Republicans Gain 3 Governorships

Republicans captured governorships in Indiana, New Hampshire, and Vermont, yesterday and were leading in Iowa. Of the 21 gubernatorial races yesterday, only seven were decided as of 2 a.m.

Secretary of State Edgar D. Whitcomb, a Republican, beat Democratic Lt. Gov. Robert L. Rock for the governorship of Indiana to succeed Democratic Gov. Roger D. Branigan, who was barred by law from running again.

In Vermont, a conservative Republican candidate, insurance company board chairman Deane C. Davis returned Vermont to its traditional Republican owners by defeating Democratic Lt. Gov. John J. Daley. In Vermont, as in New Hampshire the State House had been left vacant by popular Democratic governors who decided not to run again.

In an upset contest in Rhode Island, Democrat Frank Licht defeated incumbent GOP Gov. John H. Chafee, Democratic attorney general Forrest Anderson was leading another incumbent Republican governor, Tim M. Babcock, in Montana.

Democrats retained two other governor's mansions, in Texas and Missouri.

In other races, Republicans were leading in efforts to retain the governorships of Arizona, Arkansas, South Dakota, Utah, New Mexico, and Wisconsin.

Democrats were leading in Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota, and West Virginia.