The State of the States: The Governors

[brooklynite]

UVA Center for Politics (Larry Sabato)

As noted in a previous edition of the Crystal Ball, even at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, it was clear that, politically, the biggest beneficiaries seemed to be governors. With few exceptions, governors across the board have seen their approval ratings rise, often by double-digits.

It remains unclear whether these ratings will stay elevated. Additionally, most gubernatorial elections are held in the midterm year as opposed to the presidential — so there’s still plenty of time for new developments to change people’s perceptions of their governors.

That said, it is difficult to imagine a new state political issue, beyond coronavirus, that puts governors on the spot in such a way. One possibility is that the immediate response to the coronavirus, which has united many voters behind their governors, gives way to thornier, more divisive arguments about how to handle the process of reopening states and dealing with the economic fallout. That may provide challengers to now-popular incumbents with an avenue of attack that they don’t possess now.

Only 11 states will hold gubernatorial elections this fall. From what we’ve seen so far, it makes sense that, given the elevated standing of chief executives across the county, we’d reconsider some ratings. This week, we have three rating changes, each in favor of an incumbent.

[dweller]

1. YAY

NC COOPER -- LIKELY DEM

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