Trump puts moderate GOP governors in awkward spot

WASHINGTON >> These should be heady times for the GOP as the nation’s governors prepare to gather for their winter meeting in Washington, D.C. Republicans hold 33 governorships, compared with just 16 for Democrats, and the GOP has full control of the legislatures in two-thirds of the states.

But there is a sense of unease for Republican governors in Democratic-leaning states. They criticize President Donald Trump gently, picking their spots to appease the Democratic and independent voters they need to remain in office. At the same time, they don’t want to alienate Trump supporters.

For some, the best strategy is to avoid mentioning Trump at all.

Democrats sense an opening ahead of the 2018 elections and are taking any opportunity to link Republican governors to the president. Republicans will be defending 27 of the 38 governorships up for election this year and next. Nine of the GOP governors are in states Hillary Clinton carried last year.

“I think what the Trump administration has done, it has really made every Republican governor out there — especially a moderate Republican governor in a Democratic state — it has made them very vulnerable,” said Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat and chairman of the National Governors Association.

Republican governors who face re-election next year in states that voted for Clinton are Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Larry Hogan of Maryland, Bruce Rauner of Illinois, Phil Scott of Vermont and Chris Sununu of New Hampshire. Four other states that voted for Clinton have governors who will be forced out by term limits: Chris Christie in New Jersey; Paul LePage in Maine; Susana Martinez in New Mexico; and Brian Sandoval in Nevada.