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Gubernatorial Watch: News & Notes
2008-04-02 06:33:00 Let's take a look at the latest news from gubernatorial races around the country. Click here for our latest gubernatorial rankings.DelawareRepublican chances of taking Delaware's open gubernatorial seat continue to fade as another hopeful passed on the race this week. State Representative Donna Stone declined a bid, citing the difficulty in facing one of two well funded and well known Democrats. Though term limited Democratic Governor Ruth Ann Minner (pictured) earned just 51% of the vote in 2004, Republicans have failed to field a top tier candidate. Retired judge Bill Lee, who garnered 45% of the vote against Minner in 2004, passed on a rematch. Businessman Alan Levin, who spent months testing the water, announced in January that he would not run and longtime House Speaker Terry Spence also confirmed he would not seek the office. Republican leaders aren't excited about either of the two men currently in the race--Dave Graham and Mike Protack, both of whom ran in the primary...
By: Political Realm
Gubernatorial Watch: News And Notes
2008-02-28 06:58:00 Let's take a look at the latest news from gubernatorial races around the country.IndianaRepublican Governor Mitch Daniels (pictured), seeking a second term, begins the year with a comfortable lead over two Democratic rivals according to a new poll. Daniels leads former Congresswoman Jill Long Thompson 56%-33%, while his lead over architect Jim Schellinger is 54%-31%. Several earlier polls had pegged the race as too close to call, leading many to speculate that Daniels was in trouble. Despite the wide margin in this survey, we do expect the race to tighten come November for several reasons. First, the two Democrats have extremely low name recognition right now, even among voters within their party. Second, peripheral numbers suggest there is an opportunity here for Democrats. Just 52% of Indiana voters have a favorable view of the governor, while only 41% say they'd like to see him re-elected. By a 40%-37%, voters see the state heading on the wrong track. Daniels is clearly ...
By: Political Realm
Gubernatorial Watch: Rankings
2008-01-28 15:55:00 Following major gains in 2006, Democrats hold a 28-22 majority heading into 2008, when 11 seats are up for grabs. Of those races, just a few are likely to be competitive.1. Missouri (Open-R) [1]: Missouri Governor Matt Blunt (pictured) was considered the most vulnerable incumbent this cycle, so his surprising announcement that he will not seek a second term doesn't change the status of this race too much. In fact, some Republicans believe the party will end up with a stronger nominee. The Republicans have a deep bench and several candidates preparing to take Blunt's place, but this develop does boost Democratic chances. Attorney General Jay Nixon had been leading Blunt in most polls and will now have a fundraising and organizational head start on his opponent, who will have to survive a potentially bruising primary. VERDICT: Leans Democratic Takeover2. Indiana (Daniels-R) [3]: Republican incumbent Mitch Daniels begins 2008 with a sizable financial advantage over his two Democrati...
By: Political Realm
Gubernatorial Watch: Ad Wars
2008-01-26 17:18:00 Stay up to date on the latest political videos by subscribing to Political Realm TV.Missouri: Matt BluntRepublican Governor Matt Blunt made a surprising announcement this week that he would not seek a second term. Battling low approval ratings, Blunt was preparing for a tough battle with Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon. Here's Blunt's announcement:North Carolina: Richard MooreHere's the first ad from North Carolina Treasurer Richard Moore. The ad runs 2 minutes and hits on a number of issues. Polling shows Moore in a tough Democratic primary fight with Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue.North Carolina: Beverly PerdueHere are the first two ads from the Perdue campaign. Perdue holds a slight lead over Richard Moore for the Democratic nomination. Democratic Governor Mike Easley is barred by term limits from running again. The first ad, "Health Care," addresses just that.The second ad, "Love And Faith," tells of Perdue's background in public service.
By: Political Realm
Gubernatorial Watch: Missouri's Blunt Drops Out
2008-01-23 20:50:00 Missouri Governor Matt Blunt announced yesterday that he would not seek a second term, suggesting that he had accomplished his goals and wanted to spend more time with his family. The shocking announcement has set off a political scramble and turned what was expected to be one of the tightest gubernatorial races of the cycle on its head.Blunt (pictured), son of House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, was elected in 2004 as the second youngest governor in the state's history. His term saw budget cuts and a battle over stem cell research, while being marred by low approval ratings. Despite trailing in most polls to Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon, a second term was not out of reach and Blunt's decision comes as a true surprise--some on his own staff weren't even informed before the announcement. He had already raised millions of dollars for the race and had begun airing television ads.Blunt's move, however, allows him to leave on his own terms, perhaps saving face for a political...
By: Political Realm
Gubernatorial Watch: News And Notes
2008-01-08 20:34:00 IndianaThough previous polling has shown Republican Governor Mitch Daniels (pictured) in trouble against two Democratic challengers, new figures suggest his lead may be more comfortable than first believed. Daniels holds double-digit leads over former Congresswoman Jill Long Thompson and architect Jim Schellinger, though he fails to break 50% against either challenger. We'll have to wait for further polling to confirm whether these results are outliers or a more accurate assessment of the race.MissouriRecent polling shows Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon (pictured) maintaining a small lead over Republican Governor Matt Blunt, 47%42%. The two campaigns have also been forced to return millions in donations to comply with renewed campaign contribution limits. The decision, backed by the state Supreme Court, will force Blunt to return more than $4 million and Nixon $1 million. Those returns will even the play field significantly for Nixon, who had been trailing Blunt's fundr...
By: Political Realm
Gubernatorial Watch: Rankings
2007-11-20 06:33:00 The 2007 elections earlier this month took the top two seats off the board, with Democrat Steve Beshear knocking off Ernie Fletcher in Kentucky and Republican Bobby Jindal picking up the open seat in Louisiana, both in convincing fashion. Those results, along with Republican Haley Barbour's re-election in Mississippi ensured that Democrats would maintain their 28-22 majority heading into 2008, when 11 seats are up for grabs. Only a handful of those seats appear competitive at this point, so don't expect significant changes in landscape next year.1. Missouri (Blunt-R) [3]: At least one recent poll shows that Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon (right) has pulled ahead of Republican Governor Matt Blunt. Trailing at this point is not a good sign for Blunt, the nation's youngest governor, who is seeking his second term. Blunt won narrowly in 2004 and his approval ratings are less than stellar. Look for another close race in 2008, which could be affected by the presidential rac...
By: Political Realm
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