2004 United States gubernatorial elections
elections
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 2, 2004, in 11 states and two territories. There was no net gain in seats for either party, as Democrats picked up an open seat in Montana while defeating incumbent Craig Benson in New Hampshire, while Republicans defeated incumbent Joe Kernan in Indiana and won Missouri after Bob Holden lost in the primary. These elections coincided with the presidential election.
As of 2026, this is the last time that multiple state governors lost renomination.
Election predictions
Race summary
States
Territories
Closest races
States where the margin of victory was under 1%:
Washington, 0.005%
Puerto Rico, 0.2%
States where the margin of victory was under 5%:
New Hampshire, 2.1%
Missouri, 3.0%
Montana, 4.4%
States where the margin of victory was under 10%:
Delaware, 5.1%
Indiana, 7.7%
Delaware
The 2004 Delaware gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2004, coinciding with the U.S. presidential election. Incumbent governor Ruth Ann Minner faced a serious challenge from retired Superior Court Judge Bill Lee, but managed a five-point victory on election day. As of 2022, this was the last time Kent County voted for the Republican candidate in a gubernatorial election or that the statewide margin was within single digits.
Indiana
The 2004 Indiana gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2004, to elect the governor of Indiana.
Incumbent Democratic governor Joe Kernan was defeated by Republican Mitch Daniels. Daniels' victory was the first time the Republican Party had been elected governor since 1984, and gave the party control of all the important statewide offices.
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