Archive

2014 House Overview (June 14, 2013) Oregon - Wyoming

June 14, 2013 · 12:57 PM EDT

Oregon (1R, 4D)
OR 4 (DeFazio, D). Co-Speaker of the Oregon House Bruce Hanna (R) met with NRCC officials to explore a potential run against Peter DeFazio. President Obama only won the district with 52 percent in 2012, so there is the potential for a competitive race. But Hanna also met with the…

Why Emasculating the Speaker Is Rarely a Good Idea

by Stuart Rothenberg June 14, 2013 · 9:17 AM EDT

They’re at it again.

Conservatives outside of Congress — including Heritage Action for America, the Club for Growth, Phyllis Schlafly, L. Brent Bozell, the Tea Party Express, Morton Blackwell, Richard Viguerie, Citizens United and the Traditional Values Coalition — have signed a letter in…

The Barn Jacket as a Secret Campaign Weapon

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 13, 2013 · 2:53 PM EDT

Election Day is still more than a year away, but Illinois Republican Bruce Rauner is already deploying a popular campaign weapon: the barn jacket.

Rauner released two television ads on Tuesday in his bid to become the next governor in the Prairie State. In “Back to Work,” the wealthy venture…

Search for Anti-Mike Rounds Continues in South Dakota

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 13, 2013 · 9:33 AM EDT

Conservative groups are on the record with their distrust and distaste for former Gov. Mike Rounds in South Dakota, but efforts to find an alternative for the Senate race have come up short so far.

Rounds is the front-runner for the GOP nomination. He’s also the only Republican running for…

When the Nation Has the Blahs …

by Stuart Rothenberg June 12, 2013 · 9:37 AM EDT

Is the nation suffering from a national case of hypochondria, or are Americans rightly worried about the country’s future?

The answer depends, in part, on your (political) point of view. But it’s also true that every bit of good news — rising home prices, rising stock prices and an increase in…

Brad Pitt and Minnesota’s 8th District

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 11, 2013 · 12:59 PM EDT

Just the name, Stewart Mills III, sounds like a stereotypical Republican, but the shoulder-length hair is evidence that he might be a different type of GOP candidate.

Mills is seriously considering challenging Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan in Minnesota’s 8th District, a large geographic district…

Where Will the Millionaire Cattle Rancher Run in Nebraska?

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 10, 2013 · 9:21 AM EDT

A cattle rancher and a university president get into a Senate race. Sounds like the opening of a bad joke, but it could describe the new political terrain in Nebraska.

Now that GOP Gov. Dave Heineman has declined to run to replace retiring Sen. Mike Johanns, a handful of Republicans are…

What is a Pollster’s Obligation to a Campaign?

by Stuart Rothenberg June 7, 2013 · 9:50 AM EDT

Politics is a rough-and-tumble business, with campaigns bringing whatever resources they can to the table. But are there limits to what consultants, particularly pollsters, should do for their clients?

I raise that question after reading a May 18 memo from Celinda Lake and four other members of…