Republicans win two out of three governor's races this week
Republicans scored two great victories in governors races this month as we won in Louisiana with Bobby Jindal, and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour was soundly re-elected as well. Here's the report from the RGA:
Republicans won two out of the three gubernatorial races in the nation this year, giving the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and the party momentum heading into 2008. Winning a majority of the races marks a significant turnaround for the party; in 2006, Republicans lost 20 out of 36 races. Following the 2006 elections, many were predicting a Democratic sweep of this year’s races. Instead the GOP won the majority of the races.
The capstone victory came in Louisiana where Bobby Jindal won an open-seat race against eleven opponents. Jindal won 54 percent of the vote. His nearest opponent garnered just 17 percent. Jindal’s victory marked the first time that a candidate has won an open-seat or challenger election on the first ballot in Louisiana. The victory in Louisiana is also the first gubernatorial pick-up for the Republicans since 2004. RGA ran five television ads and distributed 4 sets of mail-pieces to hundreds of thousands of Louisianans in support of Bobby Jindal.
Governor Haley Barbour was re-elected with over 55 percent of the vote. Barbour was elected with 53 percent of the vote in 2003, defeating Democratic incumbent Ronnie Musgrove. Barbour became the state’s second Republican Governor since Reconstruction. The Governor has won high marks for his leadership after Hurricane Katrina, as well as his work on economic development, education, and tort reform.“Bobby and Haley should be commended for running outstanding campaigns focused on their ideas for the future,” said RGA Chairman Governor Sonny Perdue. “Their elections show that voters trust Republicans to guide their states through the most difficult challenges.”
In a sign of renewed faith in the Republican Party, the GOP now holds the Governorships of the five states most affected by Hurricane Katrina: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Georgia.
Republicans won two out of the three gubernatorial races in the nation this year, giving the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and the party momentum heading into 2008. Winning a majority of the races marks a significant turnaround for the party; in 2006, Republicans lost 20 out of 36 races. Following the 2006 elections, many were predicting a Democratic sweep of this year’s races. Instead the GOP won the majority of the races.
The capstone victory came in Louisiana where Bobby Jindal won an open-seat race against eleven opponents. Jindal won 54 percent of the vote. His nearest opponent garnered just 17 percent. Jindal’s victory marked the first time that a candidate has won an open-seat or challenger election on the first ballot in Louisiana. The victory in Louisiana is also the first gubernatorial pick-up for the Republicans since 2004. RGA ran five television ads and distributed 4 sets of mail-pieces to hundreds of thousands of Louisianans in support of Bobby Jindal.
Governor Haley Barbour was re-elected with over 55 percent of the vote. Barbour was elected with 53 percent of the vote in 2003, defeating Democratic incumbent Ronnie Musgrove. Barbour became the state’s second Republican Governor since Reconstruction. The Governor has won high marks for his leadership after Hurricane Katrina, as well as his work on economic development, education, and tort reform.“Bobby and Haley should be commended for running outstanding campaigns focused on their ideas for the future,” said RGA Chairman Governor Sonny Perdue. “Their elections show that voters trust Republicans to guide their states through the most difficult challenges.”
In a sign of renewed faith in the Republican Party, the GOP now holds the Governorships of the five states most affected by Hurricane Katrina: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Georgia.
posted by Ron Nehring at
10:51 AM
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