Primary elections are, in part, guided by the preferences and will of the political elite. Its extent, and its likelihood to persist, could dictate intra-party politics in high-stakes races.

There are three dozen gubernatorial elections up for grabs in the 2026 election. Here are the seventeen most likely to be competitive.

VoteHub’s rebuilt polling averages deliver stable, transparent snapshots of public opinion by weighting polls for quality, recency, and consistency across the 2026 election cycle.

Democrats are continuing to outperform their 2024 benchmarks in special elections, including last night’s contests in Iowa and Minnesota, driven by strong turnout and a national environment trending…