Thirty-six states will elect governors next month, and we at Sports Handle wondered if sports betting was among the key issues in any states, or at least on the keychain.

In most cases, sports betting is not a hot topic and likely won’t be a deciding factor in electing a governor, but there are some states where legislatures have been actively exploring sports betting — and having a “friendly” governor will speed the process in those states. But in some cases, sports betting is a non-issue for the election.

Using the Mighty Mississippi as our divider, we present our findings in two parts. Today’s Part I focuses on where gubernatorial candidates in the East stand on sports betting:

Sports Betting Legalization’s Impact on Governor Races Across the U.S.: ‘East Coast’ Edition Looks Up and Down The Atlantic And Over to Central States

Alabama: Democrat Walt Maddox said in August that he believes sports betting should be part of the equation to solve the state’s financial troubles. After tweeting about that in August, he has not offered any additional thoughts on sports betting. The front-runner and incumbent, Republican Kay Ivey, has not weighed on sports betting, and for that matter, according to AL.com, has been avoiding debates or discussing the issues in general.

Sports wagering will be part of our calculus to address the lack of state troopers and the looming financial crisis for hospitals, mental health and corrections. Mississippi is taking full advantage of hundreds of millions of dollars without raising taxes #believe #alpolitics https://t.co/rcipSlBxPl

— Walt Maddox (@WaltMaddox) August 29, 2018

Read more Where Do Gubernatorial Candidates Stand on Sports Betting? East Edition on SportsHandle.