Governor News & Analysis

Democratic Win in Kentucky Proves Candidates Still Matter

by Ryan Matsumoto November 6, 2019 · 10:37 AM EST

On Tuesday, voters in Kentucky headed to the polls to vote in elections for governor and other state executive offices. Democratic state Attorney General Andy Beshear defeated Republican Gov. Matt Bevin 49.2 percent to 48.8 percent, a margin of just 5150 votes out of 1,442,622 votes cast.

Beshear declared…

7 Things I Think I Think After the 2019 Elections

by Nathan L. Gonzales November 6, 2019 · 8:45 AM EST

Voters in Kentucky, Mississippi, and Virginia were gracious enough to go to the polls on Tuesday and give us some tangible results to chew over with 12 months to go before the 2020 elections. Here are some thoughts.

Kentucky was not an upset. Inside Elections changed its rating on the…

Louisiana Governor: Key Takeaways from the Primary Election

by Ryan Matsumoto October 14, 2019 · 11:49 AM EDT

The recent race in Louisiana may not be a bellwether, but it’s more evidence of the growing geographic divide in the country. 

On Saturday, voters in Louisiana headed to the polls to vote in the primary election for governor. Louisiana has a “jungle primary” system, where all candidates regardless of…

Louisiana Governor: Republicans Pushing for Overtime

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 27, 2019 · 2:29 PM EDT

With the North Carolina special elections in the rearview mirror, the next high-profile race will take place next month in Louisiana, where voters are electing a governor. Extrapolating the results will be complicated considering it’s a non-federal race in an off-year. But that won’t stop politicos and reporters from fawning…

2019 Gubernatorial Overview: Democrats Remain Competitive in Three Red States

by Leah Askarinam July 19, 2019 · 2:29 PM EDT

While the 2020 races are still getting started, three states are electing a governor later this year. All three (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kentucky) take place in Republican states, but Democrats have an opportunity to win at least a couple races, if not all three. But they could also get swept. 

Campaign Ad Spending 2020: What’s Your Number?

by Steve Passwaiter June 26, 2019 · 11:00 AM EDT

Most people in politics are intensely focused on President Donald Trump’s polling numbers in battleground states or the latest horse race numbers in the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination. For those of us in the CMAG group at Kantar, it’s that time of the election cycle when everyone is…

Montana At-Large: Does Open Seat Help or Hurt Democrats’ Pickup Opportunity?

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 11, 2019 · 2:52 PM EDT

Parties crave open seats, considering the vast majority of incumbents win re-election. But in the case of Montana’s at-large district, Democrats may have lost their preferred opponent when Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte filed to run for governor.

While it might have been daunting for Democrats to face Gianforte’s personal wealth…

Why a GOP Super PAC is Bothering to Attack Steve Bullock’s Bid for President

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 7, 2019 · 3:44 PM EDT

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock isn’t one of the leading Democratic contenders for the 2020 presidential nomination, but he’s learning how to turn a Republican attack into an asset for his campaign.

On May 29, the GOP-affiliated Senate Leadership Fund started a television ad campaign in the Missoula media market, according…

(Mostly) Political One-Liners: Pennsylvania Special, Kentucky Governor, and the Trail Blazers

by Nathan L. Gonzales May 23, 2019 · 10:49 AM EDT

California’s 48th District: The Orange County Republican Party endorsed County Supervisor Michelle Steel on Monday in the race against freshman Democratic Rep. Harley Rouda, which could give pause to potential candidates such as former state Sen. Janet Nguyen.

Colorado Senate: Former District Attorney John Walsh, a Democrat, came by the…

2020 House Overview (May 17, 2019): North Carolina - Wyoming

May 17, 2019 · 2:27 PM EDT

North Carolina. 

2nd District (George Holding, R, re-elected 51%). Trump 53%. Some Democrats are hoping Iraq/Afghanistan war veteran Scott Cooper puts them over the edge in the Raleigh suburbs, but Sarah Crawford, who lost an expensive 2014 state Senate race against a GOP incumbent, could run too. Former state Rep.…