Dems make statehouse gains, but lose some key races

Republicans fended off strong Democratic challenges Tuesday to hold on to the governorships of Florida and Ohio, maintaining their control of two states likely to be critical in the 2020 presidential elections.

But Democrats seized governorships in three states now controlled by Republicans: Illinois, Michigan and, in a surprise outcome in a Republican stronghold, Kansas.

The result, while expanding the number of states with Democratic chief executives — an important consideration as Legislatures begin the process of drawing congressional district lines — fell short of what many party leaders were hoping for.

The victory in Florida by Ron DeSantis, a Republican supporter of President Trump, turned back the historic effort by Andrew Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor, seeking to become the first African American governor of his state.

But the loss by Kris Kobach in Kansas, a deeply conservative secretary of state and also a staunch ally of Trump, marked a setback for the party in one of the most conservative regions in the country. He was beaten by Laura Kelly, a Democratic member of the Kansas Senate.

In Georgia, Democrat Stacey Abrams was seeking to become the first black woman in American history elected governor in any state. Early returns showed Republican Brian Kemp running up large margins across rural and small-town Georgia, but parts of metro Atlanta, where Abrams’ strength is concentrated, had yet to report.

Democrats captured Republican-held gubernatorial seats in Illinois and Michigan. J.B. Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, defeated Bruce Rauner, who has been governor of Illinois since 2015, and Gretchen Whitmer, a former member of the Michigan state legislature, defeated Bill Schuette, the Republican attorney general who also ran with the support of Trump.

In Ohio, Mike DeWine, the Republican attorney general, defeated Democrat Richard Cordray.

In Colorado, Jared Polis became the first openly gay man elected governor, defeating Republican Walker Stapleton. Christine Hallquist of Vermont failed in her bid to become the first transgender governor in the nation Tuesday, as Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, handily turned back her challenge and captured a second term as the state’s chief executive.