Gubernatorial races don't get a lot of national attention, which makes sense, because a governor's influence doesn't often extend beyond his or her state. But that doesn't mean that a person in California can't learn anything by watching the race for governor in, say, Wisconsin.
We're not saying races for governor necessarily deserve more attention than the ones for Senate, but some gubernatorial elections are worth keeping an eye on no matter where you live.
Below, we've listed some of the reasons to keep tabs on gubernatorial races, and mentioned some specific elections to watch.
Gubernatorial races can test presidential waters for 2016
The next presidential race is two years away, but midterm gubernatorial elections are used as a litmus test for the coming general election.
The 2014 midterms are no different and, if you're a fan of the Republican Party, you have to feel pretty good. Of the 36 seats for governor that are up for grabs, around 17 of them seem to be leaning GOP, though that depends a little on what polls you look at. Only 11 are leaning Democrat. The remaining eight states are either likely to vote for an independent candidate or are too close to say which party has an advantage.
Governors may pass more legislation than Congress
Just because Congress is struggling to pass any legislation doesn't mean all politicians are. Americans tend to focus on federal law more than state laws to begin with. But, given Congress' inability to get out of a Republican-Democrat deadlock, it may be time to reverse that trend, as not all governors won't face the same stark divide in their state legislatures.
Races to watch
1. Wisconsin
Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker has been talked of as a possible candidate for president in 2016, but his viability for the national stage has taken a hit as his challenger, Democratic businesswoman Mary Burke, could very well steal Walker's reelection bid. And if Walker can barely hold onto his own state, his presidential hopes may already be gone.
2. Florida
Florida is often a battleground state during presidential elections, so both parties would really prefer to have a friendly governor in the house come 2016. Though, in Florida's case, it may not help much, as neither Republican Gov. Rick Scott nor his challenger, former Gov. Charlie Crist, are very popular with Floridians.
This race has also been something of a spectacle. Perhaps you've heard of #fangate? If you haven't, it has to do with a debacle involving a fan that almost canceled a debate between the two candidates and, well, just watch the video...
The race is made more interesting because Crist, the Democratic candidate, governed Florida as a Republican before Scott took office. Crist didn't run for reelection, instead opting for a Senate bid that seemed like an easy win until he was bowled over by then-upstart Sen. Marco Rubio, who was riding the rise of the Tea Party. Right now, polls for Scott and Crist show them about as close as can be.
3. Ohio
Ohio, like Florida, is another perennial presidential showdown state. This race is not even close--Republican Gov. John Kasich is favored to win easily--but it's instructive, as Kasich came into office with the backing of the Tea Party and, though support for the Tea Party has recently waned, he has not seen much of a drop-off in popularity. If there continues to be a strong Republican base in Ohio, it has the potential to swing a presidential race two years down the road.
4. Pennsylvania
Republican Gov. Tom Corbett is likely to become the first Pennsylvania governor to lose a reelection campaign. Democrat businessman Tom Wolf is ahead by a solid distance, and he can probably thank his opponent for a big chunk of his lead. Corbett did a ton of political damage to himself by slashing the state's education budget, being perhaps a bit too friendly with natural gas companies that are into fracking up Pennsylvania land and battling against same-sex marriage.
5. Kansas
As in the Senate, the Kansas gubernatorial election is one where the ramifications are likely to reverberate beyond the state. Republican Gov. Sam Brownback caused a rift in the state's GOP when he went through with a bunch of huge tax cuts, and the result is that he is in a toss-up contest with Democratic State Rep. Paul Davis.
If Davis wins out, and if Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts loses to his independent challenger, Kansas could look a lot less red than expected after election day on Nov. 4.