REPUBLICANS are playing defense on both the federal and the state levels this election season. Along with the Senate and House, they also hold a majority of governorships. While the fate of the GOP’s congressional majorities may be in doubt, it’s a sure bet that Republicans will lose their 28-22 gubernatorial majority in November.
The Republicans are up against some bad math this year. Democrats hold only 14 of the 36 governorships on November ballots, and Republicans hold nine of the ten without an incumbent seeking reelection. Noting that “the math is terrible for us,” Gov. Mitt Romney, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, would regard a net loss of four Republican governorships as “a dream come true.” As head of the Republicans’ campaign arm, Romney has set a record for fundraising, with $20 million in campaign cash this year compared with $14 million raised on behalf of Democratic candidates. But this year Republicans face an electoral map that money can’t alter.
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