Most states hold their gubernatorial elections in different years from the presidential election, but in November, voters in several key states will decide who will lead the country — and their state.
While most of the contests will occur in states where a party or candidate appears almost certain to win, three races are set to be more competitive even as the presidential election steals the headlines. Here are the key gubernatorial races in November.
North Carolina
North Carolina has only voted for a Democratic presidential candidate or Democratic Senate candidate once each since 2000, but the governorship has largely remained in Democratic hands during that time. Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) is term-limited, meaning the seat is up for grabs as the state’s electoral votes in the presidential election are also expected to be hotly contested.
The state is slated to hold its primary election on March 5, but each party already has clear front-runners for its nominees.
On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson looks poised to be the gubernatorial nominee, while state Attorney General Josh Stein appears likely to be the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nominee.
Robinson is supported by former President Donald Trump, while Stein has the backing of the various Democratic officials from the state, including Cooper. Trump won the state in the 2020 presidential election, while Cooper was also reelected on the same ballot.
In the past two elections in the state, North Carolina has voted for a Republican for president and a Democrat for governor, and it could do it again in 2024. A poll from East Carolina University’s Center for Survey Research released earlier this month showed Trump leading Biden 47% to 44% in the presidential election, while in the gubernatorial race, Robinson and Stein are tied at 41%.
The Cook Political Report rates the race as “lean Democratic,” and Inside Elections rates the North Carolina gubernatorial election as a “toss up.”
New Hampshire
In the Granite State, popular Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH) announced last year that he would not seek reelection, making the state’s 2024 election significantly more competitive.
The primary for the gubernatorial election is scheduled for Sept. 10 — one of the latest primaries of the year, but candidates are already starting to emerge in the hotly contested race.
In the dash to succeed Sununu, former Sen. Kelly Ayotte and former state Senate President Chuck Morse are running in the Republican primary. In a University of Massachusetts, Lowell, poll released last month, Ayotte leads Morse 54% to 22% in the primary.
On the Democratic side, former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and New Hampshire Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington are the leading candidates. Craig has amassed several high-profile endorsements, including from Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA), in her bid to be the Democratic nominee.
The Granite State last elected a Democratic governor in 2014, when it reelected then-Gov. Maggie Hassan (D-NH). Sununu has won every subsequent election. The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections both rate the New Hampshire gubernatorial election as a “toss up.”
North Dakota
While the gubernatorial election in the Peace Garden State is expected to go safely for Republicans, which Republican is set to be an intraparty battle between two major names in the state.
Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) opted not to run for reelection, saying last month that he was “eternally grateful” for his two terms as executive of the state.
Shortly after his announcement, Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) announced his bid for the governorship. Armstrong represents the state’s lone at-large congressional district, meaning he has won statewide three times dating back to his first election in 2018.
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The other candidate vying for the office is Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller, who was appointed to the office last year. Miller has been endorsed by Burgum, giving her a high-profile boost in the race.
The gubernatorial primary is scheduled for June 11, and the contest has been rated as “solid Republican” by the Cook Political Report and Inside Elections.
