Cook Shifts 2 Governor Races to Lean Republican as Democrats Gain in Florida and Texas
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 1
Cook Shifts 2 Governor Races to Lean Republican as Democrats Gain in Florida and Texas
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 1
Summary
Florida and Texas moved from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican” in Cook Political Report’s latest ratings, reflecting a weaker GOP grip on two marquee governor’s races.
Trump’s poor approval ratings helped fuel the shift, with Cook saying the broader political environment has boosted Democrats enough that an upset can no longer be ruled out.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is now playing defense against Democrat Gina Hinojosa as polling tightens, even though Abbott has outspent her by more than 6 to 1.
Florida’s open-seat race is similarly close: surveys show Democrat David Jolly either leading or narrowly trailing Republican Byron Donalds despite Donalds’ spending edge.
Cook still says Republicans remain favored in both expensive states, but the new ratings signal that contests once seen as safer GOP holds are now competitive.