Ted Strickland(D-OH) Sorry… getting ahead of myself
Tom Vilsack(D-IA): Despite the funny name he has won two terms and in a normally fickle state, his creation of the creation of the Iowa Values Fund along with increasing the number of children covered by health insurance by 300% and the creation of a state-wide drug-purchasing organization where all significant achievements and must recommend him as perhaps one of the countries’ more inventive, pragmatic and successful governors.
Jeb Bush(R-FL)r: Another Republican, and however much you dislike him because of his second name that shouldn’t blind you to the fact that he’s about the most effective and successful governor in the south, he managed a large state and won some tough elections by wide margins, he is most defiantly one of the countries’ outstanding governors from either party IMHO.
Mark Warner(D-VA): His victory in a November election in 2001 as a Democrat in a deep red-state was a significant achievement by its self, even more impressive was the fact that Warner in his four year terms forced through the republican legislature a radical reform of the state’s education system which inducted a tax increase that provided extra cash for public schools and on top of this he continues to record very high approval numbers despite what had been a wide spread belief amongst republicans that by attempting increasing taxes he would be committing political suicide.
Brian Schweitzer(D-MT): Despite it being early on in his political career Schweitzer’s broad popularity in Montana and margin of victory in the 2004 gubernatorial election could mark him out as a future star. His down home style and his folksy mannerism, despite his libertarian leanings make him a real favourite of mine.
Eliot Spitzer(D-NY)… Damn! Doing it again, well after January 2007 then for future reference.
Brad Henry(D-OK): In 2002 it seemed like Henry would be an aberration for a conservative state like Oklahoma he won with around 43% of the vote thanks largely to a significant showing by a conservative third party candidate, since then things have changed some what. He now holds a 72% approval rating and prominent GOP’ers are passing on challenging him for the Governorship, at the same time he has not fallen into the trap of fellow Blue-Dog Dem Gov.Phil Bredesen (D-TN) and pandered heavily to the right… while he has little exceptional to add to his record he’s been a good governor and will no doubt continue to be such, hopefull with lt.Gov Brad Carson after November 2006:)
Arnold Schwarzenegger(R-CA): Contrary to popular belief he still could be the best governor in the USA his real problem is he’s put forward sensible reforms that have hit up against a very entrenched and entirely partisan democratic establishment. He’s a moderate with fresh and effective ideas which could really help solve a great deal of the problems California now finds it’s self in after years of irresponsible and ineffective leadership in Sacramento, for one there is a republican who is calling for the right kind of reform, in a place where it is desperately needed. If he survives the 2006 election (if he runs) which I still think he will, and by a surprisingly wide margin I might add, then I think it really could be the makings of him.
Mike Easley(D-NC): Another moderate Dem from the south, in 2004 when Bush racked up a double digit win in North Carolina and the GOP exploited those coattails to pick up an open Senate seat in the state (though I wouldn’t dismiss Burr’s efforts) Mike Easley running for re-election scored a double digit win for himself despite a number of republicans of this board confidently saying that he would loose. Like Brad Henry in Oklahoma, Easley has won in a GOP leaning state without opting for the “Bredesen Option”. Easley like his neighbour Mark Warner has introduced effective education reform most notably in the shape of the “more at four” program which helped particularly with at risk pre-kindergarten kids. Effective leadership in the face of a declining textile industry and even natural disasters has won him much acclaim and while he has never been afraid to confront the at times obstructionist state legislature he has cultivated a healthy bi-partisan approach to government in the state, as he is not running again in 2008, he’s being heavily mooted as an opponent to Liddy Dole in 2008 or even Dick Burr in 2010.
Jennifer Granholm(D-MI): Perhaps elected to face one of the most thankless periods in office even in a state that has been facing economic decline for the best part of the last thirty years, she has despite this done well. Granholm dramatically reduced spending, though the budget deficit she in inherited still remains thanks in no small part to the republican legislature Granholm’s budget plans have been curtailed some what but despite all this she remains a strong governor facing a tough set of circumstances and no doubt a tough battle in the fall of 2006.
Honorary Mention: Mark Sanford(R-SC)
