Just a couple of months after helping direct $65 million in 77 House races across the country, media consultant John Lapp was in Wisconsin pitching a candidate for county executive. It didn’t seem like much at the time — a fun, off-year race for the former executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and senior adviser to…
The state that brought you Republican candidates as varied as Jeb Bush, Katherine Harris, Charlie Crist, Allen West, Rick Scott, Marco Rubio and Joe Scarborough will be choosing a Senate nominee next year, and the early signs point to a fight for the heart and soul of the party. Florida Republicans believe that Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson is…
Six-term Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar ended 2010 with more than $2.3 million in the bank. Unfortunately for Lugar, his war chest is about the only reason to think that he might have a chance of winning a seventh term next year. The 78-year-old (he turns 79 on Monday) Republican has put together a remarkable and admirable career of…
A framed New York Times front page hangs on the wall behind Guy Cecil’s desk. “Democrats take the Senate,” the headline reads, a reminder of his role on the front lines in helping his party win back the majority in 2006 as political director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. After a four-year absence, Cecil is back. But…
Sen. Jim Webb’s announcement in early February that he would not seek a second term wasn’t exactly a shocker. Democrats always knew that since Webb isn’t your typical Senator, he might not behave as others have and that they needed a Plan B. For many, Tim Kaine has remained Plans B, C and D ever since Webb announced…
At least eight states that are likely to be among the most competitive and fiercely fought on the presidential level next year are also headed for high-profile Senate contests that could determine control of the chamber. The list includes Florida and Virginia in the South, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin in the Midwest, and New Mexico and Nevada…
Sen. John Ensign’s (R) retirement announcement isn’t that surprising and doesn’t change our initial bottom line in Nevada since we didn’t expect him to make it out of a primary if he sought reelection. With Cong. Dean Heller (R) as a likely candidate, Republicans are well-positioned to hold the open Senate seat. Of course it’s still very early…
Vulnerable Democrats beware: The bipartisan well is about dry. Last cycle, Democrats saw their percentage of the Republican vote drop dramatically, and that could spell trouble for incumbents relying on that vote to survive in 2012. Sen. Ben Nelson is at the top of the list. The Nebraska Democrat received a whopping 42 percent of the GOP vote…