2023 United States gubernatorial elections explained

Election Name:2023 United States gubernatorial elections
Country:United States
Type:legislative
Seats For Election:3 governorships
Election Date:November 7, 2023
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2022 United States gubernatorial elections
Previous Year:2022
Next Election:2024 United States gubernatorial elections
Next Year:2024
1Blank:Seats up
2Blank:Races won
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Seats Before1:26
Seats After1:27
Seat Change1: 1
Popular Vote1:1,741,855
Percentage1:54.34%
1Data1:1
2Data1:2
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Seats Before2:24
Seats After2:23
Seat Change2: 1
Popular Vote2:1,389,283
Percentage2:43.34%
1Data2:2
2Data2:1

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2023, in the states of Kentucky and Mississippi, with an election having occurred in Louisiana on October 14. These elections form part of the 2023 United States elections. The last regular gubernatorial elections for all three states were in 2019.

In Louisiana, term-limited incumbent John Bel Edwards was succeeded by Jeff Landry, flipping the seat from Democratic to Republican control. In Kentucky, Democrat Andy Beshear won re-election to a second term. In Mississippi, Republican Tate Reeves won re-election to a second term.

Partisan composition

Going into the election, there were 26 Republican governors and 24 Democratic governors in the United States. This class of governors was made up of 1 Republican and 2 Democrats. Democrats were defending two governorships in states Donald Trump won in 2020 (Kentucky and Louisiana).[1] [2]

Election predictions

Several sites and individuals published predictions of competitive seats. These predictions looked at factors such as the strength of the incumbent (if the incumbent is running for re-election), the strength of the candidates, and the partisan leanings of the state (reflected in part by the state's Cook Partisan Voting Index rating). The predictions assigned ratings to each seat, with the rating indicating a party's predicted advantage in winning that seat.

Most election predictors use:

StatePVIIncumbentLast
race
Cook
[3]
IE
[4]
Sabato
[5]
ED
[6]
Result
Kentucky data-sort-value="16" R+16 data-sort-value="-49.2" 49.2% D data-sort-value="-52.5" Beshear
52.5% D
Louisiana data-sort-value="12" R+12
data-sort-value="-51.3" 51.3% D data-sort-value="51.6" Landry
51.6% R
Mississippi data-sort-value="11" R+11 data-sort-value="51.9" 51.9% R data-sort-value="50.9" Reeves
50.9% R

Race summary

StateIncumbentPartyFirst electedResultGeneral election
Kentucky2019Incumbent re-elected.nowrap
Louisiana2015Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
nowrap
Mississippi2019Incumbent re-elected.nowrap

Closest states

States where the margin of victory was between 1% and 5%:

Mississippi, 3.24%

States where the margin of victory was between 5% and 10%:

Kentucky, 5.07%Red denotes states won by Republicans. Blue denotes states won by Democrats.

Kentucky

Election Name:Kentucky gubernatorial election
Country:Kentucky
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2019 Kentucky gubernatorial election
Previous Year:2019
Next Election:2027 Kentucky gubernatorial election
Next Year:2027
Nominee1:Andy Beshear
Party1:Kentucky Democratic Party
Running Mate1:Jacqueline Coleman
Popular Vote1:694,482
Percentage1:52.5%
Nominee2:Daniel Cameron
Party2:Republican Party of Kentucky
Running Mate2:Robby Mills
Popular Vote2:627,457
Percentage2:47.5%
Map Size:290px
Turnout:38.0%
Governor
Before Election:Andy Beshear
Before Party:Kentucky Democratic Party
After Election:Andy Beshear
After Party:Kentucky Democratic Party

See main article: 2023 Kentucky gubernatorial election. Governor Andy Beshear was elected in 2019 with 49.2% of the vote and ran for re-election to a second term.[7] He won the Democratic nomination with little opposition & won the general election.

Attorney general Daniel Cameron, former US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft, state auditor Mike Harmon, and agriculture commissioner Ryan Quarles all ran for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Cameron was supported by former president Donald Trump, and led every poll leading to the primary, with Craft and Quarles trailing behind him.[8] Cameron won the Republican nomination, becoming the first African American major party gubernatorial nominee in Kentucky's history.[9]

Louisiana

See main article: 2023 Louisiana gubernatorial election.

Election Name:2023 Louisiana gubernatorial election
Country:Louisiana
Type:president
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election
Previous Year:2019
Next Election:2027 Louisiana gubernatorial election
Next Year:2027
Election Date:October 14, 2023
Candidate1:Jeff Landry
Party1:Republican Party of Louisiana
Popular Vote1:547,827
Percentage1:51.6%
Candidate2:Shawn Wilson
Party2:Louisiana Democratic Party
Popular Vote2:275,525
Percentage2:25.9%
Candidate4:Stephen Waguespack
Party4:Republican Party of Louisiana
Popular Vote4:62,287
Percentage4:5.9%
Candidate5:John Schroder
Party5:Republican Party of Louisiana
Popular Vote5:56,654
Percentage5:5.3%
Map Size:250px
Turnout:36.3%
Governor
Before Election:John Bel Edwards
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Jeff Landry
After Party:Republican Party of Louisiana

Governor John Bel Edwards was re-elected to a second term in 2019 with 51.3% of the vote. He was term-limited by the Louisiana Constitution in 2023, and could not seek reelection for a third consecutive term.

Louisiana utilizes a jungle primary system. Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry was considered the frontrunner. Other candidates included state senator Sharon Hewitt, and Treasurer John Schroder. Democratic Secretary of Transportation Shawn Wilson also ran to succeed Edwards.[10] [11]

Landry won with over 51% of the vote in the primary, becoming the first person to win a Louisiana gubernatorial election without a runoff since Bobby Jindal in 2011. Landry easily prevailed over several Republican opponents and the leading Democratic candidate.[12]

Mississippi

Election Name:Mississippi gubernatorial election
Country:Mississippi
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election
Previous Year:2019
Next Election:2027 Mississippi gubernatorial election
Next Year:2027
Nominee1:Tate Reeves
Party1:Mississippi Republican Party
Popular Vote1:418,233
Percentage1:50.9%
Nominee2:Brandon Presley
Party2:Mississippi Democratic Party
Popular Vote2:391,614
Percentage2:47.7%
Map Size:250px
Governor
Before Election:Tate Reeves
Before Party:Mississippi Republican Party
After Election:Tate Reeves
After Party:Mississippi Republican Party

See main article: 2023 Mississippi gubernatorial election. Governor Tate Reeves was elected in 2019 with 51.9% of the vote and ran for re-election to a second term.[13]

Democrat Brandon Presley, Mississippi Public Service Commissioner for the Northern District, was the Democratic nominee to challenge Reeves.[14]

Reeves won re-election.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vakil . Caroline . 2023-01-02 . Here are the governors' races to watch in 2023 . 2024-01-05 . The Hill . en-US.
  2. News: Jacobson . Louis . June 8, 2023 . Democrats Face Uphill Challenge in Three Off-Year Races for Governor . January 5, 2023 . US News & World Report.
  3. Web site: 2024 CPR Governor Race ratings . 2023-07-23 . Cook Political Report . en.
  4. Web site: Washington . Inside Elections 810 7th Street NE . Developers . DC 20002 Phone:546-2822 Email · Subscriptions API for . Gubernatorial Ratings . 2023-07-23 . insideelections.com . en.
  5. Web site: 2024 Governor – Sabato's Crystal Ball . 2023-07-23 . en-US.
  6. Web site: Cunningham . Eric . 2023-11-07 . Final 2023 Gubernatorial Ratings: Kentucky Moves to Leans Democratic, Mississippi is Likely Republican . 2023-11-07 . Elections Daily . en-US.
  7. Web site: Election Candidate Filings - Governor . May 3, 2023. web.sos.ky.gov.
  8. Web site: Trump endorses Cameron's bid for governor in Kentucky. spectrumnews1.com. April 6, 2023.
  9. News: Daniel Cameron wins Republican primary for Kentucky governor . . May 16, 2023 . May 17, 2023 .
  10. Web site: Karlin. Sam. Billy Nungesser to announce he's not running for governor, will seek re-election . The Advocate. 9 January 2023. 11 January 2023.
  11. News: Doyle . Matt . 2023 Governor's race could be packed with GOP heavy hitters . November 29, 2020 . . . November 19, 2019.
  12. News: . October 14, 2023 . October 14, 2023 . Landry wins Louisiana governor's race, flipping state red. Montellaro . Zach .
  13. News: Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves files for reelection bid . . January 3, 2023. Reily, Ross.
  14. Web site: Hernandez . Rachel . 2023-01-12 . Brandon Presley joins race for Mississippi governor . 2023-01-12 . . en-US.