2023 to see record-breaking number of female governors 

The United States will see a record-breaking number of female governors in 2023, with 12 women winning the elections to represent their states. 

The female governors of Maine, Alabama, Michigan, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, and New Mexico won the reelection on Tuesday. 

In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul won her first full election after assuming the role in 2021 when Andrew Cuomo reigned. Hochul will become the first elected female governor of New York state. 

Massachusetts and Arkansas also elected their first two female governors. Republican Sarah Huckabee, former White House press secretary, was elected as Arkansas’ first female governor. Massachusetts elected Democrat Maura Healy as the first woman to lead the state and the first out lesbian governor in the history of the entire country. 

While the winners of the elections of Arizona and Oregon are still unknown, all of the candidates running for the position are women. 

In Arizona, Democrat Katie Hobbs is narrowly leading the count against Republican Kari Lake. And in Oregon, Democrat Tina Kotek was inching ahead of Republican Christine Drazan. 

The previous record for female governors was set in 2004, when nine women were elected as governors, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. 

This year also set the record for the number of all-female gubernatorial races—Arizona, Alabama, Iowa, Michigan, and Oregon all had only female candidates.