Albert R. Hunt, Columnist

Why Democrats Are Bullish on Governors' Races, Too

The fight for the House is getting all the headlines, but wins at the state level may be more consequential.

March 24, 2018 at 1:00 PM UTC

Albert R. Hunt is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He was the executive editor of Bloomberg News, before which he was a reporter, bureau chief and executive Washington editor at the Wall Street Journal.

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The media is focused on the Democrats' bright prospects for winning control of the House this November. But the gains they expect to make in governors' races may be more important to the party’s long-term future.

Of 36 gubernatorial seats up for grabs this year, 26 are held by Republicans. The Democrats' top targets are Ohio, Florida and Michigan, where they have been out of power for years. If they succeed, the party stands to gain strength on three critically important fronts: