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In midterm elections, we seem to mostly place our focus on the house and the senate. A person in Texas may not care who wins the governor's seat in Ohio, but maybe they would if they were reminded about redistricting and the power of a governor's veto.
Midterm elections such as this one are the most important, because the state politicians elected this year, will be in office in 2021, which is when the next round of redistricting begins, and neither party will get a chance to lock these pivotal offices in after the elections.
For instance, this year, if the Democrats win key governor elections, as well as state seats, they could undo all of the work the Republicans put in to give themselves the advantage in the House of Representatives. Democrats could roll back Republican gerrymandering in major states such as Ohio, and Michigan. Here's a good example just from this year how pivotal it is for a party to win a governors election. A good quote from a vox editorial I read:
"So, even if faced with one or two Republican state legislature chamber majorities, a Democratic governor’s veto could either force a bipartisan compromise or create gridlock and throw the matter to the courts. Either would likely be a dramatic improvement over the Republican-only maps crafted last time."
It goes without saying, that winning a governor's seat is huge for a party. It could tip the scale in what party has the majority in the House of Representatives, as well as who ends up in the oval office. What states do you think it matters the most in, election after election? Are there states where you think it doesn't?