September 3rd, 2026 Len’s Political Note #836 Supplement: Gubernatorial candidates to support including Wisconsin’s David Crowley.
2026 General Election
Wisconsin: Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley
Kansas: State Senator Cindy Holscher
Arizona: Incumbent Katie Hobbs
Michigan: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
Oregon: Incumbent Tina Kotek
Georgia: Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
Nevada: Attorney General Aaron Ford
Ohio: Former State Medical Director Amy Acton
Iowa: State Auditor Rob Sand
Arkansas: State Senator Fred Love
New Hampshire: Former Governor’s Councilor Cinde Warmington
Oklahoma: House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson
Alaska: Read the piece below
Governors have an effect on our lives. Elect as many Democratic governors as we can.
- Democratic seats for which our active protection could make a difference
Wisconsin: Cook sees this race as a Toss up
See yesterday’s Len’s Political Note #836. DONATE.
Kansas: Cook sees this seat as Leaning Republican
There are no polls yet for this race. Democratic State Senator Cindy Holscher would raise money for Kansas by legalizing and taxing marijuana. She won her primary raising half as much as her primary opponent. Republican State Senate President Ty Masterson was not that effective in fund raising, either. Four or five multimillionaire opponents raised more than he did. Masterson is anti-abortion and anti-taxes. He may be the second coming of Kansas Republican Governor Sam Brownback who whose radical tax cuts destroyed the state’s economy. DONATE to Cindy Holscher’s campaign.
Arizona: Cook sees this seat as Leaning Democratic
Former social worker and moderate Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs’ lead in five August polls ranged from +2 to +13. Her general election opponent is Republican Congressman and former Chair of the extremist Freedom Caucus Andy Biggs. Katie Hobbs has said her accomplishments include record job growth, bringing manufacturing to the state, and tax rebates of as much as $750. She could also point to protecting women’s access to reproductive health care and effective work in ensuring the availability of water in Arizona. Andy Biggs was among those who helped kick people off medical insurance by eliminating Affordable Care Act insurance premium subsidies and reducing Medicaid spending. DONATE to Katie Hobbs’ campaign. See Len’s Political Note #712.
Michigan: Cook sees this seat as Leaning Democratic
Former Wayne State Law School Dean and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson led Republican Congressman John James in three polls in August – two of them by 5 points, one by 16. He is the scion of the African American head of an international logistics business (ships and trucks). With $6.4 million in cash available, Jocelyn Benson has a two to one lead over James, if that matters when he has extreme wealth to rely on. DONATE to Jocelyn Benson’s campaign. See Len’s Political Note #747.
Oregon: Cook sees this seat as Likely to remain Democratic. I am not so sure.
Running for election to a second term, Tina Kotek can boast of having led an effort to change zoning rules to increase affordable housing in residential areas. She was criticized for giving her female partner an unpaid role in government. This is a rematch against Christine Drazen, the former Oregon House minority leader who led the opposition with extreme and dramatic tactics – including leaving the state as leverage against Democratic legislative proposals. The most recent polls were from the spring. One had the two candidates even. The other had Drazen up by 4 points. Drazen has raised $6 million; Tina Kotek has raised $10 million. DONATE to Tina Kotek. Your donation could make a difference.
- Republican seats which Democrats could flip
Georgia: Cook sees this seat as a Toss up
Former Atlanta Mayor Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms is running against Republican businessman Rick Jackson. One August poll has Bottoms leading by 2 points. The other has the race even. Jackson raised $118 million for this race, $100 million of which he lent to the campaign. Jackson began August with $4.2 million, although he has more if he needs it. Bottoms raised $5.7 million and had $800,000 at the beginning of August. DONATE to Keisha Lance Bottoms’ campaign. See Len’s Political Note #777. If elected, Keisha Lance Bottoms would be Georgia’s first female Governor. If Elected, Keisha Lance Bottoms would also be Georgia’s first Black Governor.
Nevada: Cooke sees this seat as a Toss up
Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford is challenging the Republican incumbent and former sheriff Joe Lombardi. Lombardi’s focus on education included a commitment to school choice and charters, additional funding to pay for some of that commitment, and an oversight board to see how schools do. Aaron Ford, as Attorney General, ensured that 8,000 ignored rape test kits were tested, recovered almost $120 million for victims of fraud and unfair business practices, and reopened a cold case of public interest. As governor, he commits himself to creating more affordable housing, to reducing medical costs and medical debt, and to eliminating what he describes as an illegal new energy fee. DONATE to Aaron Ford’s campaign. See Len’s Political Note #745. If elected, Aaron Ford would be Nevada’s first Black Governor.
Ohio: Cook sees this seat as a Toss up
Former State Medical Director Amy Acton has surprised Ohio and her Republican billionaire opponent Vivek Ramaswamy. August polls have her leading by +1 and +2 and her trailing by -1. She has raised $16.5 million for her campaign from more than 150,000 donors. Ramaswamy has raised $50 million, half of which was a personal donation. Elon Musk has contributed some of the rest. Amy Acton promises a tax cut for working families, a crack-down on corruption through transparency, and a focus on public education while opposing privatization plans that have been corrupt. Ramaswamy promises to sustain Trump’s America First agenda and claims that the consequences of electing a Democrat will be a catastrophe. DONATE to Amy Acton’s campaign. See Len’s Political Note #724. With your help Ohio will become a two-party state again. If elected, Amy Acton would be Ohio’s first Democratic Governor since 2011 and the second since 1991. If elected, Amy Acton would be Ohio’s first elected woman Governor. And if elected, Amy Acton would be Ohio’s first Jewish Governor.
Iowa: Cook sees this seat as Leaning Democratic
State Auditor Rob Sand has spent the last two years preparing to replace the incumbent, who is among America’s least popular governors. In the only August poll, Rob Sand had a 6 point lead against surprise Republican primary winner, wealthy businessman Zach Lahn who has been on the defensive about whether he lives in Iowa or Kansas. Lahn, in response, has attacked Rob Sand’s fund raising. Sand has raised $37.8 million of which $10 million was from his wife’s family – the object of Lahn’s complaints. Lahn has raised $6.8 million of which $5 million came from the Republican Governor’s Association and much of the rest has come from out of state businessmen. DONATE enough to Bob Sand so that everyone knows he has small donors from around the country supporting him. See Len’s Political Note #746.
Arkansas: Cook sees this seat as Likely to remain Republican
In her one term as governor of Arkansas, Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been as dominant as her dad, Mike Huckabee’s 11 years or Bill Clinton’s 12. Despite that dominance, in the only poll for that race and a recent August one at that, she led by only 5 points against State Senator Fred Love. She dominates the fund raising. She had $4.7 million cash on hand at the end of July to Fred Love’s $2.500. It is possible that Democrats are missing a bet in not providing Fred Love with some support. I will urge you to: DONATE to Fred Love’s campaign. He wants the government to do what government should do – build roads and other infrastructure, create jobs, and support education. If Fred Love is elected, he would be Arkansas’s first Democratic Governor since 2015 and the third Democratic Governor since Bill Clinton resigned in 1992 to become President of the United States. If Fred Love is elected he would be Arkansas’s first Black Governor.
New Hampshire: Cook sees this seat as Likely to remain Republican
New Hampshire’s primary is September 8, but it appears that former Governor’s Councilor Cinde Warmingtonwill be the challenger for what would otherwise be incumbent Kelly Ayotte’s next two year term. She is trailing Ayotte in the only August poll by 11 points. Ayotte has raised $3.7 million to Warmington’s $600,000. As ever, Democrats are seeking to find a way to raise money for governing and Ayotte on behalf of Republicans is rejecting their plan. It does not appear that Democrats will break through this year. If you want to try to help them, DONATE to Cinde Warmington’s campaign.
Texas: Cook sees this seat as Likely to remain Republican
Texas is the prize. Only the financial difference justifies the :Likely Republican rating. Incumbent Greg Abbott is leading by a single point in an August poll funded by Democrats. Abbott is leading by three points in an August poll conducted by a conservative pollster. The financial race is a blow out. Abbott raised $106.7 million and had $67 million cash on hand on June 30. State Senator Gina Hinojosa raised a total of $7.5 million and had less than $3 million cash on hand on June 30. Still, she is making her resources go a long way. DONATE to Gina Hinojosa’s campaign. Something is happening in Texas. Help Gina Hinojosa make what is happening good for Democrats and for Texas. See Len’s Political Note #778.
Alaska: Before the first round, Cook rated Alaska as likely Republican. So do the other major analysts whose information is public. But….Now that the first round of voting is over Democrats appear to have a decent chance to elect a Governor when, in November, they pick through a ranked choice system from the top four first round vote-getters. The top two vote getters are Democrats. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (21.6% in the non-partisan primary) came home from college in the east several years ago to run for state rep and won by 32 votes. Among his accomplishments in the House, he includes a law that declares each of the 20 native languages official languages of Alaska. Tom Begich (20.1%) is a musician and an author. He is a member of the well-established political Begich family and served as a State Senator for six years during which time he led the passage of the Alaska Reads Act. Republican Bernadette Wilson (10.4%) is the grandniece of former governor Wally Hickell. She owns Denali disposal, a commercial waste management business based in Anchorage, a business she would say is consistent with her views as a conservationist. Dave Bronson (8.4%) is a former Air Force Pilot who retired from the reserves as a Lt. Colonel appears to be the fourth selection. He came to Alaska to help found the Alaska Family Council, a non-profit that promotes “traditional” family values and opposes same sex marriage and abortion. It is too soon to have a poll that includes only the four finalists. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, with $1.8 million, was the largest fund raiser in the campaign, much of it from outside of Alaska. Tom Begich raised $1.1 million, mostly from Alaskans, but not from small donors. The two Republicans that remain in the race were far behind in fund raising. Will that be different now that the number of candidates has been reduced? DONATE to Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins or DONATE TO Tom Begich. More than likely, voters who rank one of the #1, will rank the other #2. You might want to wait just a bit, though. It is possible that one of the Democrats will drop out in favor of the other to attempt to ensure a Democrat gains a majority of the vote immediately on November 3.
Oklahoma: Cook sees this seat as Solidly Republican
Nevertheless, Cyndi Munson, the Oklahoma Minority Leader, the daughter of a Korean woman and a Vietnam War Vet who raised her as a single father, is worth some support against Mike Mazzei, a multimillionaire Trump camp follower at a time when Trump’s approval rating is over 50% in three states, one of which is not Oklahoma. There are no general election polls for Governor of Oklahoma. The financial race is a different matter. On June 11, former State Senator Mike Mazzei reported having raised more than $10.7 million. Since then he has lent his campaign $4 million, bringing the total he has lent the campaign up to nearly $11 million. Cyndi Munson has raised more than a million dollars according to the June 11 report. Can she raise enough more to have a serious presence in the last two months of campaigning? She just might. She is a practical and thoughtful Democrat. DONATE to Cyndi Munson’s campaign.
