Election 2007 Scorecard

It’s Election Day – with gubernatorial elections in Kentucky and Mississippi, and special election primaries in Ohio’s Fifth District. Here’s a scorecard of the most relevant races to pay attention to:

Singing the Blues in Kentucky? Scandal-plagued Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R-Ky.) is looking like he’s headed to defeat, and has been trailing Democrat Steve Beshear, a former lieutenant governor by over 20 points in public polls. The Louisville Journal-Courier’s preelection poll showed Beshear leading Fletcher 56 to 33 percent, with Fletcher’s disapproval ratings topping 50 percent

Will the results from the governor’s race have implications for 2008? Democrats hope that a decisive win by Beshear will help the party’s chances as they eye a challenge to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is up for re-election in 2008. McConnell has been campaigning with the embattled Fletcher, even though he endorsed the governor’s opponent, former Rep. Anne Northup, in the GOP primary. McConnell is even airing a radio spot in Louisville endorsing Fletcher.

Don’t be surprised if some of McConnell’s statements on behalf of Fletcher get used against him next year.

Fletcher’s rock-bottom approval ratings are also threatening the party’s chances to remain competitive against freshman Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), who scored a major upset in last year’s Congressional wave. The party’s leading nominee to challenge Yarmuth, Erwin Roberts, who was Fletcher’s Homeland Security director, has posted very weak fundraising numbers and figures to be tainted by his association with the governor.