Tuesday’s results were an uncomfortable reminder to strategists in both parties that this is a strange election cycle. While the surprises were on the Republican side, they confirm a level of dissatisfaction, at least on the political right, with politics as usual and established politicians. Certainly many current and former officeholders won nomination, including Sen. […]
Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) remains unreasonably optimistic about his prospects in the Senate race given his financial disadvantages, his standing in the polls, his campaign staff turnover and the national political environment. While Republican Rob Portman’s record certainly gives plenty for Democrats to shoot at, Fisher’s problems seem even larger. Because of that, we […]
Georgia 8. Republicans had a hard time finding a credible challenger to Democratic Cong. Jim Marshall. But now that state Rep. Austin Scott is in the race, this district becomes dramatically more interesting. Marshall has proven his skill since he was first elected in 2002, but he faces a difficult test this year. Marshall has […]
From Barack Obama’s election as president to a white Congressman fending off African-American challengers in a majority-black district, have Americans moved beyond race as a determining factor in their vote choice? A couple of weeks ago, Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, the white, Jewish incumbent, won re-nomination over former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, who is […]
“The White House is hoping that Michelle can do for Barack what Laura did for George and the GOP four years ago,” wrote Washington Post political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson recently, in an August 11, 2010 article that reported on efforts to get the First Lady heavily involved in this year’s midterm elections. The piece noted […]
Can a poll be both correct and totally, utterly meaningless? Absolutely, and the new TheIowaRepublican.com/Concordia Group LLC survey conducted by Voter Consumer Research is a great example. GOP pollster Jan van Lohuizen’s firm is one of those survey research firms that is widely trusted by political handicappers and veteran journalists, and I have no doubt […]
Last in a series of profiles of committee independent expenditure directors. Democratic operative Brian Smoot has been in tough spots before, but preserving the Democratic majority in the Senate this fall tops the list. As director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s independent expenditure effort, Smoot will oversee tens of millions in spending without coordination […]
Competitive open seats usually follow the direction of the overall cycle, so with House Republicans poised for large gains, it should be no surprise that most of the open seats that flip will be headed their way. The districts at the top of the list are more likely to flip, with at least the first […]