Moreover, two of the biggest players funneled large contributions directly to candidates in Indiana and Missouri, states that have no limits on political donations. This year, outside groups aired one in five political spots in governors’ races. Outside spending on TV spots was down from four years ago, when independent groups accounted for roughly a third of ads - but that didn’t mean those organizations kept silent. He won with 53 percent of the votes, according to unofficial results. He got help from the Republican Governors Association-backed group called A Stronger Vermont but still fell behind in the ad war. And ad spending in the state represented a tenfold increase over totals in 2012.īut interestingly, Republican Phil Scott won the race despite spending far less on TV ads than Democrat Sue Minter. While tiny Vermont’s ad spending total was much lower, $5.8 million, it saw the most spending per voter of any state: roughly $12 for each of the state’s fewer than 500,000 eligible voters. With a Republican legislature, the GOP now controls the state government. Former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens emerged from the five-way race as the nominee and spent $12.7 million on ads, more than any other candidate in the country. No state saw more spending on ads than Missouri, which attracted roughly $36 million - more than twice what was spent in 2012 - due in part to an expensive Republican primary. Incumbent governors in five of the most competitive races were either term-limited or not seeking re-election. This year’s increase was driven, in part, by the high number of open seats. Overall ad spending surpassed $128 million for the governors’ races alone, eclipsing total outlays in comparable 2012, when, in addition to 11 gubernatorial contests, Wisconsin held an expensive recall election over Republican Gov. “To run people for president and Senate, you have to have governors getting ready in the bullpen,” said Matt Bennett, a senior official with Third Way, a centrist Democratic think tank. Already struggling with a thin bench of political stars, Democrats said reversing their shrinking ranks in the states is essential to the future of the party. “Republicans initially eyed a 4-seat net gain in 2016, and it appears they will fall short.” “Democrats also will likely hold all three of our incumbents: Governors Steve Bullock, Jay Inslee and Kate Brown,” he said. As of early Wednesday, the too-close-to-call race could be headed to a recount, though Democrat Roy Cooper had claimed victory.ĭemocratic Governors Association spokesman Jared Leopold remained sanguine about the results. Democratic ad spending topped $19 million in the state - more than one-quarter of the $65 million Democrats spent nationally on governors’ races in 2016. North Carolina remained a lone spot of hope for the party that sought to flip it from Republican control. Just three seats were considered safe for Democrats, who had to defend governorships in five of the seven most competitive races, including contests in states Obama lost in 2012 that Donald Trump would go on to win: West Virginia, Montana and Missouri. Spending on TV ads was only a part of their campaign strategy, to be sure, but those commercials play a critical role in shaping public opinion. ![]() That’s a reversal from 2012, when Republican candidates and committees outspent Democrats by more than $20 million.ĭemocrats were trying to play catch-up with the fundraising heavyweights of the GOP. In a stunning night for Democrats on the national stage, these additional losses pushed the party further into the political wilderness in the states, where they have been struggling to compete for years.ĭefending eight of the 12 governorships on the ballot Tuesday, Democratic candidates and the political groups backing them narrowly outspent Republicans on TV ads by about $2.5 million, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of data from media tracker Kantar Media/CMAG. That means the party will hold the governors’ offices in at least 33 states, up from 31. The GOP flipped control of state executives in Missouri, Vermont and New Hampshire as of early Wednesday. 9, 2016: This story has been updated.ĭespite an aggressive financial push from Democrats, Republicans cemented their dominance of the nation’s governors’ mansions in elections Tuesday, ending the night with their highest number of governorships since 1922.
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