Politics

Dems Win Big One In California

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

November 3, 1998 / 5:15 PM EST / CBS

While the GOP kept a comfortable lead in overall governorships, it lost several key states, including California, South Carolina and Alabama.

The Democrats captured the key California slot and wound up with the same number of statehouses as before the election. All 36 governor races now have been decided.

In California, Gray Davis decisively won the office he has spent most of his life preparing for, giving Democrats control of the governor's office and almost certainly the Legislature for the first time in 16 years.

"This great victory tonight is more than just electing a candidate for governor," Davis said Tuesday night. "It is a clear affirmation that Californians want to take a moderate path to the future. That is who I am. That is how I ran. And that is how I will govern."

Davis defeated Republican Dan Lungren, a staunch ally of Newt Gingrich who had been seen as a possible contender for national office in 2000. With the governorship of the nation's most populous state, Democrats could gain an edge in the House of Representatives when congressional districts are redrawn after the 2000 Census.

Winning the California governor's chair means big political firepower for the Democrats heading into the 2000 elections, reports CBS Evening News Correspondent Paula Zahn . It is a clear affirmation that Californians want to take a moderate path to the future.

GOP hopes for the future are now pinned on the victories scored in Florida and Texas by two of former President George Bush's sons.

Republican Jeb Bush won the Florida governor's race over Democrat Buddy MacKay. His brother, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, was also re-elected easily, which could help the latter's presidential aspirations.

The Texas governor referred to the kinship in his victory speech Tuesday night: "I want to say something to the newly elected governor of Florida - good going, brother!"

All in all, it was a good night for Democrats in the nation's statehouses. While a host of GOP incumbent governors held off Democratic challengers, Democrats won several key races.

All told, 36 governorships were up for election Tuesday. Going in, the Republicans held 24 statehouses, the Democrats had 11, and Maine Gov. Angus King Jr. was the lone independent on the ballot.

In one of the most surprising races of the night, South Carolina Democrat Jim Hodges defeated Republican incumbent David Beasley. In Alabama, Democrat Don Siegelman bested GOP Governor Fob James.

In another important win for the DemocratsMaryland Governor Parris Glendening held off GOP challenger Ellen Sauerbrey. The race was regarded as a toss-up.

New York Governor George Pataki, also seen as a potential Republican presidential candidate two years from now, beat Democrat Peter Vallone. The GOP also won in Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Idaho.

In Massachusetts, Republican incumbent Paul Cellucci defeated Democratic opponent Scott Harshbarger. Five other Republican incumbent governors, Oklahoma's Frank Keating, Tennessee's Don Sundquist, Arkansas' Mike Huckabee, Nevada's Kenny Guinnand Pennsylvania's Don Ridge, were also re-elected.

In New England, two Democratic incumbents, Gov. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Gov. Howard Dean of Vermont, won, beating, respectively, Republicans Jay Lucas and Ruth Dwyer. In the Ohio governor's race, GOP candidate Bob Taft easily beat Democrat Lee Fisher.

In some other gubernatorial races:

In Arizona, Republican Jane Dee Hull easily beat former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson.
Connecticut governor John Rowland won, cruising past Democratic challenger Barbara Kennelly.
Kansas Governor Bill Graves crushed Democrat Tom Sawyer.
Lincoln Almond of Rhode Island outdistanced Democrat Mryth York.
In Colorado, Republican Bill Owens beat Gail Schoettler.
In Georgia, Democrat Roy Barnes beat Guy Millner, continuing that state's 125-year streak without a Republican governor.
In Oregon, John Kitzhaber defeated Bill Sizemore.
In Iowa, Tom Vilsack beat Jim Ross Lightfoot.
In the last statehouse race to be decided, Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano beat Linda Lingle.
In Maine, the only Independent governor, Angus King, won reelection over his Democratic and Republican challengers.

In South Carolina, Beasley, a party standard bearer as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, lost as he frittered away his incumbent's advantage. Late in the campaign, he was hit with allegations he had committed adultery with his former press secretary, a charge Beasley denied.

In Minnesota, the tightest three-way gubernatorial race in more than a century ended with a totally unexpected victory for Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura.

Ventura, better known as the former professional wrestler nicknamed "The Body," stole the show from Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III and Republican St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman.

"I'll tell you what, I'll bet you they're never going to take the people lightly again, are they?" said Ventura, who had 37 percent of the unofficial vote, to 33 percent for Coleman and 29 percent for Humphrey.

There were other candidates besides Texas Governor Bush who may be looking to leap into the national spotlight. Incumbent Republican governors such as Frank Keating in Oklahoma, Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin, John Engler in Michigan, and George Pataki in New York have all been mentioned as possible presidential or vice presidential candidates in 2000.

The urrent Republican majority is almost the opposite of the party's gubernatorial strength a decade ago.

With 32 seats, the GOP has pushed legislatures across the country toward an agenda that includes tax cuts, welfare reform and smaller government. The party has also sought tougher graduation standards for students and strengthened certification requirements for teachers.