Governors' Races: TBED Overview

Twelve states have gubernatorial races in this year’s elections. After Indiana Gov. Mike Pence was recruited for the vice presidential ballot, Indiana voters have current Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb on the ballot as the Republican candidate for governor. Some states have incumbent governors seeking re-election, including Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Others have term-limited governors and are thus seeing new faces on the ballot, including Delaware, Missouri and West Virginia The remaining states have open races, including Indiana, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Vermont. SSTI provides an overview of the candidates and their economic development and education stances:

Delaware

The current Democratic Gov. Jack Markell is term-limited. Congressman John Carney is running on the Democratic ticket and his economic development plan includes restructuring the state’s economic development office to focus on entrepreneurial activities. He also advocates strengthening the environment for startup companies, by creating and implementing a science & technology plan; developing a strategic plan with private businesses to attract more venture capital; creating a First State Innovation Challenge competition for the state’s innovators to focus on solutions; and, improving broadband access to rural areas of the state. Carney’s education plan includes creating a workforce development plan; and, expanding career pathways programs for graduating high school seniors.

The Republican candidate, State Senator Colin Bonini promotes traditional economic development policies. Without providing specific proposals, he wants to lower taxes and cut regulations to bring high-quality jobs to the state. His education plans includes focusing on students and the classroom.

Indiana

Incumbent Republican Gov. Mike Pence was seeking re-election until he was tapped as the vice presidential candidate for Donald Trump. He is replaced by Republican Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb on the ticket. Holcomb has indicated he would maintain Gov. Pence’s economic development agenda. He would expand job growth by investing in startups, high-growth companies and university partnerships. He would use data to create a demand-driven workforce training system focusing on the state’s strategic industry sectors, including manufacturing, biosciences and information technology. He advocates making the Venture Capital Investment Tax Credit transferable to incentivize investment from investors outside of Indiana.

Democratic candidate John Gregg has set forth a specific plan to pay for infrastructure projects, using money from the state’s Next Generation Trust Fund to help pay for the projects. He announced a 35-point plan to grow higher-wage jobs, attract and retain business, and better prepare the future workforce. Among the points of his plan are eliminating the 21st Century Research and Technology Fund and repurposing its $40 million to create the Hoosier Growth and Opportunity Fund to assist Indiana-based business startups through a venture capital matching grant and loan program to partner with accredited venture capital firms. He, too, proposes a review of the venture capital tax credit program.

Missouri

Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon is term-limited. Chris Koster, the Missouri state Attorney General is the Democratic candidate for governor. If elected governor, Koster argues that more needs to been done to stimulate economic development in the state, specifically through a comprehensive economic development bill, as well as increase investment in both K-12 and higher education to keep the state’s workforce globally competitive. He advocates for reducing the state’s business taxes, streamlining regulations and providing support to Missouri’s entrepreneurs and companies to increase job creation. He also proposes a combination of strategic tax cuts and coordinated investments to train Missouri’s next generation of business owners, entrepreneurs and workforce. He believes that higher education funding needs to return to pre-recession levels, and he would reform the state’s coordinating board for higher education, allowing Missouri’s colleges and universities to work in closer cooperation with the state’s economic development agencies.

Eric Greitens is a former Navy Seal and Republican candidate for Missouri governor. Jobs are his top priority and he seeks to build an economy that would create more private sector jobs throughout Missouri. Self-described as a “budget hawk,” Greitens believes Missouri’s tax code should be simplified, including the elimination or closing of special interest tax loopholes; advocates for the elimination of burdensome regulations on small businesses and the private sector; and pledges to shrink government to eliminate waste and fraud. Greitens recommends more education choices and is opposed to common core.

Montana

Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock is seeking a second term. If re-elected, he proposes to build on the outcomes of the Main Street Montana Project to enhance opportunities for economic growth. He has released his plan for the next four years that will focus on creating jobs – including expanding job training and apprenticeship opportunities to Montana’s graduates, growing the economy, increasing wages and cutting taxes on Montana’s small businesses. The administration believes that education is a top priority, and he proposes preparing students for the global 21_st century economy by continuing to partner with organizations to improve digital access across the state, providing funding and investment in Montana’s Digital Academy, which prepares students for the tech jobs of the future. Gov. Bullock advocates freezing tuition rates at the state’s public colleges and universities. He has also proposed continuing to grow the state’s tech industry through the on-going efforts of the Big Sky Trust Fund. The administration recently launched the Montana Business navigator to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs in the state to navigate or cut through bureaucratic red tape and expand businesses.

Gov. Bullock’s opponent, Republican Greg Gianforte, is a businessman and entrepreneur. His focus on high-wage jobs involves: removing barriers to creating jobs – he supports streamlining government and lowering taxes and believes that sustainable high-wage jobs are created by businesses and the private sector; he pledges to get rid of burdensome regulations; and has released his 406 Tax Relief Plan, which consists of eliminating the state’s business equipment tax in four years, a zero increase in overall state spending and zero sales tax, and seeks to lower income taxes for all Montanans at a maximum rate of six percent. He also proposed an education plan, known as Learn2Learn Education Plan. The plan calls for computer science in every high school; a renewed emphasis on the trades; strong public schools and education with local and parental controls; and the connection of education with jobs.

New Hampshire

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan is not seeking re-election (she is running for a U.S. Senate seat). Democrat Colin Van Ostern plans to focus on four areas to grow jobs and wages and continue Gov. Hassan’s initiatives. His plan includes general outlines like strengthening the workforce; boosting wages, in part by reforming non-compete agreements; and, keeping taxes low. He also proposes reducing college costs by expanding low-cost degree pathways and investing in vocation training. Democrats have held the governor’s seat in New Hampshire since 2005.

Chris Sununu won the Republican nomination by less than 1 percent. His plan for the state’s economy includes an overhaul of the NH Economic Development Office, reducing business taxes and attracting new business by meeting with 100 companies in 100 days to invite them to do business in New Hampshire. He plans to invest in workforce readiness by incentivizing students to remain in the state after graduating from New Hampshire colleges and to foster partnerships between community colleges and businesses.

North Carolina

Current Republican Gov. Pat McCrory is running for re-election for a second four-year term. If re-elected, he has vowed to re-introduce legislation that was left languishing in both House and Senate committees that included several TBED initiatives, such as crowdfunding for small investors, creation of a state-level new markets tax credit for insurance companies, creating a small business  venture capital fund and attracting entrepreneurs to North Carolina, connecting them to projects in the UNC system and creating a grant program to help develop businesses that build on ideas developed at UNC system campuses.

State Attorney General Roy Cooper is running on the Democratic ticket. In addition to vowing to repeal HB 2 (the “bathroom bill” that limits gender usage of bathrooms to the gender indicated on an individual’s birth certificate), Attorney General Cooper has outlined an economic development plan that includes closing the skills gap to ensure manufacturers have a viable workforce; ensuring accessible and affordable high-speed broadband throughout the state; and, cultivating entrepreneurs and small businesses by: boosting credit access and capital; creating a small business mentorship portal; and, creating a micro-loan program for entrepreneurs/small businesses. His education plan includes creating career-readiness academies in all school districts; expanding access to certification and credentialed programs for high school graduates; and, creating a team of advisors to propose a tuition-free community college program for NC.

North Dakota

Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple did not run for re-election and former Microsoft executive Doug Burgum received the Republican nomination, after a surprising defeat of Attorney general Wayne Stenehjem, who held the party endorsement. With no specifics detailed on his website, Burgum pledges to cut spending, reform the property tax system and increase local control. Burgum uses his business background in business, growing a startup company to its eventual acquisition by Microsoft Corporation, to appeal to voters. He advocates building North Dakota’s innovation stature and building a more diversified economy beyond the oil industry.

State Rep. Marvin Nelson was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.  With no specific policies detailed, Rep. Nelson has said he would work to reclaim land destroyed by oil development. In looking to diversify the economy, he has pointed to issues such as day care, health care and community services as being the “real infrastructure”.

Oregon

There is a special election due to the resignation of former Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber in 2015; the winner of the Nov. 2016 gubernatorial election will be up for re-election in 2018.

Oregon’s current Democratic Gov. Kate Brown is running to finish Gov. Kizhaber’s vacated term. In her tenure as governor, Gov. Brown says she has identified priorities and proposed policies that focus on building a skilled and educated workforce, making education her top priority and claiming responsibility for what she says is the largest K-12 and early childhood education investment in Oregon’s history; doubling its funding for career and technical education (CTE), as well as for science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) programs. She has also expanded the state’s scholarships grants, also known as the “Opportunity Grants” program to Oregon’s college students, as well as signed the Promise law, which reduced community college tuition to as little as $50 per term. If elected, Gov. Brown plans to continue to focus on increasing the state’s education activities as well as increase the state’s graduation rates in order to help Oregon’s small businesses and economy. She created the Small Business Advisory Cabinet and will continue to work with the cabinet to advance policies that offer entrepreneurs and businesses programs such as mentorships, access to capital, and targeted support to entrepreneurs / companies in the state’s rural or underserved communities.

Brown’s opponent, Bud Pierce (R) is attempting to become Oregon’s first Republican governor in more than 30 years. As with Brown, Pierce’s top priority is education. Pierce recommends keeping Oregon’s higher education affordable, if not more so, and accessible to students. He supports the state’s 2014 restructuring of the Oregon University System and the creation of the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) as the means for doing so. Additionally, he advocates creating a low-cost, fast-track college degree for nontraditional higher education students and proposes offering tax breaks to low- and middle-income Oregonians paying off college debt. In general, Pierce would like to increase state education investments in work-based learning, such as increasing options for apprenticeships and summer youth employment. He supports increasing investment in career and technical education (CTE). He supports ending regulation mandates on Oregon’s small businesses; argues against additional increases in the state’s minimum wage and tax cuts on small businesses; and favors ending special tax breaks for corporations.

Utah

Republican Gov. Gary Herbert is seeking a second term and has said education would remain his top priority. He has outlined a six-point list of his education principles, focusing on adequate funding, workforce alignment and innovation. The governor proposes safeguarding the state’s tax rates and improving government efficiency – including the on-going review and elimination of business regulations. Under Gov. Herbert, his campaign says the state would remain actively involved in economic development and policies and initiatives to assist entrepreneurs and innovators in the state to develop their ideas and products. Additionally, the administration remains committed to preparing the state’s future workforce to be civically engaged citizens and seeks to continue to promote innovative approaches to partnerships between education, industry and community partners to better the state’s education system.

Democrat Mike Weinholtz also believes that Utah’s future depends on an educated workforce. Weinholtz advocates returning the state’s education funding to its pre-recession levels in order to give the next generation Utahans the education required to succeed in the modern economy. Additionally, he supports strengthening education in STEM fields, so that students are both ready for college and/or high-paying careers. If Weinholtz is elected governor, he has proposed increasing taxes for the top 1.5 percent of Utah’s wage earners to add, what he believes would be, $175 million to the state’s education budget each year, and which would assist in reducing the higher education costs for thousands of students; he also supports the promotion of trade schools.

Vermont

Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin is retiring and five Democrats sought the party nomination to replace him, with Sue Minter becoming the nominee. Minter has proposed a public-private investment program to grow Vermont’s downtowns and regional centers, focusing on four sectors of the economy: clean energy and efficiency; farm and forest production; the tech industry; and next generation manufacturing. She plans to assemble a task force with industry leaders in each of those economic sectors that will result in a statewide InnovateVT summit focusing on recommendations. Her plan goes on to outline initiatives in transportation, modernizing communications that would include expanding broadband, developing a 21^st century workforce and growing the renewable energy and food product sectors.

Republican Phil Scott has served as lieutenant governor since 2011 and his Blueprint for Economic Growth includes a 12-part plan. Part of his plan is to revitalize the county economic centers, expanding innovation hubs and designating high-tech zones. With a diminishing labor supply as the state’s population ages and workers retire, his plan to invest in the workforce includes technical and trade education to trigger interest in the STEM fields, retain more college graduates, and rethink the public-private partnerships that are necessary to cultivate the next generation of workers.

Washington

Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee is seeking a second term and plans to focus his government economic development efforts on jobs and the state’s key industries and sectors including aerospace, clean energy, life sciences, information and communication technology and small business. During his first term, he established the Office of Economic Competitiveness and Development to connect economic development, trade execution and policy development. Gov. Inslee has said he will continue to prioritize STEM education, invest in workforce development, and advance initiatives to support the state’s key industries. He has proposed a vision for moving the state forward, which includes advancing a living wage for workers and job growth; continuing to improve the state’s education system through significant new investments in early learning and K-12, and through training and apprenticeship programs; maintaining state cuts in tuition for college students – including for those attending community colleges or career/technical schools – and the state’s DREAM Act, which extends state need grant eligibility to thousands of undocumented college students.

Former Seattle Port Commissioner Republican Bill Bryant pledges to be an activist governor if elected. In general, Bryant’s campaign has blamed government regulations for stifling the state’s business growth. The candidate’s priorities include: creating a long-term strategic plan for how the state can support Washington’s job generating sectors; funding workforce development programs; re-investing in tourism; and, eliminating those state permitting requirements that he believes would make it easier for companies to add jobs. Bryant proposes establishing a moratorium on new state regulations on businesses until the effectiveness of existing regulations can be evaluated. He recommends launching a four-year zero-based budget in order to refocus the state’s spending on key obligations and priorities. He also seeks to fully fund education and has announced a plan to dedicate 51 percent of all state spending to education.

West Virginia

The current Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is term-limited. The Democratic candidate, Jim Justice, is a coal and Greenbrier Resort executive.  Justice’s jobs plan provides no specifics on TBED initiatives, but promotes providing new uses for coal, making the state a distribution center for agricultural products, and using universities to identify specific job opportunities. His education plan proposes to prepare students for a career, without providing specifics.

The Republican candidate is state Senate President Bill Cole. Sen. Cole’s economic development plan includes: creating a 501(c)(3)West Virginia Economic Development Corporation, a public-private partnership between government and business to assume all of the state’s  economic development efforts; creating a West Virginia Research Endowment to focus on attracting world-class researchers to the state’s colleges and universities; improving workforce skills, although no specifics are provided; creating a statewide high-speed broadband network to provide connectivity to the 28 percent of underserved or unserved areas of the state; implementing a manufacturing strategy by leveraging natural gas reserves into affordable energy; and, closing the skills gap.