Inside Elections

2016 House Ratings (August 11, 2015)

August 11, 2015 · 4:56 PM EDT

Democrats, Party Switchers and the Ghost of Ed Jany

by Nathan L. Gonzales August 7, 2015 · 7:53 AM EDT

Former Republican state Sen. Tom O’Halleran announced Tuesday he was running as a Democrat in Arizona’s 1st District. It’s not the first time party strategists have crossed the aisle to recruit, and O’Halleran isn’t even the only party-switcher running this cycle.

Last cycle, Democratic…

One Last Hurrah for Joe Biden?

by Stuart Rothenberg August 6, 2015 · 10:20 AM EDT

The news that Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is giving serious consideration to running for president spread like wildfire over the weekend.

That is understandable. Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, has not exactly performed like a winner, and…

A Brief Electoral History of Recently Indicted Congressmen

by Nathan L. Gonzales July 31, 2015 · 10:32 AM EDT

It might be easy to scoff at Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah of Pennsylvania for talking about his re-election bid on the same day he faced a 29-count indictment on corruption charges, but the most recent members of the House to be indicted held their own at the ballot box, at least initially. The…

More Democratic Losses Could Be on the Horizon

by Nathan L. Gonzales July 30, 2015 · 2:00 PM EDT

For Democrats anxious to turn the page from a terrible 2014 cycle, the news might get worse before it gets better.

Last fall, Democrats lost control of the Senate and fell further into the minority in the House, but pinned much of the blame on low turnout in the midterm elections. Party…

2015-16 Gubernatorial Ratings (July 31, 2015)

July 30, 2015 · 1:59 PM EDT

Chris Christie’s Conundrum

by Stuart Rothenberg July 29, 2015 · 10:03 AM EDT

On first glance, Christie’s bio and profile should make him a top-tier hopeful for the 2016 Republican nomination. But he isn’t — at least not right now. In this case, timing is everything.

A former county freeholder and U.S. attorney finishing his second term as governor in a very blue state,…

2016 Senate Overview: Playing Field Comes Into Focus

by Nathan L. Gonzales July 24, 2015 · 2:30 PM EDT

In the dog days of summer of the off-year, Republicans and Democrats are knee-deep in candidate recruitment, fundraising, and opposition research leading into battle for the Senate in 2016.

With well over a year before Election Day, the Senate playing field is starting to take shape, as the fight…

2016 Senate Overview (July 24, 2015) Alabama - Kansas

July 24, 2015 · 2:29 PM EDT

ALABAMA – Richard Shelby (R) elected 1986 (50%), 1992 (65%), 1998 (63%), 2004 (68%), 2010 (65%). Shelby continues to stockpile money for a future institute for politics at the University of Alabama when he leaves office. The senator had $18.8 million in his campaign account at the end of June and…

2016 Senate Overview (July 24, 2015) Kentucky - New Mexico

July 24, 2015 · 2:28 PM EDT

KENTUCKY – Rand Paul (R) elected 2010 (56%). This race is complicated by Paul’s run for president and Kentucky’s state elections this year. 

State law prohibits Paul from running for president and re-election simultaneously, but, next month, the state party is likely to switch from a May…