Sometimes political handicapping can be difficult — a life of agonizing over whether a race leans to one party or the other or is a genuine tossup. But there is one way to identify a “safe” race.

You can’t beat somebody with nobody, and that’s exactly where Democrats are in Nevada in their race against Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval.

It probably didn’t help their recruitment cause when a Democratic pollster released a survey in September that showed the governor with a 68 percent job approval rating.

Democrats have until March 14 to find a credible candidate, but don’t hold your breath. We’re moving the race from Republican Favored to Safe Republican in the Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call ratings.