Whatcom voters join 36-state governor race split evenly by party

In Whatcom County, voters are heading to polling places or mailing ballots to participate in a historic national election. The state conducts its elections largely by mail, and polls are open until 8 p.m. Today. Residents of Bellingham, Marysville, and Lake Stevens are casting votes for every U.S. House seat in the state, as well as state and local offices. While Washington does not have a governor or U.S. Senate election this year, the statewide ballot includes significant measures and state legislative races that reflect the broader national mood.

The national picture is defined by a rare balance in executive power. According to Ballotpedia, 36 governorships are on the ballot this year. Heading into the election, Republicans hold 26 governor's offices and Democrats hold 24. Of the 36 offices up for election, each party holds exactly 18. This 18 to 18 split means that the outcome of these races will determine which party controls a majority of the nation's governorships. Republicans have held a nationwide majority of governorships since 2010, and Democrats would need a net gain of two governorships to flip that balance.

Nineteen of the 36 governor races have no incumbent on the ballot. Ballotpedia notes that 15 governors are term-limited, preventing them from running again. In Iowa, Governor Kim Reynolds, Minnesota's Tim Walz, and Wisconsin's Tony Evers chose not to seek reelection. Rhode Island's Daniel McKee lost his primary, leaving his seat open as well. This high number of open seats creates an opportunity for challengers to upset the status quo in states that have been governed by the same party for several terms.

Ballotpedia identifies nine battleground governor races that could decide the partisan balance. These states are Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Associated Press highlights that Democrats are defending five of these governorships in states that voted for President Donald Trump in 2024. Those include Arizona, where Katie Hobbs is running for reelection, as well as Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Republicans are defending two governorships in states that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris, specifically New Hampshire and Vermont.

Named matchups in these competitive races include Georgia, where Republican health care executive Rick Jackson faces Democratic former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. In Nevada, Republican Governor Joe Lombardo is running against Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford. In Ohio, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy faces Democrat Amy Acton. The Associated Press also describes Texas, Florida, and Iowa as competitive governor races, adding to the list of potential swing states. Democrats hope to hold a majority of governorships for the first time in two decades, a goal that depends on performance in these tight contests.

The election is also a referendum on President Trump's second term. The Associated Press reports that voters are struggling with high prices and are angry over an unpopular war with Iran. A poll by AP-NORC shows that 35 percent of U.S. Adults approve of Trump's job performance, while only 25 percent approve of his handling of the economy. About seven in 10 Americans say the country is heading in the wrong direction. Most of those voters blame the president for high prices, a sentiment that is driving voter turnout across the country.

More than 57 million people had already voted as of Monday, surpassing the early vote total from four years ago in many closely watched states. Republicans are bracing to lose the House and fighting to hold the Senate, while Democrats are described as cautiously optimistic. The Associated Press notes that one or two seats in either chamber could tip the balance of power. In the House, all 435 seats are up, and Democrats need a net gain of three districts to gain a majority. In the Senate, 35 seats are up, and Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control.

President Trump held dozens of rallies in the final days before the election, ending his schedule in Salina, Kansas, on Sunday. He told supporters, "I really want you to pretend I'm on the ballot." His schedule included stops in Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. Many Republican candidates kept their distance from the president during the campaign, attempting to focus on local issues. Trump has continued to make claims about voting fraud, including that noncitizens vote in large numbers, which has led to legal challenges in Alaska and California.

The 2026 elections are likely to be the most expensive in history. Republican committees outraised and outspent Democratic committees, helped by Trump-affiliated groups and Elon Musk. However, at the candidate level, Democrats outraised their opponents. An analysis of AdImpact data shows that 88.1 percent of Republican general election TV ad spending went to states and districts Trump won in 2024. This included more than 850 million dollars in states where he won by 10 points or more, indicating a strategy to protect safe seats while investing in competitive areas.

Voters in Whatcom County are participating in this national moment alongside their local choices. The U.S. Postal Service has added hours, staff, and special lines to ensure that mail ballots are counted on time. A federal judge temporarily barred the Trump administration from carrying out a plan to prevent noncitizen voting, a move critics say risks disenfranchising eligible voters. As polls close at 8 p.m., the nation awaits the results that will determine who controls Congress for the final two years of Trump's term and which party holds the majority of governorships.