Governor races

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell defended the performance of the Democratic Governors Association amid the "worst political environment in generations."

"We defied expectations and had a strong year," he told reporters at a press conference Wednesday. "We were outspent more than two-to-one but we still won more targeted races than our counterparts. We kept Republicans below the historic average of midterm gains. And very importantly, we actually flipped five governorships from Republicans hands to Democratic hands."

Democrats held 26 governorships before Nov. 2. They now hold 19, with Minnesota's race leaning Democratic but still outstanding.

Many of the party's newly elected governors were on hand for a lunch the DGA hosted at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington.

Markell is handing the leadership of the committee over to Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who said he would focus immediately on the 2011 governors races in Louisiana, Mississippi and Kentucky, where Gov. Steve Beshear (D) is expected to seek reelection. "We're preparing for those, as well as the 11 that follow in the year after this," he said.

Republicans now hold 29 governorships, having gained five in 2010, but O'Malley downplayed the impact that would have on redistricting. "The tremendous seismic shift did not happen there."

"I think the shift is actually only 30 congressional seats, all in all," he said, "due to the fact that we actually did pick up a few governors' offices that had been Republican, largest among them in terms of congressional redistricting being California."

O'Malley had been vice chairman of the DGA. That position will now be held by North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is set to become the new head of the Democratic Governors Association, a source with knowledge of the appointment confirmed to The Ballot Box.

O'Malley and the rest of the DGA's incoming leadership team will be unveiled Wednesday at an event in Washington. 

O’Malley’s appointment to the committee's top job was first reported by Politico. 

The governor won his rematch with former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) last cycle. During a tough year for Democrats nationally, O’Malley won by almost 15 points, raising about $8 million for his effort. 

This won't be O’Malley's first stint at the DGA. He spent two years as vice chairman of the committee. He also served as the group's finance chairman, where he helped it beef up its fundraising apparatus.

O’Malley has his work cut out for him. Three states hold governors races in 2011, while 11 governorships are up in 2012.  

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell led the committee through the 2010 cycle.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison angered conservatives with her gubernatorial bid, and many are vowing to make her pay in 2012. 

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Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) has been chosen to head the National Governors Association.

Gregoire was named to the spot after a vote by the NGA executive committee and will be the second woman to chair the association. She replaces West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D), who was elected to the Senate on Nov. 2. He resigned the chairmanship last week. Her term will go through the NGA Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City in July 2011.

Meanwhile, the Republican governors are gathering in San Diego this week for their annual meeting. Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is expected to be elected as head of the organization.

Republicans won a majority of the gubernatorial mansions up for grabs this year, picking up 11 seats from the Democrats.

President Obama will meet with all the newly elected governors Dec. 2 at the White House.

Republican Nikki Haley defeated Democrat Vincent Sheheen in the South Carolina gubernatorial race, handing Tea Party activists a major victory.

Haley, an Indian-American, was a little-known state representative until she surged ahead and eventually won the competitive Republican gubernatorial primary.

Many Republicans view Haley as a rising star in the party; she becomes South Carolina's first female governor.

Sheheen had cut into Haley's lead in recent weeks, but the Republican was able to fend him off on Election Day.

House Minority Leader John Boehner said Sunday that Obama's focus on Ohio has little to do with Tuesday's elections.

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CANTON, Ohio -- "We are coming back. You do not want to put us at risk," the fiery president warned.

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Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate Lincoln Chafee (I) said Tuesday that Arizona Sen. John McCain, the GOP's 2008 presidential nominee, helped wreck his chances of holding onto his Senate seat in 2006. 

President Obama's decision to stay out of the Rhode Island governor's race out of respect for Chafee thrust the ex-Republican into the news this week. The president's move provoked Democratic nominee Frank Caprio, who told him to "shove it." Now Chafee is taking shots at Obama's 2008 opponent. 

Chafee was a one-term centrist GOP sentor who opposed the war in Iraq in contrst with McCain (Ariz.), who was one of its chief supporters. But the former senator said that when McCain campaigned for him in 2006, he spoke about "more troops needed in Iraq." And at an event with a group of environmentalists, McCain called for more nuclear energy. 

"You talk about cold, calculating political opportunism — that's the way I felt at the time,'' he said on WPRO Radio, according to the Providence Journal. "At the time, it certainly wasn't helpful ... Those words were used against me.''

Chafee seems to be openly embracing Obama in the final days of his gubernatorial campaign, the ex-senator's closing television ad released Tuesday heavily features old footage of speaking about Chafee's opposition to the Iraq War.

Obama and Chafee's bond extends back two years. Chafee was defeated by Sheldon Whitehouse in 2006 and he eventually abandoned the Republican Party and he endorsed then-Sen. Obama for president in 2008.

The White House explained Monday that that Obama stayed out of the race "out of respect for his friend Lincoln Chafee."

Caprio holds a single-digit lead over Chafee in most polls. The Republican nominee John Robitaille trails far behind both other candidates.

Chafee spoke in detail about how McCain upset him in 2006.

"This was when my whole campaign was based in opposition to the war in Iraq and my opponent, Sheldon Whitehouse, used those comments against me in a debate: 'Linc Chafee, you stood shoulder to shoulder with John McCain [while] he called for more troops in Iraq,'" he said.

"I could see [me] losing those environmental votes in front of my eyes, and I said to myself ... John McCain's coming here for John McCain 2008 presidential campaign."

Florida Democrat Alex Sink fired a campaign staffer who helped her "cheat" Monday night during a gubernatorial debate.

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Rhode Island nominee for governor was upset he did not win Obama's endorsement.

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