LAWTON, N. Ceona -- After months of speculation, sources close to North Ceona Senator Elizabeth Graham say she has made a decision on her political future.
Graham, a moderate Nationalist, will seek the state's open governorship in 2020, friends close to the senator say.
Graham had been toying with running for governor for years but finally sees 2020 as her opportunity.
With term-limited Governor Tom Cozier (Conservative) leaving his post, the seat will be open and up for grabs.
And should Graham lose the race for governor, she can still keep her Senate seat, which expires in 2024.
A strong candidate known for her bipartisanship and avoidance of divisive social issues, Graham would be a strong contender for governor.
North Ceona is a Conservative-leaning state, but Graham's centrist record plays well.
She will have to get past one major primary opponent, however.
Former state Attorney General John Ennis, who unsuccessfully challenged Cozier in 2016, is said to be considering a second run for governor in 2020.
The Conservative side is less clear.
Lt. Governor Lyle McDuggery declined to run for governor and will instead retire in 2020.
Secretary of State Bill Stacey has announced his intention to run.
But two other top-tier Conservative candidates are still considering running for governor too.
Former Senator Pete Deetch, who was ousted from office in 2018 after making racist comments, is "seriously considering" a run for governor, sources close to him say.
Another former senator, Ty Jaimeson, is also mulling a bid.
Both men would be formidable candidates, should they choose to run.
Recent polling from the University of North Ceona has shown intriguing results.
Bill Stacey is relatively even with John Ennis (48% to 50%) and with Elizabeth Graham (48% to 49%).
Those polls also found Pete Deetch trailing both Ennis (44% to 53%) and Graham (44% to 54%).
Ty Jaimeson, however, crushes Elizabeth Graham 53% to 44% and leads Ennis 52% to 45%, respectively.
Meanwhile, outgoing Governor Tom Cozier is considering his political future.
Sources close to him say he is weighing a run for Senate, potentially challenging Nationalist incumbent Anthony Campanelli, who is up for re-election in 2020.
A recent poll found Cozier leading Campanelli 51%-47% in a hypothetical match-up.
Conservative incumbent Ken Estall is also up for re-election in 2020, though no top-name Nationalists have emerged to oppose him.
Friends of Pete Deetch say the former senator may opt against a gubernatorial bid and run for the Senate again; he'll take whichever path he thinks he's most likely to win.
No matter what happens, North Ceona won't be the quiet, sleepy state in 2020 that it usually is during election season.
Graham, a moderate Nationalist, will seek the state's open governorship in 2020, friends close to the senator say.
Graham had been toying with running for governor for years but finally sees 2020 as her opportunity.
With term-limited Governor Tom Cozier (Conservative) leaving his post, the seat will be open and up for grabs.
And should Graham lose the race for governor, she can still keep her Senate seat, which expires in 2024.
A strong candidate known for her bipartisanship and avoidance of divisive social issues, Graham would be a strong contender for governor.
North Ceona is a Conservative-leaning state, but Graham's centrist record plays well.
She will have to get past one major primary opponent, however.
Former state Attorney General John Ennis, who unsuccessfully challenged Cozier in 2016, is said to be considering a second run for governor in 2020.
The Conservative side is less clear.
Lt. Governor Lyle McDuggery declined to run for governor and will instead retire in 2020.
Secretary of State Bill Stacey has announced his intention to run.
But two other top-tier Conservative candidates are still considering running for governor too.
Former Senator Pete Deetch, who was ousted from office in 2018 after making racist comments, is "seriously considering" a run for governor, sources close to him say.
Another former senator, Ty Jaimeson, is also mulling a bid.
Both men would be formidable candidates, should they choose to run.
Recent polling from the University of North Ceona has shown intriguing results.
Bill Stacey is relatively even with John Ennis (48% to 50%) and with Elizabeth Graham (48% to 49%).
Those polls also found Pete Deetch trailing both Ennis (44% to 53%) and Graham (44% to 54%).
Ty Jaimeson, however, crushes Elizabeth Graham 53% to 44% and leads Ennis 52% to 45%, respectively.
Meanwhile, outgoing Governor Tom Cozier is considering his political future.
Sources close to him say he is weighing a run for Senate, potentially challenging Nationalist incumbent Anthony Campanelli, who is up for re-election in 2020.
A recent poll found Cozier leading Campanelli 51%-47% in a hypothetical match-up.
Conservative incumbent Ken Estall is also up for re-election in 2020, though no top-name Nationalists have emerged to oppose him.
Friends of Pete Deetch say the former senator may opt against a gubernatorial bid and run for the Senate again; he'll take whichever path he thinks he's most likely to win.
No matter what happens, North Ceona won't be the quiet, sleepy state in 2020 that it usually is during election season.
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