There are just eleven gubernatorial races on the ballot this November, and only three are truly competitive. Open seats in North Carolina and New Hampshire are the biggest targets for both parties, but a third state is creeping up on the map — Washington.
Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee announced last year he wouldn’t seek an unprecedented fourth term, and in a presidential cycle in a state President Joe Biden carried by 19 points, this shouldn’t be a headache for Democrats. But that changed when Republicans landed a top-tier challenger in former Rep. Dave Reichert.
We shifted our rating from Solid to Likely Democrat back in February, and though we don’t have a ton of data yet, initial polls ahead of the August 6 all-party primary show an increasingly tight contest between Reichert and the Democratic frontrunner, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
A May 15-16 poll from Democratic firm Public Policy Polling for the Northwest Progressive Institute showed Ferguson and Reichert leading the field at 35% and 28%, respectively, followed by Republican Semi Bird (running to Reichert’s right) at 11% and
What is The Cook Political Report?
The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the US House of Representatives, US Senate, Governors and President as well as American political trends.
Subscribe Today
Our subscribers have first access to individual race pages for each House, Senate and Governors race, which will include race ratings (each race is rated on a seven-point scale) and a narrative analysis pertaining to that race.