Nearly four in five Americans will vote for a new governor this week as all 36 states holding elections account for a majority of the national population. The races come amid a political landscape where Democrats currently lead in population coverage but Republicans hold a majority of governorships. With nearly a third of the country’s top executive offices up for grabs, Tuesday’s elections could reshape state leadership across the country. The outcome may further shift the balance of power between the two major parties at the state level.
All told, 36 states that are home to about 80% of the nation's population will elect a governor Tuesday. In 19 states, the office is open. Heading into the elections, Democratic governors represented 60% of the nation's population, but Republicans held 26 of the nation's 50 governors' offices.
