In July, the filing deadline passed in one state, Delaware, on July 14. Delaware is the final state holding state executive elections in 2026 to have a filing deadline pass.
There are six state executive offices in Delaware. Three, the governor, lieutenant governor, and insurance commissioner, were up for election in 2024. Three other offices are up for election this year: attorney general, state auditor, and state treasurer. Attorney General Kathy Jennings (D) and Auditor Lydia York (D) are running for re-election, while Treasurer Colleen Davis (D) is retiring from public office.
Jennings is facing a primary against three other candidates. The winner of the primary will be unopposed in November. York is running unopposed. In the race for treasurer, three Democratic candidates are running, while 2024 governor nominee Michael Ramone (R) is the Republican nominee.
No more states have filing deadlines in the 2026 election cycle. This brings the total partisan balance of retiring incumbents in the 2026 election cycle to 43 Democrats and 64 Republicans, for a total of 107 officials retiring.
The three states with the most retirements are Kansas (nine officials), Oklahoma (eight officials), and Michigan (seven officials retiring). Eleven states have no state executives retiring: Arkansas, Indiana, Maryland, Idaho, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. One state, Ohio, has no incumbents running at all.
The total number of retirements by offices includes:
- 19 members of a state board of education
- 17 governors
- 17 lieutenant governors
- 11 attorney generals
- Nine secretaries of state
- Eight treasurers
- Five auditors
- Five public utility commissioners
- Three insurance commissioners
- Three members of a board of equalization
- Three state superintendents
- Two agriculture commissioners
- Two comptrollers
- One commissioner of corporations
- One commissioner of labor
- One commissioner of lands