US governor races will shape Trump’s policy agenda

Significance

Currently, there are 33 Republican and 16 Democratic governors, plus one independent. However, the Democrats are ahead of the Republicans in opinion polling. Meanwhile, the Republicans must defend 26 governors' seats; the Democrats have only nine governors’ mansions to defend.

Impacts

• The administration is likely to face court cases over environment and immigration policies from Democratic states.
• The private sector is more likely to fund infrastructure projects promising the most profit, implying development imbalances.
• While incumbents are customarily unopposed for their party's presidential nomination, Trump could face re-nomination competition for 2020.