PolitiFinder

Closest governor elections in history

The tightest races for governor across all 50 states, ranked by the narrowest margin between the top two candidates.
129 votes decided the closest governor’s race in modern U.S. history: Washington’s 2004 contest between Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi, out of about 2.7 million cast.
Jump to #1 on this list →
Closest governor elections in history
#ElectionResultMargin
11962 MinnesotaKarl Rolvaag def. Elmer Andersen0.00 pts
22004 WashingtonChristine Gregoire def. Dino Rossi0.00 pts
31912 KansasGeorge H. Hodges def. Arthur Capper0.01 pts
41940 KansasPayne Ratner def. William H. Burke0.05 pts
51950 MichiganG. Mennen Williams def. Harry F. Kelly0.06 pts
61850 New YorkWashington Hunt def. Horatio Seymour0.06 pts
71854 New YorkMyron Clark def. Horatio Seymour0.06 pts
81888 West VirginiaNathan Goff Jr. def. Aretas B. Fleming0.06 pts
91840 MaineEdward Kent def. John Fairfield0.07 pts
101919 MarylandAlbert Ritchie def. Harry Nice0.07 pts
111848 PennsylvaniaWilliam F. Johnston def. Morris Longstreth0.08 pts
121981 New JerseyThomas Kean def. James Florio0.08 pts
131915 KentuckyAugustus Owsley Stanley def. Edwin P. Morrow0.10 pts
141930 KansasHarry Hines Woodring def. Frank Haucke0.10 pts
151848 OhioSeabury Ford def. John Weller0.11 pts
161871 ConnecticutMarshall Jewell def. James E. English0.11 pts
171880 MaineHarris M. Plaisted def. Daniel F. Davis0.11 pts
181890 New HampshireHiram A Tuttle def. Charles H. Amsden0.11 pts
191962 Rhode IslandJohn H. Chafee def. John A. Notte Jr.0.12 pts
201856 New HampshireRalph Metcalf def. John S. Wells0.13 pts
211857 WisconsinAlexander W. Randall def. James B. Cross0.13 pts
221982 IllinoisJim Thompson def. Adlai Stevenson III0.14 pts
231873 OhioWilliam Allen def. Edward Follansbee Noyes0.18 pts
241924 New MexicoArthur T. Hannett def. Manuel B. Otero0.18 pts
251956 Rhode IslandDennis J. Roberts def. Christopher Del Sesto0.18 pts

How this ranking is measured

Gubernatorial general elections ranked by the smallest gap in vote share between the top two finishers, across all 50 states. Limited to full statewide popular elections (which excludes early legislature-chosen governorships). The Washington 2004 race, decided by 133 votes after two recounts, is the modern benchmark.

Compiled by PolitiFinder · published June 14, 2026 · sources: Data & sources · data last verified July 5, 2026.