McGuireWoods Consulting, a leading Washington government affairs shop affiliated with law firm McGuireWoods LLP, has prepared a detailed state-by-state crib sheet handicapping election contests in play (view it here) – including those for 36 governor and 30 attorney general positions, as well as control of 87 state legislative chambers.
With primaries over, midterms are slotted for November 6 – all 435 Congressional seats are up for grabs, along with 35 out of 100 US Senate slots. McGuireWoods’ Midterm Election Round-Up makes projections for all races, citing which spots are likely wins along with those leaning Republican or Democrat, and even some toss-ups.
The data includes a state-by-state breakdown of contests for Governor, AG and state legislature – with easy links to get you to the right race or state in a hurry. The overview includes snapshots of primary outcomes and hot-button issues impacting voters – say, a battle over education funding in Oklahoma, or interparty challenges in Indiana from aggressively anti-abortion activists called Hoosiers for Life.
And there are reminders of overhanging factors at play – such as sexual assault charges against Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, who could face impeachment even if re-elected.
The firm makes sound judgment calls, noting that in Alabama, “the nomination of Roy Moore in a losing bid for U.S. Senate will unlikely pave the way for a Democratic wave.” Political junkies will also find some little-known gems – consider that Tennessee is the only state where attorney general is appointed by the state Supreme Court. The report also recaps primary results. “Control of governorships and state legislatures will also have an impact on policymaking, as a growing number of states are taking the initiative to legislate on issues that the federal government have yet to address,” McGuireWoods notes. “For example, since the start of the Trump Administration, we have witnessed elected leaders in blue states playing a significant and prominent role to fight federal policies that they view as adverse to the interests of their constituents. Democratic state attorneys general have mounted a firewall against President Trump’s policies on issues like immigration and energy development, launching a number of lawsuits to oppose controversial administration policies.”
With the Trump presidency tying Washington’s governing class in knots, state races loom especially large this midterm. McGuireWoods has a strong feel for the pulse beyond the Beltway. The Consulting group is headed by former South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges (Democrat) along with former chair of the Republican National Committee Frank Donatelli. A key source for the Midterm data brief is Mona Mohib, a senior Capitol Hill advisor at the firm, where she serves as a prime liaison with Democratic state and local elected officials nationally.
2018 U.S. State Elections Roundup For any questions, contact: Joshua Spivak, 510-849-1663 or [email protected]
Allan Ripp, 212-262-7477 or [email protected]
