Republicans win tight governor races Republicans have been emboldened by the re-election of governors who enacted tough conservative economic policies, in some cases in states that previously voted for Democrats. The Republican party scored a run of victories in sometimes ugly governors" races that were closely watched because of states" roles as policy laboratories, as well as the platform that governorships give potential 2016 presidential candidates. Republicans who campaigned on conservative economic policies won re-election in tight races in Wisconsin, Michigan and Florida while their party ousted the Democratic governor of Illinois. A big win came in Wisconsin with the re-election of Scott Walker, a favourite of national conservatives who is reviled by the Democratic base for reducing the power of public sector unions. Supporters will see his victory as a boost for his 2016 ambitions and proof that it is possible to win in a state that twice voted for President Barack Obama with tax cuts and other conservative economic policies. Republicans were also elated at ejecting Democrats from the governorships of Illinois, Maryland and Massachusetts, results better than even many optimists had expected. The GOP even held on in Kansas, where governor Sam Brownback has launched a controversial economic "experiment" opposed by some members of his own party for including tax cuts that have created a looming fiscal crisis. Governors of both parties had been threatened by the same voter malaise over the economy that is dogging Mr Obama. Seven Republican incumbents had been vulnerable in toss-up races, but only one in Alaska could end up losing. Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor who is another potential 2016 candidate and head of the Republican Governors Association, told CNN the lesson was: "If you are a governor who gets things done, the voters reward you." Similar to his counterpart in Wisconsin, Michigan governor Rick Snyder was re-elected having bolstered his conservative credentials by taking on unions as well as reducing welfare benefits for the unemployed. Another potential 2016 presidential hopeful who was re-elected in an easy race was John Kasich, the Republican governor of Ohio. The Republican victory in Florida has added significance because of the state's role as a swing state in presidential elections. Questions will be raised over whether it is tilting to the GOP, having backed Mr Obama in 2008 and 2012. Florida's governor Rick Scott overcame his own lack of popularity and a challenge from the Democrat Charlie Crist, a former governor who switched parties, in a race notable for a barrage of negative attacks. Mr Scott is not a conservative in the mould of his counterparts in the Midwest, but he has cut taxes, opposed increasing the state's minimum wage and touted his record of job creation. The night was not free of bad news for Republicans. Its governor in Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, lost to challenger Tom Wolf, having struggled to revive the state's weak economy and angered voters with cuts to education spending. His defeat, however, had been expected. In Illinois, Democratic governor Pat Quinn had been unpopular for a long time and was ejected by Bruce Rauner, who overcame accusations that he was an out-of-touch plutocrat.