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Midterm elections for governor: 5 things to watch

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL J. MISHAK
Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Despite a growing job market and shrinking unemployment, governors are struggling to keep their seats as voters express skepticism about the economic recovery.

Wages have stagnated or fallen for many Americans while record numbers of workers hold temporary jobs.

Economic malaise, perhaps more than any other factor, is clouding the re-election prospects for governors in both parties.

Republicans have the steeper challenge, defending 22 seats while trying to expand their map into strongly Democratic New England and battleground Colorado.

Democrats hope economic populism will help them keep 14 seats, including vulnerable governors in Illinois and Connecticut, and regain control in Florida and Michigan.

What to watch for:

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2016 CONTENDERS

All eyes will be on Wisconsin to see whether Republican Gov. Scott Walker wins a second term.

Among the crop of 2016 GOP presidential hopefuls, Walker is the lone early contender in a tight race this year. After a divisive recall attempt in 2012 over his moves to limit collective bargaining for most public workers, polls show the race against Democrat Mary Burke to be dead even. A victory could elevate Walker to the top tier among potential 2016 candidates; a loss almost certainly would dash any national ambitions.

Republicans also will be looking at New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another possible contender who has much riding on Tuesday’s outcome.

As head of the Republican Governors Association, Christie has worked to help the GOP defend 22 of its 29 governor’s seats and expand the party’s political map. Victories in Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Connecticut would burnish Christie’s credentials and bolster his pitch that Republicans can succeed in Democratic-leaning states carried by President Barack Obama.

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TEA PARTY GOVERNORS

Republican governors swept into office with tea party support in 2010 are now facing difficult re-elections. Among them are Sam Brownback in Kansas, Tom Corbett in Pennsylvania, Rick Scott in Florida, Paul LePage in Maine, Rick Snyder in Michigan and Scott Walker in Wisconsin.

A sluggish national economic recovery colors most of the battles.

Democrats have painted the GOP incumbents as too extreme, saying they have favored corporate interests over the middle class. Republicans say the governors have spurred economic growth.

Corbett is the most vulnerable and trails Democrat Tom Wolf. A loss would make Corbett the first Pennsylvania governor to lose re-election since 1970, when the state began allowing governors to serve eight years.

But most political observers are watching Kansas, where Gov. Sam Brownback is struggling to hold on to his job after putting in place an agenda of massive tax and spending cuts. Many Republicans have defected from him and now support Democrat Paul Davis, the state House minority leader. If Brownback wins, his victory would be seen as validation of the Kansas experiment. If he loses, he would be viewed as a lesson in the limits of conservative governance.

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SWING-VOTING STATES

Both parties are targeting governor’s races in the important presidential battlegrounds of Colorado, Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida.

Democrats and Republicans will be reviewing those campaigns for signals about the electorate going into the 2016 presidential race.

Nowhere is the battle fiercer than in Florida, the largest swing-voting state.

The fight between GOP Gov. Rick Scott and Democrat Charlie Crist has turned into one of the most expensive and nasty campaigns in state history, with a combined spending of at least $90 million on television ads. The race is neck and neck, and Republicans and Democrats see an opportunity to control the levers of government heading into 2016.

Florida Democrats are hoping that Crist, a former Republican governor, can leverage his statewide recognition to help notch the party’s first gubernatorial win in 20 years.

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REPUBLICAN RESURGENCE IN NEW ENGLAND?

Republicans are pushing their midterm offensive into New England, one of the last Democratic strongholds.

Three Democrats — Rhode Island Treasurer Gina Raimondo, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan — have seen their leads shrink or disappear in recent weeks. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and Rep. Mike Michaud, running for governor in Maine, have been in dead heats for months.

Malloy’s challenger, Tom Foley, lost to Malloy by fewer than 6,500 votes in 2010. Despite the state’s propensity to support Democratic presidential candidates, Malloy is the state’s first Democratic governor in more than 20 years.

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FLORIDA RECOUNT?

It’s Florida, so anything can, and usually does, happen.

Republicans and Democrats say they’re prepared in the event of a recount.

The Scott and Crist campaigns have designated thousands of poll watchers to monitor voting sites, but experts say a recount today would not be a replay of the 2000 presidential race, when a chaotic procedure paralyzed the political process and left voters hanging for five weeks while George W. Bush and Al Gore battled in the courts.

That experience led to an overhaul of the state’s voting laws and machinery. An automatic machine recount is required if the first set of returns, due four days after the election, show that a candidate was defeated by one-half of 1 percent or less.

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Follow Michael J. Mishak on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mjmishak

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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