Dems win governorships in Mass., Ohio, New York

Democrats scored a string of victories in governors' races Tuesday, taking back Massachusetts, Ohio and New York from the GOP, holding a vulnerable seat in Michigan and fighting hard to unseat Republicans in Minnesota and Maryland.\nThe Democrats were in sight of winning a majority of governorships for the first time since the GOP landslide of 1994. But first they needed to hold their own in Wisconsin and Oregon and win at least one more Republican-held office.\nMassachusetts Democrat Deval Patrick was declared the winner in his state -- he will be the first black governor of the state and the second elected black governor of any state. In Ohio, Democratic Rep. Ted Strickland easily defeated Republican Ken Blackwell. New York, as expected, chose Democrat Eliot Spitzer, the attorney general who crusaded for Wall Street and corporate reform.\nMassachusetts and Ohio haven't elected a Democrat since 1986. New York last elected a Democrat in 1990.\nIn Michigan, Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, long targeted by the GOP, defeated millionaire Dick DeVos, even though he put more than $35 million of his own money toward his campaign.\nIn a bit of good news for Republicans, Republican Charlie Crist, the state attorney general of Florida, defeated Democratic Rep. Jim Davis in the contest to replace term-limited GOP Gov. Jeb Bush.\nAnd Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, won re-election. He fended off challengers that included musician and writer Kinky Friedman.\nTen states had open seats because of retirements, term limits and primary defeat. Republicans went into Election Day holding 28 governorships to 22 for the Democrats. The GOP began the year trying to hold eight open seats, while Democrats had only one. Republicans also saw another seat come open when Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski lost his primary.\nIn Massachusetts, Patrick trounced GOP Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey despite her support from outgoing GOP Gov. Mitt Romney, a potential 2008 presidential candidate. The last elected black governor was L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia who left office in 1994.\nTwo other black candidates -- both Republicans -- lost. In Ohio, Strickland swept past Blackwell, the secretary of state who was criticized by Democrats for his role in overseeing the 2004 election in Ohio that was critical in securing President George W. Bush's victory. And in Pennsylvania, former NFL star Lynn Swann was swamped by Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.\nDemocrats were jubilant.\n"From here on out, we need a politics that binds us together, a politics that's forward-thinking, a politics that asks not, 'What's in it for me?' but always 'What's in it for us,'" Spitzer said in prepared comments.\nTight races emerged for Republican Govs. Tim Pawlenty in Minnesota and Robert Ehrlich in Maryland, with vote totals showing them even or slightly trailing their Democratic challengers -- Mike Hatch, Minnesota's attorney general, and Martin O'Malley, Baltimore's mayor.\nIn Illinois, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich won re-election in a contest that Republicans had at one time hoped would go their way.\nElsewhere, Republican incumbents won in Alabama, Connecticut, South Carolina, Nebraska, Georgia and South Dakota, as did Democratic governors in New Mexico, Arizona, Kansas, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Wyoming.\nThe biggest names were in some of the least competitive races. Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California was safely ahead in pre-election surveys, while Spitzer had long been ahead in New York.\nThe contests for those open seats were some of the closest, including:\n-- Nevada, where GOP Rep. Jim Gibbons was hobbled by accusations he assaulted and propositioned a cocktail waitress. He faced Democrat Dina Titus, a state senator.\n-- Iowa, where Democrat Chet Culver, the secretary of state, and GOP Rep. Jim Nussle fought for the seat left by retiring Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack, who is exploring a possible presidential run.\nAlso in close contests, though the latest surveys showed them slightly ahead, were Democrats Jim Doyle in Wisconsin and Ted Kulongoski in Oregon.\nAnd a few states that strategists expected to stay safely Republican wound up competitive.\nIn Alaska, Republican Sarah Palin unseated unpopular Gov. Murkowski in the GOP primary and faced Democratic former Gov. Tony Knowles. In Idaho, GOP Rep. C.L. "Butch" Otter was in a close contest with Democrat Jerry Brady, a former newspaper publisher.\nThe contests could break the record for women governors. Eight women governors now hold office, one fewer than the record. Four women were in the running as major-party candidates.