News

13 states will have women governors next year, a new record

Published

1 year ago

November 9, 2024

13 states will have women governors next year, a new record

Republican Kelly Ayotte shakes hands with an employee during a visit to a local concrete coating business on Oct. 16 in Manchester, N.H.

Charles Krupa/AP

hide caption

toggle caption

Charles Krupa/AP

A record number of women will serve as state governors next year — building on the historic gains made during the 2022 elections.

The new record came after Republican Kelly Ayotte, a former U.S. senator and state attorney general, won the New Hampshire governor’s race on Tuesday, defeating Democrat Joyce Craig in what was considered this year’s most competitive gubernatorial election.

Ayotte’s victory will bring the total number of women holding state governor’s offices to 13 — surpassing the previous high of 12 set after elections in 2022. Before that, the highest number of women serving as governors was nine, a record established in 2004.

“We’re both celebrating the milestones that women have achieved, but at the same time, as we note those milestones, we also have to recognize that there is a lot of progress left to make for women,” said Kelly Dittmar, director of research at Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics.

“And that is especially true at the gubernatorial level,” she added.

Governors, in particular, play a major role in shaping state policies that often can have a more immediate and direct impact on their citizens than federal policies. When women are elected into office, it tends to promote more trust in government and better perceptions around fairness, Dittmar said. “Because it holds up to that standard of being representative,” she said. “That’s the message.”

Dittmar added that while women in office are far from monolithic in their positions or priorities, they have historically been the force behind raising issues and policy agendas around caregiving, women’s inclusion in medical trials, and concerns about the treatment of women in the military.

Seeing women in office also sends a positive message to young women about what’s possible for them in the future. “And for young men, will they see that and hold less biases about who can and should be in elected leadership?” Dittmar said.

Former President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event in West Palm Beach, Fla., in the early morning hours on Wednesday.

Next year, Ayotte will join the group of female governors already in office: Kay Ivey of Alabama; Katie Hobbs of Arizona; Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas; Kim Reynolds of Iowa; Laura Kelly of Kansas; Janet Mills of Maine; Maura Healey of Massachusetts; Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan; Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico; Kathy Hochul of New York; Tina Kotek of Oregon; and Kristi Noem of South Dakota. Including Ayotte, five are Republicans and eight are Democrats.

In the U.S. territories, Lou Leon Guerrero, a Democrat, has been serving as Guam’s governor since 2019. This past week, Republican Jenniffer González-Colón won Puerto Rico’s governor’s race.

Still, 18 states have never elected a female chief executive: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

This year was not a major election cycle for governors, with only 11 states holding elections. Among them, only four included women as leading contenders. Female candidates in Missouri, Indiana, and Vermont — all of whom were Democrats — lost to male opponents.

It also coincides with Vice President Harris’ unsuccessful bid to become the first female commander-in-chief. Many Democrats say sexism was a factor in Harris’ loss.

Had Harris won the presidency, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan would have taken over as governor for vice presidential candidate Tim Walz — and would have become the first Indigenous woman to serve as governor in the U.S.

News

Map: Earthquake Shakes Central California

Published

9 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Map: Earthquake Shakes Central California

Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 3 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “weak,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown. All times on the map are Pacific time. The New York Times

A minor earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.5 struck in Central California on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The temblor happened at 7:17 a.m. Pacific time about 6 miles northwest of Pinnacles, Calif., data from the agency shows.

As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.

Source: United States Geological Survey | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Pacific time. Shake data is as of Monday, March 2 at 10:20 a.m. Eastern. Aftershocks data is as of Monday, March 2 at 11:18 a.m. Eastern.

News

US says Kuwait accidentally shot down 3 American jets

Published

12 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

US says Kuwait accidentally shot down 3 American jets

The U.S. and Israel have been conducting strikes against targets in Iran since Saturday morning, with the aim of toppling Tehran’s clerical regime. Iran has fired back, with retaliatory assaults featuring missiles and drones targeting several Gulf countries and American bases in the Middle East.

“All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation,” Central Command said.

“The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available,” it added.

In a separate statement later Monday, Central Command said that American forces had been killed during combat since the strikes began.

“As of 7:30 am ET, March 2, four U.S. service members have been killed in action. The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries,” it said.

Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification,” Central Command added.

This story has been updated.

News

Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war

Smoke rises over Konarak naval base in southern Iran on Sunday. The base was one of hundreds of targets of U.S. and Israeli forces throughout the country.

Planet Labs PBC

hide caption

toggle caption

Planet Labs PBC

Commercial satellite images are providing a unique look at the extent of damage being done to Iran’s military facilities across the country.

The U.S. and Israeli military campaign opened with a daytime attack that struck Iranian leadership in central Tehran. Smoke was still visible rising from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound following the attack that killed the supreme leader.

An image by the company Airbus taken on Saturday shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Iran’s Leadership House in central Tehran. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of attacks.

Pléiades Neo (c) Airbus DS 2026

Advertisement

hide caption

toggle caption

Pléiades Neo (c) Airbus DS 2026

Israel and the U.S. have gone on to strike targets across the country. Reports on social media indicate that there have been numerous military bases and compounds attacked all over Iran, and Iran has responded with attacks throughout the Middle East.

U.S. forces have also been striking at Iran’s navy. In a post on his social media platform, President Trump said that he had been briefed that U.S. forces had sunk nine Iranian naval vessels. U.S. Central Command did not immediately confirm that number but it did say it had struck an Iranian warship in port.

An image captured on February 28 shows a ship burning at Iran's naval base at Konarak.

An image captured on Saturday shows a ship burning at Iran’s naval base at Konarak.

hide caption

toggle caption

Numerous satellite images show burning vessels at Konarak naval base in southern Iran. Images also show damage to a nearby airbase where hardened hangers were struck by precision munitions.

Hardened aircraft shelters at Konarak airbase were struck with precision munitions.

hide caption

toggle caption

And there was extensive damage at a drone base in the same area. Iran has launched numerous drones and missiles toward Israel and U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Many drones have been intercepted but videos on social media show that some have evaded air defenses and caused damage in nearby Gulf countries. In Dubai, debris from an Iranian drone damaged the iconic Burj Al Arab, according to a statement from Dubai’s government.

Buildings at an Iranian drone base at Konarak were destroyed in the strikes.

hide caption

toggle caption

Iran’s most powerful weapons are its long-range missiles. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have hidden the missiles deep inside mountain tunnels. Images taken Sunday in the mountains of northern Iran indicate that some of those tunnels were hit in a wave of strikes.

Following Khamenei’s death, Iran declared 40 days of mourning. Satellite images showed mourners gathering in Tehran’s Enghelab square on Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told NPR on Sunday that Iran will continue to fight “foreign aggression, foreign domination.”

A White House official told NPR that Trump plans to talk to Iran’s interim leadership “eventually,” but that for now, U.S. operations continue in the region “unabated.”

A large crowd of mourners fill Enghelab Square in Tehran on Sunday, following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

hide caption

toggle caption