Dems try to pull closer to GOP with governors’ wins
Democrats tried Tuesday to fight their way back to power in state capitols across the country by reclaiming governors’ seats in key Midwest states, major steps in their nationwide strategy to reverse years of Republican gains in state capitols.
Still, their early victories in Kansas, Illinois and Michigan were balanced by Republicans holding on to one of the top prizes, Florida, and the governor’s offices in Ohio and Arizona. All three states will figure prominently in the presidential map in two years.
The other most closely watched governor’s race — in Georgia between Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp — remained too close to call Tuesday night.
In Michigan, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer defeated Republican Bill Schuette, upending years of Republican control in the state. The former legislative leader will become the second female governor in a state where Democrats heavily targeted other statewide and legislative offices.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in Illinois lost his bid for a second term to Democrat J.B. Pritzker. The billionaire appears to have capitalized not only on Rauner’s lack of popularity but broader dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump.
And in Kansas, Democratic state lawmaker Laura Kelly defeated Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a close ally of Trump.
New Mexico also tipped into the Democratic column, with voters choosing Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham to succeed two-term Republican Gov. Susana Martinez. The campaign had been defined by con- flicts over struggling public schools and high poverty rates.
Democrats Andrew Cuomo in New York and Tom Wolf in Pennsylvania easily won re-election, as did two Republicans in Democratic-leaning states — Larry Hogan in Maryland and Charlie Baker in Massachusetts.
In California, Democrat Gavin Newsom was elected governor.
In all, voters were choosing 36 governors and 6,089 state legislators in general and special elections that have attracted record amounts of spending from national Democratic and Republican groups.
Republicans are in control more often than not in state capitols across the country, but Democrats were trying to pull a little closer.
Democrats were hoping enthusiasm among their voters also could flip the governor’s seat in Iowa, as well as in traditional battleground states Nevada and Wisconsin.
The political parties are trying not only to win now, but also to put themselves in strong position for the elections two years from now that will determine which party will have the upper hand in redrawing congressional and state leg- islative districts.
Voters also were deciding ballot measures in four states — Colorado, Michigan, Missouri and Utah — that propose to overhaul the redistricting process and reduce the likelihood of partisan gerrymandering by either major party.
Republicans entered Tuesday’s election with a sizable advantage, controlling two-thirds of the 99 state legislative chambers and 33 governors’ offices. The GOP held a trifecta of power in 25 states, compared with just eight for Democrats.
Democrats will gain full control in Illinois by winning the governor’s race, and in New York even a slight gain by Democrats could wrest the state Senate from Republicans and give them a governing trifecta.
The governor’s races have extra emphasis in 28 states where the winners will serve four-year terms with the potential power to approve or reject district boundaries drawn for Congress or state legislatures.
In Guam, former Democratic lawmaker and current Bank of Guam President Lou Leon Guerrero was elected the first female governor of the U.S. territory. She will be the ninth elected governor of Guam.