Starting with the 1948 elections for governor, 80 governors have been
elected with less than 50% of the vote, including 20 with less than 45% of the vote. Most of these winners were from the non-incumbent party, showing that voters with the "out" party are more disciplined and cohesive than more restless supporters of the "in" party. A disproportionate number were also elected since 1990. The Center for Voting and Democracy has compiled three lists of these governors:

• Listing by state
• Listing by winners' percentage of the vote
• Listing by decade