When it comes to elections, It's easy to only focus on the race for the White House. After all, it is for president. But many may not know there are different elections that are a whole lot closer and could provide some insight into what issues and states will drive the vote next year.
The first place that really matters this year is Kentucky. In the bluegrass state, there will be a battle in a few weeks to see if Democratic incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear can win again in the conservative-leaning state. He won in 2019 by just 5,100 or so votes.
Beshear is running against Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump in the primary.
One major question surrounding this election is on how the state's near-total ban on abortion weighs on voters. It's a topic that has dominated debates, as well as campaign commercials. Last year, Democrats surprisingly saw some success in red states because of the issue.
SEE MORE: Abortion in America: A Scripps News special report
This year's election is also putting the spotlight on Ohio, where a vote on the future of abortion is taking place. Specifically, before voters is a question regarding whether to change the state constitution so that "every individual has a right to make and carry out one's own reproductive decision."
Rounding out the 2023 election map is another vote in Ohio over marijuana legalization, as well as a race for governor in Mississippi that polls have favoring Republicans.
While dozens of mayoral contests from Colorado to Texas are taking place, most political observers will be paying special attention to Virginia on Nov. 7, where control of the state's general assembly is up for grabs. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is hoping for total control so that he can advance his agenda. A conservative win there could signal to the country that Virginia is back to being a swing state in the 2024 presidential election.
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