There is a lot of polling data flying around about the 2006 races and it ranges from moderately hopeful, to wildly promising. But with all of the hubub over the BIG QUESTION of whether the Dems can defy the odds and take back Congress, it is easy to miss the overall shape of the governor's races. An updated infographic from the WSJ paints a very pretty picture.
Take a look at this map (click the "Gubernatorial Races" tab in the upper right corner to switch from the default Senate view)
http://online.wsj.com/...
Just look at all the red names that are projected to turn blue. Even better, the battleground is all on their turf this time around: with the exception of Iowa, no Dem seats are seriously in play. We are headed toward flipping a 28:22 Republican advantage to as much as a 30:20 Democrat edge.
While the governors don't hold majority votes on important national issues, this is potentially very significant for our long-term national prospects. Besides their executive powers, governors bring a lot of fundraising clout to state politics. They frequently go on to become presidents, vice-presidents, cabinet officials, senators, and Supreme Court justices. To really win in 2006 we need to turn the entire wheel of political momentum in our favor by building from the local level up. How we fare in the gubernatorial races is a great benchmark of the progress that we are making.
One caveat: most of these races happen to be in blue states. Colorado and Arkansas are great, but our real test will be spreading deeper into the south and west. A popular dem governor in a red state can shift the entire political culture and send ripples down the ballot.