GOP Makes Big Gains In Governors Races

The Republicans thus far have taken nine governorships away from Democrats this year, far surpassing the average of five governorships lost on average to the opposing party of a new president after he takes office.

With a record 37 governorships on the ballot nationwide, the Republicans took over for Democrats in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, reflecting the national shift to the right that gave the GOP control of the House of Representatives this election cycle. Democrats managed thus far to take over for Republicans in just one gubernatorial race in Connecticut.

Despite Republican's nationwide gains, Democrat Andrew Cuomo coasted past tea party Republican Carl Paladino after an exceedingly nasty race to win election Tuesday as governor of New York, the job his father, Mario, held in the 1980s and '90s.

Cuomo, 52, led in the polls from the start of his well-funded campaign and helped the combative and conservative Paladino sink himself by shifting the focus from economic issues to Paladino's opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

The Cuomos now join the exclusive club of father-and-son governors, whose members include the Browns, Edmund and Jerry, of California; the Romneys, George of Michigan and Mitt of Massachusetts; and the Folsoms, John Sr. and John Jr., of Alabama.

In Pennsylvania, one of the likely key swing states for the 2012 elections, both parties invested heavily in the governor's race that saw Republican Tom Corbett defeat Democrat Dan Onorato in a close election. Although the popular vote was close, Corbett won all but a handful of mostly urban districts.

In another potential 2012 swing state, Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero lost the race to Republican businessman Rick Snyder. Bernero, the Lansing mayor, had fought to stage a surprise win over Snyder, the better-funded Republican candidate and venture capitalist.

The overall shift to the right in state executive seats could prove crucial in the 2012 presidential elections as the country will undergo electoral redistricting next year after Census data is officially released; governors can help make electing their party's members easier in the new election landscape.

Both national parties spent heavily on the race. The Republican Governors Association said it spent $102 million this year, roughly half of it in 10 states it deemed crucial to the 2012 presidential contest: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Democratic Governors Association spent roughly $50 million.

There a few firsts for women governors this election cycle. In South Carolina, Republican Nikki Haley became the first woman of Indian descent to become elected governor in America, following her male counterpart in Louisiana, Gov. Piyush "Bobby" Jindal, who was elected in 2007. She is also the state's first female governor. Haley's full name is "Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley," and she was born in South Carolina to parents of Sikh Indian descent.

In New Mexico, Republican Susana Martinez became the first Hispanic female governor in the country with the help of an endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. In Oklahoma, U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin became the state's first female governor.

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