Good morning, it’s Tuesday, October 29, 2024. In today’s edition, previewing this year’s gubernatorial elections, Dems take a stab at Indiana, U.S. Rep. Rose to announce Tennessee governor’s bid:
Top Stories
ELECTIONS: Voters in 11 states will elect new governors this year, including eight states where incumbents are not seeking a new term. Only a handful are competitive in a year in which every single incumbent party appears set to hold the seats they already control — with one potential exception.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Polls show a tight contest between former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) and former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig (D). Ayotte has led every public survey since the September primary, but never by more than three percentage points. Ayotte has pulled in far more money than Craig, who is making her campaign a referendum on abortion rights.
WASHINGTON: Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) appears likely to beat former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R), continuing a Democratic winning streak in Washington State governor’s races that stretches back four decades. Reichert is the best possible candidate Republicans could have recruited, but Ferguson’s lead is a testament to Washington’s blue hue.
NORTH CAROLINA: Most Republican candidates would have made the race to replace retiring Gov. Roy Cooper (D) a close one. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) is not most Republican candidates. The unapologetic culture warrior with an alleged habit of posting lewd comments on pornographic websites appears set to lose to Attorney General Josh Stein (D) by double digits.
INDIANA: U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R) is likely to win election, but by a margin that might be closer than some expected at the beginning of this contest. That’s because of the presence of Donald Rainwater, a Libertarian who won 11% of the vote in 2020. Democrats have spent money on behalf of former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick (D), but Indiana’s red streak appears set to continue.
OPEN SEATS: New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer (D) looks set to become Delaware’s new governor. Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe (R), survivor of a tough GOP primary, leads his Democratic opponent. U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R) is likely to continue North Dakota’s string of Republican governors. And West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) is set to replace outgoing Gov. Jim Justice (R).
INCUMBENTS: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) and Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) are all running well ahead of Democratic opponents. Cox faces a threat from a former Republican rival, state Rep. Phil Lyman (R), who is running as a write-in, but Cox is still likely to win a second term.
Read more at Pluribus News, and don’t miss our event previewing all these races with Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R).
In Politics & Business
INDIANA: The Democratic Governors Association has dumped another $275,000 into former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick’s (D) campaign, bringing their total investment to $1.9 million. The Republican Governors Association has given $1.5 million to U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s (R) campaign. (Indianapolis Star)
WASHINGTON: The FBI and local law enforcement are investigating a fire caused by an “incendiary device” that damaged hundreds of ballots in a drop box in Vancouver, Wash., on Monday. Police identified a suspect vehicle tied to the fire and another one at a Portland drop box. (Seattle Times)
PENNSYLVANIA: Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D) has filed suit to halt a $1 million giveaway offered by America PAC, the super PAC funded by Elon Musk. Krasner said the prize amounted to a lottery that had to be regulated under state law. (Harrisburg Patriot-News)
TENNESSEE: U.S. Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.) is telling officials on a last-minute campaign swing that he will announce his campaign for governor shortly after the election. Gov. Bill Lee (R) faces term limits. (State Affairs)
Others said to be considering a bid include Rep. Mark Green (R), Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R) and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs (R), also known as Kane from his WWE days.
By The Numbers
$2.4 million: The amount of revenue Connecticut generated from a 5-cent fee on alcohol nips, those small single-serve bottles, over the second and third quarters of the year. That means Connecticut residents purchased about 48.8 million nips in that six-month window. (New Haven Register)
$46 million: The amount of stolen merchandise recovered by California law enforcement officials during a year-long crackdown on retail theft. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Monday the surge had led to 3,200 arrests. (Los Angeles Times)
$2.5 million: The amount former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D) has donated to a campaign against Massachusetts Question 2, which would eliminate testing requirements for high school graduates. Teachers unions are backing the ballot question. (WBUR)
Off The Wall
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his wife M.K. welcomed trick-or-treaters to the governor’s mansion on Saturday dressed as Shrek and Fiona. The video is worth a watch. (ABC 7 Chicago)
A quirk in Nebraska law makes it the only state where residents can be pressed into compulsory duty as election workers, akin to jury service. Residents who ignore a summons to serve as a poll worker face fines of up to $100. (Associated Press)
We’ve told you about giant pumpkins winning contests in Alaska, Minnesota and California, but how about the Oregon man who paddled a hollowed-out pumpkin 46 miles down the Columbia River? Gary Kristensen, of Happy Valley, now holds the record for the longest distance traveled in a pumpkin. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Quote of the Day
“I could say, definitively, I have ruled out running for Middletown Township.”
— New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D), ruling out a bid for local office after his term expires. Murphy was reacting to Delaware Gov. John Carney’s (D) bid for mayor of his hometown, Wilmington. Murphy didn’t win a majority in Middletown during either of his two runs for governor. (New Jersey Globe)