Inside Elections

Eleven states will choose a governor this November. But nearly all of the suspense will play out over the next five months, as primary voters pick nominees that will almost assuredly win their general elections.

Just three states are playing host to races that appear competitive for both parties, and just two of those are highly competitive.

That is not to say there aren’t heated elections for governor; they’re just mostly in primaries. At least eight incumbent governors are not seeking re-election, and every open-seat race had or has a competitive primary election on one or both sides. Already, two of those states, Indiana and West Virginia, have attracted tens of millions of dollars in advertising spending.

Looking to November, the main events will almost certainly be North Carolina and New Hampshire, which are the best takeover opportunities for Republicans and Democrats, respectively. Both have the potential to be expensive contests that draw national attention as they play out alongside pitched presidential battles in their crowded media markets.

Holding a majority of governorships doesn’t bring extra power, but does give parties more control over state policies. Currently, there are 27 Republican governors and 23 Democratic governors around the country.

Delaware. Open; John Carney Jr. (D) term-limited. July 9 filing deadline. Sept. 10 primary. Newcastle County Executive Matt Meyer, Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, and recent entrant Collin O’Mara, a former state…