Dem, GOP Insiders Agree: Whitman, Strickland Going Down
Republican gubernatorial candidate and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman campaigns in front of her tour bus at the Earth Friendly Products company in California. Whitman, who is running for governor against Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Jerry Brown, has spent about $140 million of her personal fortune into the race so far. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
We asked National Journal's Political Insiders what to expect in the midterms. Republicans are the overwhelming favorites to capture the House but will fail to win the Senate. See what else we asked and try to beat the insiders at their own game of punditry. Play now ยป
Despite having spent more than $140 million of her own money to become the first female governor of California, political operatives in both parties overwhelmingly believe that former eBay CEO and Republican hopeful Meg Whitman will fall short in her quest, according to the latest National Journal Political Insiders Poll.
A whopping 92 percent of the Democratic and Republican Insiders who were surveyed said that Democratic California attorney general Jerry Brown, who was governor of the state from 1975 to 1983, will be returning to Sacramento for a third term. Only eight percent thought Whitman would prevail.
That view was shared across party lines. Only 12 percent of the Republican Insiders said that Whitman would win the contest, and a miniscule three percent of Democratic Insiders said she would prevail over Brown.
At the same time, in the key governor's race in Ohio, the National Journal Political Insiders said by a wide margin that Republican nominee John Kasich would unseat incumbent Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland. Overall, 82 percent of the Insiders said that Kasich would beat Strickland while only 18 percent said the Democrat would survive. Two thirds of the Democratic Insiders predicted Kasich would win, while nearly all of the Republican Insiders -- 98 percent -- said he would be the Buckeye State's next governor.
Finally, in the hotly contest Florida governor's race, the Insiders were split. Among Democratic Insiders, 61 percent said that their nominee, state chief financial officer Alex Sink would be the next occupant of the governor's mansion in Tallahassee, while 39 percent thought that her GOP opponent, businessman Rick Scott would be moving in. Republican Insiders sharply disagreed on the outcome of this race: 81 percent thought that Scott would prevail, while only 19 percent gave the nod to Sink. Combining the responses from Insiders in both parties, 60 percent gave the advantage to Scott, while 40 percent thought Sink would win the race.
For more Insiders Poll results on the battle for the control of Congress and key Senate races, click here.
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