4 governor’s races to watch on election night

There are 11 gubernatorial races down for decision on Election Day, with four being competitive, according to the Fox News Power Rankings.

This year, up to 150 million Americans are expected to cast ballots in the U.S. presidential election, while levers will also be pulled for gubernatorial races and other down-ballot races.

1. Neck and neck in New Hampshire

New Hampshire is the most difficult governor’s race to call and is considered a toss-up, as former Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte takes on Democrat Joyce Craig, who served three two-year terms as mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire’s largest city.

New Hampshire is hardest to call and is considered a toss-up, as former Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, left, takes on Democrat Joyce Craig, right, who served three two-year terms as mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire’s largest city. (Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images | REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)

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They are bidding to replace GOP Gov. Chris Sununu, a popular governor with a large national profile, who decided not to seek re-election after winning four straight two-year terms as the Granite State governor. Ayotte received Sununu’s endorsement this summer.

Despite having a Republican governor, New Hampshire has voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 2004.

Ayotte is also a former state attorney general who narrowly lost her Senate re-election in 2016 after breaking with former President Donald Trump following the release of the infamous “Access Hollywood” video. As she ran for her party’s nomination for governor, Ayotte endorsed Trump this year.

Morse, facing an uphill challenge against the higher polling and better funded Ayotte, repeatedly questioned her conservative record as a senator and her support for Trump.

The pair have clashed on local issues including taxes, the opioid crisis and housing homelessness, as well as abortion. New Hampshire law allows abortions up to the 24th week of a pregnancy.

Craig has accused Ayotte of voting against abortion rights and then changing her position to run for governor, according to WBUR. 

Ayotte voted to de-fund Planned Parenthood as a senator and says she will support the state’s right to decide the issue following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.

“I will fight with everything I have to defend New Hampshire’s right to decide this issue and protect our law,” Ayotte said.

Fox News Power Rankings governor races. (Fox News)

2. Keep an eye on Indiana

In Indiana, Republican gubernatorial candidate Sen. Mike Braun should have been able to cruise to victory against any Democratic opponent. However, Braun’s hardline position on abortion has given Democrat Jennifer McCormick an opening. The state enacted a near total ban on abortion two years ago, which McCormick argues is too extreme. 

Braun maintains that Indiana should be a “right-to-life state. He was endorsed by former President Trump before May’s GOP primary, who took the Hoosier state by large margins in 2016 and 2020.

Braun is aiming to extend the GOP’s 20-year hold on Indiana’s governor’s office by defeating McCormick, a former Republican who split with the party after serving as the state’s schools superintendent.

Sen. Mike Braun speaks at the U.S. Capitol on March 6, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The GOP has controlled Indiana’s governor’s office since Mitch Daniels defeated the late Gov. Joe Kernan in 2004. Additionally, Democrats have not won a statewide office in Indiana since 2012.

There are also unusual partisan dynamics at play. The GOP’s candidate for lieutenant governor could impact support for the Republican ticket among moderates, and there is a Libertarian on the ballot.

Indiana’s governor race has moved from Solid R to Likely R.

3. North Carolina could see its first Black governor

In the key swing state of North Carolina, current Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson faces an uphill battle to defeat Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein in the battle to replace Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is term-limited and not allowed to run for re-election.

The key talking point in the race involves allegations that Robinson made controversial comments on a porn website more than a decade ago.

Robinson has denied saying those words, and Republicans began to distance themselves from the candidate afterward, while at least four top staffers resigned in the wake of the report. Former President Trump endorsed Robinson before the March primary but also began distancing himself.

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Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, pictured here, faces an uphill battle to defeat Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein in the battle to replace Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. (Getty Images)

Stein has attacked Robinson for his stance on abortion. Since Reconstruction ended in the 1890s, North Carolina has only elected three Republican governors.

If elected, Robinson would be North Carolina’s first Black governor.

The race is Likely D.

4. Trump foe likely to take Washington

Longtime Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is hoping to keep the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands, while former Rep. Dave Reichert is trying to become the state’s first GOP governor in 40 years. The Evergreen State has voted Democrat in every presidential election since 1988.

Reichert, who served as King County Sheriff for 33 years, is best known for his role in capturing the Green River Killer, a notorious serial killer. His tenure as sheriff and his subsequent service in Congress have been central to his campaign messaging, positioning him as a tough on crime public safety candidate. 

Longtime Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is hoping to keep the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

For his part, Ferguson’s campaign has been marked by his sharp criticism of Reichert on hot button issues such as abortion, as Ferguson has attacked the former Republican congressman for his previous support for a nationwide abortion ban as out of touch with Washington’s values. 

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Ferguson, has been the state’s attorney general since 2013. He came to national prominence by repeatedly suing the Trump administration, including bringing the lawsuit that blocked Trump’s initial travel ban on citizens of several majority Muslim nations.

Ferguson’s endorsements include prominent state leaders like U.S. Senate Pro Tempore Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee.

Reichert faced an uphill battle in a state considered a Democratic stronghold.

Remaining races

Of the remaining gubernatorial races, Delaware is considered Solid D, while Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia are Solid R.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser, Matthew Richter and Jamie Joseph, as well as The Associated Press, contributed to this report.