

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, left, answers a question during a debate with his Democratic challenger, Paul Davis at the Kansas State Fair Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, in Hutchinson, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A few weeks ago, it was looking like Nov. 4 might be a bloodbath for United States governors.  While no more than six governors had lost in any one election since 1984, 11 incumbent governors graced our Friday Line -- none of whom was polling a statistically significant lead. 

That's still the case.  But, at the very least, a few incumbent governors who were looking more and more like goners are recovering. 

In Illinois and Connecticut, both Govs.  Pat Quinn (D) and Dan Malloy (D) are back in the game after trailing in multiple polls.  And in Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback (R) looks a bit better off in his matchup with Democratic state Rep. Paul Davis. 

All three, in fact, have actually shown a lead in at least one recent poll. 

And what do those three states have in common?  They are either quite blue (Quinn and Malloy) or quite red (Brownback).  Perhaps what we're really seeing is some folks coming home to their respective political sides after holding out for a little while. 

Of course, it's too early to call any of these three men favorites.  In addition, we've still got two governors who are likely to lose (see Nos.  1 and 3 below), along with nine governors in very tight races. 

So don't rule out some major turnover come Nov. 4.  But don't expect it either. 

...

And now, to our bi-weekly list of the top 13 governor's races in the country.  These races, as usual, are ranked from No.  1 (most likely to flip) to No.  13 (least likely, but still very competitive). 

To the line! 

13.  Georgia (Republican-controlled): Gov. Nathan Deal (R) and state Sen. Jason Carter (D) are very close in the polls.  As in, the last three polls were all dead even.  Why isn't this race higher on this list?  Because Carter probably needs to not just beat Deal on Nov. 4, but also get to 50 percent plus one.  With the libertarian candidate polling as high as 6 percent, it's much more likely Deal and Carter would go to a Jan. 6 Dec. 2 runoff.  And such runoffs are not kind to Democrats. ( Previous ranking: 11)

12.  Massachusetts (Democratic-controlled): The most recent Boston Globe shows Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Charlie Baker tied at 41 percent.  Baker has been outraising Coakley and stockpiling cash.  This is a real race.  It's also still Massachusetts, so we'll see if all those Democratic-leaning voters wind up coming home. ( Previous ranking: 12)

11.  Alaska (R): Independent Bill Walker, who is running on a fusion ticket with former Democratic nominee Byron Mallott as his lieutenant governor, leads Gov. Sean Parnell (R) in most recent polls.  But a Fox News poll showed Parnell up five points.  And as the Kansas Senate race showed us, independents can compete in red states if the Democrat drops out; but it can be hard to maintain that momentum once the GOP starts pegging you as the de facto Democrat. ( Previous ranking: 13)

10.  Wisconsin (R): Just when it looked like Gov. Scott Walker (R) might be starting to build a lead, a new Marquette Law School poll showed him tied with Democratic challenger Mary Burke.  We've said it before, and we'll say it again: No other potential 2016er has as much riding on the midterms as Walker.  Win reelection, and he'll be well-positioned to launch a presidential run (or be someone's VP pick).  Lose, and he can forget about it. ( Previous ranking: 10)

9.  Michigan (R): A string of recent polls show Gov. Rick Snyder (R) up on Democrat Mark Schauer (D).  Republicans might be losing hope in the Wolverine State's Senate race, but they should feel pretty good about where they are in the governor's race, considering how big a target Snyder has had on his back all cycle.  But Michigan has bitten the GOP before. ( Previous ranking: 8)

8.  Colorado (D): Democrats insist Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) has righted the ship by focusing on the economy, and they note he has been drastically outspending former congressman Bob Beauprez (R) on TV.  Sure.  But the Real Clear Politics polling average gives the incumbent the smallest of edges -- and suggests Beauprez is very much still in the game.  And Colorado voters can't complain that they don't know enough about these two candidates; the two men have debated five times already in this race. ( Previous ranking: 9)

7.  Illinois (D): Gov. Pat Quinn (D) has survived by the skin of his teeth before, and it looks like he might do it again.  After polls showed him basically a goner, he has staged a pretty healthy comeback and leads within the margin of error in the last three polls.  We haven't had a high-quality poll in a while, but this is looking more like a toss-up these days. ( Previous ranking: 6)

6.  Connecticut (D): Gov. Dan Malloy (D), running in a deep blue state, is one of the few Democrats who stand to benefit by associating himself with President Obama.  But Obama canceled a campaign appearance this week to deal with the threat posed by Ebola.  The most recent polls show Malloy recovering and drawing about even with Republican Tom Foley.  If Obama does show up, he could be seen as the guy who either pushed Malloy over the top or sunk him once and for all. ( Previous ranking: 4)

5.  Kansas (R): Don't look now, but Gov. Sam Brownback (R) looks like he's in a little bit better shape.  The most recent polls from three pollsters who have regularly surveyed the race -- Public Policy Polling, Fox News and SurveyUSA -- all show Brownback gaining on Democrat Paul Davis, to varying degrees.  But this still looks very close, and Brownback has created plenty of enemies.  Witness this column, for example. ( Previous ranking: 5)

4.  Florida (R): The big story this week was of course the downright bizarre argument over a fan that erupted at a debate.  Gov. Rick Scott (R), who showed up to the debate seven minutes late after a dispute over whether Charlie Crist (D) could use the fan, probably came off looking worse.  Meanwhile, this race is very tight.  In the last three polls, the candidates are within the margin of error of one another.  We're moving this up three spots, but it's really just because Quinn, Malloy and Brownback are looking safer; not because there's been a huge shift (the fan notwithstanding) here. ( Previous ranking: 7)

3.  Maine (R): In a two-way race, Gov. Paul LePage (R) could never be reelected.  Lucky for him, he faces not only Rep. Mike Michaud (D) but also independent Elliot Eliot Cutler in 18 days time.  It's still tough to see LePage winning, though; he has been remarkably controversial and is almost certainly too conservative for the state.  But he has a chance, which is probably more than anyone would have thought when he won four years ago. ( Previous ranking: 3)

2.  Arkansas (D): Democrats were thrilled when they lured former congressman Mike Ross (D) into this open-seat race.  But it appears as though the conservative nature of the state is too much for him.  Polling suggests former congressman Asa Hutchinson (R) has a mid-single-digit lead and is likely to win.  The Democratic Governors Association, meanwhile, has pulled its ads, which is never a good sign. ( Previous ranking: 2)

1.  Pennsylvania (R): Tom Wolf (D) hasn't had a very high profile since cruising to a primary win in the spring.  That's a smart move since his opponent, Gov. Tom Corbett (R), is extremely unpopular.  Wolf is measuring the drapes in the governor's mansion -- and rightly so. ( Previous ranking: 1)