On Jan. 5, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) announced he was withdrawing his bid for a third consecutive term, saying, "I came to the conclusion that I can't give a political campaign my all. Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can't spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences."

Governors in six states are eligible to run for a third term in 2026. Walz was one of three, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D), running. 

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced that they will not run for a third term. Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) has yet to announce his plans.

The number of governors running for a third term in 2026 is equal to the number of governors who ran for third terms in 1986, 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2018. 

Of the six states in 2026 where a governor is eligible to run for a third term, since 1986, a governor has done so in five of the six states. Pritzker is the first Illinois governor to run for a third consecutive term in this period. 

Iowa’s Terry Branstad (R) won a third term in 1990, Connecticut’s John Rowland (R) won a third term in 2002, and Idaho’s Gov. Butch Otter (R) won a third term in 2014.

In Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson (R) won a third term in 1994, but Scott Walker (R) lost his bid for a third term in 2018. In Minnesota, Rudy Perpich (D) sought a third term in 1990, but lost.