(NewsNation) — As the 2024 general election comes into view, there are three gubernatorial races Americans should keep their eyes on: New Hampshire, North Carolina and Washington State.
The incumbent governors in all three states have decided not to seek reelection this fall, leaving their seats wide open for a new name and potential party upset. In each of the three states, the close governor races could determine which way the state leans politically.
New Hampshire: Kelly Ayotte vs. Joyce Craig
New Hampshire’s Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has chosen not to seek a fifth term as governor, with the state being one of two where a governor is elected every two years. As a result, the seat is now up for grabs and has morphed into one of the few competitive governor races this year.
The state has historically voted blue, with Democrats making up all four members of its Congressional delegation. But Republican Sununu also scored four terms as governor and Republicans hold the edge in the state legislature.
The outgoing governor backed former Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who lost her Senate seat in 2016 to Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan. Ayotte will face Democrat Joyce Craig, who served as mayor of Manchester and was backed by Hassan and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.
North Carolina: Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson vs. AG Josh Stein
A potentially historic governor’s race pits North Carolina’s centrist tendencies against the rise of populist conservatism in the era of former President Donald Trump’s Republican party.
The Republican nominee is Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a 55-year-old who, if he wins, would be the state’s first Black governor. Democrats have chosen Attorney General Josh Stein, a 57-year-old who is trying to keep the office in his party’s control after two terms under outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
Most polls in recent months have shown Stein leading Robinson, an ally of Trump who has drawn criticism for his past rhetoric on everything from abortion to the civil rights movement.
Some Republicans fear Robinson’s controversial persona could cost them the governor’s mansion — and the challenge will be even tougher for him as Vice President Harris has seemingly made inroads in the state as well. Meanwhile, the state is also a must-win for Trump if he is to make it back to the White House in January.
On Thursday, Robinson continued to come under fire after CNN published an article claiming he made disturbing racial and sexual comments on a pornography forum. Amid calls for him to step out of the race, Robinson defiantly announced in a video on X that he planned on staying in the race and denied the claims made in the article.
Washington: AG Bob Ferguson vs. Dave Reichert
Washington has voted Democrats into the governor’s mansion since the mid-1980s, but this year, the race for Washington state’s governor has emerged as unexpectedly competitive.
Gov. Jay Inslee’s decision to retire attracted a crowded field of candidates for the state’s nonpartisan primary, from which Washington’s Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson and former Republican Rep. Dave Reichert advanced to the November ballot.
Ferguson, who’s been the state’s top attorney for more than a decade, has Inslee’s endorsement to succeed him. Reichert, a former sheriff, snagged recognition among constituents for helping catch Washington State’s “Green River Killer.”
Cook Political Report shifted the seat from “solid” to “likely” Democrat in February, and then again to “lean” Democrat in June. After the primary, and after Harris launched her campaign, the race shifted back to “likely” blue. But the election handicapper noted Reichert “still has a path” to flipping the state. One Cygnal poll from late August found Ferguson up just three points.
The Hill contributed to this report.
