The United States gubernatorial elections of 2009 were held on November 3, 2009 in the states of New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 and Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 as well as in the U.S. commonwealth

Commonwealth (United States insular area)

In the terminology of the United States insular areas, a Commonwealth is a type of organized but unincorporated dependent territory.The definition of "Commonwealth" according to current U.S. State Department policy reads: "The term 'Commonwealth' does not describe or provide for any specific...

 of the Northern Mariana Islands

Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...

 on November 7, 2009. Both state governorships were previously held by Democrats

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 elected in 2005

United States gubernatorial elections, 2005

The United States gubernatorial elections of 2005 were held on November 8, 2005. Two states, New Jersey and Virginia, and the Northern Mariana Islands, voted to select a governor, as well as other statewide offices and members of state legislatures....

 and as a result of the 2009 elections both are presently held by Republicans

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

; the local Covenant Party

Covenant Party (Northern Mariana Islands)

The Covenant Party is a political party in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands advocating government and financial reform. In the legislative elections of 2003, the Covenant Party won nine of eighteen seats. In the 2005 elections, the Covenant Party increased its position as one of the...

 maintained control of the governorship of the Marianas. These elections formed part of the 2009 United States elections.

Due to the passage of Senate

Northern Mariana Islands Senate

The Northern Mariana Islands Senate is the upper house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The Senate consists of nine senators representing three senatorial districts , each a multi-member constituency with three senators.In the November 2007 elections, the three senators up...

 Legislative Initiative 16-11, this will be the last year in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in which a gubernatorial election will occur on a pre-midterm off-year election year. The next CNMI gubernatorial election will be in 2014.

Parties

The Democratic Party

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 held 28 governorships, while the Republican Party

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 held 22. In this election, both U.S. governorships up for election were held by Democrats, while the governorship of the Northern Mariana Islands was held by the Covenant Party

Covenant Party (Northern Mariana Islands)

The Covenant Party is a political party in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands advocating government and financial reform. In the legislative elections of 2003, the Covenant Party won nine of eighteen seats. In the 2005 elections, the Covenant Party increased its position as one of the...

.

Election Summaries

State	Incumbent	Party	Status	Opposing Candidates
NJ New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009 The New Jersey gubernatorial election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009. Democratic Governor Jon Corzine was running for a second term and was being challenged by Republican Chris Christie, Independent Christopher Daggett and nine others, in addition to several write-in candidates...	Jon Corzine Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...	Democratic	Defeated, 44.5%	Christopher J. Christie Christopher J. Christie Christopher James "Chris" Christie is the 55th and current Governor of New Jersey. Upon his election to the governorship in November 2009, Christie became the first Republican to win a statewide election in New Jersey in 12 years. In 2011, he considered entering the race for the Republican...  (R) 48.8% Christopher Daggett Christopher Daggett Christopher Jarvis "Chris" Daggett is a former regional administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection...  (I) 5.8% and 10 others
NMI Northern Mariana Islands gubernatorial election, 2009 The Northern Mariana Islands gubernatorial election, 2009 was held on November 7, 2009 to determine the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands....	Benigno R. Fitial Benigno R. Fitial Benigno Repeki Fitial is the current governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Fitial was elected on November 6, 2005 and assumed office on January 9, 2006 and was re-elected to a second, five-year term in 2009....	Covenant	General: Advanced to runoff, 36.24% Runoff: Re-elected, 52%	Heinz Hofschneider Heinz Hofschneider Heinz Sablan Hofschneider is a Northern Mariana Islands politician. Hofschneider served as the Speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives until 2003....  (R) General: 36.27%, Runoff: 48% Juan "Pan" Guerrero (I) General: 19.5% (eliminated) Ramon "Kumoi" Deleon Guerrero (I) General: 8.1% (eliminated)
VA Virginia gubernatorial election, 2009 The Virginia gubernatorial election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009. The election chose Bob McDonnell as the next Governor, Bill Bolling re-elected as Lieutenant Governor, and Ken Cuccinelli as the next Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The winners were inaugurated on January...	Tim Kaine Tim Kaine Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...	Democratic	Term-limited, Republican victory	Bob McDonnell Bob McDonnell Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell is an American politician who has been the 71st Governor of Virginia since January 2010. A former lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, McDonnell served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1993 to 2006 and served as Attorney General of Virginia from 2006...  (R) 58.6% Creigh Deeds Creigh Deeds Robert Creigh Deeds is an American politician who was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Virginia in 2009. He also ran in the 2005 race for Attorney General of Virginia. He was defeated in both of the above races by Bob McDonnell. Deeds lost by just 323 votes in 2005, but was defeated by a...  (D) 41.3%

Tim Kaine (Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

)

Virginia's term-limits law allows governors to run for more than one term; however, the terms cannot be consecutive. Thus, incumbent Governor Tim Kaine

Tim Kaine

Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...

 could not stand for re-election.

Candidates for the Democratic nomination included Terry McAuliffe

Terry McAuliffe

Terence Richard "Terry" McAuliffe is a longtime leader and political advisor for the United States Democratic Party. He served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005. He served as Co-Chairman of President William Jefferson Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign and also...

, former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee

Democratic National Committee

The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...

 and Hillary Clinton's former campaign manager; State Senator Creigh Deeds

Creigh Deeds

Robert Creigh Deeds is an American politician who was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Virginia in 2009. He also ran in the 2005 race for Attorney General of Virginia. He was defeated in both of the above races by Bob McDonnell. Deeds lost by just 323 votes in 2005, but was defeated by a...

; and State Delegate Brian Moran. Deeds won the Democratic primary on June 9, 2009 with approximately 49% of the vote; beating out Terry McAliffe with 26% and Brian Moran with 23%.

The Republican nominee was Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell

Bob McDonnell

Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell is an American politician who has been the 71st Governor of Virginia since January 2010. A former lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, McDonnell served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1993 to 2006 and served as Attorney General of Virginia from 2006...

. This was the sixth consecutive Virginian gubernatorial election where an elected Attorney General has run.

On November 3, 2009, Bob McDonnell

Bob McDonnell

Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell is an American politician who has been the 71st Governor of Virginia since January 2010. A former lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, McDonnell served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1993 to 2006 and served as Attorney General of Virginia from 2006...

 defeated Creigh Deeds

Creigh Deeds

Robert Creigh Deeds is an American politician who was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Virginia in 2009. He also ran in the 2005 race for Attorney General of Virginia. He was defeated in both of the above races by Bob McDonnell. Deeds lost by just 323 votes in 2005, but was defeated by a...

 to become Governor-elect of Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

. His margin of victory was a landslide 59% to 41%.

Jon Corzine (New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

)

Democratic Governor Jon Corzine

Jon Corzine

Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...

 was eligible to run for a second term and did so. He was considered vulnerable given a number of recent scandals and low approval ratings.
Former Glen Ridge

Glen Ridge, New Jersey

Glen Ridge is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,527. In 2010, Glen Ridge was ranked as the 38th Best Place to live by New Jersey Monthly magazine....

 Mayor Carl Bergmanson

Carl Bergmanson

Carl A. Bergmanson is a conservative Democrat and was the mayor of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, a borough 10 miles west of New York City, from 2004 - 2007. Bergmanson is a vocal critic of the Democratic Party establishment in New Jersey...

, failed 2008 congressional candidate Roger Bacon, and failed 2008 Senate candidate Jeff Boss also sought the Democratic nomination. Corzine won the Democratic primary on June 2.

U.S. Attorney Chris Christie

Christopher J. Christie

Christopher James "Chris" Christie is the 55th and current Governor of New Jersey. Upon his election to the governorship in November 2009, Christie became the first Republican to win a statewide election in New Jersey in 12 years. In 2011, he considered entering the race for the Republican...

 was the Republican gubernatorial nominee. Christie defeated former Bogota

Bogota, New Jersey

As of the 2010 Census, Bogota had a population of 8,187. The median age was 38.6. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 61.0% White, 9.4% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 9.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander, 14.8% some other race and 4.1% reporting...

 Mayor Steve Lonegan

Steve Lonegan

Steven M. Lonegan was mayor of Bogota, New Jersey from 1995–2007 and a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey in 2005 and 2009. He is the Director of the New Jersey chapter of Americans for Prosperity....

 and veteran General Assemblyman

New Jersey General Assembly

The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...

 Rick Merkt in the Republican primary on June 2.

Chris Daggett

Christopher Daggett

Christopher Jarvis "Chris" Daggett is a former regional administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection...

, who was Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution...

 under Governor Thomas Kean, Sr. and regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Ronald W. Reagan, ran as an independent. Daggett raised enough money to file for public funds and appear in both debates.

On November 3, 2009, Republican Christie unseated Democratic incumbent Governor Corzine. His margin of victory was 49% to 45%, Daggett's role as a "spoiler candidate" (some polls had him taking 10 percent of the vote) never materialized.

Benigno R. Fitial (Northern Mariana Islands

Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...

)

Governor Benigno R. Fitial

Benigno R. Fitial

Benigno Repeki Fitial is the current governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Fitial was elected on November 6, 2005 and assumed office on January 9, 2006 and was re-elected to a second, five-year term in 2009....

, a member of the local Covenant Party

Covenant Party (Northern Mariana Islands)

The Covenant Party is a political party in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands advocating government and financial reform. In the legislative elections of 2003, the Covenant Party won nine of eighteen seats. In the 2005 elections, the Covenant Party increased its position as one of the...

, was eligible to run for a second term and did so. Rep.

Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives

The Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives is the lower house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature.In the 2007 election cycle, the CNMI House membership was increased from 18 to 20...

 Heinz Hofschneider

Heinz Hofschneider

Heinz Sablan Hofschneider is a Northern Mariana Islands politician. Hofschneider served as the Speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives until 2003....

 won the Republican nomination in June, defeating former Republican Governor Juan N. Babauta

Juan N. Babauta

Juan Nekai Babauta is a Northern Mariana Islander politician. Babauta served as the sixth elected Governor of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for one term from January 14, 2002 until January 9, 2006....

, who was defeated in his 2005 re-election by Fitial. Ramon "Kumoi" Guerrero

Ramon "Kumoi" Guerrero

Ramon "Kumoi" Santos Deleon Guerrero is a Northern Mariana Islands politician. Guerrero is an independent candidate for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands in the 2009 gubernatorial election....

 and Juan "Pan" Guerrero, two former members of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate

Northern Mariana Islands Senate

The Northern Mariana Islands Senate is the upper house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The Senate consists of nine senators representing three senatorial districts , each a multi-member constituency with three senators.In the November 2007 elections, the three senators up...

, both ran as independents.

The CNMI election was held on Saturday, November 7, 2009. No candidate received a majority, so Governor Fital and Rep. Hofschneider advanced to a runoff election on November 23. Fital won with a 370 vote margin.

Total Results

Summary of the November 3–7, 2009 United States Governors election results
|-
! style="background:#e9e9e9;" colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Party
! style="background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Popular Vote
! style="background:#e9e9e9;" colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Seats Won
|-
! style="background:#e9e9e9; text-align:right;"| Vote
! style="background:#e9e9e9; text-align:right;"| %
|-

| style="text-align: left" | Republican Party

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

| align=right | 2,349,108 
| 52.97%
| 2
|-

| style="text-align: left" | Democratic Party

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

| align=right | 1,906,640 
| 42.99%
| 0
|-

| style="text-align: left" | Covenant Party
| align=right | 11,502 
| 0.03%
| 1
|-

| style="text-align: left" | Others

Independent (politician)

In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...

| align=right | 167,705 
| 3.78%
| 0
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"| Total
| align=right | 4,434,955 
| 100%
| 3
|}