Election 2018: Michigan Governor Race 1 To Watch, Says Wash Post

LANSING, MI – The new year is a mere eight days old, but politics are already heating up the cold January days in Michigan. And, a report from the Washington Post has the state's gubernatorial race as one of top 10 to watch across the nation this year.

The Post ranked Michigan's race for the open seat at No. 7 – behind the governor races in Florida and Nevada.

"Democrats are bullish about taking back the governor's mansion here for a few reasons," notes the Washington Post. "Trump won the state by less than a percentage point, and outgoing Gov. Rick Snyder (R) is highly unpopular; his handling of the Flint water crisis might taint any Republican nominee."

The Post notes that Democrats have been especially excited about candidate Gretchen Whitmer, the former party leader in the state senate.

Other candidates to announce their intentions to run for the office:

• Brian Calley, current Lieutenant governor, Republican
• Bill Cobbs, Farmington Hill businessman, a Democrat
• Patrick Colbeck, a state senator from Canton, a Republican
• Abdul El-Sayed, former Detroit health department director, a Democrat
• Jim Hines, a Saginaw physician, a Republican
• Bill Schuette, current Michigan Attorney General, Republican
• Shri Thanedar, Ann Arbor businessman, a Democrat

Filing deadline for the race is on April 24, and partisan candidates will face each other in respective primary elections on Aug. 7. The Republican and Democratic nominees

According to the Post's article, here are the top 10 governor races across the nation in 2018.

1. New Mexico
2. Maine
3. Alaska
4. Illinois
5. Nevada
6. Florida
7. Michigan
8. Connecticut
9. Ohio
10. Maryland

File photo: Michigan Senate Democrat Gretchen Whitmer by Associated Press