Dems will run majority of nation's states

Governors don’t enact national policy, but they can strengthen a party’s grass roots, turn out votes for presidential contests, and cultivate future national leaders.

Republicans remained strong in some of the nation’s biggest states. They got good news in Florida, where Republican Charlie Crist, the state attorney general of Florida, defeated Democratic Rep. Jim Davis in the contest to replace term-limited GOP Gov. Jeb Bush.

In California, the nation’s best-known governor, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, easily won re-election. The former action star defeated Democrat Phil Angelides, the state treasurer.

And Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, won re-election. He fended off challengers including musician and writer Kinky Friedman.

Republicans held on in two of the more closely watched races.

In Nevada, GOP Rep. Jim Gibbons won an open seat despite accusations he assaulted and propositioned a cocktail waitress, defeating Democrat Dina Titus, a state senator. Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty overcame a nailbiter in Minnesota, narrowly pulling ahead of Democrat Mike Hatch, attorney general.

Retirement opens seats
Ten states had open seats because of retirements, term limits and primary defeat. Republicans went into Election Day holding 28 governorships to 22 for the Democrats.

In Massachusetts, Patrick trounced GOP Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey despite her support from outgoing GOP Gov. Mitt Romney, a potential 2008 presidential candidate. The last elected black governor was L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia who left office in 1994.

Two other black candidates — both Republicans — lost. In Ohio, Strickland swept past Blackwell, the secretary of state who was criticized by Democrats for his role in overseeing the 2004 election in Ohio that was critical in securing President Bush’s victory. And in Pennsylvania, former NFL star Lynn Swann was swamped by Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.

In Illinois, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich won re-election in a contest that Republicans had at one time hoped would go their way. In Iowa, Democrat Chet Culver, the secretary of state, held the seat left open by retiring Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack, who is thinking about a presidential run.

Republicans kept Alaska — where Sarah Palin, who unseated unpopular Gov. Murkowski in the GOP primary, defeated Democratic former Gov. Tony Knowles — and Idaho, where GOP Rep. C.L. “Butch” Otter won against Democrat Jerry Brady, a former newspaper publisher.

After Palin’s victory, the number of women governors will tie an earlier record of nine.

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