Thirty-six states held elections for governor in 2018, meaning that almost three-quarters of the nation's gubernatorial seats will be contested. Of those 36 governor's offices, 26 were held by Republicans prior to the November 2018 elections, while 9 were held by Democrats and one was held by an independent. Fourteen governors were unable to run for re-election in 2018 due to term limits. Term limits impacted Republicans more than Democrats with 12 Republican governors unable to seek re-election compared to two Democratic governors. Nine of the 12 states with Republican governors unable to run were considered Republican trifectas.
Republican Party primary elections were held in all of those states with the exception of California, which held a top-two primary election instead. This page provides links to deeper coverage of these GOP primaries. For more on the Democratic primaries, click here. For more on the general election coverage, click here.
For more information about gubernatorial elections in 2018, click here.
By state[edit]
Alabama[edit]
- See also: Alabama gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 5 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
- See also: Alaska gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 21 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Arizona[edit]
- See also: Arizona gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 28 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Arkansas[edit]
- See also: Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Colorado[edit]
- See also: Colorado gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 26 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Connecticut[edit]
- See also: Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Florida[edit]
- See also: Florida gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 28 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
- Declined to run
Georgia[edit]
- See also: Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary)
- Note: Hayes and Urbach withdrew from the race, but still appeared on the primary ballot.
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
- See also: Hawaii gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 11 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
- See also: Idaho gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 15 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Not on ballot
Illinois[edit]
- See also: Illinois gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (March 20 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Declined to run
- See also: Iowa gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 5 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
- See also: Kansas gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 7 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
- See also: Maine gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 12 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Withdrew
Maryland[edit]
- See also: Maryland gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 26 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Massachusetts[edit]
- See also: Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2018 (September 4 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Michigan[edit]
- See also: Michigan gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 7 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Minnesota[edit]
- See also: Minnesota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Nebraska[edit]
- See also: Nebraska gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 15 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
- See also: Nevada gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 12 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
New Hampshire[edit]
- See also: New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2018 (September 11 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
New Mexico[edit]
- See also: New Mexico gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 5 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
New York[edit]
Republican primary candidates
This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
- See also: Ohio gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 8 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Oklahoma[edit]
- See also: Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 26 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
- Not running
- See also: Oregon gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 15 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Pennsylvania[edit]
- See also: Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 15 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Rhode Island[edit]
- See also: Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 2018 (September 12 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
South Carolina[edit]
- See also: South Carolina gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 12 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
South Dakota[edit]
- See also: South Dakota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 5 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Tennessee[edit]
- See also: Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 2 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
- See also: Texas gubernatorial election, 2018 (March 6 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Vermont[edit]
- See also: Vermont gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Wisconsin[edit]
- See also: Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Wyoming[edit]
- See also: Wyoming gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 21 Republican primary)
Republican primary candidates
- ↑ Palm Beach Post, "Web makeover for Richard Corcoran as he weighs run for governor," October 25, 2017
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Corcoran bails on governor run, backs Putnam," May 9, 2018
- ↑ The Green Papers, "Idaho 2018 General Election Candidates," accessed November 8, 2017
- ↑ NBC Chicago, "Republican State Senator May Challenge Rauner in Primary," July 19, 2017
- ↑ Bangor Daily News, "Maine Senate President Mike Thibodeau jumps into 2018 race for governor," October 17, 2017
- ↑ Press Herald, "Maine Senate President Mike Thibodeau drops out of governor’s race," March 26, 2018