Republicans might be feeling the pressure with Election Day on the horizon. With just under six weeks to go the nonpartisan Cook Political Report has just shifted three key gubernatorial races toward Democrats.
The election forecaster shifted the races in Pennsylvania and Michigan from “lean Democratic” to “likely Democratic” and the race in Oklahoma from “solid Republican” to “likely Republican.”
According to The Hill, Cook's Senate and governor's editor Jessica Taylor explained that experts predicted the Pennsylvania and Michigan gubernatorial races to be considered toss-ups throughout the entire election cycle but because those two states have seen the biggest decline in Republicans' fortunes as the cycle has proceeded she adjusted expected outcomes.
“And while, yes, the environment has significantly improved for Democrats, the further slide of both contests down the GOP's competitive ladder is due to weak candidates who are barely running even semi-functional campaigns,” she said.
Taylor said the latest campaign finance reports from Pennsylvania showed Democrat Josh Shapiro outraising Republican Doug Mastriano by almost 40 to 1, and Shapiro has dominated the airwaves as a result. She said Mastriano has done little to reach out beyond his core supporters to independents, and Shapiro is likely to receive votes from Republicans who view Mastriano as too extreme on abortion and election denial.
According to the latest Emerson College- The Hill poll reported Shapiro with a 10-point lead over Mastriano.
Taylor said Michigan could also have been a closer race if a stronger Republican candidate had been chosen, but Tudor Dixon was the best GOP candidate after the top competitors were kicked off the ballot when fraudulent signatures on their candidate petitions were revealed.
She also pointed to Dixon's lack of support from the Republican Governor's Association and Gov. Whitmer's advertising advantage as contributing factors.
Taylor noted that Cook is not expecting either race to be a double-digit route, however, Democrats have a distinct advantage.
She said the rating change in the Oklahoma gubernatorial race does not mean that incumbent Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) is in imminent danger of losing his reelection bid, but outside groups are heavily outspending him in favor of Democrat Joy Hofmeister.
According to the latest KOCO TV survey, Gov. Stitt reportedly holds a three-point lead over Hofmeister.
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Unify message GOP or Lose midterms
AND I’m supposed to accept what this unknown forecaster tells me??? I take it just as my great granddaughter forecasting the weather.
The message here is cogent and quite realistic: to wit, Chao Bai Deng the Manchurian Candidate may still have his mean, green election FRAUD machine up and running like a top. In addition, Comrade Obamov’s brainwashing remains a force to be reckoned with to deceive and steer voters of low information. Do NOT rest on your laurels!