| Election Name: | 1990 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Country: | United States |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | No |
| Previous Election: | 1989 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Previous Year: | 1989 |
| Next Election: | 1991 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Next Year: | 1991 |
| Seats For Election: | 38 governorships 36 states; 2 territories |
| Election Date: | November 6, 1990 |
| 1Blank: | Seats up |
| 2Blank: | Seats won |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Seats Before1: | 29 |
| Seats After1: | 28 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| 1Data1: | 20 |
| 2Data1: | 19 |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Seats Before2: | 21 |
| Seats After2: | 20 |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| 1Data2: | 16 |
| 2Data2: | 15 |
| Party4: | A Connecticut Party |
| Seats Before4: | 0 |
| Seats After4: | 1 |
| Seat Change4: | 1 |
| 1Data4: | 0 |
| 2Data4: | 1 |
| Party5: | Alaskan Independence |
| Seats Before5: | 0 |
| Seats After5: | 1 |
| Seat Change5: | 1 |
| 1Data5: | 0 |
| 2Data5: | 1 |
| Map Size: | 324px |
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 6, 1990, in 36 states and two territories. Most elected in these elections would serve for a 4-year term, while those in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont would serve for a 2-year term. The elections coincided with the mid-term elections for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Heading into the elections, there were 20 seats held by Democrats and 16 held by Republicans. By the end of the elections, 19 seats would be held by a Democrat, 15 would be held by a Republican, and two would be held by other parties.
Notably, in these elections, there were two people elected from a third party: former Alaskan governor and Secretary of the Interior under President Nixon Walter Joseph Hickel was elected governor as a part of the Alaskan Independence Party, and former U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker of Connecticut won on A Connecticut Party's ticket. In addition to Weicker, two other U.S. senators were elected governors that year, Republican Pete Wilson of California and Democrat Lawton Chiles of Florida. The 1990 cycle saw six incumbent governors defeated. These were Republicans Mike Hayden of Kansas, Kay Orr of Nebraska, Bob Martinez of Florida and Edward DiPrete of Rhode Island, as well as Democrats James Blanchard of Michigan and Rudy Perpich of Minnesota.
In 1988, Arizona voters approved a runoff-style election following the impeachment of governor Evan Mecham. Because no candidate received a majority (50%) of the vote in the November election, a run-off election occurred on February 26, 1991. This style of voting was later repealed in 1992.
As of, this is the last time a Democrat was elected governor in Idaho or Texas, as well as the last time a Third party won in Connecticut.
| State | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | H. Guy Hunt | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Alaska | Steve Cowper | 1986 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. AK Independence gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Arizona | Rose Mofford | 1988 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Arkansas | Bill Clinton | 1978 1980 1982 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| California | George Deukmejian | 1982 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican hold. | nowrap |
| ||
| Colorado | Roy Romer | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Connecticut | William A. O'Neill | 1980 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. A Connecticut Party gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Florida | Bob Martinez | 1986 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Georgia | Joe Frank Harris | 1982 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | nowrap |
| ||
| Hawaii | John D. Waiheʻe III | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Idaho | Cecil Andrus | 1970 1977 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Illinois | James R. Thompson | 1976 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican hold. | nowrap |
| ||
| Iowa | Terry Branstad | 1982 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Kansas | Mike Hayden | 1986 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Maine | John R. McKernan Jr. | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Maryland | William D. Schaefer | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Massachusetts | Michael Dukakis | 1982 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Michigan | James Blanchard | 1982 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Republican gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Minnesota | Rudy Perpich | 1982 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Republican gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Nebraska | Kay A. Orr | 1986 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Nevada | Bob Miller | 1989 | Incumbent elected to full term. | nowrap |
| ||
| New Hampshire | Judd Gregg | 1988 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| New Mexico | Garrey Carruthers | 1986 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| New York | Mario Cuomo | 1982 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Ohio | Dick Celeste | 1982 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Oklahoma | Henry Bellmon | 1986 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Oregon | Neil Goldschmidt | 1986 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | nowrap |
| ||
| Pennsylvania | Bob Casey Sr. | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Rhode Island | Edward D. DiPrete | 1984 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| South Carolina | Carroll A. Campbell Jr. | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| South Dakota | George S. Mickelson | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Tennessee | Ned McWherter | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Texas | Bill Clements | 1978 1982 1986 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Vermont | Madeleine Kunin | 1984 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican gain. | nowrap |
| ||
| Wisconsin | Tommy Thompson | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
| ||
| Wyoming | Mike Sullivan | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | nowrap |
|
| State | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | Marion Barry | 1978 | Incumbent retired. New mayor elected. Democratic hold. | nowrap |
| ||
| Guam | Joseph Franklin Ada | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected.[1] | nowrap |
| ||
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Alexander Farrelly | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected.[2] | nowrap |
|
States where the margin of victory was under 1%:
States where the margin of victory was under 5%:
States where the margin of victory was under 10%: