State executive official elections, 2011
Four states were scheduled to have state executive official elections in 2011. A total of 13 state executive seats and 13 down ballot seats were up for election.
Positions included gubernatorial offices in four states and state commissioners in three states. The general election in most states was held on November 8, 2011. Primary elections, however varied from state to state and took place in May, August and October.
Election dates
Primaries
| Contents |
|---|
| 1 May 14 (WV) |
| 2 May 17 (KY) |
| 3 August 2 (MS) |
| 4 August 23 (MS runoff) |
| 5 October 22 (LA) |
May 14
West Virginia
- Special gubernatorial election
- Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin won the Democratic seat, while Bill Maloney scored the Republican seat for the General election. Both candidates faced Bob Henry Baber (Mountain candidate) and Harry Bertram (Independent candidate) in the October 4 general election (see below).
May 17
Kentucky
- Governor and lieutenant governor
- Incumbent Governor and Democratic Candidate Steve Beshear ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, David Williams won the Republican nomination, while Gatewood Galbraith ran as an independent.
- Secretary of State
- Alison Lundergan Grimes won the Democratic nomination. Businessman Bill Johnson clinched the Republican nomination after a close race against former U.S. Department of Agriculture official Hilda Legg.
- State Treasurer
- Incumbent Todd Hollenbach easily won the Democratic nomination, Republican K.C. Crosbie ran unopposed.
- State Auditor
- Democrat Adam Edelen won the Democratic nomination unopposed. Lexington developer John T. Kemper III won the Republican nomination.
- Commissioner of Agriculture
- Democrat Robert Farmer secured the nomination after defeating four candidates. James R. Comer won the Republican nomination.
August 2
Mississippi
- Governor
- Republican Phil Bryant, the current lieutenant governor, secured the Republican seat and faced Hattiesburg mayor Johnny DuPree, who won a primary runoff election, in the general election.
- Lieutenant Governor
- Tate Reeves secured the Republican seat. No Democratic candidates filed for the office, but Reeves met two Reform Party candidates in November.
- Attorney General
- The race for attorney general saw no action in August. Incumbent Democrat Jim Hood faced Republican challenger Steve Simpson in November.
- Secretary of State
- Incumbent Delbert Hosemann faced only Reform Party candidate John Luke Pannell in the general election, as no Democrats registered to run against him.
- State Treasurer
- A Republican runoff election was held in August. The winner would go on to face Democrat Connie Moran and Reform Party candidate Shawn O'Hara in the general election.
- Chairman of Public Service Commission
- Northern District: Boyce Adams defeated Marvin Cox to capture the Republican nomination. He faced incumbent Democrat Brandon Presley in the general election.
- Central District: Addie Green defeated Bruce Burton for the Democratic nomination. Green faced incumbent Republican Lynn Posey and Independent Danny Ayers in the general election.
- Southern District: Incumbent Leonard Bentz defeated Travis Rose to win the Republican primary, while a runoff was necessary to determine the Democratic nominee.
- Commissioner of Agriculture
- State Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith won the Republican nomination. She faced Democrat Joel Gill and Reform Party candidate Cathy L. Toole in the general election.
August 23
Mississippi runoff elections
- Governor runoff election (Democrats)
- Johnny DuPree defeated Bill Luckett, Jr. with 55% of the vote.
- State Treasurer runoff election (Republicans)
- Lynn Fitch defeated Lee Yancey with 53% of the vote.
- Public Service Commission runoff election (Southern District - Democrats)
- Mike Collier defeated Thomas Blanton with just over 200 votes.
October 22
Louisiana
General election
October 4
- West Virginia state executive official elections, 2011
- Democratic incumbent Earl Ray Tomblin defeated Republican Bill Maloney, Mountain Party candidate Bob Henry Baber, Independent candidate Marla Ingels, and American Third Position candidate Harry Bertram.
November 8
- Kentucky state executive official elections, 2011
- Mississippi state executive official elections, 2011
November 19
By state
Kentucky
Seven state executive positions were up for election in 2011. These included: the gubernatorial offices of governor and lieutenant governor, as well as attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, auditor and commissioner of agriculture. The Primary election was scheduled for May 17, 2011, while the General election was held on November 8, 2011.
Louisiana
Seven state executive positions were up for election in 2011. These included offices for: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry and Commissioner of Insurance. All seven of the races were decided in the primary election on October 22, 2011. Though the Louisiana general election scheduled for November 19, 2011 included races in the state house and state senate, no executive offices appeared on the ballot.[1]
Mississippi
Nine state executive positions were up for election in 2011. These included offices for: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, state auditor, Chairman of Public Service Commission, Commissioner of Insurance and Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. The Primary election took place on August 2, 2011, while the General election was held on November 8, 2011.
West Virginia
One state executive position was up for election in 2011. There was a special election held for governor to fill a vacancy in the office. The Primary election was held on May 14, 2011, and the general election was held on October 4, 2011.
- NOTE: West Virginia held a special election following a court order. However, as the Senate President holds the office of Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia ex officio, the ballot did not include a line for the lieutenant governor.
| Governor of West Virginia, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Earl Ray Tomblin Incumbent |
49.6% | 149,202 | |
| Republican | Bill Maloney | 47% | 141,656 | |
| Mountain Party | Bob Henry Baber | 2% | 6,083 | |
| Independent | Marla Ingels | 1% | 2,875 | |
| American Third Position | Harry Bertram | 0.4% | 1,111 | |
| Write-In | Phil Hudok | 0% | 76 | |
| Write-In | Donald Lee Underwood | 0% | 54 | |
| Write-In | John R. "Rick" Bartlett | 0% | 27 | |
| Total Votes | 301,084 | |||
| Election results via West Virginia Secretary of State | ||||
By office
Gubernatorial
- See also: Gubernatorial elections, 2011
Lt. Governor
- See also: Lieutenant Governor elections, 2011
- NOTE: West Virginia held a special election following a court order. However, as the Senate President holds the office of Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia ex officio, the ballot did not include a line for the lieutenant governor.
Secretary of State
- See also: Secretary of State elections, 2011
Three secretary of state elections were scheduled for November 8, 2011. Two of the seats that were up for election were held by a Republican while another was held by a Democrat. There was no partisan change in the three seats, but one incumbent, Elaine Walker, lost in the Democratic primary election.
Attorney General
- See also: Attorney General elections, 2011
Three state attorney general elections were scheduled for November 8, 2011. Two of the seats that were up for election were held by a Democrat, and one was held by a Republican. All incumbents held on to their seats.
State Treasurer
- See also: Treasurer
Auditor
- See also: Auditor
Public Service Commissioner
- See also: Public Service Commissioner
Commissioner of Insurance
- See also: Insurance Commissioner
Commissioner of Agriculture
- See also: Agriculture Commissioner
Projected outcomes
13 state executive seats and 13 down ballot seats were up for election in a total of four states. An overview of Ballotpedia's projected outcomes for 2011's state executive elections can be viewed below. It must be noted that the review focuses on the top 13 seats which include Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State.
| Democrats Before election: 6 Projected after election: 6 Actual Results: 6 |
Toss-up 0 |
Republicans Before election: 7 Projected after election: 7 Actual Results: 7 |
|---|
| 6 Safe | 7 Safe |
|---|
(last updated November 2011)
For a complete breakdown by office, including methodology, click here.
Changes
| Month | Safe D | Likely D | Lean D | Tossup | Lean R | Likely R | Safe R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| September | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| October | 1* | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
*Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin won West Virginia's special gubernatorial election on October 4, 2011.
Analysis
Incumbents
The incumbent sought re-election in 11 (61.1%) of the state executive elections in Kentucky and Mississippi; 10 won re-election. Elaine Walker, the outgoing Kentucky Secretary of State, lost in the primary election. Of the 8 incumbents that did not seek re-election:
- 3 ran for a different office
- 3 were term-limited (one of whom ran for a different office)
- 1 retired
In the West Virginia special general election Democratic incumbent Earl Ray Tomblin secured his seat as Governor after defeating four challengers. Tomblin's win marked the first incumbent to win a state executive general election in 2011.
| Office | Total seats | Seats up for election | Incumbents running (Primary) | Incumbents won primary | Incumbents lost primary | Incumbents running (General) | Incumbents won general | Incumbents lost general |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | 50 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | 2 | 1 | - |
| Lt. Governor | 45 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Attorney General | 50 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | - |
| Secretary of State | 47 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Treasurer | 48 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | 2[2] | - | - |
| Auditor | 47 | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Public Service Commissioner | -[3] | 3[4] | 1 | 1 | - | 3 | - | - |
| Insurance Commissioner | 50 | 2 | 1[5] | -[5] | -[5] | 1 | - | - |
| Agriculture Commissioner | 50 | 3 | 1[6] | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Total | 378 | 26 (6.88%) | 14 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
Political party overview
The chart below remained unchanged from September's report despite the concluded general election in West Virginia. The West Virginia special gubernatorial election was held on October 4, 2011. Democratic incumbent Earl Ray Tomblin defeated Republican Bill Maloney, Mountain Party candidate Bob Henry Baber, Independent candidate Marla Ingels, and American Third Position candidate Harry Bertram. Click here for election results.
The chart below reflects the state executive offices up for election in 2011, nine, and the total United States political party breakdown prior for the November general elections for those offices. However, the Public Service Commissioner office was not included in this chart as totals were not readily available (some states have more than one elected officer).
There are 14+ distinct state executives offices in the United States, not all are reflected here.
Of the eight offices up for election (not including Public Service Commissioners) there were an estimated 387 officers, of which 128 are appointed and nonpartisan. However, of the elected officers at the time, 27% were Democrats and 40% were Republicans.
| Pre-2011 general election political party breakdown | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office |  Democratic
|
 Republican
|
 Independent
|
Nonpartisan | Total seats |
| Governor | 20 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 50 |
| Lt. Governor | 15 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 45 |
| Attorney General | 21 | 22 | 0 | 7 | 50 |
| Secretary of State | 15 | 20 | 0 | 12 | 47 |
| Treasurer | 16 | 21 | 0 | 11 | 48 |
| Auditor | 12 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 47 |
| Insurance Commissioner | 5 | 6 | 0 | 39 | 50 |
| Agriculture Commissioner | 1 | 12 | 0 | 38 | 50 |
| Total | 105 (27.13%) | 154 (39.79%) | 1 (2.58%) | 128 (33.86%) | 387 |
Note: Public Service Commissioner was not included in this chart as totals were not readily available.
News
Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown seeks re-election in 2012
SALEM, Oregon: On Wednesday, December 14, current Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown announced that she will be seeking re-election in 2012.
According to news reports, the announcement was made via e-mail to supporters. The e-mail said in part, "I'm proud of the work I've done for the people of Oregon. As Secretary of State, I've cracked down on fraud and abuse in the ballot initiative process, I've audited State agencies to identify over $180 million dollars in taxpayer savings and I've fought to ensure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast their ballot in our elections."[7]
Brown was first elected as Oregon Secretary of State in 2008. Brown won the 2008 general election by 51%. She faced Republican Rick Dancer and Progressive Party candidate Seth A. Woolley.
The secretary of state election is one of four state executive office elections in the northwestern state. Other seats up for election include: attorney general, state treasurer and commissioner of labor and industries.
Gubernatorial news
- Voter ID law stalled in Pennsylvania state Senate, Dec 15, 2011
- Change is in the air for Virginia's top office, Dec 15, 2011
- Veto by Iowa Governor ruled unconstitutional, Dec 13, 2011
State Attorneys General
- South Dakota legal battles to require $1.23 million in 2012, Dec 16, 2011
- Change is in the air for Virginia's top office, Dec 15, 2011
- Pennsylvania state senator enters race for state attorney general, Dec 01, 2011
Secretaries of State
- Olympic star Carl Lewis still in the running for NJ Senate, May 31, 2011
- 2008 election fraud in Georgia finally investigated, May 27, 2011
- Kentucky state executive races take shape in wake of primaries, May 18, 2011
See also
- State executive offices
- 2011 state executive calendar
- Gubernatorial elections, 2011
- Lieutenant Governor elections, 2011
Articles
- Election outlook: Ballotpedia's final predictions for state executive elections
- Election outlook: Ballotpedia predicts no partisan changes in state executive offices
- Three months to go - Ballotpedia predicts changes in three state executive offices for Democrats
| ||||||||||||||||
- ↑ Sos.LA.gov, "Unofficial Election Results - Results for Election Date: 10/22/2011," accessed October 23, 2011
- ↑ No one filed to run against Louisiana incumbent John Neely Kennedy, ensuring his re-election.
- ↑ A total number of Public Service Commissioners was not available. State totals vary, with most having between 3 and 5.
- ↑ All three seats up for election were in the state of Mississippi.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Incumbent James Donelon won the Louisiana blanket primary against Donald Hodge. In Mississippi, since multiple candidates did not file no primary election was held for the insurance commissioner office. In the general election contest, incumbent Republican Mike Chaney defeated Democrat Louis Fondren and Reform Party candidate Barbara Dale Washer.
- ↑ Incumbent Michael Strain won the Louisiana blanket primary against Jamie LaBranche and Belinda Alexandrenko. In Mississippi, incumbent Republican Lester Spell retired in 2011. In Kentucky, Republican incumbent Richie Farmer was ineligible for re-election due to term limits.
- ↑ The Daily Astorian,"Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown to seek re-election," December 14, 2011
