Voters on Tuesday elect governors in 11 states, deciding close contests in Indiana, North Carolina and Washington as Republicans try to chip away at the Democrats' slim majority of gubernatorial seats.
The races are a prelude to 2010, when four of every five states will elect governors who will help preside over the redrawing of legislative and congressional districts.
The maps are redrawn every 10 years after the census to ensure that legislative boundaries reflect population changes. Republicans say 25 congressional seats could be in play as a result of 2010 governors' races.
Democrats hold a 28-22 edge among governors nationally.
In Washington state, voters are watching a nasty rematch of the 2004 battle between Democrat Christine Gregoire and Republican Dino Rossi. Gregoire won that race by 133 votes after two recounts and a lawsuit, the closest margin in a governor's race in U.S. history. This fall, the two are running even again.
Voters are also selecting governors in Delaware, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia.
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