1986 United States gubernatorial elections
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 4, 1986 in 36 states and two territories. The Democrats had a net loss of eight seats during this election, which coincided with the Senate and the House elections.
Election results
A bolded state name features an article about the specific election.| State | Incumbent | Party | Status | Opposing candidates |
| Alabama | George Wallace | Democratic | Retired, Republican victory | H. Guy Hunt 56.4% Bill Baxley 43.6% |
| Alaska | Bill Sheffield | Democratic | Defeated in primary, Democratic victory | Steve Cowper 47.3% Arliss Sturgulewski 42.6% Joe Vogler 5.6% Wally Hickel 2.8% Mary Jane O'Brannon 0.6% |
| Arizona | Bruce Babbitt | Democratic | Retired, Republican victory | Evan Mecham 39.7% Carolyn Warner 34.5% Bill Schulz 25.8% |
| Arkansas | Bill Clinton | Democratic | Re-elected, 63.9% | Frank D. White 36.1% |
| California | George Deukmejian | Republican | Re-elected, 60.2% | Tom Bradley 37.2% Maria Elizabeth Muñoz 1.3% Joseph Fuhrig 0.7% Gary V. Miller 0.7% |
| Colorado | Richard Lamm | Democratic | Retired, Democratic victory | Roy Romer 58.2% Ted Strickland 41.0% Earl Dodge 0.8% |
| Connecticut | William A. O'Neill | Democratic | Re-elected, 58.5% | Julie Belaga 41.5% |
| Florida | Bob Graham | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Bob Martinez 54.6% Steve Pajcic 45.4% |
| Georgia | Joe Frank Harris | Democratic | Re-elected, 70.5% | Guy Davis 29.5% |
| Hawaii | George Ariyoshi | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | John D. Waiheʻe III 52.0% D. G. Anderson 48.0% |
| Idaho | John Evans | Democratic | Retired, Democratic victory | Cecil Andrus 50.5% David H. Leroy 49.5% |
| Illinois | James R. Thompson | Republican | Re-elected, 52.7% | Adlai Stevenson III 40.0% 6.6% Gary L. Shilts 0.5% |
| Iowa | Terry Branstad | Republican | Re-elected, 51.9% | Lowell Junkins 48.0% |
| Kansas | John W. Carlin | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Mike Hayden 51.9% Thomas R. Docking 48.1% |
| Maine | Joseph E. Brennan | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | John R. McKernan Jr. 39.9% James Tierney 30.2% Sherry Huber 15.1% John Menario 14.9% |
| Maryland | Harry Hughes | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | William Donald Schaefer 82.4% Thomas J. Mooney 17.6% |
| Massachusetts | Michael Dukakis | Democratic | Re-elected, 68.8% | George Kariotis 31.2% |
| Michigan | James Blanchard | Democratic | Re-elected, 68.1% | William Lucas 31.5% |
| Minnesota | Rudy Perpich | Democratic | Re-elected, 56.1% | Cal Ludeman 43.1% |
| Nebraska | Bob Kerrey | Democratic | Retired, Republican victory | Kay A. Orr 52.9% Helen Boosalis 47.1% |
| Nevada | Richard Bryan | Democratic | Re-elected, 71.9% | Patricia Dillon Cafferata 25.0% None of These Candidates 2.1% Louis R. Tomburello 1.0% |
| New Hampshire | John H. Sununu | Republican | Re-elected, 53.7% | Paul McEachern 46.3% |
| New Mexico | Toney Anaya | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Garrey Carruthers 53.0% Ray Powell 47.0% |
| New York | Mario Cuomo | Democratic | Re-elected, 64.3% | Andrew P. O'Rourke 31.8% Denis Dillon 3.1% Lenora Fulani 0.6% |
| Ohio | Dick Celeste | Democratic | Re-elected, 60.6% | Jim Rhodes 39.4% |
| Oklahoma | George Nigh | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Henry Bellmon 48.1% David Walters 45.2% Jerry Brown 6.7% |
| Oregon | Victor Atiyeh | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Neil Goldschmidt 52.0% Norma Paulus 48.0% |
| Pennsylvania | Dick Thornburgh | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Bob Casey Sr. 50.7% William Scranton III 48.4% Heidi Hoover 1.0% |
| Rhode Island | Edward D. DiPrete | Republican | Re-elected, 64.7% | Bruce Sundlun 32.4% Robert Healey 1.9% Tony Affigne 1.1% |
| South Carolina | Richard Riley | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Carroll A. Campbell Jr. 51.0% Michael R. Daniel 47.9% William H. Griffin 0.6% |
| South Dakota | Bill Janklow | Republican | Term-limited, Republican victory | George S. Mickelson 51.8% Lars Herseth 48.2% |
| Tennessee | Lamar Alexander | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Ned McWherter 54.3% Winfield Dunn 45.7% |
| Texas | Mark White | Democratic | Defeated, 46.0% | Bill Clements 52.7% Theresa S. Doyle 1.2% |
| Vermont | Madeleine Kunin | Democratic | Re-elected, 47.0% | Peter Plympton Smith 38.3% Bernie Sanders 14.5% |
| Wisconsin | Tony Earl | Democratic | Defeated, 46.2% | Tommy Thompson 52.7% Kathryn Christenson 0.7% |
| Wyoming | Edward Herschler | Democratic | Retired, Democratic victory | Mike Sullivan 54.0% Pete Simpson 46.0% |