# 1994 United States gubernatorial elections

On November 8, 1994, gubernatorial elections were held in 36 states and two territories across the United States. Many seats held by Democratic governors switched to the Republicans during the time known as the Republican Revolution. Notably, this marked the first time since 1969 that Republicans secured the majority of governorships in an election cycle.
Before the elections, 21 seats were held by Democrats, 14 were held by Republicans, and one seat was held by an independent. After the elections, 11 seats would be held by Democrats, 24 by Republicans, and one seat by an independent.
These elections occurred concurrently with the midterm elections for the Senate and the House of Representatives. To date, it remains the last time that Democrats have won gubernatorial elections in Florida and Nebraska. Conversely, this election cycle began an ongoing pattern in which Rust Belt states Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin would vote for gubernatorial candidates of the same party, with the sole exception of 2014. As of 2025, this is the last time one party posted a net gain of 10 or more seats.

## Election results
### States

| State | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Alabama | Jim Folsom Jr. | Democratic | 1993 | Incumbent lost election to full term. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Fob James (Republican) 50.3% Jim Folsom Jr. (Democratic) 49.4% |
| Alaska | Wally Hickel | Republican | 1966 1969 (resigned) 1990 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Tony Knowles (Democratic) 41.1% Jim Campbell (Republican) 40.8% Jack Coghill (AK Independence) 13.0% Jim Sykes (Green) 4.1% |
| Arizona | Fife Symington | Republican | 1990 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Fife Symington (Republican) 52.5% Eddie Basha (Democratic) 44.3% John A. Buttrick (Libertarian) 3.1% |
| Arkansas | Jim Guy Tucker | Democratic | 1992 | Incumbent elected to full term. | Y Jim Guy Tucker (Democratic) 59.8% Sheffield Nelson (Republican) 40.2% |
| California | Pete Wilson | Republican | 1990 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Pete Wilson (Republican) 55.2% Kathleen Brown (Democratic) 40.6% Richard Rider (Libertarian) 1.7% Jerome McCready (American Independent) 1.5% |
| Colorado | Roy Romer | Democratic | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Roy Romer (Democratic) 55.5% Bruce D. Benson (Republican) 38.7% Kevin Swanson (Constitution) 3.6% Philip Hufford (Green) 1.5% |
| Connecticut | Lowell Weicker | A Connecticut Party | 1990 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y John G. Rowland (Republican) 36.2% Bill Curry (Democratic) 32.7% Eunice Groark (A Connecticut Party) 18.9% Tom Scott (Independent) 11.3% |
| Florida | Lawton Chiles | Democratic | 1990 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Lawton Chiles (Democratic) 50.8% Jeb Bush (Republican) 49.2% |
| Georgia | Zell Miller | Democratic | 1990 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Zell Miller (Democratic) 51.0% Guy Millner (Republican) 49.0% |
| Hawaii | John D. Waihe'e III | Democratic | 1986 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y Ben Cayetano (Democratic) 36.6% Frank Fasi (Best) 30.7% Pat Saiki (Republican) 29.2% Kioni Dudley (Green) 3.5% |
| Idaho | Cecil D. Andrus | Democratic | 1970 1977 (resigned) 1986 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Phil Batt (Republican) 52.3% Larry Echo Hawk (Democratic) 43.9% Ronald D. Rankin (Independent) 3.8% |
| Illinois | Jim Edgar | Republican | 1990 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Jim Edgar (Republican) 63.9% Dawn Clark Netsch (Democratic) 34.4% |
| Iowa | Terry Branstad | Republican | 1982 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Terry Branstad (Republican) 56.8% Bonnie Campbell (Democratic) 41.6% |
| Kansas | Joan Finney | Democratic | 1990 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Bill Graves (Republican) 64.1% Jim Slattery (Democratic) 35.9% |
| Maine | John R. McKernan Jr. | Republican | 1986 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Independent gain. | Y Angus King (Independent) 35.4% Joseph E. Brennan (Democratic) 33.8% Susan Collins (Republican) 23.1% Jonathan Carter (Green) 6.4% Ed Finks (Write-in) 1.3% |
| Maryland | William D. Schaefer | Democratic | 1986 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y Parris Glendening (Democratic) 50.2% Ellen Sauerbrey (Republican) 49.8% |
| Massachusetts | Bill Weld | Republican | 1990 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Bill Weld (Republican) 70.9% Mark Roosevelt (Democratic) 28.3% |
| Michigan | John Engler | Republican | 1990 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y John Engler (Republican) 61.5% Howard Wolpe (Democratic) 38.5% |
| Minnesota | Arne Carlson | Republican | 1990 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Arne Carlson (Republican) 63.3% John Marty (Democratic) 34.1% Will Shetterly (Grassroots) 1.2% |
| Nebraska | Ben Nelson | Democratic | 1990 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Ben Nelson (Democratic) 73.0% Gene Spence (Republican) 25.6% |
| Nevada | Bob Miller | Democratic | 1989 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Bob Miller (Democratic) 52.7% Jim Gibbons (Republican) 41.3% Daniel Hansen (Independent American) 2.6% Denis Sholty (Libertarian) 1.0% |
| New Hampshire | Steve Merrill | Republican | 1992 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Steve Merrill (Republican) 69.9% Wayne King (Democratic) 25.6% Steven Winter (Libertarian) 4.4% |
| New Mexico | Bruce King | Democratic | 1970 1974 (term-limited) 1978 1982 (term-limited) 1990 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Gary Johnson (Republican) 49.8% Bruce King (Democratic) 39.9% Roberto Mondragón (Green) 10.3% |
| New York | Mario Cuomo | Democratic | 1982 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y George Pataki (Republican) 48.8% Mario Cuomo (Democratic) 45.5% Tom Golisano (Independence) 4.2% Robert T. Walsh (Right to Life) 1.3% |
| Ohio | George Voinovich | Republican | 1990 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y George Voinovich (Republican) 71.8% Rob Burch (Democratic) 25.0% Billy R. Inmon (Independent) 3.2% |
| Oklahoma | David Walters | Democratic | 1990 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Frank Keating (Republican) 46.9% Jack Mildren (Democratic) 29.6% Wes Watkins (Independent) 23.5% |
| Oregon | Barbara Roberts | Democratic | 1990 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y John Kitzhaber (Democratic) 51.0% Denny Smith (Republican) 42.4% Ed Hickam (American) 4.8% Danford Ploeg (Libertarian) 1.6% |
| Pennsylvania | Bob Casey Sr. | Democratic | 1986 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Tom Ridge (Republican) 45.4% Mark Singel (Democratic) 39.9% Peg Luksik (Constitution) 12.8% |
| Rhode Island | Bruce Sundlun | Democratic | 1990 | Incumbent lost renomination. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Lincoln Almond (Republican) 47.4% Myrth York (Democratic) 43.5% Robert J. Healey (Independent) 9.1% |
| South Carolina | Carroll A. Campbell Jr. | Republican | 1986 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican hold. | Y David Beasley (Republican) 50.4% Nick Theodore (Democratic) 47.9% |
| South Dakota | Walter Dale Miller | Republican | 1993 | Incumbent lost nomination to full term. New governor elected. Republican hold. | Y Bill Janklow (Republican) 55.4% Jim Beddow (Democratic) 40.5% Nathan A. Barton (Libertarian) 4.1% |
| Tennessee | Ned McWherter | Democratic | 1986 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Don Sundquist (Republican) 54.3% Phil Bredesen (Democratic) 44.7% |
| Texas | Ann Richards | Democratic | 1990 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y George W. Bush (Republican) 53.5% Ann Richards (Democratic) 45.9% |
| Vermont | Howard Dean | Democratic | 1991 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Howard Dean (Democratic) 68.7% David F. Kelley (Republican) 19.0% Thomas J. Morse (Independent) 7.1% Dennis Lane (Grassroots) 1.0% |
| Wisconsin | Tommy Thompson | Republican | 1986 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Tommy Thompson (Republican) 67.2% Charles Chvala (Democratic) 30.9% |
| Wyoming | Mike Sullivan | Democratic | 1986 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Jim Geringer (Republican) 58.7% Kathy Karpan (Democratic) 40.2% Seaghan Uibreaslain (Libertarian) 1.1% |

### Territories and federal district

| Territory | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| District of Columbia | Sharon Pratt | Democratic | 1990 | Incumbent lost renomination. New mayor elected. Democratic hold. | Y Marion Barry (Democratic) 56.0% Carol Schwartz (Republican) 41.9% |
| Guam | Joseph Franklin Ada | Republican | 1986 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Carl Gutierrez (Democratic) 54.8% Tommy Tanaka (Republican) 45.2% |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Alexander Farrelly | Democratic | 1986 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Independent gain. | Y Roy Schneider (Independent) 54.7% Derek Hodge (Democratic) 42.6% |

## Closest races

States where the margin of victory was under 1%:
* Alaska, 0.2%
* Maryland, 0.4%
* Alabama, 0.9%
States where the margin of victory was under 5%:
* Florida, 1.5%
* Maine, 1.5%
* Georgia, 2.1%
* South Carolina, 2.5%
* New York, 3.3%
* Connecticut, 3.5%
* Rhode Island, 3.8%
States where the margin of victory was under 10%:
* Pennsylvania, 5.5%
* Hawaii, 5.9%
* Texas, 7.6%
* Arizona, 8.2%
* Idaho, 8.4%
* Oregon, 8.5%
* Tennessee, 9.6%
* Guam, 9.7%
* New Mexico, 9.9%