Democratic pollster Ken O’Brien said on Tuesday that Democrats have strong prospects in a series of gubernatorial races and suggested they should get more involved.
“I think that the Democrats have not given enough attention to these gubernatorial races,” O’Brien told Hill.TV’s Joe Concha on “What America’s Thinking.”
O’Brien mentioned Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois as three states that looked particularly promising for Democrats.
“The Democrats have a great, competitive primary race in Michigan, with many candidates contending against a member of the Rick Snyder administration, who was … the governor during the Flint water crisis. A very problematic candidate there, on the Republican side,” he continued.
“In Wisconsin, Scott Walker is running in his fifth or sixth statewide race for governor going back to 2006. Of course, he’s controversial, and also he’s taken some licks throughout his political career,” he said.
“Hillary Clinton won the state by a wide margin, but Illinois is another state where Democrats can flip the governor’s mansion,” he added.
The Cook Political Report rates Michigan’s gubernatorial race as “toss-up,” while Wisconsin’s race “leans Republican.”
Illinois, where Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is running for reelection against Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker, “leans Democratic,” according to Cook.
This year, 36 states will hold gubernatorial races across the country.
There are currently 33 Republican governors, compared to 16 Democratic governors, and one Independent.
— Julia Manchester
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