RED GOVERNORS

Yeah, I know.  It's a little early.  But do you think a governor might be the next president?

It makes sense.  Governors are tasked to make budgets and keep them (versus just printing more money), and governors understand the impact of policies on their people.  That front-line experience could translate to the larger scale.  It has happened before.  From Jimmy Carter forward, four of our last six presidents were governors.

Americans feel threatened by the economy (jobs), terrorism, and government overreach.

Before the election, there was a strange defeatism that permeated the national mood.  We felt like our children will not have it as good as we've had it.  We feel like the government efforts to help...have hurt.  And we don't feel protected.

We wanted change and hope.

Enter some fresh faces and re-elect winners that defy the stereotype given to Republicans.

These aren't the "old white guys".  They're diverse (but not hyphenated) Americans.  Three  are strong, proven women...and one is in a wheelchair.

Take a look at the Republican governors-elect  and re-elected:

HOMEGROWN
Arkansas voted red for Governor-elect Asa Hutchinson.  We are historically a blue state, but we've had a few red ones (think Mike Huckabee).

Asa and Susan Hutchinson have been married for 41 years and they have four grown kids and five grands.  Asa practiced law for 21 years, and at age 31 was named the youngest United States Attorney in the nation.  Then he began a career of government service which included a term in Congress, Director of the Drug Enforcement Agency, and head of a division of Homeland Security.

TRUE BLUE
Illinois has a reputation for being blue across the board, but this year they elected a red businessman and philanthropist named Bruce Rauner.  Some think Governor-elect Rauner is red in name only, but that is yet to be seen.

Two other strongly blue states also put red governors in charge.  Maryland elected businessman Larry Hogan (head of a commercial real estate brokerage firm).  And in Massachusetts, Charlie Baker (former CEO of a healthcare corporation) can trace his roots to the colonial era.  With a strongly conservative father and liberal mother...it would have been fun to sit around their dinner table.  Governor-elect Baker has already said he is not in favor of providing illegals a driver's license.

WILD WEST
In Texas, Greg Abbott defeated Wendy Davis in an incredibly unkind and untrue campaign.

Texas didn't like it.  Can you tell?

In Arizona, Jan Brewer left the state in the hands of Doug Ducey, a businessman (CEO, Cold Stone Creamery).  He married his college sweetheart Angela, and they have three boys.











RE-ELECTED
Republican governors were re-elected with the exception of one (Pennsylvania).

Red votes went for Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin (with the same 5.7 point margin with which he won the last election).  Gov. Paul LePage won in Maine...and a sliver margin of 1.1 point re-elected Governor Rick Scott in Florida.

Over in Tennessee, Governor Bill Haslam was re-elected by 47 points, winning every county in the state.  

Governor Nathan Deal beat Jimmy Carter's grandson Jason Carter by an 8.0 spread in Georgia and Governor Mary Falin had a 14.8 point margin in Oklahoma.  In Iowa, Governor Terry Branstad takes the prize for re-election to a SIXTH term by 21.8 points.

Alaska, Vermont, and the Virgin Islands are still counting votes, but here are the known results:

The Republican Southern governors are in AZ, NM, TX, OK, AR, LA, MS, TN, NC, SC, AL, GA, and FL.  The Republican Mid-American governors are in NV, ID, UT, WY, ND, SD, NE, KS, ID, WI, IL, MI, IN, and OH.  In the East, there are governors of ME, MA, MD, and NJ.

Perhaps there is a Presidential candidate in one of these 32 governors.