Using the National Governors Association website (www.nga.org), you may want to examine the political careers of states’ governors. Example: Identify the “career ladder” of these governors by examining the appointive/elective offices they held prior to their gubernatorial election.
Does the governor share executive powers with other elected constitutional officers (e.g. elected treasurer, secretary of state, etc.)? This may be a sign of a relatively weaker governor compared to the state legislature. Compare the number and type of elected state executive positions in each state.
https://ballotpedia.org/State_executive_officials
How are judges selected in your states? Are their issues with these selection processes?
http://www.judicialselection.us/