Governor Races: Comprehensive 2018 Midterms Elections Guide with Candidate Bios and Key Issues

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Abridge News

65 min readOct 17, 2018

As the 2018 midterms approach, Abridge News wants to help you explore all the key Senate races, House races, and Governor races around the country. Want to know which states are electing a new governor, or which states have Senate races? Interested to see who is running, and what the candidates’ platforms & key issues are? Check out the user-friendly, clickable 2018 Midterms Map on our site!

Click Here to View 2018 Midterm Map on Abridge News

Watch the video below to see how our midterm map works — then click the link above or scroll below to interact with each race!

2018 Governor Races at a Glance:

Gubernatorial races will be held in 36 states on November 6, 2018.
9 Democratic gubernatorial seats are up for election.
Of the 9 Democratic gubernatorial seats, 5 are Democratic incumbent governors seeking re-election, 4 are Democratic governors who are term-limited or retiring.
26 Republican seats are up for election.
Of the 26 Republican gubernatorial seats, 13 are Republican incumbent governors seeking re-election, 13 are Republican governors who are term-limited, retiring, or lost the party nomination and are therefore ineligible to run for re-election.
1 Independent incumbent governor is up for re-election.

Which candidate would you vote for?

Check out in-depth candidate profiles for all the 2018 Gubernatorial elections below. For each state holding electing a Governor, we’ve gathered some relevant biographical facts about the Democratic and Republican nominees, and paired them with a few of their key issues from their respective campaign websites.

Don’t want to scroll? Check out our clickable map here!

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Alabama Gubernatorial Race

Kay Ivey (R) vs. Walt Maddox (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Kay Ivey

Kay Ivey is the incumbent candidate. She was sworn in as Governor following the resignation of Robert Bentley in April, 2017.
She served as Alabama State Treasurer from 2003–2011 and as Lieutenant Governor from 2011–2017.
Ivey graduated from Auburn University in 1967 and worked as a high school teacher and a bank officer. She served as Reading Clerk of the Alabama House of Representatives and was Assistant Director of the Alabama Development Office.

Kay Ivey’s Key Issues:

Protecting Life: Ivey states, “I believe in God, and I believe we need to look to Him for the answers.” She will “always fight to protect the unborn.”
Second Amendment: Ivey believes that “the Second Amendment is clear and it ought to be protected.” She promises to “always defend our right as law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.”
Education: Ivey, a former teacher, promises to “always make sure our children come first and have the resources they need for a strong start in life.” She believes that “our children deserve a quality education and the opportunity to succeed.”
Other Issues: Jobs (visit Ivey’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Walt Maddox

Walt Maddox is currently serving as the mayor of Tuscaloosa. This is his fourth term.
He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Maddox began his career as a Field Director with the Alabama Education Association in 1996. In 2001, he was appointed Executive Director of Personnel for Tuscaloosa City Schools and was elected as City Councilman for the Sixth District.

Walt Maddox’s Key Issues:

Jobs: Maddox promises that as Governor, he will “make workforce training and development the cornerstone of rebuilding our economy to meet the 21st century.” He will “make college affordable in our state, providing all Alabamians with an opportunity to be career and/or college ready.”
Roads & Bridges: Maddox aims to “pass bipartisan legislation supported by the Alabama Alliance for Infrastructure and begin rebuilding Alabama’s roads and bridges.”
Healthcare: Maddox supports an expansion of Medicaid and believes that “solely because of politics, medical care in Alabama has been vastly diminished and an opportunity to grow a new economy has been wasted.”
Other Issues: Education, Public Safety, Opioid Crisis (visit Maddox’s website for full details).

Alaska Gubernatorial Race

Bill Walker (I) vs. Mark Begich (D) vs. Mike Dunleavy (R)

Mark Begich vs. Bill Walker vs. Mike Dunleavy

Independent Candidate: Governor Bill Walker

Bill Walker is the incumbent. He has served as Governor of Alaska since 2014.
He also served as mayor, city councilor, and attorney for the city of Valdez and as general council for the Alaska Gasline Port Authority.
Walker holds a bachelor’s of science degree in business management from Lewis and Clark College and a juris doctor from the University of Puget Sound School of Law.

Bill Walker’s Key Issues:

Alaska LNG Project: Under Walker, Alaska leads the project for the first time, and the Joint Development Agreement — signed with the presidents of the U.S. and China at the table — puts the project the closest to reality it’s ever been.
Addressing the Fiscal Crisis: Walker has proposed an array of solutions to achieve a balanced budget. The House has also passed a comprehensive fiscal plan. Both chambers have approved a measure to sustainably spend Permanent Fund earnings to help pay for government while also protecting the future of the dividend program.
Climate Action Leadership Team: With the effects of climate change visible across our state, Walker has developed a lasting climate policy that will guide the state into a new era.
Other Issues: Tribal Child Welfare Compacting; Medicaid Expansion; Public Safety Action Plan. (Check out the full speech and Walker’s website for details).

Democratic Candidate: Mark Begich

Mark Begich was a U.S. Senator from Alaska between 2009 and 2015. He lost his re-election bid to the U.S. Senate in 2014 to Dan Sullivan.
Begich served as the Mayor of Anchorage between 2003 and 2009. He was an elected official in the Anchorage Assembly between 1988 and 1998.
When Begich was 10 years old, he lost his father, Congressman Nick Begich, when his plane went down over the Gulf of Alaska.

Mark Begich’s Key Issues:

Protecting the Permanent Fund Dividend: Begich supports “a constitutional amendment to permanently protect the Permanent Fund and maintain a sustainable dividend. If done properly, this approach will not only ensure that Alaskans continue to share in the wealth of our state’s resources by receiving a PFD as they have been promised, but will also put us on track for a more stable fiscal future.”
Education: Begich plans to “protect the PFD guarantees pre-K-12 funding to ensure that education funding is not subject to political bargaining.” He thinks we must “guarantee certainty in education funding, prioritize universal pre-k, provide necessary resources to school districts and address the true drivers of education costs: healthcare, teacher turnover, and high energy costs.”
Crime: Begich promises to address the drug epidemic and substance abuse issues, coordinate state and local government efforts on crime, reform the village public safety officers and village police programs, utilize innovative partnerships with federal prosecutors, fully staff the Departments of Public Safety and Law, and create rehabilitation and employment opportunities.
Other Issues: Fiscal Plan, Health Care, Infrastructure, Getting Alaska Gas to Market, Jobs & Economic Development; Rural Alaska; Alaska Values; Climate Change; Energy; Women & Families; Fish. (Visit Begich’s full website for details).

Republican Candidate: Mike Dunleavy

Dunleavy is a member of the Alaska Senate and has served in his role since 2015, representing District E.
In September 2017, he announced that he was abandoning the 2018 governor’s race due to heart problems; however, he announced his return to the race in December, 2018.
Dunleavy holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Mike Dunleavy’s Key Issues:

Make Alaska Safe Again: Dunleavy states that “the explosive growth in violent and property crime that Alaska has experienced in recent years demands an aggressive response. Alaska now leads the nation in almost every category of crime, making our state the most dangerous in the country.”
Protect the Dividend: Dunleavy believes that “The Permanent Fund and Permanent Fund Dividend program belong to the people. I also believe they serve as the best example of our state government getting something right. Governor Hammond and others knew what they were doing. It was never broken, and does not need to be ‘fixed.’”
Reduce State Spending: Dunleavy observes that “Some politicians tell us that Alaska’s operating budget has been cut to the bone. This is nonsense. The most recent budget spends over 13% more than the year before. If we don’t get our spending under control, no combination of taxes and PFD grab can keep up.”
Other Issues: Bring Jobs & Investment to Alaska, Uphold Constitutional Rights, Honor Families and Parental Rights (visit Dunleavy’s website for full details).

Arizona Gubernatorial Race

Doug Ducey (R) vs. David Garcia (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Doug Ducey

Doug Ducey is the incumbent candidate. He has served as Governor of Arkansas since 2015 and before that, was Arizona’s State Treasurer from 2011–2015.
Before entering politics, Ducey was the CEO of Cold Stone Creamery. He and his partner sold the business in 2007 after growing the company to over 1,440 locations.
He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance in 1982.

Doug Ducey’s Key Issues:

Affordability: Cox states that “California’s sky-high sales taxes, vehicle license fees, and the highest gasoline taxes in the nation are a major reason so many families just can’t make ends meet anymore.” He vows to take on special interests and the “privileged class of lobbyists, politicians and insiders who have rigged the system to their advantage.”
Environment & Energy: Cox “supports clean energy efforts and that begins at home by driving an electric car.” He “opposes any new or expanded offshore oil drilling” and “will work to continue California’s environmental stewardship by working to expand clean energy options.”
Healthcare: Cox believes that government-run healthcare will be just as inefficient as the DMV. He vows to “take on Pharma, the HMO’s and the insurance companies and put health care consumers back in charge.”
Other Issues: Homelessness: Time to Get Serious; Housing; Immigration: Fixing a Broken System; Transportation; Water & Agriculture (visit Cox’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: David Garcia

Garcia is currently a professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Previously, he led the Arizona Department of Education as Associate Superintendent.
Garcia enlisted in the U.S. Army Infantry at age 17. He was trained as a chemical warfare specialist, qualified as an expert marksman and was decorated with an Army Achievement Medal.
He graduated from Arizona State University and holds a master’s and doctorate from the University of Chicago.

David Garcia’s Key Issues:

Stable Families: Garcia promises to “finally invest in Arizona schools.” He supports increased access to high-quality early education and promises to stand with immigrants and DREAMers. He has an endorsement from Planned Parenthood and also believes that “Arizona should begin moving toward Medicare for All.”
Good Jobs & A Fair Economy: Henderson believes that Arkansas must talk about and address its especially high rates of teenage pregnancy. He supports bringing “community leaders together in each county [in order to] address this issue in a way that is consistent with local values.”
Honest & Effective Government: Henderson knows that small businesses usually lack “the money to get started, access to health insurance while their family takes the risk, and the first few hours of basic business training that would give them a fighting shot as they act on their dreams.” He wants to address these solvable problems.

Arkansas Gubernatorial Race

Asa Hutchinson (R) vs. Jared Henderson (D)

Republican Nominee: Asa Hutchinson

Asa Hutchinson is the incumbent candidate. He has served as Governor of Arkansas since 2015.
Previously, Hutchinson served as the Director of the Drug Enforcement Administration and as the first UnderSecretary for the Department of Homeland Security.
Hutchinson is a graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law. He practiced law for more than 21 years and handled more than 100 jury trials.

Asa Hutchinson’s Key Issues:

Computer Science: Hutchinson believes that “this relatively small-ticket item may have the greatest long-term impact.” His “leadership on computer-science education has garnered the state national recognition, from the White House to national media outlets and tech companies.”
Economic Development: Since taking office in 2015, Hutchinson has helped helped to create over 69,600 new jobs through a combination of competitive projects, facilitated growth, and market-driven growth.
Tax Cuts: As Governor, Hutchinson has “led the effort to pass legislation providing a total of more than $150 million income tax relief to 1.3 million Arkansans.” In 2015, he signed the “largest cut to the income tax rate in Arkansas history.”
Other Issues: Efficiencies, Veterans (visit Hutchinson’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Jared Henderson

Jared Henderson is the former executive director of the Arkansas branch of the education non-profit Teach for America.
He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Henderson started his career at NASA, then joined McKinsey & Company. He also spent two years as the Managing Director of ForwARd Arkansas, an education policy group.

Jared Henderson’s Key Issues:

Healthcare: Henderson promises to protect the Arkansas Works legislation that provides “private health insurance to nearly 300,000 Arkansans” and “critical funding that keeps hospital doors open — particularly in our rural communities.” He is focused on addressing “the skyrocketing costs of insurance premiums.”
Ending the Cycle of Poverty: Henderson believes that Arkansas must talk about and address its especially high rates of teenage pregnancy. He supports bringing “community leaders together in each county [in order to] address this issue in a way that is consistent with local values.”
Small Business: Henderson knows that small businesses usually lack “the money to get started, access to health insurance while their family takes the risk, and the first few hours of basic business training that would give them a fighting shot as they act on their dreams.” He wants to address these solvable problems.
Other Issues: Teachers (visit Henderson’s website for full details).

California Gubernatorial Race

John Cox (R) vs. Gavin Newsom (D)

Republican Nominee: John Cox

John Cox placed 2nd in California’s blanket non-partisan primary for Governor. He is a California businessman who founded a law firm that specializes in corporate law and tax planning.
Cox holds a bachelor’s degrees in accounting and political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a J.D. from the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent School of Law.
Cox ran unsuccessfully for a suburban Chicago House seat in 2000 and the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2004. In 2006, he launched a campaign for U.S. President but dropped out later in the year.

John Cox’s Key Issues:

Affordability: Cox states that “California’s sky-high sales taxes, vehicle license fees, and the highest gasoline taxes in the nation are a major reason so many families just can’t make ends meet anymore.” He vows to take on special interests and the “privileged class of lobbyists, politicians and insiders who have rigged the system to their advantage.”
Environment & Energy: Cox “supports clean energy efforts and that begins at home by driving an electric car.” He “opposes any new or expanded offshore oil drilling” and “will work to continue California’s environmental stewardship by working to expand clean energy options.”
Healthcare: Cox believes that government-run healthcare will be just as inefficient as the DMV. He vows to “take on Pharma, the HMO’s and the insurance companies and put health care consumers back in charge.”
Other Issues: Homelessness: Time to Get Serious; Housing; Immigration: Fixing a Broken System; Transportation; Water & Agriculture (visit Cox’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Gavin Newsom

Gavin Newsom is currently serving his second term as California’s Lieutenant Governor. He placed first in California’s blanket non-partisan primary.
He was mayor of San Francisco between 2004 and 2011. He was one of the earliest advocates of same-sex marriage.
He graduated from Santa Clara University and founded the PlumpJack wine store. The PlumpJack group now manages 21 businesses including wineries, hotels, and restaurants.

Gavin Newsom’s Key Issues:

Creating California’s Opportunity: Newsom believes that “we must update the way we educate our kids,” “create a new job-training system that gives people relevant skills so they can thrive in the new global economy,” and “keep pushing forward to reform our state’s criminal justice system.”
Building California’s Future: In his role as Lt. Governor, Newsom “authored a statewide jobs plan, and as Mayor he initiated the strongest infrastructure plan in City history.” He “believes we need to chart a path for better infrastructure, with a focus on future manufacturing, building up exports and other pillars of California’s success.”
Defending California’s Values: Newsom strongly supports “universal healthcare, gun safety, criminal justice reform, paid family leave, minimum wage, universal pre-K, and marriage rights for all.”

Colorado Gubernatorial Race

Jared Polis (D) vs. Walker Stapleton (R)

Democratic Nominee: Jared Polis

Jared Polis currently serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Colorado’s 2nd district. He was first elected to the House in 2008.
He served on the Colorado Board of Education between 2001 and 2007. He is the founder of several non-profit public schools and was superintendent of the New America School.
Polis is a successful entrepreneur. He launched American Information Systems, a dial-up service provider, founded ProFlowers, and co-founded a startup accelerator called TechStars.

Jared Polis’s Key Issues:

Economy: Polis supports “allowing cities and counties to raise the minimum wage, providing paid family medical leave, and ensuring equal pay for equal work.” He thinks “we can do even more to address rising income inequality and ensure that workers share in the value they help create.”
Energy: Polis believes we need “a bold goal of 100 percent renewable energy.” He promises to work with all involved parties to accomplish our statewide clean energy transition by 2040 while saving Coloradans money on their utility bills, and creating green energy jobs in Colorado.”
Healthcare: Polis strongly feels that “universal healthcare is a human right.” He “believe[s] passionately in universal health care, and I always will.”
Other Issues: Education, Environment, Gun Violence Prevention, Transportation, CO Workers, Broadband Infrastructure, A Dignified Retirement, Criminal & Social Justice, Blockchain, and Animal Welfare (visit Polis’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Walker Stapleton

Walker Stapleton currently serves as Colorado’s State Treasurer. He was first elected to this role in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014.
Prior to entering politics, Stapleton worked in the startup tech world in California and was the CEO of successful public and private companies.
He holds degrees from Williams College, the London School of Economics and Harvard Business School and serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Denver.

Walker Stapleton’s Key Issues:

Health Care: Stapleton strongly believes that “a government-run, single-payer health care program will result in higher taxes and less choices. It will bankrupt Colorado and drive families and businesses out of our state.” Instead, he thinks that “our system needs to emphasize improving primary and preventive care.”
Sanctuary Cities: Stapleton thinks that “the proliferation of so-called ‘Sanctuary Cities’ is a direct threat to public safety and rule of law in Colorado.” He promises to “work to end Sanctuary Cities and the practice of local governments shielding illegal immigrants from the law.”
PERA: In his role as Treasurer, Stapleton has led the charge in reforming our Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA), which has surpassed $30 billion in unfunded liabilities.” He believes that “reckless behavior with taxpayer dollars is far too common in politics, and [is running] to put an end to the special interest wants overriding taxpayers’ needs.”
Other Issues: Education, Energy & Land, Transportation, Second Amendment, Jobs, Water (visit Stapleton’s website for full details).

Connecticut Gubernatorial Race

Ned Lamont (D) vs. Bob Stefanowski (R)

Democratic Nominee: Ned Lamont

Ned Lamont is the founder of a telecommunications company called Lamont Digital Systems and is on the faculty at Central Connecticut State University.
He has served on the Greenwich Board of Selectmen and the Board of Estimate and Taxation. He was the Chairman of the State Investment Advisory Council, a multi-billion dollar state pension fund, for four years.
Lamont ran for U.S. Senate in 2006, but lost the Democratic nomination to Joe Lieberman. He co-chaired Obama’s campaign in Connecticut.

Ned Lamont’s Key Issues:

Reducing Property Taxes for the Middle Class: Lamont is proposing a “smart, achievable commitment to responsibly give middle class families the tax relief they deserve. It’s not only the right thing to do for working families; property tax relief is key to making Connecticut a better place to start or grow a business and create jobs.”
Building a Fair Economy: Lamont supports equal pay for equal work, paid family and medical leave, and a $15 minimum wage. He wants to prevent harassment in the workplace and states that “Expanding partnerships with Labor and with our community colleges and four year universities… will be a priority for my administration.”
Fixing the DMV: Lamont will implement a “common-sense plan to make the DMV more efficient.” He plans to “[limit] how often people have to visit the DMV, [reduce] the amount of time each visit takes, and [think] strategically about how to move its computer systems into the future
Other Issues: Investing in Education; Access to Quality Healthcare; Addressing Climate Change & Expanding Renewable Energy; Protecting the Environment; Creating Jobs; Investing in Infrastructure; Combating the Opioid Epidemic; Preventing Gun Violence; and Investing in Arts & Culture (visit Lamont’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Bob Stefanowski

Bob Stefanowski is a businessman who served as the Chief Financial Officer for UBS Investment Bank, managing $500B in assets across 35 countries.
He worked for General Electric between 1994 and 2007 and rose to become President & CEO of several large company divisions.
He attended Connecticut public schools, graduated from Fairfield University, and holds a master’s degree in finance from Cornell University.

Bob Stefanowski’s Key Issues:

Rebuild Our Economy: Stefanowski has a 5-step plan to rebuild Connecticut’s economy: 1) Phase out the corporate income tax and business entity tax over 2 years, 2) Phase out the state income tax over 8 years, 3) Immediately eliminate the gift and estate taxes, 4) Embrace zero-based budgeting, and 5) Enact a taxpayer’s bill of rights.
Help Small Business: Stefanowski believes that Connecticut can “lead the nation again in job growth, but only if we lower our taxes, and reduce our regulatory burden to make people and businesses WANT to move here.”
Modernize Our Infrastructure: Stefanowski plans to streamline the approval process for major construction projects, investigate the use of public-private partnerships to replace crumbling infrastructure, and cut out wasteful spending habits.
Other Issues: Keep Retirees and Retain Our Graduates (visit Stefanowski’s website for full details).

Florida Gubernatorial Race

Ron DeSantis (R) vs. Andrew Gillum (D)

Republican Nominee: Ron DeSantis

Ron DeSantis served in the U.S. House of Representatives between 2013 and 2018. He recently stepped down to focus on his campaign.
DeSantis holds degrees from Yale University and Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, he earned a commission in the US Navy as a JAG Officer.
During his active duty, DeSantis supported operations at Guantanamo Bay and deployed to Iraq as an advisor to a US Navy SEAL Commander.

Ron DeSantis’s Key Issues:

Environment: DeSantis states that he “will focus on our state’s water quality and quantity, which include our beautiful springs, diverse wetland systems and winding tributaries.” He promises to make environmental decisions based on “sound scientific evidence, not on political rhetoric or special interest desires.”
Education: DeSantis promises to “boost classroom spending for students and teachers, expand choice, vocational and technical education, and hold the link on college tuition.”
Continue Florida’s Economic Momentum: DeSantis opposes tax increases and supports a constitutional amendment that would require a supermajority in the Legislature to raise taxes. He also wants to “reduce bureaucracy, eliminate unreasonable regulations and crack down on lawsuit abuse”
Other Issues: Stop Illegal Immigration, End Judicial Activism, Defend Our Rights (visit DeSantis’s website for full details).

Democrat Nominee: Andrew Gillum

Andrew Gillum serves as the Mayor of Tallahassee, having been in the role since 2014.
He was elected to the Tallahassee City Commission at age 23, while he was still in school at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. He holds a degree in political science.
He won the Democratic primary over a field of five other candidates, including former U.S. Representative Gwen Graham. Gillum holds an endorsement from Bernie Sanders.

Andrew Gillum’s Key Issues:

Economy & Jobs: Lamont is proposing a “smart, achievable commitment to responsibly give middle class families the tax relief they deserve. It’s not only the right thing to do for working families; property tax relief is key to making Connecticut a better place to start or grow a business and create jobs.”
Education: Lamont supports equal pay for equal work, paid family and medical leave, and a $15 minimum wage. He wants to prevent harassment in the workplace and states that “Expanding partnerships with Labor and with our community colleges and four year universities… will be a priority for my administration.”
Healthcare: Lamont will implement a “common-sense plan to make the DMV more efficient.” He plans to “[limit] how often people have to visit the DMV, [reduce] the amount of time each visit takes, and [think] strategically about how to move its computer systems into the future
Other Issues: Criminal Justice Reform, Environment, Gun Safety, Immigration, LGBTQ Equality, Puerto Rico, Women’s Rights (visit Gillum’s website for full details).

Georgia Gubernatorial Race

Stacey Abrams (D) vs. Brian Kemp (R)

Democrat Nominee: Stacey Abrams

Stacey Abrams served as Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives between 2011 and 2017.
She is the founder of the New Georgia Project and is the co-founder of NOW Account, a financial services firm for small businesses. She is also an award-winning author and has penned eight romance novels.
Abrams grew up in DeKalb county schools. She holds degrees from Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and Yale Law School.

Stacey Abrams’s Key Issues:

Affordable Housing: Abrams will create a “State Affordable Housing Trust Fund, strengthen housing opportunities for citizens re-entering society from incarceration, end veteran homelessness, and “support programs that improve economic mobility and fight stagnating wages.”
Education: Abrams supports high quality childcare and universal pre-K. She promises to “fully fund our public schools and protect them from privatization,” and will “strengthen pathways to debt-free graduation at every skill level through expanded HOPE.”
Energy & Environment: Abrams will “invest in advanced and renewable energy through a Georgia Green Bank,” protect communities from climate change, oppose offshore drilling, and “focus on expanding public transit and low emission vehicles.”
Other Issues: Equal Rights; Gun Safety; Health Care; Jobs, Economy & Infrastructure; Criminal Justice; Military & Veterans; Voting Rights & Public Integrity; Aging & Disability; Film, Entertainment & Arts (visit Abrams’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Brian Kemp

Brian Kemp has served as the Secretary of State for Georgia since 2010. He served in the Georgia Senate, representing the 46th district, between 2003 and 2007.
Kemp is the owner of Kemp Properties, a business that specializes in real estate investments and property management.
He is a lifelong resident of Athens, Georgia and holds a Bachelor in Science degree in agriculture from the University of Georgia.

Brian Kemp’s Key Issues:

Make Georgia #1 for Small Business: Kemp will “take a chainsaw to burdensome regulations, work with business people — not bureaucrats — to cut red tape and streamline state government, and champion common sense workforce development initiatives to meet job demands.”
Reform State Government: Kemp promises to “cap state spending, deliver real tax reform, and audit all tax breaks to protect taxpayers.”
Strengthen Rural Georgia: Kemp will expand access to high speed internet and improve access to healthcare, promote economic development and investment in rural communities, and support farmers, agri-business and small town startups.
Other Issues: Protect Georgia families; Fully fund public school education and raise teacher pay; Stop sanctuary cities; Improve Literacy; Protect Georgia Values; and Lower healthcare costs (visit Kemp’s website for full details).

Hawaii Gubernatorial Race

David Ige (D) vs. Andria Tupola (R)

Democrat Nominee: Governor David Ige

David Ige is the incumbent candidate. He has served as Governor of Hawaii since 2014. Before that, he served in the Hawaii State Senate and the Hawaii House of Representatives.
He was born and raised in Pearl City, Hawaii and is the first U.S. Governor of Okinawan descent.
Ige holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hawaii.

David Ige’s Key Issues:

Education: Ige will “empower our public schools and university, focus on 21st century skills and learning, and ensure schools provide a healthy and safe learning environment.”
Housing and Homelessness: Ige promises to “build homes that people can afford, including rentals, to address the needs of those entering the workforce.” He will also “renovate the state’s public housing facilities,” and “provide [the homeless] with the necessary services so they can attain more permanent housing.”
Health: Ige supports the creation of “a 21st century health system that improves access, treatment, and affordability for all Hawai‘i residents, beginning with our children, honoring our elders, and including rural communities on all islands.”
Other Issues: Effective, Efficient & Open Government, Economy, Energy, Agriculture, Environment, Native Hawaiians, Traffic, and Taxes (visit Oge’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Andria Tupola

Andria Tupola currently serves in the Hawaii House of Representatives. She unseated an incumbent in 2014, was re-elected in 2016, and currently serves as Minority Leader.
Tupola holds a master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Hawaii and a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. She is currently pursuing a pHD in Music.
She served a year and a half mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Venezuela.

Andria Tupola’s Key Issues:

Housing: Tupola will fight homelessness in Hawaii by supporting local developers and jobs and reducing permitting times. She will also “improve access to Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and fully utilize resources to provide more housing.”
Education: Tupola will champion education and underserved communities by ensuring “equitable funding for all public school students including rural and charter schools.” She will provide teachers with better pay, benefits and resources, and will audit and streamline the Department of Education.
Jobs: Tupola will reduce the corporate income tax and opposes unnecessary business regulation. She will “increase access to capital grants, build local partnerships, and ”increase vocational training for high schools and community colleges.”

Idaho Gubernatorial Race

Paulette Jordan (D) vs. Brad Little (R)

Democrat Nominee: Paulette Jordan

Paulette Jordan has served two terms in Idaho’s House of Representatives. She unseated an incumbent in 2014 and was re-elected in 2016.
She is a member of the Coeur d’Alene tribe and was the youngest person ever elected to the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council. She has also worked as a business strategist and as Finance Chair on the Executive Board of the National Indian Gaming Association.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington.

Paulette Jordan’s Key Issues:

Education for our future: Jordan’s highest priority is to “invest in an opt-in statewide universal preschool program.” She wants to forgive teachers’ student loan debts, will invest in technical and career training programs for high school students, and will increase funding for AP and dual credit classes.
Healthcare for all: Jordan supports an expansion of Medicaid. She also promises to “establish an inter-professional, community-based medical school that will recruit Idaho students, train them as medical professionals, and retain them in Idaho’s community healthcare centers.”
Land protection and conservation: Jordan promises that as Governor, she will “ensure that all public lands remain in the custody of the public.” She will also clean up contamination sites, enforce existing air and water pollution laws, and will develop solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Other Issues: Prosperous Idaho (visit Jordan’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Brad Little

Brad Little has served as Lieutenant Governor of Idaho since 2009. Previously, he served in the Iowa State Senate from 2001–2009.
He managed his family’s ranching company, Little Land and Livestock, for nearly 30 years. He turned over control of the company to his son after becoming Lieutenant Governor.
He is the former chairman of the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho.

Brad Little’s Key Issues:

Education: Little will empower local communities so that they can come up with local solutions to education challenges. He will seek to “blur the lines between K through 12, career-technical and higher education,” and will make it a priority to retain and produce the best teachers.
Better Jobs, Stronger Economy: Little’s economic plan will grow jobs through the use of conservative budgets and policies that strengthen agriculture while keeping energy costs low. Then, he will cut income taxes for Iowans by $350M, eliminate the grocery and property taxes, and slash the unemployment tax.
Low-cost Healthcare: Little opposes the Affordable Care Act. He believes that Idahoans need more control over our healthcare along with fewer federal mandates
Other Issues: Keeping our Children in Idaho, Taxes, Second Amendment, Education, Marriage, Pro-Life (visit Little’s website for full details.)

Illinois Gubernatorial Race

Bruce Rauner (R) vs. J.B. Pritzker (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Bruce Rauner

Governor Rauner is the incumbent candidate, having served as the Governor of Illinois since 2015.
Prior to his election, he was the Chairman of R8 Capital Partners and Chairman of the private equity firm GTCR.
Rauner has also served as the Chairman of Choose Chicago, the not-for-profit that serves as the city’s convention and tourism bureau, and as Chairman of the Chicago Public Education Fund.
During his governorship, Rauner has signed an executive order blocking “fair share” union fees from state employee paychecks, proposed $4.1 billion in budget cuts, and vetoed the both Illinois state budget and an increase in the state income tax.

Bruce Rauner’s Key Issues:

Public Safety: Governor Rauner has proposed legislation that would give the “death penalty for mass murderers and those who kill law enforcement officers, extend the 72-hour waiting period for delivery of ALL gun purchases, not just handguns, and ban bump stocks and trigger cranks.”
Minority Programs and Initiatives: “Rauner’s administration has been providing opportunities to African American families and businesses through economic development. His policies and orders have also resulted in reforms to the criminal justice system, made education more accessible, and empowered diversity inclusion programs.”
Illinois Family Connects: Rauner has launched an initiative to create “a free, universal nurse home-visiting program that can provide peace of mind for all families, and create positive health outcomes for at-risk babies.”
Other Issues: What’s good for consumers is good for Illinois; Kicking old habits and legislating for economic growth; Tax Cuts; More choice for parents, more opportunity for students; and Federal Tax Reform (visit Rauner’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: J. B. Pritzker

J.B. Pritzker is a prominent Chicago venture capitalist. He is a co-founder and managing partner of Pritzker Group Private Capital.
Pritzker has served as Chairman of ChicagoNEXT, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s council on innovation and technology, which is Chicago’s digital startup center.
Pritzker founded Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century, a national organization dedicated to attracting voters under the age of 40 to the Democratic Party.
In the 2008 Presidential election, Pritzker served as the national co-chairman of the Hillary Clinton for President campaign and as a delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention and the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

J.B. Pritzker’s Key Issues:

Women’s Rights: Pritzker promises to “pass annual budgets that restore funding for healthcare services for low-income women, including reproductive and preventive healthcare, stand up to Donald Trump’s attempts to cut funding for Planned Parenthood and rollback federal protections for women’s healthcare, like access to birth control, and fight for legislation that strengthens equal pay laws.”
Net Neutrality: He vows to protect net neutrality by “requiring ISPs that do business with the state to honor net neutrality principles and prohibiting those ISPs from blocking content, applications or services, slowing down internet traffic, and providing preferential treatment to certain customers.”
Legalizing Marijuana: Pritzker pledge to “Safely legalize and decriminalize marijuana and put in place a framework to license businesses to sell marijuana to consumers for recreational use.”
Other Issues: Economic Inclusion, Plan to Protect Illinois Seniors, Protecting Immigrant Families, Protecting the Environment, A Public Health Approach to Gun Violence, Committment to LGBTQ Rights, Raise Wages, Opioid Epidemic, Economic Stability, Support Illinois Veterans, Criminal Justice Reform, Domestic Violence Prevention, Resist Trump, Healthcare, Early Childhood Education, and Illinois Jobs (visit Pritzker’s website for full details).

Iowa Gubernatorial Race

Kim Reynolds (R) vs. Fred Hubbell (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Kim Reynolds

Kim Reynolds is the incumbent candidate. She became Governor in 2017 when Terry Branstad was appointed as U.S. Ambassador to China.
Reynolds served as Lieutenant Governor of Iowa from 2011–2017. Prior to that, she served four terms as Clarke County Treasurer and served in the Iowa Senate from 2009–2011.
She is a former pharmacy assistant and worked as a Board Member for the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System from 1996–2001. She received a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from Iowa State University in 2016 at age 57.

Kim Reynolds’s Key Issues:

Competitive Business: Reynolds cares deeply about creating good-paying jobs and is proud that currently, under her watch, Iowa has the 2nd lowest unemployment rate in the nation.
Innovative Energy Policy: Reynolds has been a strong supporter of renewable energy projects. Iowa leads the nation in wind energy jobs and residents enjoy some of the lowest electricity rates in the country.
Educating Our Children: Reynolds created a Teachers’ Cabinet to “give teachers a more prominent voice in education decisions.” She has built out apprenticeship programs and have placed a greater emphasis on computer science and literacy programs.
Other Issues: Training Iowans, Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative (visit Reynolds’s website for full details).

Democrat Nominee: Fred Hubbell

Fred Hubbell’s career spans both the private and public sector. He was the Chairman of the Younkers retail department stores and was President of Equitable for Iowa.
In 2007, Hubbell led the Iowa Power Fund, where he invested in and encouraged the use of renewable energy. In 2009, he helped lead the Iowa Department of Economic Development.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a law degree from the University of Iowa.

Fred Hubbell’s Key Issues:

Education: Hubbell will provide full and consistent funding to Pre-K and K-12 and “will work with community colleges and regent schools to stabilize skyrocketing tuition.” He supports a stronger focus on job training and apprenticeship programs.
Get Incomes Rising: As governor, Hubbell will “propose a comprehensive reform of the state tax code that scrutinizes every tax credit and incentive to make sure they actually provide a good returns, simplifies tax law, and lowers rates for Iowa’s middle and working class families and small businesses.”
Health Care: Hubbell believes that “We need to reverse Medicaid privatization NOW.” He is the former chair of Planned Parenthood and “will continue to do everything he can to restore state funding and improve access to quality, affordable health care across the state.”
Other Issues: Environment, Restoring Workers’ Rights, Supporting Veterans (visit Hubbell’s website for full details).

Kansas Gubernatorial Race

Laura Kelly (D) vs. Kris Kobach (R)

Democratic Nominee: Laura Kelly

Laura Kelly has been a member of the Kansas Senate since 2005, representing the 18th District.
She is currently serving as the state Senate Assistant Minority Leader.
Kelly has also served as the Kansas Senate Ranking Minority member of Ways and Means Committee.
She has previously been a leader of the Kansas Recreation and Park Association.

Laura Kelly’s Key Issues:

Good Government: Kelly promises to: “improve transparency and increase accountability in the government,” and she plans to reinstate the Equal Protection Clause to protect LGBTQ+ civil servants from discrimination and reverse the Adoption Discrimination Bill.
Public Safety: Kelly describes herself as a “strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment,” but she believes in passing “common sense gun legislation.” She vows to “stabilize the state’s budget and invest in public safety again.”
Economy: “Laura Kelly will prioritize investment in roads and other infrastructure needs.” She pledges to encourage economic growth by focused investments in: “healthcare, infrastructure, tourism and community specific investment.”
Other Issues: Healthcare, Kansas Schools, and Rural Prosperity (visit Kelly’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Kris Kobach

Kris Kobach is the current Secretary of State of Kansas, having served in this role since 2011.
As Secretary of State of Kansas, Kobach implemented some of the strictest voter identification laws in the United States and fought to remove nearly 20,000 registered voters from the state’s voter rolls.
Kobach is a former Chairman of the Kansas Republican Party.
He has also previously served as a member of the City Council of Overland Park, Kansas.

Kris Kobach’s Key Issues:

Illegal Immigration: Kobach pledges to “end in-state tuition for illegal aliens; stop providing welfare benefits to illegal aliens; end sanctuary cities and counties in Kansas; and require recipients of Kansas government contracts to use E-Verify.”
Life: Kobach is pro-life, and promises to do “everything in his power to safeguard innocent human life from conception until natural death.”
The 2nd Amendment: Kobach describes himself as a “gun owner, a sportsman and an avid hunter,” and he vows to “preserve concealed carry rights and seek to expand the right to keep and bear arms.”
Other Issues: Jobs, Education, End the Culture of Corruption, Enact Term Limits, and Spending and Taxes (visit Kobach’s website for full details).

Maine Gubernatorial Race

Janet Mills (D) vs. Shawn Moody (R)

Democratic Nominee: Janet Mills

Janet Mills is currently serving as the Attorney General of Maine, having first been elected by the Maine State Legislature in 2009.
She is the first woman to hold the position of State Attorney General in Maine.
Prior to her current role, she served in the Maine House of Representatives representing the towns of Farmington and Industry.

Janet Mills’s Key Issues:

Expanding Medicaid: “As Attorney General, I’m fully committed to ensuring Medicaid expansion is implemented now in Maine, in accordance with the will of the people. As Governor, I’ll continue to do everything in my power to ensure every Mainer has access to high-quality and affordable healthcare.”
Protecting Reproductive Rights: Mills pledges to “fight every day to protect a woman’s right to make her own personal medical decisions.” She promises to “fight not only to protect family planning services in this state, but to expand their presence and services, ensure that every person in this state has access to reproductive services, and make sure they can obtain those services free from harassment and intimidation.”
Supporting Maine’s Creative Economy: Mills vows to “invest in promoting Maine culture to the world, Increase the coordination between Maine’s tourism industry and the creative economy, and boost investment in direct support for art projects, through grants or special art requirements in general economic development aid.
Other Issues: An Action Plan for Maine’s Economic Future; Tackling the Opioid Crisis; Growing Maine’s Agricultural Industry; Ending Childhood Hunger; Improving Access to Safe and Affordable Housing; and Working with Maine’s Indigenous People (visit Mills’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Shawn Moody

Shawn Moody is a career businessman, founding Moody’s Collision Centers when he was 17.
His company Moody’s Collision Centers has twice been named “Maine’s Best Places to Work” statewide.
He was also the first person to serve on the boards of the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System simultaneously.

Shawn Moody’s Key Issues:

Continuing Welfare Reform: Moody supports “using state government to help promote the dignity that comes with a job, not just a government check, by connecting training and work availability with those who try entering the system, and performing a skills assessment when somebody applies for benefits.”
Helping Stop Illegal Immigration: Moody opposes sanctuary cities in Maine, supports a “push for an end to any welfare dollars being used for illegal aliens” as well as a “crack down on employers who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.”
Supporting a Pro-Life Culture In Maine: Moody opposes “euthanasia in Maine, any state taxpayer money for abortions, and the rationing of medical care for those suffering from disabilities and other terminal illnesses.” He supports “Maine Right to Life’s legislative efforts.”
Other Issues: Creating Good Paying Jobs & Growing Our Economy; Fighting Government Waste & Lowering Taxes; Lowering Healthcare Costs and Protecting Care; Addressing Maine’s Failed Referendum Process; Protecting Our 2nd Amendment While Improving School & Public Safety; Ensuring a Quality Education, With Budget Controls, and a Focus on Maine Careers; Fighting the Opioid Crisis and Violent Crime; Standing Behind Our Veterans Who Protected Our Freedoms; and Protecting Maine’s Environment (visit Moody’s website for full details).

Maryland Gubernatorial Race

Larry Hogan (R) vs. Ben Jealous (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Larry Hogan

Governor Larry Hogan is the incumbent candidate, seeking reelection to a second term.
He previously was Secretary of Appointments under Governor Bob Ehrlich from 2003 to 2007.
Prior to his political career, Hogan was in the real estate business, founding Hogan Companies in 1985.
In 2011, Hogan founded and chaired Change Maryland, a non-partisan anti-tax grassroots organization.

Larry Hogan’s Key Issues:

Jobs & the Economy: Governor Hogan opposes: “high taxes, reckless spending, and unnecessary regulations, and he promises to continue to fight for “fiscally responsible budgets that keep more money in Marylanders’ pockets and allow businesses of all sizes to grow.”
Education: Governor Hogan has “provided record funding for education in each of his four budgets.” He is “committed to expanding educational opportunities to historically underserved students throughout Maryland,” and promises to fight for his “Protect Our Students Act to put more emphasis on student achievement.”
Healthcare: “Throughout the debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act, Governor Hogan repeatedly voiced his opposition to any changes by Congress and the Trump administration that would jeopardize Marylanders’ access to quality health care. That’s why he is actively partnering with other state leaders across the country committed to making health care more affordable.”
Other Issues: Transportation; Environment; Heroin & Opioid Epidemic; Crime; and Ethics & Government Accountability (visit Hogan’s website for full details).

Democratic nominee: Ben Jealous

Ben Jealous is the former president and chief executive officer of the NAACP.
He is a partner at Kapor Capital, Board Chairman of the Southern Elections Fund.
Jealous is also one of the John L. Weinberg/Goldman Sachs Visiting Professors at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School.
In 2013, The Washington Post described Jealous as “one of the nation’s most prominent civil rights leaders.”

Ben Jealous’s Key Issues:

Ending The Student Debt Crisis: Jealous promises, “As governor, I will end this era of mass incarceration and use those savings to fund initiatives that will eventually make college tuition-free, and ensure no Marylander is forced to accrue massive debt in order to receive a good education.”
Medicare-For-All: He vows to: “work to ensure Maryland makes real progress in ensuring we finally have a healthcare system that works for our families, seniors and small businesses.”
Criminal Justice Reform: Jealous believes that “our current criminal justice system is wasteful, inefficient, and makes us less safe. We must implement smart-on-crime policies that ensure safety and prosperity while creating a just system for all.”
Other Issues: K-12 Education; Prescription Drug Affordability Plan; Innovation Maryland; Building A More Inclusive, Thriving Economy; A Vision for Maryland’s Future; Career Skills Education and Apprenticeships; and Police Reform (visit Jealous’s website for full details).

Massachusetts Gubernatorial Race

Charlie Baker (R) vs. Jay Gonzalez (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Charlie Baker

Charlie Baker is the incumbent candidate, seeking reelection to a second term as governor.
He was previously a cabinet official under two different governors of Massachusetts.
Prior to his political career, Baker was the CEO of Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and later Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a non-profit health benefits company.

Charlie Baker’s Key Issues:

Growing Our Economy: “Thanks to pro-growth leadership” under Governor Baker, “Massachusetts has created over 180,000 new jobs, the unemployment rate has dropped, and household incomes have risen dramatically.”
Tackling The Opioid Crisis: Governor Baker signed “first-in-the-nation law that limits new prescriptions to seven days and invests more resources in prevention, education, and recovery,” and he has proposed legislation “to strengthen penalties on drug dealers whose actions lead to fatalities.”
Respecting Taxpayers: Baker “advocated for and enacted a doubling of the Earned Income Tax Credit, providing tax relief for over 450,000 workers and families,” and he supports “legislation to make the sales tax holiday permanent.”
Other Issues: Strengthening Our Schools, Supporting Cities And Towns, and Reforming State Government (visit Baker’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Jay Gonzalez

Jay Gonzalez is the former Secretary of Administration and Finance of Massachusetts, having served under Governor Deval Patrick from 2009 to 2013.
He has served as Chairman of the Board of the Massachusetts Health Connector, where he oversaw implementation of Massachusetts’ health care reform, and he co-chaired the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.
Before working as a government official, Gonzalez was an attorney at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge in Boston.

Jay Gonzalez’s Key Issues:

Climate Change: “President Trump is taking us in the wrong direction on climate change, so it’s more important than ever that Massachusetts adopt carbon pricing, accelerate our transition to clean energy sources, and oppose any new gas pipelines that further our dependence on fossil fuels.”
Quality, Affordable Early Education: Gonzalez promises: “when I am Governor, every child age 0–5 will have access to high-quality, affordable childcare and preschool by the end of my first term.”
Criminal Justice Reform: Gonzalez believes “a well-functioning criminal justice system is not what we have in Massachusetts today.” He supports “updating the approach to juvenile and young adult offenders, reversing the trend of over-incarceration, making incarceration more effective, and giving victims and ex-offenders the services and support to succeed.”
Other Issues: Opioid Crisis; Transportation System we can Rely on; Economy that works for Everyone; Commonwealth where everyone is Valued; Government Transparency; Gun Violence and making our Community Safer; Women’s Economic Opportunity; Campaign Finance Reform; Veterans and Military Families; and Fix our Broken Healthcare System (visit Gonzalez’s website for full details).

Michigan Gubernatorial Race

Bill Schuette (R) vs. Gretchen Whitmer (D)

Republican Nominee: Bill Schuette

Bill Schuette is the current Attorney General of Michigan. He also served as a member U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 to 1991.
In January 1991, Schuette was named the director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture.
He has previously been elected to the Michigan Senate as well as a judge on the Michigan Fourth District Court of Appeals.

Bill Schuette’s Key Issues:

Make Michigan the Jobs State: Schuette vows to “cut taxes, regulations and wasteful spending to strengthen our economy and create better paying jobs,” as well as “champion vocational education, prepare students for careers in the skilled trades, and fight to make Michigan number one and a place where people come to raise their families.”
Defending Your Rights: Bill is a “strong defender for the rights of the unborn and has been repeatedly supported by Michigan Right to Life. He is an avid hunter and protector of our 2nd Amendment rights.”
Cut Auto Insurance Rates: Schuette promises to “slash Michigan’s auto insurance rates,” and to work with “all sides to get legislation passed to give Michigan families a pay raise by bringing rates down.”
Other Issues: Build World-Class Schools; Rebuild our Roads & Infrastructure; End the Opioid Crisis; Ensuring Affordable, Accessible Healthcare for All; Protecting Michigan Families; Guarding the Environment & Great Lakes; and Hold Lansing Accountable (visit Schuette’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Gretchen Whitmer

Gretchen Whitmer was a member of the Michigan Senate from 2006 to 2015, serving as Minority Leader for the last five years of her tenure.
Previously, she was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006.
Whitmer was selected to serve as Ingham County Prosecutor for the remaining six months of the term of an outgoing official in 2016.

Gretchen Whitmer’s Key Issues:

Fix the Damn Roads: Whitmer supports a robust infrastructure plan that “Upgrades Michigan’s roads, bridges, and water systems; makes a bold investment in the Rebuild Michigan Bank, a state infrastructure bank that will pay for high quality upgrades and create thousands of good jobs; makes commutes safer and faster; ensures clean safe water; and connects more Michiganders to high-speed broadband Internet.
Women’s Rights: “As Governor I will continue to fiercely defend the rights of every Michigan woman, including for women’s access to all forms of reproductive care, contraception, and maternity care, paid family leave, and equal pay.”
Repeal The Retirement Tax: Whitmer promises to “protect our seniors and retirees by: getting rid of the Snyder Retirement Tax, supporting options for independence at home, and working to end elder abuse.”
Other Issues: Make Healthcare More Affordable; Clean Up Our Drinking Water; Holding Government Accountable; Better Skills, Better Jobs; Improve Education & Skills Training; Fighting Urban Poverty; Our Freedoms; Serving our Veterans; and The Opioid Crisis (visit Whitmer’s website for full details).

Minnesota Gubernatorial Race

Jeff Johnson (R) vs. Tim Waltz (D)

Republican Nominee: Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson currently serves as the Hennepin County commissioner for the 7th district in Minnesota.
Johnson was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2000 and served there from 2001 until 2007.
He was elected Republican National Committeeman from Minnesota in April 2011.

Jeff Johnson’s Key Issues:

Taxes & Spending: Johnson supports cutting taxes and reducing the size of the government, stating: “We’ll start by cutting income taxes, the death tax and license tab fees, ending the taxation of social security benefits and instituting an Automatic Taxpayer Refund when government over-taxes Minnesotans.”
Life: “There is no more important issue than protecting innocent life. Not only is this a moral issue, recent breakthroughs in science and technology have made even more clear that we must protect the life of the unborn. I am Pro-Life and believe in the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.”
Immigration: Johnson promises: “I will not allow Minnesota to become a sanctuary state and will work with the legislature to ban sanctuary cities in Minnesota.” He supports an “IMMEDIATE STOP to the refugee resettlement program in Minnesota,” and vows: “as governor, I will meet with President Trump and Attorney General Sessions to explain this situation in detail and inform them that our participation in the program will end until we tell them otherwise.”
Other Issues: Jobs, Government Reform, K-12 Education, The Constitution, Healthcare, Transportation, Public Safety, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Second Amendment, and Metropolitan Council (visit Johnson’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Tim Waltz

Tim Waltz is currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, having served since 2007.
Waltz is a retired Master Sergeant in the Army National Guard, and he is the highest-ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress.
In the House, he served on the Agriculture, Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs committees, as well as the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

Tim Waltz’s Key Issues:

Economy: Waltz promises to: “guarantee and fully fund pre-K and K-12 education, stand up for our unions, remove barriers to growth by encouraging equity and inclusion, and improve our infrastructure.”
Gun Violence Prevention: Waltz supports a “ban on assault weapons in Minnesota, passing universal background checks, and fighting dangerous stand your ground laws.”
LGBTQ Minnesotans: He vows to “stand against so-called ‘Bathroom Bills,’ ban the harmful practice of ‘Conversion Therapy,’ and take on bullying and harassment in schools.”
Other Issues: Agriculture; American Indian Issues; Childcare; Education; Energy, Environment, and Climate; Healthcare; Racial Equity; Transportation; Wages, Benefits, And Workers’ Rights; and Veterans (visit Waltz’s website for full details).

Nebraska Gubernatorial Race

Pete Ricketts (R) vs. Bob Krist (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Pete Ricketts

Governor Ricketts is the incumbent candidate, first taking office in 2015.
He worked for TD Ameritrade, the company his father founded, from 1993 to 2016.
Ricketts is also a part-owner — along with other family members — of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs.

Pete Ricketts’s Key Issues:

Providing Tax Relief: Governor Ricketts has been instrumental in legislation that “provided Nebraskans with $408 million in direct property tax relief and $20 million in direct property tax relief credits for agricultural land.” He also signed LB959, “a bill removing penalties on school districts that lower their property tax levies, and his tax plan served as a precursor to the 2018 Nebraska Property Tax Cuts and Opportunities Act.”
Promoting A Culture Of Life: In 2017, Ricketts signed “the first pro-life legislation passed in the Legislature in years, as well as a bill that makes Nebraska the first state in the nation to require that pregnant women, upon receiving the diagnosis of a lethal fetal abnormality, be provided with essential information about perinatal hospice services.”
Controlling State Spending: Ricketts believes in a “focus on efficiency and the elimination of waste,” and says he is “unafraid to use his veto pen to restrict the growth of spending and balance Nebraska’s budget without raising taxes on our families and job creators.”
Other Issues: Getting The Job Done For Our Economy; Promoting Trade; Supporting Our Farm Economy; Promoting Nebraska Beef; Building Nebraska; Taking Care Of Our People; Making Government Work Better; and Supporting Our Veterans (visit Ricketts’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Bob Krist

Bob Krist currently represents the 10th District in the Nebraska State Legislature.
He served in the United States Air Force from 1979 to 2000 and retired as a lieutenant colonel.
His standing committee assignments in the Legislature include the Judiciary Committee, the Agriculture Committee, and the General Affairs Committee.

Bob Krist’s Key Issues:

Tax Reform: Krist believes “property taxes have gotten out of control.” He “wants to reform the tax system so it is fair to hard-working Nebraskans. Not behind closed doors, but in the open, where the citizens of Nebraska can be heard and ideas are measured against one standard: is this fair to the people of Nebraska?”
Non-Partisanship: Krist “understands that no single political party or individual has all the answers; that sound policies reflect the collective wisdom of Nebraskans and that progress often comes as a result of compromise.”
#MeToo: “Senator Krist’s 10 years in the Legislature shows a strong record of supporting bills relating to wage discrimination, paid family and medical leave, protections for nursing mothers, and affirmative consent.”
Other Issues: Agriculture; K-12 Education; Health Care; Higher Education; Jobs and Economic Development; and Special Needs (visit Krist’s website for full details).

Nevada Gubernatorial Race

Adam Laxalt (R) vs. Steve Sisolak (D)

Republican Nominee: Adam Laxalt

Laxalt has been serving as the Nevada Attorney General since 2015.
He was the youngest Attorney General in the United States at the time of his election.
He has also served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy.

Adam Laxalt’s Key Issues:

Taxes and the Budget: Laxalt supports “setting clear budget priorities, and identifying and eliminating wasteful spending wherever it exists.”
Gun Rights: Laxalt is a “proud and firm supporter of the Second Amendment, and I take particular pride in the work my office has done, during my time as Nevada’s Attorney General, to stand up for the right of citizens to bear arms. I believe, as America’s founders did, that this right is essential to maintaining a free society, and I will defend it vigorously as your Governor.”
Energy and the Environment: “My approach as Governor will be to support more choice and competition in our energy sectors, empowering individual consumers with the ability to address their energy needs as they see fit.”
Other Issues: Jobs and the Economy; Education; Public Safety; Land Use and Water; and Veterans (see Laxalt’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Steve Sisolak

Steve Sisolak is a member of the Clark County Commission and serves as its Chair.
He has had a successful business career, primarily as a partner in the American Distributing Company, a venture that sells coffee cups, pens and other promotional items to businesses via telemarketing, and a second telemarketing company called Associated Industries.
He was elected to a seat on the Nevada Board of Regents in the 1998, where he served for 10 years.

Steve Sisolak’s Key Issues:

Economy: Sisolak intends to “attract new, diverse industries to Nevada, such as clean energy, technology, manufacturing, and medical research; support Nevada’s small businesses with incentives and grants so it’s not just the big companies that benefit from our help; and promote partnerships between professional technical training programs and employers, to ensure Nevadans have the skills they need to find jobs with good pay and benefits.
Education: Sisolak promises to “raise educator salaries so we can attract and retain the best and the brightest to teach our children, reduce classroom sizes so that every student gets the attention he or she needs to succeed, and fight against the diversion of funding from public schools into private schools.”
Healthcare: Sisolak vows to “support Nevada’s health care exchange and work to ensure all communities across our state have access to better care and coverage; fight any attempts to roll back Medicaid expansion; and stand up to the Trump Administration’s efforts to reverse pre-existing conditions protections.

New Hampshire Gubernatorial Race

Chris Sununu (R) vs. Molly Kelly (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Chris Sununu

Sununu is the incumbent candidate, having served as the Governor of New Hampshire since 2017.
Sununu was previously a member of the New Hampshire Executive Council, an office he held from 2011 to 2017.
He also serves as chief executive officer of the Waterville Valley Ski Resort in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire.

Chris Sununu’s Key Issues:

Economy: Thanks to Sununu’s work as governor, New Hampshire is the “fastest growing economy in New England, over 1600 burdensome government regulations have been eliminated, the Business Profits and Enterprise Taxes have been lowered, and the Department of Business and Economic Affairs has been created.”
Education: Sunumu has worked to “establish full-day kindergarten; provide greater school choice for New Hampshire Families; and establish the New Hampshire Robotics fund to prepare students for work in the 21st century.”
Safety: Sununu “created the only youth drug treatment center in New Hampshire; increased funding for treatment and recovery services by $7 million; and added 20 new DCYF case workers across the state.”
Other Issues: Infrastructure (visit Sununu’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Molly Kelly

Molly Kelly served in the New Hampshire State Senate from 2006–2016.
In the State Senate, Kelly served as Chair of the Governor’s Advanced Manufacturing Education Advisory Council, on the New Hampshire Rail Authority and on the Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment.
Prior to her political career, Kelly started and ran a small business as a retirement financial advisor, served as the director of Hospice of the Monadnock Region, and was the director of the Franklin Pierce University Continuing Education program at its Keene campus.

Molly Kelly’s Key Issues:

Jobs & Economy: Kelly promises to “sign paid family and medical leave that will allow everyone to be with their loved ones in times of need, such as new parents or when family members experience a medical crisis.”
Gun Violence Prevention: Kelly supports “passing universal background checks; keeping children and domestic abusers from getting guns; and keep military-style weapons off our streets.”
Welcoming Immigrants to Our State: “Trump has truly created a deportation force and given enforcement agents carte blanche to treat certain people as less than human. This is wrong.”
Other Issues: Education & Job Training; Opioid Epidemic; Energy & Environment; State Budget that Invests in Our Future; Campaign & Government Reform; Protecting Vulnerable Children; Ensuring Access to Health Care; LGBTQ Rights; Veterans; and Voting Rights (visit Kelly’s website for full details).

New Mexico Gubernatorial Race

Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) vs. Steve Pearce (R)

Democratic Nominee: Michelle Lujan Grisham

Michelle Grisham is a current member of the U.S. House of Representatives, having served there since 2013.
She has served in the New Mexico state cabinet, and as Bernalillo County Commissioner.
In December 2016, Lujan Grisham was selected as the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Michelle Grisham’s Key Issues:

Jumpstart New Mexico: Grisham promises to “get new transmission infrastructure online by 2020 to ensure that New Mexico’s wind can be used to generate power and jobs; increase New Mexico’s Renewable Portfolio Standards to 50% by 2030, expand it to include small-scale customer-owned solar and wind systems and include incentives for production in rural areas; accelerate development of a green energy workforce; and make state buildings energy efficient.
Methane Mitigation: “I’ll work to make New Mexico a national leader in clean energy by moving to renewable energies such as solar and wind and through innovative, smart policy and practices such as methane mitigation”
Action Plan to Combat New Mexico Gun Violence: Grisham supports “passing a state-wide ban on semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, legislation to strengthen background checks, banning anyone convicted of domestic violence and stalking misdemeanors from purchasing a firearm, and requiring registered firearms owners to report the loss and/or theft of a gun to law enforcement.”
Other Issues: Build New Mexico; Making New Mexico a Leader in Clean Energy; Leveraging Trade and Investment to Build a Stronger Economy; A New Direction for New Mexico’s Public Schools; Workforce Training and Development; Fixing New Mexico’s Motor Vehicle Division: Creating an ID System that Works for ALL New Mexicans; Tackling the Opioid Epidemic; and Infrastructure for New Mexico (visit Grisham’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Steve Pearce

Steve Pearce has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2011.
He previously held the seat from 2003 to 2009 and was an Assistant Minority Whip.
He was elected as Republican Caucus Chairman and served on the Appropriations Committee.

Steve Pearce’s Key Issues:

Crime: Pearce promises to “tackle the recidivism problem, restore the state’s watersheds, and establish Restoration Programs.”
Families: Pearce believes that “strong families raise strong individuals; strong individuals make strong communities and a strong country.” “Therefore, the family should be the starting point for a new beginning for New Mexico.”
Making Government More Effective: Pearce pledges to focus on “training and networking programs; regulatory and licensing simplicity; and helpful government websites to cut red tape.”
Other Issues: Restoring Trust in Government; Transforming New Mexico’s Economy; Improving Education; Attack the Roots of Poverty, Standing up for New Mexico’s Veterans; Assuring Public Safety; Improving Healthcare; Protect our Environment; and Support Every form of Energy (visit Pearce’s website for full details).

New York Gubernatorial Race

Andrew Cuomo (D) vs. Marcus Molinaro (R)

Democratic Nominee: Governor Andrew Cuomo

Governor Cuomo is the incumbent candidate. He has been the Governor of New York since 2011.
During his first term as governor, New York legalized same-sex marriage and enacted gun control legislation.
Previously, Cuomo served as the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development as well as the Attorney General of New York.

Andrew Cuomo’s Key Issues:

Civil Rights and Criminal Justice Reform: “Governor Cuomo has worked to provide opportunity for all, to welcome immigrants, and to protect individual and religious freedoms. He will defend these New York’s values against the extreme conservatives who are looking to take us backwards.”
Gun Safety: “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, a multi-state coalition was formed to share research and data to keep New Yorkers safer.”
Fighting for Women’s Equality: Cuomo promises to “always protect a woman’s right to choose and will fight the extreme conservatives in Washington who threaten that right.”
Other Issues: LGBTQ Community, Educational Opportunity for All, A Healthier New York, Protecting New York’s Environment, Building a New New York, Creating a Strong Middle Class, and Combatting Income Inequality (visit Cuomo’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Marcus Molinaro

Marcus Molinaro currently serves as Dutchess County Executive, having first been elected in 2011.
Molinaro was elected mayor of Tivoli, New York in 1995 at the age of 19, becoming the youngest mayor in the United States.
Molinaro has also served in the Dutchess County Legislature and the New York State Assembly.

Marcus Molinaro’s Key Issues:

Creating a Government ‘of the People, by the People, and for the People’: “As Governor, I would hold myself to my personal pledge to serve only two terms and make amending the constitution to include term limits for state elected politicians a day-one priority.”
Opening the Doors of Government and Providing Real Transparency: Molinaro supports “Requiring the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) to create and maintain a searchable state subsidy and economic development benefits database, requiring UDC to provide quarterly updates, and defining economic development benefits to include: state grants, loans, loan guarantees, loan interest subsidies, and/or subsidies allocated through the Urban Development Corporation.”
Taking Big Money Out of Politics: “We must work to take big money out of politics to provide a voice to everyday New Yorkers and to restore the public’s trust in state government.”
Other Issues: Holding Politicians Accountable and Providing for Independent Oversight and Rethinking and Rightsizing our Economic Development Programs (visit Molinaro’s website for full details).

Ohio Gubernatorial Race

Richard Cordray (D) vs. Mike DeWine (R)

Democrat Nominee: Richard Cordray

Richard Cordray was appointed by President Obama to be the first Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a position he held from 2012 to 2017.
He has also served as Ohio’s Treasurer, Attorney General, and first Solicitor General. His political career began in 1990 when he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives.
In 1987 he became an undefeated five-time Jeopardy! champion.

Richard Cordray’s Key Issues:

Ohio’s Opioid Crisis: Cordray would immediately declare a “state of emergency” to facilitate the coordination of government resources. He has a plan to protect Medicaid expansion and to expand access and funding for prevention and treatment. He views this epidemic as “substantially a product of economic despair and hopelessness.”
Clean Energy: He supports strengthening Ohio’s renewable portfolio standard, stopping over-regulation of the wind industry, and investing in solar power to create jobs.
Support for Small Businesses: To lift up Ohio’s small businesses, he wants to provide better tax incentives, grants, and small business loans as well as empowering a new small business chief to stimulate job growth.
Other Issues: Agriculture and Farming, Health Care, and Reducing Gun Violence (visit Cordray’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Mike DeWine

Mike DeWine is the current Ohio Attorney General, having been in office since 2011.
He is a former United States Senator, elected in 1994 and re-elected in 2000, as well as a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Previously, DeWine has served as: Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor, a member of the Ohio State Senate, and the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney.

Mike DeWine’s Key Issues:

Creating Jobs and Prosperity: Mike DeWine has a plan to: provide better job training; ignite statewide innovation, investment, and research; and eliminate excessive regulations.
Overcoming the Drug Problem: He has a 12-point plan to fight the statewide opioid epidemic that entails expanding treatment facilities, expanding early intervention programs, and creating more specialized drug courts.
Guaranteeing Coverage and Reducing Costs in Healthcare: He vows to support coverage for pre-existing conditions and in driving down pharmacy costs, among other regulations to the healthcare industry.
Other Issues: Innovating State Government, Prioritizing Early Childhood Development, and Keeping Ohio Schools Safe (visit DeWine’s website for full details).

Oklahoma Gubernatorial Race

Drew Edmondson (D) vs. Kevin Stitt (R)

Democratic Nominee: Drew Edmondson

Drew Edmondson was a Petty Officer Second Class in the U.S. Navy, and he served a tour in Vietnam.
He was elected to the Oklahoma state legislature in 1974, and he subsequently served as the state’s District Attorney from 1982 to 1992 and Attorney General from 1994 to 2006.
He was named outstanding DA for the State of Oklahoma, and he was President of the District Attorney’s Association while Attorney General.

Drew Edmondson’s Key Issues:

Education: Edmondson’s top priority is raising the pay of teachers and reducing educational administrative costs.
Health Care: He disagrees with the current governor’s rejection of Medicaid expansion. He plans to reverse this decision as well as to reduce sky-high prescription costs.
Leadership: He believes in revitalizing rural communities by encouraging investment, expanding fiber optic networks, and passing a Family Farmers Bill of Rights.
Transparency: He wants to establish an Office of Open Government to increase transparency within the state government.

Republican Nominee: Kevin Stitt

Native Oklahoman Kevin Stitt is a career entrepreneur and businessman.
He founded Gateway Mortgage in 2000, which has since expanded into a national company that employs 1,200 people.
Stitt is a self-described conservative Republican, and he has been endorsed by President Trump.

Kevin Stitt’s Key Issues:

Prioritizing Government Efficiency: He plans to implement audits and to foster transparency within each agency in regard to how tax dollars are spent.
Reforming Education System: He vows to invest in teachers by increasing pay and prioritizing classroom funding.
Expanding Economy Prosperity: To stimulate economic growth, he’ll capitalize on Trump’s tax cuts, recruit businesses, and reform licensing.
Other Issues: Promoting Oklahoma’s Agriculture, Advancing Pro-Life Priorities, and Protecting Second Amendment Rights (see Stitt’s website for full details).

Oregon Gubernatorial Race

Kate Brown (D) vs. Knute Buehler (R)

Democratic Nominee: Governor Kate Brown

Kate Brown is the incumbent candidate; she has held the governor’s seat since 2015.
She is the state’s second female governor, as well as the first openly bisexual governor in US history.
Previously, she served as Oregon’s Secretary of State and as majority leader of the Oregon State Senate.

Kate Brown’s Key Issues:

Economy & Jobs: Some of her priorities include supporting Oregon’s transportation infrastructure, empowering small businesses, building new industries, and protecting workers.
Government Efficiency: She plans to “improve transparency, ensure the efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and make voting easier and more accessible.”
Healthcare: She cares about keeping kids and senior citizens healthy, protecting reproductive health of women, and tackling the opioid crisis.
Other Issues: Education, Environment, Public Safety, and Equality & Social Justice (visit Brown’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Knute Buehler

Knute Buehler currently serves in the Oregon House of Representatives, where he has been a member since 2015.
In 2017, the Democratic Party of Oregon Chair filed three ethics complaints against Buehler regarding his campaign finance disclosures for the last four years. Two claims were dismissed by a state ethics committee, but the third was acknowledged by Buehler, and he accepted a censure.
Buehler is a Rhodes Scholar and has a career as an orthopedic surgeon.

Knute Buehler’s Key Issues:

Education: He plans to improve graduation rates, extend CTE/STEM, and overall boost student achievement.
Health Care: He opposes Medicaid cuts, wants to increase the quality of mental health care, and vows to support female/reproductive health.
Homelessness: He has a seven-point plan to end homelessness in Oregon by 2023, which entails improving the quality of shelters, expanding direct rental assistance, and constructing 20,000 new housing units.
Other Issues: One Oregon: Bridging Oregon’s Rural/Urban Divide (visit Buehler’s website for full details).

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Race

Tom Wolf (D) vs. Scott Wagner (R)

Democratic Nominee: Governor Tom Wolf

Tom Wolf is the incumbent candidate. He was first elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2014.
Prior to becoming Governor, was the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue from April 2007 to November 2008.
After receiving his PhD from MIT, Tom Wolf became CEO of his family’s business which supplies kitchen cabinets and specialty building products.

Tom Wolf’s Key Issues:

Education: He enacted a fair funding formula that “removes politics from school funding,” he drastically increased the number of children able to attend pre-kindergarten, and he improved the statewide high school graduation rate to 86%.
Environment: He banned drilling in the Delaware basin, supported solar energy, and stood up to Big Oil and Gas.
Health Care: He expanded Medicaid, reduced the uninsured rate, and legalized medical marijuana.
Other Issues: Jobs, Opioid Crisis, and Progressive Values (visit Wolf’s website for full details).

Republican Nominee: Scott Wagner

Scott Wagner has represented the 28th district in the Pennsylvania Senate since 2014.
When he was first elected to the state Senate, he became the first ever write-in candidate to win a legislative seat.
Prior to his political career, Wagner pursued various business ventures. He currently owns several successful enterprises including Penn Waste, which is one of the largest recycling plants in the United States.

Scott Wagner’s Key Issues:

Jobs: Wagner promises to “support business owners and entrepreneurs to reduce unemployment rates.”
Education: He vows to fight “big union bosses” in the pension crisis and reform the education system to better prepare students to fill STEM jobs.
Culture: He plans “break the culture of political careerism” by limiting legislature terms and restricting lobbying activities.
Other Issues: Taxes and Your Paycheck (visit Wagner’s website for full details).

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Race

Gina Raimondo (D) vs. Allan Fung (R)

Democratic Candidate: Governor Gina Raimondo

Gina Raimondo is the incumbent candidate, having served as governor since 2014.
She was Rhode Island’s first female governor.
Gina Raimondo studied at Harvard, Oxford, and Yale Law School before beginning a career in business and subsequently entering the political field.

Gina Raimondo’s Key Issues:

Jobs and the Economy: “Governor Gina Raimondo has recruited many small businesses to Rhode Island and supported the expansion of existing RI businesses. Under Raimondo’s tenure, Rhode Island went from number 49 to number one in the nation for rising wages.”
K-12 Education: She has a plan to double the number of children who read at grade level in third grade by 2025 because this metric is “a key indicator for improving high school graduation rates.” Moreover, during her term she guaranteed all-day kindergarten for all children in the state.
Healthcare: She is “committed to combating the opioid crisis and protecting the Affordable Care Act.”
Other Issues: Roads and Infrastructure, Energy and the Environment, and Gun Violence Prevention (visit Raimondo’s website for full details).

Republican Candidate: Allan Fung

Allan Fung has a background in the law. He previously served as a litigation attorney in Providence, a criminal prosecutor in the Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit of the RI Attorney General’s Office, and Government Affairs Counsel for MetLife.
In 2008, he was elected mayor of Cranston, making him the first Chinese-American mayor in Rhode Island’s history.
Fung was previously a state prosecutor and attorney on legislative and regulatory affairs before serving on the Cranston City Council as a citywide councilman.

Allan Fung’s Key Issues:

Economic Development: Allan Fung is “committed to lowering the sales tax and waiving all fees for startups’ first year of business to stimulate economic growth.”
Government Reform: He plans to “create an Office of the Inspector General to investigate agencies in the executive branch in an attempt to increase transparency and eliminate fraud.” He also supports term limits for the legislature and “reforms to the social services system that would require recipients able bodied adults to work or perform community service in order to be eligible for welfare benefits.”
Veteran Affairs: He wants to expand locations for veterans affairs offices and expand job opportunities for those who have served the United States.
Other Issues: Standing Up for Small Business and Keeping our Kids Safe (visit Fung’s website for full details).

South Carolina Gubernatorial Race

Henry McMaster (R) vs. James Smith (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Henry McMaster

Henry McMaster is the incumbent candidate, having served as Governor of South Carolina since January, 2017.
Previously, McMaster has served as the Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, the Attorney General for South Carolina, and the Chair of the South Carolina Republican Party.
He was appointed United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina by President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

Henry McMaster’s Key Issues:

Taxes: Gov. Henry McMaster’s tax plan entails a 1% reduction over five years for all personal income tax brackets. This is estimated to save taxpayers $2.2 billion. His plan also includes a retirement income exemption for military services and first responders.
Economic Development & Workforce: He vows to fight for “conservative, pro-growth that attract businesses and bring jobs.” He also plans to invest in infrastructure and cut red tape and other regulations.
Education: Some of his proposals include: having a trained, certified police officer in every state to prevent tragedies; pushing for coding and computer science classes; and increasing the number of charter schools to allow parents to choose the best educational options for their children.
Other Issues: Law & Order, Healthcare, Good Government & Ethics, and Energy (see McMaster’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: James Smith

James Smith is a Representative in the South Carolina House of Representatives, having first been elected in 1996.
He has also been a Major in the South Carolina Army National Guard; a practicing attorney in Columbia, South Carolina; as well as a small business owner.
In 1995, Smith founded his own law firm, James E. Smith, Jr., P.A., which provides representation to people in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.

James Smith’s Key Issues:

Access to Affordable Healthcare: He wants to expand Medicaid, help those with disabilities, and combat the opioid the epidemic.
Moving Beyond a Minimally Adequate Education: He wants to prioritize the education system by creating school-to-work pipeline, lowering the cost tuition, leaving no one behind.
Protecting Our Environment: He vows to protect the shores and waterways from pollution and to support legislature that would expand solar and wind energy.
Other Issues: Advocating for Common Sense Gun Safety, Women’s Equality, Replacing a Culture of Corruption with a Culture of Common Service (see Smith’s website for full details).

South Dakota Gubernatorial Race

Kristi Noem (R) vs. Billie Sutton (D)

Republican Nominee: Kristi Noem

Kristi Noem was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives in 2006 and served as Assistant Majority Leader by 2008.
In 2010, she was elected to serve as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She has since been re-elected three times.
In the House, she serves on the Ways and Means Committee, as well as the Subcommittee on Human Resources and the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures.

Kristi Noem’s Key Issues:

4 Pillars of Protection: Kristi Noem wants to protect South Dakota from tax increases, government growth, federal intrusions, and government secrecy.
Kickstarting the Economy: She wants to lift the government burden on entrepreneurs and prioritize education programs that “produce job-holders, not degree-holders” among other plans.
Improving Education’s Impact: She wants to strengthen K-12 education and provide post-secondary students with job-ready skills.
Other Issues: Growing Agriculture; Enhancing Tribal Relations; Transparency ; Improving Public Safety; Transportation and Infrastructure; Operation Rally Point; Family-First Initiative; Fighting Human Trafficking; Rural Revitalization Project; Preserving Pheasant Hunting; and Campaign Finance Reform (visit Noem’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Billie Sutton

In 2010, Sutton he was elected to the South Dakota Senate for District 26 and was re-elected to three more consecutive terms.
While in the State Senate, he has served on the Ag. Land Assessment Task Force, the Primary Care Task Force, the Blue Ribbon Education Task Force, the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Initiative Work Group, the State-Tribal Relations Committee, and the Government Accountability Task Force.
Before entering politics, he was ranked among the top 30 in the world for professional rodeo. However, he suffered an accident that left him paralyzed, which he cites as helping inspire him to shift career paths.

Billie Sutton’s Key Issues:

Improving Care for Families: Billie Sutton wants to ensure that the aging population has easy access to care, to end the stigma around mental healthcare, and to ensure accessible treatment for those suffering from addiction.
Planting Seeds for Growth: He has a comprehensive plan to support farmers and ranchers that includes expanding value-added ag, encouraging ethanol use, and improve state programs that help young farmers and ranchers.
Education for the Next Generation: He plans to invest in early childhood education, provide competitive teacher pay, and increase access to scholarships.
Other Issues: Building a Stronger South Dakota Economy; Trust and Integrity; and Kiwanjila|United as One (visit Sutton’s website for full details).

Tennessee Gubernatorial Race

Karl Dean (D) vs. Bill Lee (R)

Democratic Nominee: Karl Dean

Karl Dean served as the 68th Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 2007 to 2015. During his tenure as Mayor, he led the city through the Great Recession and historic Tennessee floods.
Previously, he was elected Nashville’s public defender in 1990, 1994 and 1998.
Dean is a career attorney, and he is currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University Law School.

Karl Dean’s Key Issues:

Education: Karl Dean vows to “improve education quality,” with an emphasis on increasing teacher pay, investing in high-quality early childhood education, expanding after-school program opportunities, and supporting all school districts.
Jobs: He wants to attract jobs to Tennessee that provide a living wage and create an economic environment that allows business to thrive.
Healthcare: He is committed to improving access to quality, affordable healthcare.

Republican Nominee: Bill Lee

Bill Lee has served in various leadership roles at the family-owned Lee Company, including President and Chairman of the company. He describes himself as “running for Governor, but not a politician.”
Under his leadership, the Lee Company grew to employ more than 1200 people and generate annual revenues of $215 million. In 2015, Bill was named a “Most Admired CEO” by the Nashville Business Journal.
He has also served as the 7th Congressional District’s representative to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

Bill Lee’s Key Issues:

Economy: Bill Lee plans to reduce the tax burden and hold back regulatory restrictions that prevent the growth of entrepreneurship.
Education: One of his top education priorities is increasing vocational, technical, and agricultural education in schools to prepare students for jobs post-graduation. He opposes universal mandates such as Common Core, and wants to increase accountability and transparency within schools.
Public Safety and Security: He stands behind police officers, supports truth-in-sentencing, and wants to enact smart criminal justice reforms.
Other Issues: Healthcare, the Role of Government, and Tennessee Values (visit Lee’s website for full details).

Texas Gubernatorial Race

Greg Abbott (R) vs. Lupe Valdez (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Greg Abbott

Greg Abbott is the incumbent candidate, having served as Governor of Texas since 2015.
He was previously the longest-serving Attorney General in Texas history and a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court.
Abbott is known for successfully advocating for the right of the state of Texas to display the Ten Commandments in front of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, in a 2005 United States Supreme Court case known as Van Orden v. Perry.

Greg Abbott’s Key Issues:

Grow the Economy: Gov. Greg Abbott plans to cut taxes and repeal professional fees to keep the Texas economy an international leader.
Protect Individual Liberty: He vows to defend the 2nd Amendment and protect religious liberty.
Secure Our Communities: To keep Texans safe, he plans to secure the border, enforce the law, and support law enforcement.
Other Issues: Increase Government Transparency, Elevate Texas Education, Restore the Constitution, and Protect Vulnerable Texans (visit Abbott’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Lupe Valdez

Lupe Valdez served as the Sheriff of Dallas County from 2005–2017. She was the only Latina sheriff in the United States at the time as well as one of the only LGBTQ Americans in public office.
Prior to entering law enforcement, Lupe Valdez was a Captain in the United States Army Reserve.
She has previously worked as an agent of the General Services Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and, finally, the U.S. Customs Service. With the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, she was made a Senior Agent, serving in that role until her retirement in 2004.

Lupe Valdez’s Key Issues:

Veterans: Lupe Valdez vows to expand healthcare coverage for veterans, as well as improve access to affordable housing.
Voting Rights & Gerrymandering: Lupe will fight against discriminatory voter identification laws and support policies that make it easier for Texas citizens to vote. Moreover, Lupe wants to give a nonpartisan commission control over the redistricting process to end discriminatory gerrymandering.
LGBTQ+: Lupe supports a more comprehensive nondiscrimination protections, equal pay, access to culturally competent healthcare, and a repeal of unconstitutional provisions from Texas Statute.
Other Issues: Economy, Immigration, and Healthcare (visit Valdez’s website for full details).

Vermont Gubernatorial Race

Phil Scott (R) vs. Christine Hallquist (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Phil Scott

Phil Scott is the incumbent candidate. He has served as Governor of Vermont since 2017. Previously, he was Lieutenant Governor between 2011 and 2017 and a State Senator between 2001 and 2011.
Scott was a co-owner of DuBois Construction and is a past president of the Associated General Contractors of Vermont. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Vermont.
Most Thursday nights during the summer, Scott can be found driving a racecar at Barre’s Thunder Road. He has the most career wins as a Late Model Driver at that track.

Phil Scott’s Key Issues:

Economic Expansion: As Governor, Scott has increased Tax Incremental Financing and tax credits. He will continue to enact policies that support small businesses, the outdoor recreation economy, farms, aviation, rural economies and the financial services sector.
Fiscal Discipline and Responsible Tax Relief: Scott has presented and passed balanced budgets while in office. He will continue to “hold the line on new taxes and fees.”
Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Scott created the statewide Opioid Coordination Council to “to strengthen and expand Vermont’s response to the opioid crisis through prevention, treatment, recovery and enforcement.” He is working to expand access to treatment and reduce supply.
Other Issues: Expanding and Strengthening Vermont’s Workforce; Affordable Housing & Construction Jobs; Modernizing State Government; Reducing Costs for Families and Businesses; Preserving the Environment; Supporting Safe and Healthy Communities (visit Scott’s website for full details).

Democrat Nominee: Christine Hallquist

Christine Hallquist is the former CEO of the Vermont Electric Cooperative. She joined the company in 1998 and spent her last 12 years as CEO.
Hallquist is the first openly transgender major party gubernatorial nominee in the United States. Her transition, while managing VEC as a CEO, was featured in the documentary, Denial.
She has served on the Hyde Park School Board and has chaired the Sterling Area Services Mental Health Board. She holds a degree from Mohawk Valley Community College.

Christine Hallquist’s Key Issues:

Economy: Hallquist will “connect every home and business in Vermont with fiber optic cable,” raise the minimum wage to $15, “pass paid family and medical leave insurance,” and “address the property tax issue.”
Health care: She will “lay the groundwork for a universal healthcare system,” “fight any cuts to Medicare or Medicaid,” “protect all women’s health initiatives,” and supports access to universal primary care.
Education: Hallquist promises to “fight back threats to privatize our robust public education system.” She will invest in opportunities for tuition-free public college and trade schools and will invest in early-childhood education.
Other Issues: Labor, Environment, Civil Rights, Transportation, Campaign Finance, Opiates, Marijuana, Government Accountability, Accessibility and Inclusion (visit Hallquist’s website for full details).

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Race

Scott Walker (R) vs. Tony Evers (D)

Republican Nominee: Governor Scott Walker

Scott Walker is the incumbent candidate, having first been elected as Governor of Wisconsin in 2010 and serving two terms since.
In 2012, he became the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall election.
Before becoming governor, he served in the Wisconsin State Assembly, and he is a former Milwaukee County Executive.

Scott Walker’s Key Issues:

Jobs and Developing the Workforce: Governor Scott Walker is “committed to strengthening the WI economy and reversing past job loss.” Some of his specific proposals include: “targeted investments in Dual Enrollment programs, lower taxes, reasonable regulations, and Right to Work.”
Cutting Taxes: In the past, he has lowered property taxes and personal income taxes. He says “we have gone further by virtually eliminating taxes on core Wisconsin industries like manufacturing and agriculture. We even eliminated the tax on health savings accounts.”
Education and Investing in Our Future: Walker wants to give every child access to quality education. He says, “our current budget makes a historic investment in our schools,” and, “to keep the cost of college affordable for students and working families, we froze tuition at all University of Wisconsin campuses six years in a row — the first multi-year tuition freeze in UW history.”
Other Issues: Backing Wisconsin’s Small Businesses; Standing Up for Rural Wisconsin, Preserving Our Heritage, Standing for Life; Serving our Veterans; and Keeping Healthcare Affordable (see Walker’s website for full details).

Democratic Nominee: Tony Evers

Tony Evers is serving as the current Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin since 2009.
In March 2016, the United States Department of Education announced that Evers had been selected to serve on the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee for Title 1, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Evers has had a comprehensive career as an educator. He was formerly a high school principal, the superintendent of the Oakfield school district, and is currently the president of the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Tony Evers’s Key Issues:

Public Education in WI: Tony Evers’ specific proposals include: “increasing investing in in early childhood care and quality childcare, increasing funding for the public schools, and allowing Wisconsin students to refinance their loans at a lower interest rate.”
Infrastructure and Transportation: Evers is committed to fixing Wisconsin’s transportation crisis. He promises to “work with both Democrats and Republicans alike to implement a sustainable, long-term fix for how we fund our roads; invest more in local road maintenance; and increase funding for public transit.”
Healthcare: He vows to accept federal Medicaid expansion dollars to insure thousands of Wisconsins and to bring down costs in health insurance markets.
Other Issues: Protecting our Natural Resources, Economic Development, Racial Equity, Criminal Justice Reform, Voting Rights, Women’s Health, LGBTQ Rights, Workers’ Rights, Minimum Wage, Marijuana Legalization, Non-partisan Redistricting, Campaign Finance Reform, Revitalizing Rural Wisconsin, Diversified Agriculture, Renewable Energy, Supporting Agriculture, and Rural Broadband Internet (visit Evers’ website for full details).

Wyoming Gubernatorial Race

Mark Gordon (R) vs. Mary Throne (D)

Republican Nominee: Mark Gordon

Mark Gordon currently serves as Treasurer of Wyoming. He was appointed to the position in 2012.
In 2008, Gordon ran for the U.S. House of Representatives but he lost in the Republican primary to Cynthia Lummis.
Gordon has run several businesses including two focused on outdoor recreation and tourism. He has worked in the oil and gas industry and has been a rancher for most of his life. He holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Mark Gordon’s Key Issues:

Building a Bright Future: Gordon promises that he will “fight to get government out of the way and allow the people of Wyoming to prosper.” He will work to maintain “some of the lowest taxes in the country and favorable regulatory policies.”
Reducing the Size of Government and Decreasing Spending: Gordon is a fiscal conservative who supports a balanced budget. He promises to “conservatively manage spending levels without growing government, while still providing the essential services the people of Wyoming depend on.”
Ensuring the Future of Wyoming’s Natural Resources: Gordon promises to “push back against federal overreach and cut through bureaucratic red-tape that has kept much of our natural resources under lock and key.”
Other Issues: Defending our Conservative Values (visit Gordon’s website for full details).

Democrat Nominee: Mary Throne

Mary Throne served in Wyoming’s House of Representatives between 2013 and 2017 and served as Minority Leader.
She is a graduate of Leadership Wyoming and is a member of the Wyoming Business Alliance Steering Committee. She has spent much of her career working as an energy attorney.
Throne holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a law degree from Columbia Law School.

Mary Throne’s Key Issues:

Improve Healthcare: Throne supports an expansion of Medicaid. She also believes that telehealth has room to grow and will “advocate for transparency regarding healthcare costs.”
Revitalize the Energy Sector: Throne “helped develop Wyoming’s landmark carbon capture and sequestration legislation, and supported funding the Integrated Testing Facility in Gillette.” As Governor, she would secure “the best possible outcomes for this sector, and for public-private partnerships in Wyoming.”
Expand our Economy: Throne wants to broaden Wyoming’s tax base to “ensure that we are still able to meet our obligations for a high quality education and infrastructure, even during energy downturns.” She will work to attract new businesses in agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, technology, and any small business.”
Other Issues: Support our Education System; Keep Wyoming Wild; Invest in New Opportunities for Our Community (visit Throne’s website for full details).

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