House News & Analysis

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…

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…

Can Vulnerable Democrats Defend Themselves Without Guns?

by Jessica Taylor January 23, 2013 · 2:31 PM EST

Rural House Democrats are an increasingly endangered breed. And in President Obama’s second midterm election, they’ll be squarely on notice again, particularly with gun control issues coming into the political forefront -- which could have mixed implications for their 2014 prospects.

In 2012, Blue Dog Democrats such as…

South Carolina 1:Taking the Appalachian Trail to Congress

by Jessica Taylor January 11, 2013 · 12:59 PM EST

Don’t cry for him, South Carolina: the truth is former Gov. Mark Sanford (R) never really left Palmetto State politics.

The battle to succeed newly-appointed Sen. Tim Scott (R) takes on immediate national attention with the likely political return of Sanford, now infamous for an ill-fated disappearance from…

Obama Wins First Round, With More Bouts to Come in 2013

by Stuart Rothenberg January 4, 2013 · 11:14 AM EST

We’ve just seen Round One in what amounts to a political heavyweight championship fight between Democrats and Republicans. Get ready for the next 11 rounds.

Though they were unhappy with a package that included more spending and higher taxes on the wealthy, Republican realists understood that defending tax…

The New Year Can’t Come Soon Enough for the GOP

by Stuart Rothenberg December 22, 2012 · 9:00 AM EST

As the end of the year approaches, it’s difficult not to see the two parties heading in very different directions.

Democrats have emerged from the 2012 elections stronger, while Republicans look poorly positioned and divided.

Politics, of course, is famous for its ups and downs, its unexpected…

Looking Back on 2012 Cycle’s Long and Winding Road

by Stuart Rothenberg December 19, 2012 · 9:00 AM EST

Wow, what a political cycle. It was filled with twists, turns and surprises.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the Iowa caucuses — until he didn’t (almost two weeks after the actual balloting, when former Sen. Rick Santorum was certified as the winner).

After finishing a distant…

Illinois 2: Deep Dish of Dramatic Democrats

by Jessica Taylor December 14, 2012 · 2:57 PM EST

Reality television shows don’t have as colorful a cast of characters as the upcoming special election in Illinois’s 2nd District.

Vying for the chance to succeed the mired-in-scandal former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., the field includes his predecessor, who resigned in the wake of a statutory rape charge,…

Missouri 8: Emerson’s Exit Creates Somewhat-Open Opportunity

by Nathan L. Gonzales December 14, 2012 · 2:56 PM EST

The next Congress isn’t even sworn in yet, and Missouri Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R) is the second Member to head for the exits. But the race to replace her will take place behind closed doors and on the telephone.

Emerson said she would resign her 8th District…

The Best and Worst of the 2012 Campaigns, Part II

by Stuart Rothenberg December 14, 2012 · 10:30 AM EST

My last column included awards for a number of 2012 campaign and candidate categories, including the luckiest candidate and the biggest upset. But those only scratched the surface in an election year during which candidate quality mattered a great deal. Part II of my guide of the best and…