Nov 6, 2025 - News
Mapped: Where women rule
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A record 14 women are expected to serve as governor next year following Tuesday's elections in Virginia and New Jersey.
Zoom in: Seventeen states have never elected a woman governor, including all of Iowa's neighboring states except Nebraska and South Dakota.
- Then-Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds became Iowa's first female governor in 2017 after former Gov. Terry Branstad stepped down to serve as a U.S. ambassador to China.
- Reynolds, who won her first full term as governor in 2018, is not running for reelection next year.
State of play: So far, only one woman — Democrat Julie Stauch — is running for Iowa governor next year.