Governor News & Analysis

Report Shorts (April 23, 2021)

by Jacob Rubashkin April 23, 2021 · 2:28 PM EDT

Florida’s 20th District
The death of Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings, who represented parts of Broward and Palm Beach Counties for more than 28 years, has set off a large scrum for this solidly Democratic seat that Joe Biden carried by 55 points. The declared candidates already include state Sen.…

Rhode Island At-Large: The Election Democrats Don’t Want to Happen

by Jacob Rubashkin March 5, 2021 · 2:30 PM EST

The last time Rhode Island had just one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, there were 15 states in the Union, George Washington was president, and the hottest track in America was Handel’s “Messiah.” The year was 1792.

For the next 230 years, the Ocean State had two (and…

2021-22 Gubernatorial Overview: Hail to the (State) Chiefs

by Jacob Rubashkin February 19, 2021 · 2:30 PM EST

Natural disaster, mass protests, election administration, and the omnipresent coronavirus pandemic have cemented governors as an unmissable part of the American landscape. Last year, state chiefs stepped into the void left by the federal government. This year, the opportunity to exercise leadership and political power will likely come again.

With…

2021-22 Gubernatorial Overview (Feb. 19, 2021) Alabama - Illinois

by Jacob Rubashkin February 19, 2021 · 2:29 PM EST

ALABAMA. Kay Ivey (R), assumed office 2017, elected 2018 (60%). Ivey, who took over for the scandal-plagued Robert Bentley in early 2017, will have served for nearly seven years by Election Day, but is eligible to seek a second consecutive full term under Alabama’s constitution. If she runs, her vulnerability…

2021-22 Gubernatorial Overview (Feb. 19, 2021) Iowa - New Mexico

by Jacob Rubashkin February 19, 2021 · 2:28 PM EST

IOWA. Kim Reynolds (R), assumed office 2017, elected 2018 (50.3%). Reynolds won a narrow victory in 2018 but is better situated this time around, despite Democrats’ displeasure with her hands-off attitude toward the coronavirus pandemic. Oft-cited as a potential Democratic candidate is state Auditor Rob Sand, who narrowly defeated the…

Vote Above Replacement: 2020 Governor Elections

by Bradley Wascher February 16, 2021 · 9:35 AM EST

Last November, just 11 states elected a governor. And perhaps unsurprisingly given the slate of states, almost every race was uncompetitive, with all but one (North Carolina) decided by at least ten points. Despite such wide margins, though, it would be incorrect to say that 2020’s gubernatorial elections were boring.…

New Jersey Governor: Can Murphy Break The Curse?

by Jacob Rubashkin February 5, 2021 · 2:30 PM EST

Not long ago, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was riding the wave of a re-election win into a top-tier presidential bid. A few years later, politics on the ground have shifted, and Garden State Republicans are grasping for power, just hoping to stay competitive in this year’s gubernatorial contest.

New…

Virginia Governor: Republican Rebound?

by Jacob Rubashkin January 22, 2021 · 2:30 PM EST

It doesn’t have the same pomp and circumstance as the presidential inauguration, but the Virginia gubernatorial election is the next big political event on the docket. As one of only two states electing a governor in 2021 (New Jersey is the other), all eyes often turn to Virginia at the…

Report Shorts (December 18, 2020)

December 18, 2020 · 2:27 PM EST

California Dreamin’
Senate. Soon to be vacant due to Kamala Harris’s election as vice president.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will appoint a successor to Harris, and this seat was already scheduled for an election in 2022. Various constituencies are reportedly lobbying Newsom for their preferred candidates, in the hopes…

Gubernatorial Report Shorts (October 16, 2020): Missouri Governor

by Jacob Rubashkin October 16, 2020 · 2:27 PM EDT

Missouri. Mike Parson (R) ascended to governorship June 2018. This race remains Democrats’ one legitimate pickup opportunity of the cycle. State Auditor Nicole Galloway has continued her streak of strong fundraising, matching or outraising Parson for the last several filing periods, though the outside PAC supporting Parson, backed by the…