Gov. Jack Markell, D-Del., said there are numerous vulnerable Republican-held governor seats, and Democrats may win in November's gubernatorial elections at a Monday event.
As chair of the Democratic Governors Association, Markell coordinates the DGA's efforts to help Democratic gubernatorial candidates with fundraising, policy advice and campaign strategy.
The DGA sees opportunities to potentially gain governorships in numerous states with Republican governors, including California, Texas, Florida, Minnesota, Georgia and some states in New England, Markell said at Monday's KPU event.
There will be 39 gubernatorial elections - 37 in states and two in territories - on Nov. 2, and Democrats currently control the governorships of 19 of those states as well as governorship of the United States Virgin Islands.
"It's an especially big year because every 10 years, redistricting [occurs and] congressional lines are drawn," Markell said. "The governor could make a difference, depending on the state, in the deciding how those lines are drawn."
Incumbent governors of both parties up for re-election face an especially tough electoral climate this year because of economic conditions, according to Markell.
Markell also gave advice to incumbent governors up for re-election. He said one of the key measures to improve employment rates should focus on the needs of employers.
"We've got to put ourselves in the shoes of the people who create jobs and prosperity in the first place and focus in on the things that they care most about," Markell said.
Delaware's economic challenges include a 9.2 percent unemployment rate as of February - lower than the 9.7 percent national average.
This unemployment stems in part from the closure of two automobile plants, Markell said.
However, Markell announced in October that the General Motors plant that had closed in June would be re-opened. The re-opened plant will provide thousands of jobs to the people of Delaware and produce hybrid plug-in cars that will get 100 miles to the gallon, he said.
Markell was elected governor in 2008 after winning the election by more than 35 percent against his Republican opponent.
Markell said he credits a large part of his electoral success to young Delawareans who helped him get his message out across the state. Their help was crucial in his victory in the Democratic primary, which he won by a margin of roughly 1,700 votes, Markell said. Some of the young people who served as Markell's field organizers and campaign staff in 2008 are members of College Democrats at AU.
Tim McBride, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, has known Markell since 2004 and worked as a field organizer for Markell's primary and general election campaigns in 2008. McBride attended the College Democrats event to show his continued support for the governor.
"Working with Gov. Markell has been an inspirational experience," McBride said. "He's a sincere person; he's an intelligent person, and he really empathizes with the people he's governing, which I think is incredibly important."
Markell spoke at an event that was co-sponsored by AU's chapters of the College Democrats and the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network.
You can reach this staff writer at hperlman@theeagleonline.com.
