A color change? Trump messaging falls flat as Democrats surge in 4 red-state races for governor

Democratic candidates for governor are ahead in four traditionally Republican states with about a month until Election Day, according to new New York Times and Siena University polling of likely voters. None of the states has elected a Democratic governor in at least two decades. The results suggest President Donald Trump's effort to turn the midterms into a verdict on himself has not resonated broadly, as his approval remains close to record lows amid voter anger over prices and the war in Iran, according to The Independent.

The widest gap is in Iowa, where Rob Sand holds 52 percent to Republican Zach Lahn's 41 percent. In Ohio, Amy Acton stands at 49 percent against Vivek Ramaswamy's 45 percent, a shift from a June Times survey that showed the two roughly even. Texas has Gina Hinojosa at 49 percent and incumbent Republican Greg Abbott at 46 percent; its last Democratic governor won in 1990. Alaska's Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is ahead of Bernadette Wilson by four points.

Kansas was the lone surveyed state with a Republican in front: Ty Masterson at 49 percent over Democrat Cindy Holscher at 44 percent.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →