School vouchers may not be explicitly on the ballot this fall, but gubernatorial elections in at least six states could influence the future of private school choice, education savings accounts and the use of public dollars for private education.
The six states where vouchers are silently on the ballot are Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Iowa and Nevada. Vouchers play a less significant role in gubernatorial races in Florida and Ohio. While most voucher and school choice legislation originates with state legislatures, governors have the ability to encourage or discourage it, help shape it or veto it.
These states are at different stages. Georgia, Iowa and Nevada already have elected to participate in a new federal scholarship tax credit beginning in 2027. Arizona and Wisconsin have not, after their Democratic governors vetoed legislation authorizing participation, while Michigan has yet to opt in. Meanwhile, all six states have existing school choice programs or active debates over vouchers, Education Savings Accounts or private school scholarships.
Generally speaking, Republicans favor school vouchers and Democrats oppose them, but there are exceptions to that rule. Previously in Texas, for example, rural Republicans strongly opposed vouchers as detrimental to public education. Most of those Republican holdouts were primaried last cycle by Gov. Greg Abbott and his allies.
Texas subsequently enacted SB-2 in 2025, creating the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program that began operating in 2026-27 with $1 billion in appropriated funding.
Texas is not among the six states where the gubernatorial race is likely to make a difference on vouchers, but the outcome could slow the expansion of Abbott’s pet project if Democrat Gina Hinojosa should win. Currently, she’s polling just one to three points behind Abbott in a state where a Democrat hasn’t held the governor’s office in 31 years.
Graphic by multistateelections.us
Arizona
Arizona tops the list of most significant states this year because the state already has one of the nation’s largest universal Education Savings Account programs and the governor has substantial influence over its administration and expansion.
EdChoice estimates Arizona had the nation’s second-largest private-school-choice spending in its 2026 analysis, at about $1.16 billion.
Democrat Katie Hobbs, the incumbent, favors accountability restrictions on the universal ESA program rather than maintaining its current form. She has proposed tighter eligibility and spending controls. She vetoed legislation to opt Arizona into the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, saying she wants final federal rules and stronger safeguards. Hobbs emphasizes public school investment and accountability.
Republican challenger Andy Biggs supports expanding ESAs and increasing education funding. He supports opting in to the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit and emphasizes parental choice while also improving schools.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin already has a substantial voucher system, with about $700 million in private school choice spending in 2026. The governor can influence its expansion, funding and administration. Wisconsin is currently outside the federal 2027 tax-credit program because Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the opt-in legislation.
The incumbent Democrat in the governor’s office is term-limited and the two men vying to replace him are Democrat David Crowley and Republican Tom Tiffany.
Crowley would maintain the existing voucher system but not expand it. He wants greater accountability and transparency. Tiffany supports Wisconsin’s voucher and school-choice system and wants parents to have public, charter, private and home-school options.
Michigan
Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James are vying to replace Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat. Michigan does not currently have a conventional statewide voucher program, so the governor and Legislature could determine whether school choice or tuition assistance proposals advance.
James wants Michigan to participate in the federal scholarship tax-credit program and supports school choice. Benson has opposed diverting resources from neighborhood public schools and has emphasized equitable funding.
James says he would opt Michigan into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit on his first day. Benson says she wants more resources for Michigan schools but will not commit to the program without greater transparency about how it operates.
Georgia
Georgia offers both a competitive governor’s race and a major school-choice battleground. It is among the states being targeted in the current national campaign over the federal “freedom scholarship” tax-credit program, which the state already participates in.
Gov. Brian Kemp cannot run again. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson are running to replace him.
Georgia already has the Georgia Promise Scholarship, an ESA-like program providing up to $6,500 per student in 2026-27 for private-school tuition and other expenses.
Jackson says he would protect school-choice options including private schools and homeschooling. He echoes a common Republican line that he wants more transparency about school spending, lower property taxes and increased teacher support.
Bottoms says she would fully fund public schools, modernize Georgia’s funding formula, add an “opportunity weight” for higher-need students and raise teacher compensation.
Iowa
The governor’s race is highly competitive, and Iowa is another of the states being targeted over participation in the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program although already participating in it. Iowa has rapidly expanded private school assistance and is one of the states where the governor could affect the future direction of that program
Current Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, could run for a third term but has chosen not to. Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn are running to succeed her.
Sand wants major accountability reforms to Iowa’s ESA/private-school voucher system, including income limits, audits and limits on tuition increases. He has said outright repeal isn’t realistic given the Legislature.
Lahn calls ESAs “foundational to freedom” and supports parental control over education dollars.
Nevada
Nevada’s gubernatorial race is highly competitive, and Nevada is another of the states being targeted over participation in the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program, which Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo already has opted in.
Lomardo is running for reelection. His Democratic challenger is Aaron Ford.
Lombardo supports school choice, including charter schools and opportunity scholarships, and has promoted broader education-choice options. He opted Nevada into the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program in January.
Ford emphasizes traditional public school investment rather than voucher/ESA expansion; as a legislator he voted against Nevada ESA legislation. He proposes increasing Nevada’s per-pupil funding to at least the national average, more money directed into classrooms, universal school meals, literacy coaches and higher teacher compensation.
Elsewhere
Also of note:
- Ohio already spends more than $1 billion annually on private school choice programs, making the governor important to their future direction.
- Florida is the country’s largest school-choice experiment with about $4.3 billion in private school choice spending in 2026. The governor’s race could affect the direction of that system, although Florida isn’t generally considered a close gubernatorial contest.
- Texas is not likely to see changes in its school voucher programs even if Hinojosa wins the governor’s mansion, unless the makeup of the state Legislature shifts, which is unlikely.