Aug 6, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Grim trend hits Senate as members flee for governors' mansions

Stef W. Kight

Older woman with light hair wearing a white blazer and black dress walking indoors near peach walls and ornate door frames, holding a phone in her hand. — Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is the third senator to officially run for governor this cycle, while at least four governors have turned down recruitment efforts to run for Senate.

Blackburn joins Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) in bucking D.C. for gubernatorial roles.

Why it matters: Governors used to jump at the chance to be a senator. But Govs. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.), Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) and Chris Sununu (R-N.H.) have all passed on open races next year.

In North Carolina, former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's bid for Senate is a notable exception, although he was term-limited out of the statehouse in 2024.
In Maine, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has yet to decide on challenging Republican incumbent Susan Collins.

The big picture: From 1986 through 2024, 54 incumbent or former governors ran for Senate seats, an average of almost three each cycle, according to a Ballotpedia analysis.

Just 14 sitting or former senators ran for governor over that time period.

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Grim trend hits Senate as members flee for governors' mansions

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