Several Republican governors are preparing to face primary challenges in 2022, with many driven, in part, by conservative backlash to COVID mitigation efforts. Almost all remain long-shot efforts, and the results in the mostly deep-red states won't have much bearing on which party ends up holding the seat. But the contests are worth watching to see how potent the issue remains among the GOP faithful and given how rare it is for an incumbent governor to lose re-nomination.
As of now, at least four Republican governors are facing pandemic-inspired challengers. Here's a quick rundown, from most to least serious, of how the races are shaping up so far.
IdahoThe contest against Gov. Brad Little has already been one of the most dramatic. Most of the theatrics have come at the hand of his own lieutenant governor (who is independently elected and didn't run with Little) Janice McGeachin. When Little is out of the state, the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor — typically a designation only used in emergencies. But McGeachin has used Little's trips out of
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