Dems gain 1 gov seat; NC elects 1st woman gov

The win in Missouri gave Democrats a momentary 29-21 edge in state capitals nationwide. Ten of 11 governorships were decided Tuesday, with results still hanging for Washington state.

Perdue ignored predictions early in her political career about difficulties winning election as a woman. Running for governor, she pitched her reputation as a problem solver after years in state government.

Said her opponent, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory: "This was not the night we had planned, but I accept the voters‘ conclusions from North Carolina."

Across the country seven incumbents were re-elected. In Indiana, Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels easily turned back a Democratic challenger hoping to benefit from an expected strong turnout for Obama.

Among other incumbents, Democrats in Montana, West Virginia and New Hampshire won re-election by a wide margin, as did Republicans in North Dakota and Utah. In Delaware, Democrat Jack Markell easily won the open seat.

The tough campaigns in North Carolina and Washington offered hints of the battle to come, as the national Republican and Democratic governors‘ associations spent about $4 million on each of their candidates in each of the two states. Both groups have reported record fundraising this year as part of a four-year plan that will culminate in 2010.

Results may not be clear until later in the week because of mail-in votes that could be postmarked as late as midnight on Election Day.

Nixon and Hulshof focused their campaigns on the economy, education and health care while casting each other as big spenders incapable of changing Missouri‘s Capitol.

In the race for an open seat in Delaware, Markell, the state treasurer and former Nextel executive, easily defeated Republican Bill Lee, a former judge. Term limits prohibited Gov. Ruth Ann Minner from running again.

In West Virginia, Gov. Joe Manchin, a former state lawmaker and secretary of state, defeated former Republican legislator Russ Weeks and Jesse Johnson, the Mountain Party‘s nominee.

In New Hampshire, Gov. John Lynch beat state senator Joe Kenney to win a third two-year term. In North Dakota, Gov. John Hoeven, a banker turned politician, defeated Democratic state Sen. Tim Mathern.

In Utah, Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., a former U.S. ambassador to Singapore, defeated Democrat Bob Springmeyer, a Salt Lake City management consultant.

In Montana, Gov. Brian Schweitzer beat state Sen. Roy Brown as Schweitzer promoted increases in oil and gas production and a freeze in college tuition during his first term.



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