2002 United States gubernatorial elections
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 5, 2002 in 36 states and two territories. The Republicans won eight seats previously held by the Democrats, as well as the seat previously held by Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, who was elected on the Reform Party ticket but had since renounced his party affiliation. The Democrats won 10 seats previously held by the Republicans, as well as the seat previously held by Maine governor Angus King, an independent. Overall, the Republicans suffered a net loss of one seat while the Democrats made a net gain of three. The Republicans managed to maintain their majority of state governorships, but it was reduced to a margin of only two seats. The elections were notable for the sheer number of state governorships that changed parties – 20 in total, constituting more than half of the seats up for election. Additionally, a number of Democratic and Republican gains occurred in states that typically favor the other party; for instance, Republican candidates won the usually Democratic states of Maryland, Hawaii, Minnesota and Vermont, while Democratic governors were elected in Republican-leaning states like Wyoming, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Kansas.
In addition to the elections held in 36 states, elections were also held in the unincorporated territories of Guam and the United States Virgin Islands. The Democrats held their seat in the United States Virgin Islands, while the Republicans won an open seat in Guam previously held by the Democrats.
The elections were held concurrently with the other United States elections of 2002.
This election marked the most recent cycle in which New York and Colorado elected Republican governors.
Democratic gains
- Arizona – State Attorney General Janet Napolitano won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. Jane Dee Hull.
- Illinois – U.S. Representative Rod Blagojevich won an open seat held by retiring Gov. George H. Ryan, becoming the first Democratic governor of Illinois since 1976.
- Kansas – State Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Sebelius won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. Bill Graves.
- Maine – U.S. Representative John Baldacci won an open seat held by Independent term-limited Gov. Angus King.
- Michigan – State Attorney General Jennifer Granholm won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. John Engler.
- New Mexico – former U.S. Representative and U.S. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. Gary Johnson.
- Oklahoma – State Senator Brad Henry won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. Frank Keating.
- Pennsylvania – former Mayor of Philadelphia and DNC Chairman Ed Rendell won an open seat held by retiring Gov. Mark Schweiker.
- Tennessee – former Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. Don Sundquist.
- Wisconsin – State Attorney General Jim Doyle defeated incumbent Gov. Scott McCallum
- Wyoming – U.S. Attorney Dave Freudenthal won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. Jim Geringer.
Republican gains
- Alabama – U.S. Representative Bob Riley narrowly defeated incumbent Gov. Don Siegelman.
- Alaska – U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. Tony Knowles.
- Georgia – State Senator Sonny Perdue defeated incumbent Gov. Roy Barnes and became first Republican Governor of Georgia since the 1870s.
- Guam – Territorial Legislative Majority Leader Felix Perez Camacho won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. Carl T.C. Gutierrez.
- Hawaii – Former Maui Mayor Linda Lingle won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. Benjamin Cayetano, becoming the first Republican Governor since 1962.
- South Carolina – U.S. Representative Mark Sanford defeated incumbent Gov. Jim Hodges.
- Maryland – U.S. Representative Robert Ehrlich won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. Parris Glendening, becoming the first Republican Governor since Spiro Agnew in 1966.
- Minnesota – State House Majority Leader Tim Pawlenty won an open seat held by retiring Independent Gov. Jesse Ventura in difficult, three-way race.
- New Hampshire – Businessman Craig Benson won an open seat held by retiring Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.
- Vermont – State Treasurer Jim Douglas won an open seat held by retiring Gov. Howard Dean.
Election results
| State | Incumbent | Party | Status | Opposing candidates |
| Alabama | Don Siegelman | Democratic | Defeated, 49.0% | Bob Riley 49.2% John Sophocleus 1.7% |
| Alaska | Tony Knowles | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Frank Murkowski 55.8% Fran Ulmer 40.7% Diane Benson 1.3% Don Wright Raymond VinZant 0.7% Billy Toien 0.5% |
| Arizona | Jane Hull | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Janet Napolitano 46.2% Matt Salmon 45.2% Richard D. Mahoney 6.9% Barry Hess 1.7% |
| Arkansas | Mike Huckabee | Republican | Re-elected, 53% | Jimmie Lou Fisher 46% |
| California | Gray Davis | Democratic | Re-elected, 47.4% | Bill Simon 42.4% Peter Camejo 5.3% Gary Copeland 2.2% Reinhold Gulke 1.7% Iris Adam 1.1% |
| Colorado | Bill Owens | Republican | Re-elected, 62.6% | Rollie Heath 33.7% Ronald Forthofer 2.3% Ralph Shnelvar 1% |
| Connecticut | John Rowland | Republican | Re-elected, 56.1% | Bill Curry 43.9% |
| Florida | Jeb Bush | Republican | Re-elected, 56% | Bill McBride 43.1% |
| Georgia | Roy Barnes | Democratic | Defeated, 46.3% | Sonny Perdue 51.4% Garrett Hayes 2.3% |
| Hawaii | Ben Cayetano | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Linda Lingle 51.6% Mazie Hirono 47% Kau`i Hill 0.7% Tracy Ryan 0.4% Jim Brewer 0.3% |
| Idaho | Dirk Kempthorne | Republican | Re-elected, 56.3% | Jerry Brady 41.7% Daniel Adams 2% |
| Illinois | George Ryan | Republican | Retired, Democratic victory | Rod Blagojevich 52.2% Jim Ryan 45.1% Cal Skinner 2.1% |
| Iowa | Tom Vilsack | Democratic | Re-elected, 52.7% | Doug Gross 44.5% Jay Robinson 1.4% Clyde Cleveland 1.3% |
| Kansas | Bill Graves | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Kathleen Sebelius 52.9% Tim Shallenburger 45.1% Ted Pettibone 1.1% Dennis Hawver 1.0% |
| Maine | Angus King | Independent | Term-limited, Democratic victory | John Baldacci 47.2% Peter Cianchette 41.5% Jonathan Carter 9.3% John Michael 2.1% |
| Maryland | Parris Glendening | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Bob Ehrlich 51.6% Kathleen Kennedy Townsend 47.7% Spear Lancaster 0.7% |
| Massachusetts | Jane Swift | Republican | Retired, Republican victory | Mitt Romney 49.8% Shannon O'Brien 44.9% Jill Stein 3.5% Carla Howell 1.1% Barbara Johnson 0.7% |
| Michigan | John Engler | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Jennifer Granholm 51.4% Dick Posthumus 47.4% Douglas Campell 0.8% Joseph Pilchak 0.4% |
| Minnesota | Jesse Ventura | Reform Party/Independence | Retired, Republican victory | Tim Pawlenty 44.4% Roger Moe 36.5% Tim Penny 16.2% Ken Pentel 2.3% Kari Sachs 0.1% Lawrence Aeshliman 0.1% |
| Nebraska | Mike Johanns | Republican | Re-elected, 68.9% | Stormy Dean 27.5% Paul Rosberg 3.8% |
| Nevada | Kenny Guinn | Republican | Re-elected, 68.3% | Joe Neal 22% None of the above 4.7% Dick Geyer 1.6% David Holmgren 1.4% Jerry Norton 1.1% Charles Laws 1% |
| New Hampshire | Jeanne Shaheen | Democratic | Retired, Republican victory | Craig Benson 58.6% Mark Fernald 38.2% John Babiarz 2.9% |
| New Mexico | Gary Johnson | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Bill Richardson 56% John Sanchez 39% David Bacon 5% |
| New York | George Pataki | Republican, Conservative | Re-elected, 49.4% | Carl McCall, 14.3% Jerry Cronin 0.9% Stanley Aronowitz 0.9% Thomas Leighton 0.5% Andrew Cuomo 0.3% Scott Jeffrey 0.1%% |
| Ohio | Bob Taft | Republican | Re-elected, 57.7% | Tim Hagan 38.3% John Eastman 3.9% |
| Oklahoma | Frank Keating | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Brad Henry 43.3% Steve Largent 42.6% Gary Richardson 14.1% |
| Oregon | John Kitzhaber | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Ted Kulongoski 49% Kevin Mannix 46.1% Tom Cox 4.58% |
| Pennsylvania | Mark Schweiker | Republican | Retired, Democratic victory | Ed Rendell 53.4% Mike Fisher 44.4% Ken Krawchuk 1.14% Michael Morrill 1.07% |
| Rhode Island | Lincoln Almond | Republican | Term-limited, Republican victory | Don Carcieri 54.8% Myrth York 45.2% |
| South Carolina | Jim Hodges | Democratic | Defeated, 47.1% | Mark Sanford 52.9% |
| South Dakota | Bill Janklow | Republican | Term-limited, Republican victory | Mike Rounds 56.8% Jim Abbott 41.9% James Carlson 0.7% Nathan Barton 0.6% |
| Tennessee | Don Sundquist | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Phil Bredesen 50.7% Van Hilleary 47.6% |
| Texas | Rick Perry | Republican | Re-elected, 57.8% | Tony Sanchez 40% Jeff Daiell 1.6% Rahul Mahajan 1% |
| Vermont | Howard Dean | Democratic | Retired, Republican victory | Jim Douglas 44.9% Doug Racine 42.4% Cornelius Hogan 9.7% Cris Ericson 0.8% Michael Badamo 0.6% Joel Williams 0.4% Patricia Hejny 0.3% Marilynn Christian 0.3% Pete Diamondstone 0.3% |
| Wisconsin | Scott McCallum | Republican | Defeated, 41.4% | Jim Doyle 45.1% Ed Thompson 10.5% Jim Young 2.5% |
| Wyoming | Jim Geringer | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Dave Freudenthal 50% Eli Bebout 47.9% Dave Dawson 2.12% |
| Territory | Incumbent | Party | Status | Competing candidates |
| Guam | Carl Gutierrez | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Felix Perez Camacho 55.4% Robert Underwood 44.6% |
| United States Virgin Islands | Charles Turnbull | Democratic | Re-elected, 50.15% | John de Jongh 24.64% Chucky Hansen 7.76% Michael Bornn 7.18% Gerard James 5.07% Cora Christian 3.06% Lloyd Williams 1.48% |