead of the transition.
How vendors can prepare
- Protect current accounts. Document results and contract dates now, so a new leader can see your value quickly.
- Track transition teams and appointments. Note who is named to lead the agencies you sell to, including CIOs, health and human services, transportation and procurement.
- Build ties with career staff. Deputy directors, program managers and procurement officers usually stay through a transition.
- Know the budget timing. New governors often get extra time to submit their first budget. See the 2027 governor budget proposals tracker and the 2027 legislative session calendar.
- Lead with help. A short, useful note to a new appointee works better than a demo request.
How KSG helps
Kensington Sales Group's market intelligence team tracks leadership changes and priorities in the states you sell into, and our SDRs open low-pressure conversations with new leaders and the career staff who stay. See our market intelligence service.