A potential challenge to Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman (D) is receiving increased attention in the media. Don’t take it too seriously. While, DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer (NY), Sen. Barack Obama (IL), and Minority Leader Harry Reid (Ensign’s colleague) reportedly have spoken with Goodman about a run — Reid has even referred to…
It’s true that I’m not, and have never been, a general manager of a Major League Baseball team. Those guys make much more money than I do, and these days you have to be under 35 to be hired for one of those jobs. But I have a trade that is just screaming to be made, and I’d…
Some of the biggest battles in the fight for the House this year will be in open seats, vacated by members running for higher office or retiring. With the power of incumbency, open seats often provide better opportunities for takeover. And now that year-end Federal Election Commission reports are past due, we can get a glimpse at how…
As political junkies across the country focus on November’s increasingly important midterm elections, friends and political allies of Louisiana 1st district Rep. Bobby Jindal (R) have something else on their mind: the Bayou State’s 2007 race for governor. Incumbent Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) has already announced that she will run for re-election for the state’s top job, and…
Despite of the difficulty of knocking off incumbent Members of Congress in primaries, a handful of potentially serious Congressional primaries are taking shape this cycle. Will the overall political environment, which favors change over the status quo, benefit these insurgents? The two high-profile primary challenges to Senators are on tap in Rhode Island and Hawaii. Cranston Mayor Stephen…
Already looking past the 2006 midterm elections? Well, if you are, you don’t need to look all the way to 2008 to find a race that’s already starting to take shape. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco (D) announced recently that she will seek reelection in 2007. But Blanco’s prospects are uncertain at best, both because of her performance after…
When Mitt Romney spoke to a roomful of reporters at a lunch hosted by the Christian Science Monitor on Thursday, he said the right thing about his current position on abortion, but he said it in the wrong way. President George W. Bush, the master of speaking to evangelicals and socially conservative Republicans, would never have made the…
The Republicans begin the marathon toward the 2008 presidential election without a prohibitive favorite for their nomination. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani lead in early polling, but their initial strength comes from their celebrity status, not their inherent appeal to primary voters and caucus attendees. Enter Mitt Romney, the outgoing governor…
With a little over nine months to go until Election Day, Democrats are headed for gains in the United States House of Representatives. The only question is exactly how big those gains will be. Democrats need a net gain of fifteen seats to get to the magic number of 218 seats and control of the chamber. That would…
The new January 27, 2006 print edition of the Rothenberg Political Report is on its way to subscribers. (Click here for subscription information.) Illinois 6: Fighting ChanceBy Nathan L. Gonzales At first glance, you might think Illinois’ 6th Congressional District is the only race in the country. It’s received more media coverage recently than the other 434 Congressional…