The Real 2010 Battle: Governors' Races

Most of the hyperventilating surrounding the 2010 election has focused on who will control Congress, but Washington seems a lot more interested in who will win the governor races—all 37 of them. Both parties are spending like mad on these races, the New York Times reports, because who wins will be crucial when it comes time to redraw congressional districts next year, an opportunity that comes around only once a decade.

The gubernatorial jockeying is also in preparation for the 2012 presidential contest; having a friendly governor in a state to help organize is considered a huge advantage. And with no incumbent in a whopping 24 races, both parties are spending wildly to get that edge. The Republican Governors Association has already raised $28 million, more than its entire 2006 budget, while its Democratic counterpart intends to spend $50 million, three times more than it’s ever spent. (More Election 2010 stories.)