North Dakota: Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple spent a decade as Lieutenant Governor before ascending to the Governor’s office in December of 2010 when then-Gov. John Hoeven resigned after being elected to the Senate. Dalrymple won a full term in his own right in 2012 with 63 percent of the vote. The only Democrat in the state who poses a real threat to the incumbent in 2016 is Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. While Democrats would like to see her run – and she hasn’t completely closed the door on the idea – the conventional wisdom is that she won’t challenge the Governor. Heitkamp would probably run if the seat is open, but that is unlikely to be the case. Without Heitkamp, Democrats are likely to run an up-and-coming candidate who needs campaign experience or a sacrificial lamb. Dalrymple remains popular with voters and should have no trouble winning a second full term. The race is in the Solid Republican column. Oregon: On February 18 of this year, then-Democratic Secretary of State Kate Brown was sworn in as Oregon’s second woman Governor.
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