Election Watch 2008
Gvoernors - Current Democratic Seats
Below are the Governors' seats, currently held by Democratic incumbents (whose names are in bold.
Delaware - OPEN (Minner) —Democrat incumbent Ruth Ann Miller is term limited, and while the Democratic primary saw State Treasurer Jack Markell upset Lieutenant Governor John Carney by just 1700 votes, few expect Markell to have any trouble with retired State Supreme Court Justice Bill Lee (R).
Montana - Brian Schweitzer —Incumbent Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) barely squeaked into office in 2004, but now faces an easy reelection bid against State Senator Roy Brown (R). The folksy Schweitzer-known for making formal appearances in jeans and a bolo tie-has become a national symbol of Democratic hopes in traditionally red Western states.
New Hampshire - John Lynch —New Hampshire Republicans are hopeful about their chances next week in New Hampshire, with a shot at winning back a lost Congressional seat and carrying the state for John McCain. Retaking the Governor's mansion from popular Democratic incumbent John Lynch is where their hopes end. State Senator Joe Kenney (R) should split any opposition to the popular Lynch with Libertarian Susan Newell and Independent David Carleton Boyle.
North Carolina - OPEN (Easley) —Democrats have held the North Carolina Governor's Mansion for 16 years, the last eight by term-limited incumbent Mike Easley. Races in North Carolina are extremely competitive up and down the ticket this year, and the gubernatorial race is no exception. Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue (D) has been tied or slightly ahead of seven-term Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory. One key question in this race is whether the popular McCrory, credited with his city's explosive growth in recent years, can reverse the state's tradition of defeating statewide candidates that hail from Charlotte. The state's surprising competitiveness at the presidential level may play a role as well.
Washington - Gregoire —Four years ago, Washington saw a titanic battle between Christine Gregoire (D) and former State Senator Dino Rossi (R). Gregoire was eventually declared the winner by 133 votes months after election day and this only after numerous recounts and court battles. For this year's rematch, the rules are slightly different. All candidates, regardless of party, ran in an open primary in August, with the top two vote getters advancing to the general election. Another wrinkle was that instead of party labels, candidates could choose to have "prefers Democratic Party" or "prefers GOP" printed beside their names on the ballot. Gregoire ran ahead of Rossi by fewer than 28,000 votes out of 1.4 million cast. Democrats subsequently challenged Rossi's "prefers GOP" label in court as confusing, to no avail. If past history is any guide, look for this race to go down to the wire, or as in four years ago, even beyond it.
West Virginia - Joe Manchin —Governor Joe Manchin (D) is facing former State Senator Russ Weeks in his first reelection bid, but does not seemed overly concerned with the challenge, given his new role as Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association and the extensive out-of-state travel and responsibilities that come with it. Nevertheless, expect Manchin to easily win reelection.
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