Only a handful of the U.S. gubernatorial elections this year are expected to be competitive, according to current polling, with either Democratic and Republican candidates enjoying commanding leads in most states. Voters will go to the polls to elect governors in 11 states and two territories.

[This article] looks at five of the most prominent races and what they say about the partisan divide in state-level politics as the November U.S. election approaches. They are: Montana, North Carolina, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Vermont

See article for details.

Key Takeaways:

• While politicos continue to forecast political headwinds in the Democrats’ direction, 2020 does not appear to be a year where Democrats will gain much ground when it comes to governorships.
• There are only eleven gubernatorial races in 2020 (down from 36 governor races in 2018). Six of which are projected to be safe seats for the incumbent party and only one governor’s race (Montana) is rated as a toss-up.
• The most likely situation is that Democrats either keep the status quo by holding on to vulnerable governorships in Montana and North Carolina or lose the race in Montana but succeed in keeping Governor Cooper in the North Carolina governor’s mansion.

Republicans occupy the governor’s mansion in 26 states and hope to maintain – or expand – their majority.

Just a few months ago, governors seemed to be a declining force in American politics. Governorships were once a feeder for the presidency – that’s how Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush got to the White House – but the governors and former governors who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 faded early in the contest.

However, with the emergence of the coronavirus, all of that changed. Suddenly, governors were on the front lines of the fight, and they attracted attention not just in their own state but in many cases nationwide. In New York, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo held closely watched daily press conferences as his state was experiencing the worst of the virus. His cool manner led some to suggest he be tapped as a vice presidential candidate for Joe Biden. Other governors who’d previously had little national profile, such as Republicans Mike DeWine of Ohio and Larry Hogan of Maryland and Democrats Jared Polis of Colorado and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, also received positive attention for their coronavirus responses.

he governor’s afternoon press briefing has become a daily fixture for many Americans as millions remain confined to their homes, anxiously awaiting updates on the new coronavirus pandemic. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has received particularly high marks for his response, accompanied by a surge in his approval rating. Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington, whose state was at one point the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, has also earned praise for his handling of the situation. Others, such as West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, have captured headlines for the wrong reasons.

For some of these governors, including Inslee and Justice, their response to the coronavirus could have near-term electoral ramifications. That’s because 11 states will cast ballots for governor in 2020, and in at least eight of those states, incumbents are seeking reelection. As you can see in the table below, six contests are currently rated as “safe” for one party, but a few could still be quite competitive come November. And any gains Democrats make in 2020 could help to give them the edge nationally, as Republicans currently control 26 of the 50 state governorships. However, Republicans are defending more safe ground in 2020 than the Democrats, so they may be in a better position to extend their narrow advantage.

Only a handful of the U.S. gubernatorial elections this year are expected to be competitive, according to current polling, with either Democratic and Republican candidates enjoying commanding leads in most states. Voters will go to the polls to elect governors in 11 states and two territories.

[This article] looks at five of the most prominent races and what they say about the partisan divide in state-level politics as the November U.S. election approaches. They are: Montana, North Carolina, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Vermont

See article for details.

Key Takeaways:

• While politicos continue to forecast political headwinds in the Democrats’ direction, 2020 does not appear to be a year where Democrats will gain much ground when it comes to governorships.
• There are only eleven gubernatorial races in 2020 (down from 36 governor races in 2018). Six of which are projected to be safe seats for the incumbent party and only one governor’s race (Montana) is rated as a toss-up.
• The most likely situation is that Democrats either keep the status quo by holding on to vulnerable governorships in Montana and North Carolina or lose the race in Montana but succeed in keeping Governor Cooper in the North Carolina governor’s mansion.

Republicans occupy the governor’s mansion in 26 states and hope to maintain – or expand – their majority.

Just a few months ago, governors seemed to be a declining force in American politics. Governorships were once a feeder for the presidency – that’s how Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush got to the White House – but the governors and former governors who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 faded early in the contest.

However, with the emergence of the coronavirus, all of that changed. Suddenly, governors were on the front lines of the fight, and they attracted attention not just in their own state but in many cases nationwide. In New York, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo held closely watched daily press conferences as his state was experiencing the worst of the virus. His cool manner led some to suggest he be tapped as a vice presidential candidate for Joe Biden. Other governors who’d previously had little national profile, such as Republicans Mike DeWine of Ohio and Larry Hogan of Maryland and Democrats Jared Polis of Colorado and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, also received positive attention for their coronavirus responses.

he governor’s afternoon press briefing has become a daily fixture for many Americans as millions remain confined to their homes, anxiously awaiting updates on the new coronavirus pandemic. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has received particularly high marks for his response, accompanied by a surge in his approval rating. Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington, whose state was at one point the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, has also earned praise for his handling of the situation. Others, such as West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, have captured headlines for the wrong reasons.

For some of these governors, including Inslee and Justice, their response to the coronavirus could have near-term electoral ramifications. That’s because 11 states will cast ballots for governor in 2020, and in at least eight of those states, incumbents are seeking reelection. As you can see in the table below, six contests are currently rated as “safe” for one party, but a few could still be quite competitive come November. And any gains Democrats make in 2020 could help to give them the edge nationally, as Republicans currently control 26 of the 50 state governorships. However, Republicans are defending more safe ground in 2020 than the Democrats, so they may be in a better position to extend their narrow advantage.