Gubernatorial elections in the United States are typically held every four years in most states, with two exceptions where governors are elected every two years. Here’s a concise breakdown.
- Most states: four-year terms for governors. This applies to 48 of the 50 states. New Hampshire and Vermont elect governors to two-year terms.
- Louisiana: unique timing, holding a gubernatorial primary in October and a runoff in November; the general election occurs in coordination with those formats, but the term length is still four years for the governor when elected.
- Some states align elections with federal election cycles (midterms or presidential years) rather than strictly four-year intervals; e.g., California and others have election timings that cluster with midterm or presidential cycles, but their term length remains four years per office.
- A minority of states operate under term limits that can affect reelection opportunities, though term lengths when elected are typically four years. New Hampshire and Vermont are the notable two-year-term exceptions.
If you’d like, I can tailor this to a specific state or provide a quick reference table showing each state’s term length and typical election year alignment.
