THE RACES FOR GOVERNOR

OF the 25 states holding gubernatorial elections this year, 18 now have Democratic incumbents, seven Republicans. Although most of the campaigns are being fought strictly on state issues, the results of the presidential contest nonetheless seem almost certain to make the difference in a number of states where the races are remarkably close. A state-by-state rundown:

Arizona: Republican Richard Kleindienst, 41, a Goldwater field director before San Francisco, is an effervescent, effective campaigner, while Democrat Sam Goddard, 45, a Harvard-educated Tucson attorney, seems ill at ease on the speaker's stand. Kleindienst is favored to succeed Republican Paul Fannin, who is now running for Goldwater's Senate seat.

Arkansas: Only a few days ago, the chances seemed as thin as one of his granddaddy's dimes, but Republican Winthrop Rockefeller, 52, could now upset five-term Democrat Orval Faubus, 54, if resentment over the Jenkins case builds up.

Delaware: After 26 years on the bench, Democrat Charles L. Terry Jr., 64, took off his robes as chief justice of the state Supreme Court and came out swinging in his first political campaign. Republican David P. Buckson, 44, peppery state attorney general and former Lieutenant Governor, accuses Terry of political inexperience, says that, as a judge, Terry only "second-guessed" state government. Terry has a narrow edge.

Florida: Republican Charley Holley, 39, former Florida house minority leader, last week unveiled "photocopies" of bank ledgers purporting to show that Democratic Candidate Haydon Burns, 52, Jacksonville's segregationist mayor, had $1,215,690 stashed in Nassau. Burns denied it, flew with reporters to Nassau, proved to their satisfaction that Holley's documents were phony, came home a near cinch to replace outgoing Democrat Farris Bryant.

Illinois: Republican Charles H. Percy, 45, the former whiz-kid board chairman of Bell & Howell Co., is ahead of Democratic Governor Otto Kerner, 56, recently staggered by scandal in his first-term administration.

Indiana: Familiar as a witty speaker on the state's banquet circuit, Democrat Roger Branigin, 62, a prosperous Lafayette lawyer, is little known to voters in general, trails Republican Richard Ristine, 44, the state's smooth-working Lieutenant Governor.

Iowa: A reformed alcoholic who nonetheless put through a law allowing the sale of liquor by the drink, Democratic Governor Harold Hughes, 42, is popular, should win handily over Republican Evan ("Curly") Hultman, 39, state attorney general who backed William Scranton in San Francisco and has since been on the outs with Iowa's highly vocal Goldwaterite minority.

Kansas: Both U.S. Senators and all five Congressmen are Republicans, and Kansans seem likely to pick silver-haired Republican William Avery, 53, a ten-year congressional veteran, over Democrat Harry Wiles, 48, a St. John attorney.

Massachusetts: Complacent campaigning lost former Republican Governor John A. Volpe, 55, the 1962 election against hapless Democrat Endicott ("Chub") Peabody, who was dumped in the Democratic gubernatorial primary last month by his own Lieutenant Governor, Francis X. Bellotti, 41, father of twelve. Now working hard and aided by new corruption indictments of Democrats, Volpe holds a slim lead over Bellotti.

Michigan: Republican Incumbent George Romney, 56, speaks proudly of unprecedented state prosperity, generally ignores the ineffectual campaign attacks of Democrat Neil Staebler, 51, Michigan's Congressman at Large. Staebler's main pitch is to try to tie Moderate Romney to Conservative Goldwater, but it does not seem to be going over well. Romney appears to be pulling ahead.

Missouri: His age (68) and Goldwater's candidacy do obvious damage to Republican Moderate Ethan A. H. Shepley, a distinguished St. Louis lawyer and onetime chancellor of St. Louis' Washington University. Sharp-tongued Democratic Secretary of State Warren Hearnes, 41, who won a tough primary over the hand-picked candidate of outgoing Democratic Governor John Dalton, carps at Shepley as "a nice old man." Hearnes has a lead, although reaction to the Jenkins case could erase it.

Montana: Republican Incumbent Tim Babcock, 45, succeeded Governor Don Nutter, who died in a January 1962 plane crash. He campaigns on ultraconservative issues, boasts of rising employment and a decreased state deficit during his term. Babcock is the favorite, but Roland R. Renne, 58, former Montana State College president, has support from teachers, labor and the Farmers' Union, could come out on top if Montana goes strongly for Lyndon.

Nebraska: A cornfield campaigner from way back, Democratic Governor Frank Morrison, 59, plows political furrows all around colorless Republican Dwight Burney, 72.

New Hampshire: A lucrative sweepstakes law highlights the first term of well-liked Democratic Governor John King, 46. Though Republicans outregister Democrats 5 to 3 in the state, King's appeal to G.O.P. voters (he got 3,532 write-ins in the Republican primary this year) makes him a small-stakes bet to repeat his 1962 victory over former Republican Legislator John Pillsbury, 45.

New Mexico: Democratic Governor Jack Campbell, 48, is running for a second term against Republican Merle Tucker, 52, a past president of Kiwanis International and a radio-station owner who brought joy to local Indians by putting out Navajo-language broadcasts. But there are not enough Navajos around.

North Carolina: Walking a tightwire between party liberals and conservatives, Democrat Dan K. Moore, 58, a former state judge, recently gave lukewarm backing to Lyndon Johnson, but still maintains a precarious alliance with segregationists. Republican Robert Gavin, 47, an attorney who showed well in a 1960 loss for Governor, is expected to lose again unless Moore topples from the wire.

North Dakota: Traditionally Republican, North Dakota twice elected able Democratic Governor William Guy, 45. Republican Donald Halcrow, 51, a Drayton businessman, got off to a badly organized campaign start. Leaning to the popular Guy.

Rhode Island: Elected in a 1962 squeaker (a margin of 398 out of 328,000 votes cast), Republican John H. Chafee, 41, a Yaleman and exMarine, got medicare and aid to vocational-education bills through a Democratic-controlled legislature. But Rhode Island is generally Democratic, and Chafee appears to be slightly behind Democratic Lieutenant Governor Edward Gallogly, 45, an Irish Catholic who made a rung-by-rung political rise from precinct runner to gubernatorial nominee.

South Dakota: Polls show Goldwater trailing way behind Johnson, but ticket splitters abound. Most South Dakotans (59% to 35%) say they'll go for Republican Lieutenant Governor Nils Boe, 51, bachelor attorney from Sioux Falls, over Democrat John F. Lindley, 46, a former Lieutenant Governor, in the race to replace outgoing Republican Archie Gubbrud.

Texas: No one heard much about Republican Candidate Jack Crichton, 48, a Dallas oilman, before his campaign against Lyndon's friend, first-term Democratic Governor John Connally, 47. Chances are, no one will hear much about him after the election, either.

Utah: For 16 years Utah has had G.O.P. Governors. But with Incumbent George Dewey Clyde quitting after a so-so record and with strong anti-Goldwater feelings stirring, Republican Candidate Mitchell Melich, 52, is plodding uphill despite his qualifications as a former state legislator, university regent, and uranium-firm president. The Jenkins case could hurt Democrats here, but Democrat Calvin L. Rampton, 50, a well-known Salt Lake City attorney, could still win going away.

Vermont: Big, blond Philip H. Hoff, 40, the first Democrat to be Governor of Vermont since 1854, cut the state deficit, ramrodded an improved state education bill through the G.O.P.-controlled legislature, lured new industry to the state during his first two-year term. But Republican Lieutenant Governor Ralph A. Foote, 41, has united support this year from a party that was torn by dissension in 1962, now has a slight edge.

Washington: Noted for wearing red roses in his buttonholes, Democratic Governor Albert ("Rosy") Rosellini, 54, is waging a vigorous backslapping campaign for a third term. But Republican Daniel Jackson Evans, 38, is a handsome, articulate state legislator, has a united G.O.P. behind him, is a slight favorite to defoliate Rosy's roses.

West Virginia: Aiming to be the first man in mountaineers' memory to serve two terms, former Republican Governor (1957-61) Cecil H. Underwood, 42, now a coal-company executive, attacks outgoing Democratic Governor W. W. Barren for hard times and bad roads. Democrat Hulett C. Smith, 46, Barren's state commerce commissioner, matches Underwood in good looks and able forensics, criticizes Underwood's old administration, defends Barren's. Underwood, in a cliffhanger.

Wisconsin: Democratic Governor John Reynolds, 43, got tangled up in party factional fights, angered voters by upping the state sales tax, looked for a while to be a sure loser. Republican Warren Knowles, 56, a former Lieutenant Governor, has conducted a colorless campaign, but is still ahead and could stay there because of the Jenkins case reaction.

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