CNN New Day: Races for Governor Carry High Stakes

Avlon: “The real news might be from swing states Trump won, and where Democratic candidates seem to have an edge”

On this morning’s CNN New Day, John Avlon highlighted the high stakes of governors races across the country. Many of the governors elected in the 2018 cycle will oversee redistricting in 2021.
Among the highlights include electing the nation’s first openly gay governor in Colorado, Democrats’ edge in states Donald Trump won, and competitive races in traditionally deep-red states.
Watch the clip HERE:

John Avlon: “The highest profile races are in Florida, and Georgia, where pioneering African American candidates are making the case to lead states in the deep South.
 
“In Florida, progressive Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum is facing Trump Republican Ron DeSantis. Gillum is leading in CNN’s poll by 12 points.”
“In Georgia, Stacey Abrams would be the nation’s first female African American governor is in a tight race against Secretary of State Brian Kemp. Kemp is overseeing the election process, and his office has purged hundreds of thousands of names from the state’s voter rolls.”
[…]
“But the real news might be from swing states Trump won, and where Democratic candidates seem to have an edge.”
[…]
“Now in Wisconsin, Tea Party governor Scott Walker is running for his third term behind Democrat Tony Evers. Walker offering up ads saying he’ll defend Obamacare’s popular pre-existing conditions. Now that’s despite his past opposition. And, his own Attorney General is suing to abandon the ACA entirely.
[…]
“In deep red Kansas, Democrat Laura Kelly may edge out far-right Republican Kris Kobach. She has been endorsed by every living Republican governor of the state except Sam Brownback. Independent candidate Greg Orman, who ran a very competitive race for Senate in 2014, is an additional x factor.
“And in South Dakota, where no Democrat has been elected Governor in forty years, a new poll shows the candidates locked in a dead heat.”
[…]