Four out of six eligible governors could run for a third term in 2026—the most since 1990

By

Ballotpedia staff

Welcome to the Tuesday, July 29, Brew. 

By: Briana Ryan

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

  1. Four out of six eligible governors could run for a third term in 2026—the most since 1990
  2. Texas voters to decide on a constitutional amendment dedicating sales tax revenue to the state water fund
  3. A roundup of recent election administration legislative activity

Four out of six eligible governors could run for a third term in 2026—the most since 1990

On July 24, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced that he would not seek a third term in 2026. Evers is one of six governors who can run for a third term in 2026. Today, we’ll look at the other five governors, their re-election plans, and the historical background on governors seeking third terms.

First, let’s look at the 36 gubernatorial elections in 2026. Twenty of those 36 states have incumbent governors who can run for another term. Of the six governors who are eligible to seek a third term, three of them have announced their re-election plans:

Those six governors are the highest number of governors eligible to seek a third term since 1990, when seven were eligible. That year, five governors ran for re-election, and two retired. Two of the five governors who ran for a third term were defeated.

Between 1986 and 2024, 51 governors were eligible to seek a third term. Twenty-six ran again, and four were defeated—three in the general election, and one in a primary election.

  • In 1990, John Engler (R) defeated incumbent Michigan Gov. James Blanchard (D) in the general election 50% to 49%.
  • In 1990, Arne Carlson (R) defeated incumbent Minnesota Gov. Rudy Perpich (D) in the general election 50% to 47%.
  • In 1994, Myrth York (D) defeated incumbent Rhode Island Gov. Bruce Sundlun (D) in the Democratic primary 57% to 28%.
  • In 2018, Evers defeated incumbent Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) 50% to 48%.

In 37 states, governors are subject to some type of term limits. Gubernatorial term limits can be either lifetime or consecutive, and may be based on years or terms served. 

Click here to read more about the gubernatorial elections happening in 2026.

Texas voters to decide on a constitutional amendment dedicating sales tax revenue to the state water fund

On Nov. 4, Texas voters will decide on Proposition 4, which would dedicate a portion of sales tax revenue to the Texas Water Fund. The amendment would authorize the state comptroller to allocate the first $1 billion in net sales tax revenue after revenue exceeds $46.5 billion to the fund. The authority for the allocation would expire on Aug. 31, 2047.

In 2023, voters created the fund by approving Proposition 6 78% to 22%. The fund is a special fund in the state treasury outside the general fund used to finance water projects in Texas, such as water conservation, infrastructure, and new water supply development. The fund received a one-time appropriation of $1 billion in 2023 and an additional $2.5 billion from the latest supplemental budget passed during the 2025 regular legislative session. The Texas Water Development Board—a three-member board that the governor appoints—administers the fund.

The state sales and use tax rate in Texas is 6.25%. Local jurisdictions can levy additional sales and use tax rates up to 2% for a maximum combined rate of 8.25%. In 2024, the state collected $47.2 billion in revenue from sales tax, accounting for 57.6% of all tax revenue. 2023 was the first year sales and use tax revenue exceeded $46.5 billion.

Texas voters have approved similar amendments dedicating sales tax revenue to special funds:

Click here for more information about Proposition 4, and here to read more about the 16 other amendments that Texas voters will decide on Nov. 4.

A roundup of recent election administration legislative activity

As legislative sessions continue across the country, we’re following the latest nationwide trends and legislative activity related to election policy.

Let’s start with some key takeaways from last week’s legislative actions:

  • Lawmakers in nine states acted on 48 bills over the last week. During the same week in 2024, legislators acted on 15 bills and nine in 2023.
  • Six bills were enacted last week. No bills were enacted during the same week in 2024, eight were enacted in 2023, and 10 were enacted in 2022.
  • We are currently following 4,671 bills. At this time in 2023, the last odd year when all states held legislative sessions, we were following 2,890 bills.

Now, let’s check out some other noteworthy election-related developments:

  • On July 22, a U.S. District Court judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging Wyoming’s proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration. Judge Scott Skavdahl, an appointee of former President Barack Obama (D), said, “The Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over this lawsuit, and consequently it must be dismissed.”
  • On July 21, Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Valerie R. Manno Schurr ruled that the city cannot move the municipal election date to 2026 without voter approval. The Miami City Commission approved a measure to postpone municipal elections until November 2026 in a 3-2 vote last month. Mayoral candidate Emilio Gonzalez, the plaintiff in the case, filed the lawsuit on June 30 and argued that only voters could authorize a change in election dates.
  • On July 21, a group of Wisconsin voters filed a lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court alleging the state’s congressional districts violate the state constitution by discriminating against Democratic voters. Earlier this month, a group of Wisconsin business owners filed a similar lawsuit, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court recently declined to hear two other lawsuits asking the state to redraw congressional districts before the 2026 election.
  • On July 17, the North Carolina State Board of Elections implemented new requirements for voters with information missing from their voter registration records. The new rules will require voters to use a provisional ballot if they fail to respond to notifications and do not provide the required identification, such as a driver’s license number, DMV number, or social security number.

No bills were vetoed in the past week. Sixty-five bills have been vetoed so far this year. No bills were vetoed during this period in 2024, 2023, or 2022.

A version of this story appeared in our June 25 Ballot Bulletin—our weekly email that follows developments in election policy around the country. Click here to sign up.

You can also click here to see a full list of the bills we’re following in 2025.