RGA Releases Video Recapping Historic 2020 Election Results

Today, the Republican Governors Association (RGA) released a new web video highlighting the historic results that Republican candidates running for governor in states across the county experienced on Election Day.

With the eyes of the nation and the media heavily focused on elections on the federal level, the RGA was engaged in and committed to protecting Republican incumbent governors up for re-election and growing our majority. In what can be described as a difficult political environment, marred with extreme polarization and unpredictability, the RGA emerged as a clear winner and had resounding success.

The RGA was successful in re-electing all six incumbent Republicans who were on the ballot, retained the open gubernatorial seat in Utah, and flipped the governor’s seat in Helena from blue to red for the first time in nearly two decades. From deep blue New England, to America’s heartland, and out west to the Rockies, Republican gubernatorial candidates earned decisive victories over their opponents.

Incumbent Republican governors won by landslides – Governors Eric Holcomb, Chris Sununu, Doug Burgum, Phil Scott, and Jim Justice all won by margins of more than 30%. Sununu and Scott won with ease, despite the fact that the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) listed New Hampshire and Vermont as their “top 2020 targets.” In Missouri, in a race falsely characterized as a “jump ball” by the DGA, Governor Mike Parson cruised to victory with an extremely comfortable 17% victory over the Democrats’ star recruit. Along with wins by Governor-elect Greg Gianforte in Montana and Governor-elect Spencer Cox in Utah, the “success story” continues for the RGA as Republicans now hold 27 governorships.

• Indiana: Governor Eric Holcomb defeated his opponent by more than 34%, representing the largest margin of victory for a gubernatorial candidate in state history.
• Montana: Governor-elect Greg Gianforte will be the first Republican governor of Montana in 16 years.
• Missouri: Governor Mike Parson is the first incumbent Republican governor in Missouri since 1988 to win another four years in office.
• New Hampshire: Governor Chris Sununu received the most votes ever for a gubernatorial candidate in state history.
• North Dakota: Governor Doug Burgum has defeated his opponents in 2016 and 2020 by an average margin of nearly 50%.
• Utah: Governor-elect Spencer Cox received over 808,000 votes, the most ever for a gubernatorial candidate in state history.
• Vermont: Governor Phil Scott defeated his opponent by more than 40%, representing the largest margin of victory in a Vermont governor’s race since 1996.
• West Virginia: Governor Jim Justice is the state’s first Republican candidate to be elected governor since 1996.

“On Election Day, Americans in states across the country made it definitively clear that they trust the leadership and ability of Republican governors to rebuild the economy, get people back to work, and expand opportunity for all,” said RGA Deputy Communications Director Mike Demkiw. “The RGA enters the 2021 and 2022 elections in a strong position, poised to add to our ranks and help elect more Republican governors who will deliver real results.”