With November’s midterm elections approaching, Democrats are seeking to break Republicans’ 16-year hold on a majority of the nation’s governorships. Nevada is among the closely watched contests, where a change in party control could reshape the relationship between the governor’s office and the Democratic-led Legislature. Republicans currently hold 26 governorships to Democrats’ 24. Voters will elect governors in 36 states this November, and 13 of those races are considered competitive by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. A Democratic gain of at least two seats would give the party a majority of governors for the first time since 2010. Nevada is one of several politically divided states with a competitive race. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo has vetoed more than 160 bills passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature during his term. A Democratic victory could open a new phase of policymaking in Carson City, though the outcome would depend on the Legislature and the specific priorities of the next governor. Republicans are also defending governorships in conservative states including Alaska, Iowa and Ohio. Florida and Texas, long considered Republican-leaning, were recently downgraded from “Likely Republican” to “Leans Republican” by the Cook Political Report. Republicans remain favored in both, but the ratings change reflects the possibility of an upset amid a difficult national climate for the party. In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott faces Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. Abbott has won previous campaigns by double-digit margins, but his campaign described the contest as a toss-up in a Sept. 29 fundraising email. Rice University political science professor Mark Jones said the race’s competitiveness is driven largely by national dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and concerns about the economy. Jones described the Democratic gains in political prospects as “a rebuke of the Trump model,” while noting that the party controlling the White House often loses ground in midterm elections. Voters are contending with high costs for housing, health care, groceries and energy, as well as concerns over Trump’s handling of the Iran war, according to the report. The governor’s races could also bring divided government to states where Republicans have held broad control. Alaska, Georgia, Ohio, Florida and Texas are among the states where a Democratic gubernatorial win could split power between parties. Nationally, power is divided between parties in just 11 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Iowa, Democratic state Auditor Rob Sand is challenging Republican Zach Lahn and has campaigned on restoring divided government. Democrats broke the Republican Senate’s veto-proof supermajority in special elections last year and have since rejected some gubernatorial appointments. If Democrats also prevent Republicans from regaining a legislative supermajority, they could have more influence over state laws and appointments. The political landscape is not shifting uniformly. In Kansas, Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson leads Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher in polling for governor. A Masterson win would replace Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and give Republicans control of the governor’s office and both legislative chambers. Even if Democrats make gains in governors’ offices, Republicans are expected to retain a numerical advantage in state legislatures. Republicans currently hold 4,044 state legislative seats, compared with 3,227 for Democrats, said Katy Owens Hubler, elections and redistricting director at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Democrats hope to flip 500 seats this year, but 15 legislative chambers are considered competitive. The state-level contests carry consequences beyond local policymaking. Legislative control can shape congressional district maps, and 10 states have completed mid-decade redistricting—an unusually rare development. Will Rusche of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee said November’s results will help determine Democrats’ ability to regain federal power. “It all runs through statehouses,” Rusche said, arguing that the legislative majorities won this year could affect the party’s path to power in Congress and the presidency in 2028.