Governing Magazine—which is probably even nerdier than PubliCola—is handicapping the next round of governor’s races.
They’ve got seven of the 14 races in the Republican column, four in the Democratic column, and three as “toss ups.” One of those three: Washington state.
10. Washington (D-held). Washington state hasn’t elected a Republican governor since John Spellman in 1980, but the GOP is excited about a strong potential candidate for 2012: state Attorney General Rob McKenna. If he runs, as many expect, the race would likely be a tossup. Two-term Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire would be able to run for a third term if she wishes. If she doesn’t, contenders could include Rep. Jay Inslee, King County Executive Dow Constantine or state Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown.
I wouldn’t count on state Sen. Brown making a run for it, but in addition to the much-anticipated Rep. Inslee run, we wouldn’t be surprised if Constantine makes a go at it too. McKenna, obviously, is the GOP’s big hope.
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