State executive official elections, 2017
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November 7, 2017 |
Six state executive offices are up for election in 2017, including gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey.
The offices
State executives act in many capacities according to the powers granted to them by their state's constitution. They are also charged with implementing and enforcing laws made by state legislatures. There are 748 executive seats spread across 13 distinct types of offices in the United States.[1] Of the 13 executive offices, only seven exist in all 50 states: governor, attorney general, superintendent of schools, insurance commissioner, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner and public service commissioner.
Other common offices include lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, controller, auditor and natural resources commissioner.
The governor is the chief executive of a state’s government and other executive offices ordinarily report to him or her. The governor is also the only executive that is elected in all 50 states. Attorneys general, for example, are elected in 43 states but appointed by the governor in seven, while public service commissioners are appointed by the governor in 39 states and elected in 11 states.
Offices up for election
Gubernatorial elections
Two states will hold gubernatorial elections in 2017:
- New Jersey: Incumbent Chris Christie (R) is term-limited and ineligible for re-election.
- Virginia: Incumbent Terry McAuliffe (D) is term-limited and ineligible for re-election.
Lieutenant gubernatorial elections
Two states will hold lieutenant gubernatorial elections in 2017: New Jersey and Virginia.
Other offices
There are two other offices on the ballot in 2017: an election for attorney general in Virginia and an election for superintendent of public instruction in Wisconsin.
Recent news
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See also
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2017 elections: |
Previous elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
Footnotes
- ↑ There are 13 state executive offices as Ballotpedia defines the term, however there are other executive offices in some states that are not covered by Ballotpedia.
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