WY-Gov: Freudenthal To Get Third Term?

Conventional wisdom held that the impending Wyoming Governor's race was over before it even began, a Republican lock. Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal was term-limited, and with the state soaked to the bone with Republicans (McCain hammered Obama 65-33 in Wyoming), it sure seemed the next election would heavily favor the GOP.

Conventional wisdom just got punked:

It now appears that Freudenthal may well seek a third term in 2010 -- thanks to a series of legal and political maneuvers that began more than two decades ago.
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After Democratic Gov. Ed Herschler served three consecutive terms into the mid-1980s, the state legislature passed a bill limiting Wyoming's chief executives to two terms. Then, in 1992, voters passed a ballot initiative that brought term limits to the state legislature in the finest "If it's good for the goose, it's good for the gander" tradition.

Fast-forward 12 years to a lawsuit brought by two term-limited legislators -- a Democrat and a Republican -- challenging the constitutionality of such limits. The state Supreme Court unanimously agreed that the term limits could not be imposed by ballot initiative, ruling that an amendment to the state constitution would be required.

While that decision did not apply to Wyoming's five statewide offices -- including governor -- there is a strong sense that if Freudenthal challenged the constitutionality of his own term limits, it would be a slam-dunk victory for the incumbent.

Well, well, well!

If Freudenthal did get a third term, he'd presumably skate to reelection. The wildly popular Governor cruised in 2006 with 70% of the vote - an impressive tally for any politician, but doubly so for a Democrat in a state like Wyoming.

The Governor's race might not be dead-on-arrival for a Democrat even if Freudenthal didn't run again. Despite the state's strong Republican tilt, it has only elected one Republican governor since 1974. Still, Democratic odds are a darn sight better with Freudenthal on the ticket than with someone else.