Senate News & Analysis

New Jobs Numbers Raise Economic — and Political — Questions

by Stuart Rothenberg April 6, 2013 · 10:00 AM EDT

The jobs numbers just reported for March — an increase of only 88,000 jobs — are horrendous, especially coming after February’s strong job surge (236,000 new jobs revised up to 268,000).

Forget the unemployment rate sliding from 7.7 percent to 7.6 percent. As The Associated Press noted,…

Report Shorts (April 5, 2013)

April 5, 2013 · 2:27 PM EDT

Florida 2. Sunshine State Democratic scion Gwen Graham announced her bid against sophomore Rep. Steve Southerland (R) this week. A Leon County school district administrator, Graham is the daughter of former Florida governor and senator Bob Graham.  

Georgia Senate. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R) officially announced his campaign,…

What State Political Trends Portend for the 2014 Midterms

by Stuart Rothenberg April 1, 2013 · 10:21 AM EDT

There probably isn’t a better demonstration of the nation’s partisan political polarization than the makeup of the Senate. Only 17 states have split delegations, while 33 states have either two Republicans or two Democrats (or two senators who caucus with the same party, in the case of independents).

Not All State Offices Are Political Launching Pads

by Stuart Rothenberg April 1, 2013 · 9:25 AM EDT

My colleague Nathan Gonzales has written a terrific piece on Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, the young Democrat mentioned as a potential challenger to veteran GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell. He explains her election as Kentucky secretary of state and her family’s connection to the Clintons, among other…

In Kentucky, All Eyes on Grimes to Face McConnell

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 1, 2013 · 9:24 AM EDT

Actress Ashley Judd is out, but that doesn’t mean Democrats are giving up on the Kentucky Senate race.

Many Democrats quickly looked to Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes to take on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2014.

On the surface, the 34 year-old attorney is…

The Fat Lady Sings on Gun Control, 2013 Edition

by Stuart Rothenberg March 28, 2013 · 3:23 PM EDT

Whether you are a staunch supporter of the National Rifle Association or an enthusiastic backer of the effort by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein for stronger gun control laws, it now should be clear who is winning — indeed, who has won —…

About That Terrible GOP Brand …

by Stuart Rothenberg March 27, 2013 · 11:50 AM EDT

I certainly agree with pollster Andrew Kohut’s overall assessment of the Republican Party’s image and positioning problems in his March 24 Washington Post piece. I, too, have written about the GOP’s problems.

But in the piece, Kohut compares the GOP’s current position to the Democrats’ “in the…

South Dakota Senate Seat Remains a Pure Toss-Up…For Now

March 26, 2013 · 11:38 AM EDT

Not every retirement is a game-changer. Democrats were going to have a difficult time defending the South Dakota Senate seat with or without Sen. Tim Johnson (D). But now that the senator has made his decision not to seek re-election, the playing field to replace him can start to…

Senate: Mixing Apples and Oranges in West Virginia

by Stuart Rothenberg March 25, 2013 · 9:30 AM EDT

Hoping to hang on to retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s open seat, Democratic strategists are passing the word that attorney and energy company executive Nick Preservati is looking closely at the 2014 Senate contest in West Virginia.

National Journal’s Hotline on Call describes the possible Democratic candidate as “a…

The GOP: A Party Increasingly at Odds With Itself

by Stuart Rothenberg March 22, 2013 · 10:41 AM EDT

“I am not a member of any organized party — I am a Democrat,” humorist Will Rogers said many years ago. But if Rogers were alive today, he’d undoubtedly see his party as a model of organization and unity when compared to the GOP.

The Republican Party continues…