2005 and 2006 Gubernatorial races - how is yours shaping up?

[UrbScotty]

38 states have gubernatorial elections this year or next.

If your state is one of them, tell us what your state's guv race is looking like.

Things aren't too bad for Jennifer Granholm. She led "Amway Ayatollah" Dick DeVos 51-33 in a poll a few weeks ago. If you don't know, DeVos is your typical corporate cheap-labor conservative... and then some. This guy is a f***ing billionaire, for crying out loud. That's because he presided over the outsourcing of thousands of jobs to China as CEO of Amway, co-founded by his dad.

The issue will likely be (surprise) the economy. Granholm has taken two trips overseas in the past year letting companies know that if they want to expand, they should look at Michigan. DeVos, meanwhile, told thousands of Michiganders that if they want to keep their jobs, they should move to China and not come back.

I hope voters will realize the difference between what Granholm has done and what Engler did/what DeVos would do.

[Son of California]

1. gearing up to take a big dump on Arnie

We'll be sure to eat some corn the night before! haha.
honestly, I'm not sure, but I could of swore that there are already 2-3 possible Dem candidates running ahead of him in the polls.

[UrbScotty]

3. Your treasurer, Angelides, was leading by two points

Granted, two points isn't anything statistically, but if you're an actor-tyurned-governor and you're not leading big time at this stage in the game, you are in trouble.

Have fun taking your dump! :evilgrin:

[terrya]

2. Here in Illinois, Governor Rod Blagojevich has $14 million raised.

No real Republican opposition so far. I think the GOP here wants former Governor Jim Edgar to run. I strongly suspect he won't.

I think, in spite of his lower poll numbers, Blagojevich should easily win re-election. I don't think the Illinois GOP has its act together yet.

[murielm99]

4. I hope you are right.

Blago received a lot of downstate support last time. I don't know that he will get it this time. He has been criticized quite a bit for his junkyard dog style of governing. There are a few scandals attached to him, too.

I don't think the only repuke who has announced has much of a chance. He used to be on the State Board of Education, which Blago got rid of. I think he was right to get rid of it. It was an unwieldy bureaucracy.

When does Ryan's trial start? That might help Blagojevich quite a bit.

[terrya]

5. Not sure when Ryan's trial will start.

Yes, a Ryan trial during the campaign would really help Blagojevich's campaign.

I've been seeing these campaign ads for this guy named Ron Gidwitz. He must be Mr.Moneybags, since his commericals have been shown daily here in Chicago for awhile. Other than that, none of the other suggested candidates have aired any ads.

[murielm99]

7. Gidwitz is the Board of Ed. guy. I don't think he will be much

opposition.

[terrya]

8. Ok. I wasn't sure.

Thanks for the info.

[Joanne98]

6. Ohio's just great with Taft at 13% approval rating.......

It's too bad he's retiring. I hope Blackwell is their candidate. DeWine is in trouble. The fundies are out to punish him for being on the "Save the fillibuster" comittee. Ohio looks GREAT!

[terrya]

9. I think Blackwell will be the candidate.

Besides the 2004 issue, Blackwell is a real piece of work. Right wing fundamentalist, right? Perfectly in tune with Rove and the Bush White House. It would be a disaster if Ohio elects this man governor.

[WCGreen]

14. Look for Springer to announce for gov

January 1 or 2nd.....

75% of this happening.....

[UrbScotty]

15. Do you think he'd really run? (nt)

[OzarkDem]

18. Sure, he'll try

he has a really big ego. I don't think he would win the primary, though.

[WCGreen]

19. I met with him last summer and he was seriously taking to

The people here in the Cleveland area about running......

He plans to spend a lot of his own money and has this idea about pooling all the people of Ohio into one giant health care plan then go out and shop it with the big insurance compabies....


Talk about spreading the risk...

The guy is smart, loaded and wants to be governor....

He's got my support

[OzarkDem]

17. Strickland and Coleman

have both been able to raise quite a bit of money, over $1mil each. That's a sure sign that people expect R's to lose.

Its beginning to look as though Strickland will be the favorite candidate, with Coleman possibly running for another spot.

[ISUGRADIA]

20. What about Kasich entering the race?

I hear that is very likely soon with the other Reps excluding Blackwell clearing out.

[Kal Belgarion]

10. Very good! Spitzer's just about a shoe-in!

Gov. Pataki's not running again, as he's running 20+ points behind Democratic Atty. General Spitzer. The NY Repub party is already in rough shape, and I'll be surprised if they can come up with a warm body to run against the ever-popular Spitzer.

Spitzer'll be NY's Governor after 2006.

[Chicago Democrat]

11. Trouble in Illinois! Too many crooks and hacks.

I hate our corrupt hack Democratic governor Blagovitch. I hope he looses. I hate Daley; he's corrupt too. Illinois Democratic party is strong Nationally, but our local Dems are crooks and hacks.

[MarianJack]

12. Up Here in Maine...

...its going to be tough defending Gov. Baldacci. Granted, he has been his own worst enemy, but the rethugs have very little to put up, with the '02 warm body and a state senator to this point.

There was buzz about Sen. Collins making another bid for gov., but I've heard little about that lately.

What I'm pressing to others is this;

rethuglican gov. = rethuglican sec. of state. = diebold = bye bye fair elections in Maine!

In Baldacci's favor is that he is a master politician. To his detriment, so is Sen. Snowe, who may have a very easy race to a 3rd term, hence, potential coat tails.

It will be tough up here.

[nickshepDEM]

13. MD: Should be close. Ehrlich remains somewhat popular...

despite some controversial vetoes and a couple of scandals.

Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley and MoCo Executive Doug Duncan are both running in the Democratic primary. O'Malley is the heavy favorite in the primary, but the weaker General Election candidate, IMO.

[mconvente]

16. NJ looks good

Corzine has a 10 point or so lead. He should win pretty easily. I'll be voting for him!

[livinginphotographs]

21. VA looks good.

Kaine is still polling ahead of Kilgore the Prick last time I checked.

We constantly go for Repubs for president, yet Dem governors are pretty common here. I can't figure out why that is.

[FrenchieCat]

22. California will be Terminating the Governator.......

Not too soon enough for me.

[UrbScotty]

24. Hasta la vista, Ah-nuld!

:evilgrin:

[The Jacobin]

23. Texas

Repug Governor Goodhair (Rick Perry) has made a complete mess this year in the legislature. He ran on fixing the school system and two sessions and three special sessions later, we still have the same crappy school finance system.



The repugs are starting to split with Senator Hutchison looking to run, then deciding that taking the weakest governor seat in the union is a whole lot worse than being a senator. Then the Comptroller, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, also a repug has openly challenged for the seat.

On our side we have Chris Bell (yea!). Who?

After five years on the Houston City Council, Chris Bell was elected to Congress in November 2002 and quickly earned a reputation as an incredibly effective freshman. <...>

But serving in Congress also gave Chris a chance to see firsthand the crippling effect of cynical partisanship. Honest debate was less common than partisan gamesmanship, genuine compromise was virtually unheard of, and the public interest consistently took a backseat to political interest. Chris became a prime target of the infamous 2003 Republican redistricting effort in the Texas Legislature, and he was defeated in his bid for reelection after his district was redrawn.

Not content to stand idly by and stomach the violation of laws and abuse of power that accompanied the redistricting effort, Chris filed a formal ethics complaint against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in June, 2004, breaking a seven-year "ethics truce" in Congress. Four months later, the House Ethics Committee responded by unanimously admonishing DeLay on two of Chris's charges and leaving a third on the table pending a criminal investigation in Texas.

[FW_]

25. Florida

Florida, is well, Florida. Just as long as Scott Maddox isn't the Democratic candidate I'll be happy.

[Comicstripper]

26. Maryland looking strong

Martin O'Malley looking to secure Dem. nomination, polls look strong to defeat Ehrlich



Yes, that really is him

[blondeatlast]

27. LOVE IT! In AZ. the Republicans are scrambling to find anyone willing

to go up against Janet Napolitano.

Looks like we'll have another term with a governor willing to stare down our freak-of-politics state legislature!

[VADem11]

28. Kaine is doing pretty well

People are turning against Jerry and Kaine is a likeable moderate so he can appeal to republicans. Potts is taking away republicans from Kilgore and Warner said he will start campaigning more soon. We still need help but I think we have a good chance.

[dajoki]

29. in PA rendell SHOULD win...

leads by 6% over lynn swann, former steeler; leads by 3% over bill scranton III, former lt. governor. http://rasmussenreports.com/2005/Pennsylvania%20Governor.htm