Initial reports that Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) would be appointed Commerce secretary were invariably followed with a caveat that Gov. John Lynch (D) had agreed to appoint another Republican to fill the vacancy, thereby maintaining the current Senate balance of power and denying Senate Democrats a 60-vote majority. The crucial question, however, is not whether […]
The February 6, 2009 print edition of the Rothenberg Political Report is on its way to subscribers. The print edition of the Report comes out every two weeks. Subscribers get in-depth analysis of the most competitive races in the country, as well as quarterly House and Senate ratings, and coverage of the gubernatorial races nationwide. […]
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says Republicans who voted against the stimulus bill will have a lot of explaining to do to their constituents. Americans United for Change President Brad Woodhouse, a veteran Democratic operative who spent the past few years opposing President George W. Bush’s approach to Social Security, goes even further, asserting […]
Kirsten Gillibrand, who was recently appointed to the Senate by New York Gov. David Paterson, is often described by reporters as “little known.” That description is accurate, but in most cases, it says more about the reporter or news reader than about the newly sworn-in Senator. To those of us who follow Congressional races, Gillibrand […]
Democrats cheered when Colorado Attorney General John Suthers (R) announced he would not challenge newly appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D) in 2010. And Republicans breathed a sigh of relief when New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (D) decided not to take on Sen. Judd Gregg (R) next year. Both were considered strong potential challengers because they […]
It’s been less than three months since voters went to the polls, but the 2010 Senate cycle is off to one of the fastest starts in memory. After being pummeled two cycles in a row — losing six seats in 2006 and what looks like eight seats in 2008 — Senate Republicans face another challenging […]
Barack Obama begins his presidency with stratospheric marks among Democrats and the support of a fair amount of Republicans who voted against him. According to a Research 2000 poll done for the liberal blog Daily Kos and released Friday afternoon, Obama enjoys 77 percent favorable/20 percent unfavorable ratings among all adults. Unsurprisingly, Democrats gave him […]
Back in 2004, Dr. Daniel Mongiardo (D) took on Sen. Jim Bunning (R) and lost narrowly, 51%-49%. The Democratic challenger tried to spoof Bunning's Hall of Fame baseball career with a set of trading cards. Mongiardo, who is now Kentucky's lieutenant governor, just announced he will challenge Bunning again in 2010. Maybe we'll get a […]
Races for national party chairman invariably are covered as if they are presidential campaigns. That’s understandable, since elections are involved. But it’s also misleading. When Republican National Committee members gather in the nation’s capital at the end of this month to select a new party chairman, the contest will much more resemble a fraternity chapter […]
The January 23, 2009 print edition of the Rothenberg Political Report is on its way to subscribers. The print edition of the Report comes out every two weeks. Subscribers get in-depth analysis of the most competitive races in the country, as well as quarterly House and Senate ratings, and coverage of the gubernatorial races nationwide. […]