While the biggest election news for Republicans is the party’s takeover of the House of Representatives, the GOP had a great showing in governor’s and state legislature races. Republicans won a total of 23 governorships on Tuesday, nearly double the number of Democratic wins (the New York Times has not officially called Minnesota, Illinois, and Connecticut). Additionally, 9 of those 23 gubernatorial victories were in states Obama carried in 2008: Florida, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Likewise, Democrats only won one governship in a McCain state with Arkansas reelecting popular governor Mike Beebe.

Many of these victories were pickups for Republicans. The governor will switch to the GOP in 12 states (Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Florida from independent Charlie Crist), while only five Democrats will succeed Republicans–in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Vermont. In Rhode Island, Republican-turned-independent Lincoln Chafee will be the new governor.