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37 governorships 35 states; 2 territories | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Republican hold
Republican gain
Democratic hold
Democratic gain
Independent gain |
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 5, 1974, in 35 states and two territories. The Democrats achieved a net gain of four seats, Republicans took a net loss of five seats, and one Independent was elected to the governorship of a state. This election coincided with the Senate and the House elections.
In Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas, governors were elected to four-year terms for the first time, instead of two-year terms. As of 2024, this is the last time that a Democrat was elected South Dakota governor. This is the first time a woman has been elected governor whose husband was not governor of any state. (In this case, Connecticut.)