Nation's center may get its say Tuesday

Charges of ethics missteps have dogged Doolittle and Pombo, but they remain favorites in races against Democrats Charlie Brown and Jerry McNerney, respectively. A loss by either would signal a strong voter desire for change.

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In the governors' offices

The 36 gubernatorial races involve most of nation's largest states, including California. Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger is favored to retain his office in Sacramento, but Democrats are likely to make gains elsewhere.

Expected Democratic pickups

Massachusetts

Kerry Healey (R)

Deval Patrick (D)

The GOP has held the governor's chair in this largely Democratic state since 1991, but Patrick is strongly favored to change that. Patrick, a lawyer, would become the country's second African American governor since Reconstruction.

New York

John Faso (R)

Eliot Spitzer (D)

Some polls have shown Spitzer favored by about 70% of the voters. GOP incumbent George E. Pataki is stepping down.

Ohio

J. Kenneth Blackwell (R)

Ted Strickland (D)

With term-limited GOP incumbent Robert A. Taft engulfed in scandal, Democrats began with an advantage. Their prospects have improved, with Strickland far ahead of Blackwell. Control of the governor's office could help Democratic prospects in this key state in the 2008 presidential election.

Likely to remain Democratic

Pennsylvania

Ed Rendell (D)

Incumbent

Lynn Swann (R)

The GOP had high hopes for Swann, the former Pittsburgh

Steelers wide receiver and hall of fame football player. But his inexperience has been obvious on the campaign trail. Rendell, a veteran of state politics, seems headed for an easy win.

Michigan

Jennifer Granholm (D)

Incumbent

Dick DeVos (R)

Granholm, once an aspiring

actress in Los Angeles, has faced a tough fight, largely because of the state's economic troubles. Still, recent polls have shown her comfortably ahead of DeVos, whose father co-founded Amway.

Illinois

Rod Blagojevich (D)

Incumbent

Judy Baar Topinka (R)

Blagojevich rode into office four years ago on the heels of scandal that tarred his GOP predecessor. Blagojevich also has been dogged by ethics controversies, but he has retained his lead in polls.

Likely to remain Republican

Florida

Charlie Crist (R)

Jim Davis (D)

The race to replace outgoing Republican Jeb Bush, brother of President Bush, has tightened recently. Crist, presently attorney general of Florida, should hold on to defeat Davis, a congressman from Florida's 11th District.

Texas

Rick Perry (R)

Incumbent

Chris Bell (D)

Carole Keeton Strayhorn (Ind.)

Kinky Friedman (Ind.)

Perry is expected to win this unusual four-candidate contest. He may fall well short of the 50% mark, but benefit from a split vote among Bell, Strayhorn (mother of former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan) and Friedman (a musician and mystery writer).