Ansleigha gubernatorial candidates hit the campaign trail

KOEURN, Asl. -- The latest round of polls has spurred Ansleigha's four remaining candidates for governor to hit the campaign trail with extra vigor, this week.

Facing negative polls that show him trailing Nationalist opponent Agatha Houndsler, Conservative Ansleigha Gov. Sam Baskingwood is not taking his reelection lightly.

The governor spent Friday morning visiting local public schools in northwest Koeurn. In the afternoon, he traveled just outside the city in the scenic countryside, visiting local farms and speaking with farmers about how to improve the state's agriculture policies.

Today, Baskingwood started his day out in southeast Koeurn, a notably liberal-leaning and NAT-favoring part of the city. The governor visited farmer's markets and shop owners in the city's Cantilever district, a notable tourist hub.

This evening, Baskingwood is slated to attend an awards ceremony in downtown Koeurn.

Normally, Conservative candidates largely eschew the state's largest city, which leans heavily to the NAT.

But in his reelection bid, Baskingwood is spending more time in Koeurn, not less.

It's part of his statewide strategy, which aides close to the governor describe as "corner-to-corner" across Ansleigha.

"The governor is visiting every nook and cranny of the state," said Press Secretary Ben Sellinger. "His goal is to visit every city, every town, every village, every fruit stand he can."

Baskingwood's NAT rivals didn't take the day off, either.

Houndsler spent Friday touring an abortion clinic in north Koeurn.

Today, she is holding townhall meetings three hours north in Hawkinson County.

State Sen. Paul Biddington, who is also vying for the NAT's gubernatorial nomination, spent Friday up in Martindale County in the state's northwest. Biddington toured a community college campus and met with concerned citizens at a local coffee shop.

Today, his campaign says he is traversing the rest of southwest Ansleigha's territory, which traditionally leans Conservative.

Biddington and Houndsler are locked in a close fight for the NAT's nomination for governor. 

Both candidates are polling evenly, with about 50% support among the state's NAT voters. The two candidates are racing down-to-the-wire to garner as much support as they can before the May 28 primary election.

Also hitting the campaign trail this week is Independent candidate Rosamond Burkes, who initially ruled out running for governor again this year, but later changed her mind.

Burkes campaigned Friday in Cordeyon, telling a group of mostly liberal voters that she supports a woman's right to choose on abortion and she believes the wealthy should pay more taxes.

Burkes' populist platform has resonated with voters across the political spectrum. 

She supports gun rights for law-abiding citizens, is fiercely anti-crime, and is staunchly opposed to political correctness, which has won her favor with Ansleigha's far-right voters.

At the same time, she supports abortion rights for women, increased conservation, and higher taxes on the wealthy, which has won her admirers on the left, as well.

Her position on abortion, however, is muddled. She says she supports abortion rights for women, but also previously told a group of right-leaning voters that she wanted to protect "precious little babies."

Burkes, who does not shy away from controversy, is slated to attend a local fair and farmers market in east Boykin County, Saturday afternoon.

Baskingwood and Burkes will automatically advance to the fall election, since Baskingwood does not have a primary opponent and Burkes is running as an Independent.

However, polls show both candidates struggling against their NAT opponents.

No matter who wins the NAT primary on May 28, the three-way race for governor in the fall will be a close one.

Nationalists are hoping to win their first governorship in Ansleigha since statehood. The party has never won the state's highest office.

They're hoping to change that this year, and national party leaders have pledged to infuse the race with millions of dollars in advertising and campaign logistics to help deliver a win for the NAT.

Conservatives have dominated Ansleigha's elections in recent years, and they're hoping to maintain their lock on the state's top job. The national party has similarly pledged millions of dollars to defend Baskingwood from what the party describes as "a liberal onslaught."