By Joseph Ax
(Reuters) - The races for governor in North Carolina and New Hampshire will be among the highest profile down-ballot campaigns in November's general election, when the U.S. presidency will also be at stake.
Those two states are among nearly a dozen holding contests for their chief executives, though most are not expected to be competitive. Here are the governorships that will be decided this fall:
NORTH CAROLINA: COMPETITIVE
North Carolina's Republican lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson, and the state's Democratic attorney general, Josh Stein, won their parties' primaries for governor on Tuesday.
Robinson, who would be the Southern state's first Black governor, earned Donald Trump's endorsement at a rally on March 2. The former president described Robinson as "Martin Luther King on steroids."
Robinson has a history of incendiary remarks that could hurt his chances in November.
He told a congregation in 2021 that homosexuality was "filth," prompting LGBTQ groups to call on him to resign. Last month, he vowed that transgender women would be arrested for using women's bathrooms.
He has also made or posted online offensive comments about Jews, Muslims and women, drawing accusations of bigotry. He has said some of his social media posts were poorly worded but has resisted calls to apologize.
Stein would make his own history if elected as the state's first Jewish executive. He has the backing of the incumbent Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, who is barred from running again due to term limits.
In addition to Robinson's rhetoric, Stein is likely to focus on abortion. The state's Republican-dominated legislature enacted a 12-week ban over Cooper's veto, but Robinson has said he supports a stricter six-week limit.
Analysts view the race as a toss-up. The state is also expected to be a presidential battleground this year.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: COMPETITIVE
There are two leading contenders from each party vying to succeed Republican Governor Chris Sununu, who chose not to run for a fifth two-year term. The New England state's gubernatorial primary is scheduled for Sept. 10.
On the Republican side, former U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte and former state Senate President Chuck Morse are the top candidates. The Democratic race is a contest between Joyce Craig, the former mayor of Manchester, and Cinde Warmington, a member of the state Executive Council, an executive body that provides a check on the governor's power.
Analysts rate the race as a toss-up.
WASHINGTON STATE: POTENTIALLY COMPETITIVE
Democratic Governor Jay Inslee decided not to run for a fourth four-year term, creating an open governor's race for the first time since 2012. Despite the state's Democratic lean – President Joe Biden carried Washington state by 19 percentage points in 2020 – Republicans believe they have an opportunity to flip the seat with former U.S. Representative Dave Reichert.
Reichert is well known in the state, having served as sheriff in Seattle's King County before winning seven two-year terms in Congress in a Democratic-leaning district, building a reputation as a moderate Republican.
The Northwestern (NASDAQ:NWE) state's attorney general, Bob Ferguson, is considered the leading Democratic candidate ahead of the primary election on Aug. 6. The state uses a top-two system, which means the two highest finishers advance to November's general election regardless of party.
Most analysts view Democrats as likely to win, but Reichert's candidacy could make it competitive. Early opinion polls have shown a close contest between Reichert and Ferguson.
OTHER STATES
Republican Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a moderate who does not support Trump, has not yet announced whether he plans to run for a fifth two-year term. The popular incumbent would be heavily favored in November after winning his last race in 2022 by more than 45 percentage points, even though Biden won the New England state's 2020 presidential contest by more than 35 percentage points.
If Scott steps down, however, Democrats would likely target the race as a potential pickup, given Vermont's solidly Democratic lean.
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte and Utah Governor Spencer Cox, both Republicans, are running for reelection, while there are open races in Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota and West Virginia. Republicans are expected to win in all of those conservative states.
In Delaware, Democrats are expected to win the open governor's race.