North Carolina and Washington Gubernatorial Races Shift Toward Democrats

Although races for governor are fundamentally different from federal races, this summer there were still palpable worries among Democrats that diminished enthusiasm for President Joe Biden could cost them winnable races in North Carolina and Washington State.

But with Vice President Kamala Harris atop the ticket, Democrats in both states are feeling better about their chances — and an influx of money and encouraging primary results are bolstering their hopes of keeping both open seats in their column.

Democrats now have stronger advantages in both contests. As such, we are shifting both races in Democrats’ direction — North Carolina from Toss Up to Lean Democrat, and Washington from Lean to Likely Democrat.

Heading into Labor Day, Attorney General Josh Stein and his Democratic allies have pulverized Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and GOP outside groups on air by a more than two-to-one margin. The shakeup at the top of the ticket has helped to energize the Democratic base, which has also helped Stein open up a consistent lead over his polarizing Republican opponent.

Stein’s campaign itself has