University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato said Kasich has been favored to win re-election and is now an even more substantial favorite. ... “The tilt is Republican this year, and Kasich is a fairly popular incumbent,” he said. “Substituting candidates just a few months before the election is always risky. It can look desperate. Democrats may just have to grin and bear it, and hope that somehow FitzGerald rights his ship.”