Inside Elections

2014 Senate Ratings (February 1, 2013)

February 1, 2013 · 2:14 PM EST

Is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie Overhyped?

by Stuart Rothenberg February 1, 2013 · 9:00 AM EST

While this year’s race for governor in Virginia will draw plenty of attention, the 2013 gubernatorial contest in New Jersey looks like a yawner.

But it’s a mistake to draw too grand a conclusion from Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s current standing in the polls, either for how he will perform…

Democrats Look to Ward to Energize 2014 Takeover From Helm of DCCC

by Nathan L. Gonzales January 31, 2013 · 9:48 AM EST

A decade ago, Kelly Ward sat around a dining room table in Tucson, Ariz., with a trio of powerful Democratic women and Gabrielle Giffords, plotting the young state legislator’s next steps. It didn’t matter that the ink was hardly dry on Ward’s college diploma — her energy quickly made her an…

Have Republicans Turned the Corner on Strategy?

by Stuart Rothenberg January 30, 2013 · 9:59 AM EST

After spending a little more than a year ramming their heads into a brick wall, congressional Republicans and their allies have taken their first positive step: They have stopped doing it.

The GOP’s decision not to fight on raising the debt ceiling next month gives the party the opportunity to…

Harkin’s Retirement Puts Seat In Play for GOP

by Jessica Taylor January 26, 2013 · 1:21 PM EST

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin’s (D) retirement announcement Saturday gives Republicans another pickup opportunity and Democrats another possible headache -- but also presents the GOP with another test in finding an electable candidate in the swing state that’s been trending blue.

While many had wondered…

2014 Senate Ratings (January 26, 2013)

January 26, 2013 · 10:00 AM EST

Chambliss’ Exit Shakes Up Georgia Senate Race

by Jessica Taylor January 25, 2013 · 1:38 PM EST

Georgia will be on a lot of Republican, and maybe even Democratic, minds all of a sudden, following GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss’s surprise Friday announcement that he wouldn’t seek a third term.

The state’s senior senator had often stoked conservative ire with his willingness to work across the…

The Fight for the Senate: GOP Opportunities Abound

by Stuart Rothenberg January 25, 2013 · 1:00 PM EST

The sheer number of the Senate seats scheduled to be up in 2014 gives Republicans reason for optimism: 20 Democratic seats and only 13 Republican seats. Add to those numbers two special elections next year -- a Democratic seat in Hawaii and a Republican seat in South Carolina.

Republicans begin…

2014 Senate Overview (January 25, 2013) Alabama - Kansas

January 25, 2013 · 12:59 PM EST

ALABAMA -- Jeff Sessions (R), elected 1996 (52%), 2002 (59%) and 2008 (63%).
The last Democratic Senate nominee to win over 40 percent of the vote in Alabama was Roger Bedford in 1996 (45.5 percent). Sessions’ December 31 FEC report showed him with just over $2.8 million in the bank. If the 66…

2014 Senate Overview (January 25, 2013) Kentucky - New Mexico

January 25, 2013 · 12:58 PM EST

KENTUCKY -- Mitch McConnell (R), elected 1984 (50%), 1990 (52%), 1996 (55%), 2002 (65%), 2008 (53%).
McConnell, who is about to turn 71 years old, is already preparing for re-election. His relationship with colleague Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has improved, which may minimize the chances of a serious…