Governor News & Analysis

The Barn Jacket as a Secret Campaign Weapon

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 13, 2013 · 2:53 PM EDT

Election Day is still more than a year away, but Illinois Republican Bruce Rauner is already deploying a popular campaign weapon: the barn jacket.

Rauner released two television ads on Tuesday in his bid to become the next governor in the Prairie State. In “Back to Work,” the…

Where Will the Millionaire Cattle Rancher Run in Nebraska?

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 10, 2013 · 9:21 AM EDT

A cattle rancher and a university president get into a Senate race. Sounds like the opening of a bad joke, but it could describe the new political terrain in Nebraska.

Now that GOP Gov. Dave Heineman has declined to run to replace retiring Sen. Mike Johanns, a handful…

Ratings Change: Rhode Island Governor

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 3, 2013 · 11:57 PM EDT

Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee completed his trip across the partisan spectrum when the now-governor of Rhode Island officially switched to the Democratic Party.

Chafee was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998 appointed to the Senate in 1999 after the death of his senator father. In 2000, he…

Report Shorts (May 21, 2013)

May 21, 2013 · 2:27 PM EDT

California 15. State Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett (D) announced her challenge to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) in this Northern California district. Some Democrats such as Corbett and Ro Khanna were preparing to run for this seat when Rep. Pete Stark (D) retired. But Swalwell took a chance and…

Pennsylvania Governor: Can Allyson Schwartz Make It to Harrisburg?

by Stuart Rothenberg April 11, 2013 · 9:46 AM EDT

Philadelphia Democratic Rep. Allyson Schwartz recently confirmed what everyone had already suspected: She is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in Pennsylvania.

The big question is whether someone from southeastern Pennsylvania can get nominated, let alone win the governorship. During the past 35 years, only one politician from…

The GOP: A Party Increasingly at Odds With Itself

by Stuart Rothenberg March 22, 2013 · 10:41 AM EDT

“I am not a member of any organized party — I am a Democrat,” humorist Will Rogers said many years ago. But if Rogers were alive today, he’d undoubtedly see his party as a model of organization and unity when compared to the GOP.

The Republican Party continues…

Arizona: Carmona Declines to Run, Keeps Future Options Open

by Nathan L. Gonzales March 21, 2013 · 3:45 PM EDT

Timing is everything in politics, and for Richard Carmona, 2014 isn’t the right time.

The Arizona Democrat narrowly lost a bid for the U.S. Senate in a very competitive race last fall and was being encouraged by Democrats in Washington, D.C. and the Grand Canyon State to run…

Governorships a Big Opportunity for Democrats in 2014

by Stuart Rothenberg March 8, 2013 · 9:30 AM EST

While the fight for the House of Representatives will take center stage next year, another battle could be almost as important for the two parties: control of a handful of big-state governorships.

Republicans like to point out that while they lost the presidency and seats in both chambers…

Governors: Parties Ready for Battles Beyond the Beltway

February 22, 2013 · 2:35 PM EST

Last year, President Barack Obama toured competitive presidential states, such as Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Nevada, touting an economy that was regaining its footing. Over the next two years, Democrats will be trying to defeat Republican governors in each of those states as they try to recapture the…

2013-14 Gubernatorial Overview (Alabama - Illinois)

February 22, 2013 · 2:34 PM EST

ALABAMA -- Robert Bentley (R), elected 2010 (58%).
Any threat to Bentley would likely come in the primary (since Democrats aren’t expected to mount a serious threat next fall), but it doesn’t look as though that will materialize. In 2010, Bentley ran as the outsider, finished second in…