Washington Post blogger Chris Cillizza’s Friday rundown of races for governor gives the nod to Beebe. (And before you Asa!-phants cry foul, please note that Cilizza is no Dem. He loves him some Huckster, as we’ve noted before.) He ranks races most likely to change parties, with No. 1 being likeliest to change.
3. Arkansas: Another quiet month in this race. But the longer this race stays low-key, the more we believe state Attorney General Mike Beebe (D) will win. Former Rep. Asa Hutchinson (R) is seen as a strong candidate, but so far his fundraising has disappointed and Democrats are getting more and more confident. Hutchinson must find a way to deal with two environmental factors working against him — voters’ desire for change after a decade of Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee and the tough national atmosphere for the GOP. (Previous ranking: 4)