Parties seem to split governor’s races

Democrats took back the governor’s offices in Illinois and Michigan on Tuesday, early victories in a nationwide strategy to consolidate power in their traditional strongholds and chip away at years of Republican dominance in numerous other state capitols.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner conceded to his Democratic opponent, J.B. Pritzker, less than an hour after polls closed. Pritzker, a billionaire, appears to have capitalized not only on Rauner’s lack of popularity but broader dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump.

Elsewhere, Republicans were celebrating the re-election of Gov. Larry Hogan in Maryland, a Democratic state that nevertheless returned the popular moderate for a second term. He had been challenged by Democrat Ben Jealous.

Hogan thus becomes the first Republican governor to win re-election since 1954 and only the second to do so in the state’s history.

Republicans are in control more often than not in state capitols across the country, but Democrats were trying to pull a little closer in elections Tuesday for governor and state legislature.

While Rauner lost his bid for another term, voters opted to return other incumbent governors, including Democrats Andrew Cuomo in New York and Tom Wolf in Pennsylvania, and Republican Charlie Baker in Massachusetts. Voters also gave full terms to South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, both Republicans who had been elevated from lieutenant governor last year.

Attorney General Mike DeWine won in Ohio.

Republican businessman Kevin Stitt won Oklahoma’s open gubernatorial seat, defeating former Democratic attorney general Drew Edmondson in the race to replace term-limited Republican Mary Fallin.

There were no quick victories in the closely contested open governor’s races in Florida and Georgia.

The political parties were 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 legislative districts.

A large-scale reversal of state political fortunes appeared to be a long shot.

“It’s a year that could be good for Dems,” said Jon Thompson, a spokesman for the Republican Governors Association. “But Republicans are still in a good position to hold a large majority of governorships.”