11:52 Final update: John Kasich elected governor of Ohio. I covered him when working in Washington in the 1990s. A very sharp fellow who never let you forget that his father was a mail carrier.

11:44 Republican Susana Martinez declared winner in New Mexico. Nation’s first Hispanic female governor.

 11:00 Jerry Brown re-elected California governor. Yes, he won his first term 36 years ago.

10:33 NBC declared Nikki Haley winner in the South Carolina governor’s race. It’s a GOP hold, but closer than many predicted.

10:20 FNC says Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper wins Colorado, defeating American Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo and Republican Dan Maes (who may wind up with less than 10 percent). I think it would be cool if UNC invited Tancredo back to campus and had to introduce him as “Governor Tancredo.” Oh well.

9:37 ABC News calls Pennsylvania for Republican Tom Corbett, replacing the retiring Democrat Ed Rendell. Another GOP pickup.

9:19 FNC projects GOP wins in Alabama (Bentley) and South Dakota (Daugard) and a Dem hold in Maryland (O’Malley).

9:02 Michigan goes Republican. Rick Snyder beats Democrat Virg Bernero. A red pickup.

8:42 p.m.  North Carolina is one of the few states that elects governors in the same years the nation elects presidents. So there are 37 state choosing their chief executives tonight. It’s an important election because (also unlike North Carolina), every other state’s governor has a role in the process of drawing congressional and legislative districts.

Today, Democrats control 26 statehouses, Republicans 24. The GOP is expected to gain ground tonight, perhaps quite a bit.

In Tennessee, Republican Bill Haslam has defeated Democrat Mike McWherter easily. That’s a GOP pickup; retiring Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen was one of the most conservative Dems nationally.