Fox News Power Rankings: Three governor’s races to watch on election night
All eyes will be on the governor’s mansions in New Hampshire, North Carolina and Washington this November as voters in 11 states head to the polls.
Retiring incumbents give both parties chances to flip states
The biggest challenge for gubernatorial candidates this year is getting noticed.
With the presidency at stake and control of the House and Senate also up for grabs, it is easy to forget that a few governor’s races could also change hands.
But there are exciting statewide races.
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In New Hampshire, Democrats are chasing a win in a hotly contested race after Republican Gov. Chris Sununu decided not to run for re-election.
Republicans are looking to flip North Carolina. In the last two cycles, voters elected term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to office twice while simultaneously choosing Trump for president. That battle will be won or lost on ticket-splitting.
Additionally, while Democrats have a clear advantage in Washington, the GOP hopes that bringing a sheriff to town will keep the race close.
Republicans will also play defense in seven safe states, including North Dakota, Utah and Vermont, while Democrats have a safe race ahead in Delaware.
New Hampshire
The most competitive race on the map is New Hampshire, where Sununu announced he was not running for a fifth term this year.
The governor is one of a handful of Northeast Republicans who have proven popular with the electorate for sound fiscal management while staying out of the culture wars. Last time he was on the ballot in a presidential cycle, he won by nearly 32 points.
New Hampshire is yet to hold its gubernatorial primary, but leading Republican candidates this time include former Sen.