Election Insider

January 25 Election Insider


The 2010 census will have an obvious effect on congressional politics as districts are created, eliminated, and redrawn, but a story receiving far less attention is its impact on presidential electoral politics, as states gain and surrender electoral votes due to this reapportionment of districts.

July 1 Election Insider


Al Franken’s long awaited victory in the Minnesota recount has given Democrats a 60 seat majority in the U.S. Senate. This represents the first time since 1979 that either party has enjoyed this large of a majority. While we celebrate the success of the last 3 years, our attention is focused on 2010.

June 30 Election Insider


Even with a strong Democratic majority in the House, there will be votes that will be decided by the smallest of margins. Last Friday, the majority was challenged with the passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which seeks to curb the effects of global warming and end our dependence on foreign energy sources.

May 5 Election Insider


It's easy to believe that the good times will continue for the Democrats. The last two elections were debacles for Republicans in Congress; the GOP's aggregate net loss in Congress was 51 seats. From a once clear majority in 1994, Republicans have been marginalized and now control fewer seats than at any time since 1992.

February 24 Election Insider


The American electoral landscape is in a state of flux. New areas such as suburban and developing exurban counties are carrying more weight in elections as their populations grow.

December 10 Election Insider


After losing more than 50 House seats in the last two elections, the Republicans will be looking to 1994 as a source of inspiration for their goal of retaking control of congress.

December 8 Election Insider


In the end, the 2008 election did not shatter all previous turnout records as many of the political theorists predicted. Overall, in terms of turnout, the election was more ordinary than spectacular.

October 28 Election Insider


The country's attention is firmly set on November 4, but if the Democrats are serious about getting to 60 seats in the Senate, they may need to maintain their motivation for weeks following Election Day.

October 23 Election Insider


At the beginning of the campaign cycle, few political analysts would have dreamed that the Democrats could take the smallest of majorities and extend it to a 60-seat, filibuster-proof majority in just one term.

October 17 Election Insider


When the Democrats won 30 seats in the House in 2006, many saw that as the absolute high-water mark in terms of seat gains in one election cycle, given today's gerrymandered districts.

October 14 Election Insider


The impressive ground game exhibited by the Obama campaign in the primary has continued right through the general election campaign.

September 22 Election Insider


The battleground states that will decide the 2008 presidential election have been clearly identified, but the key to winning those states is still a matter of conjecture, as different political strategists offer differing ideas.

September 8 Election Insider


As the election rapidly approaches in this closely divided country, there is much discussion about the various Electoral College vote scenarios and the combination of states that Barack Obama or John McCain need to win.

August 12 Election Insider


CBS News features an analysis by Mark Gersh, NCEC Washington Director, and Anthony Salvano of CBS news, showing why Barack Obama has a serious chance to win Colorado in 2008.

July 23 Election Insider


In 2004, national polls in the presidential race showed the volatility of public opinion at the time, as both candidates held slim leads at different times in the campaign.

July 11 Election Insider


Political pundits are making outlandish predictions about Democratic gains in the House in 2008, in some cases predicting a 30+ seat gain.

June 9 Election Insider


Now that Senator Barack Obama has secured the Democratic nomination for president, Democrats can move forward as a party to face an even more daunting task: defeating John McCain.

May 22 Election Insider


Last week's Democratic victory in the special election in Mississippi 's First District was nothing short of spectacular. This victory made Democrats a perfect three for three in special elections in 2008, all of which took place in traditionally strong GOP districts in Illinois , Louisiana , and Mississippi.

May 7 Election Insider


The North Carolina and Indiana primaries may have forced clarity upon the Democratic presidential race last night. With the math of the delegate race becoming increasingly implausible for the Clinton campaign, it is likely that the marathon race is close to a conclusion.

April 24 Election Insider


Political attention continues to be dominated by the seemingly never-ending drama for the Democratic presidential nomination, but while the Clinton and Obama camps slug it out, Democrats supporting either candidate are working tirelessly to solidify the Democratic majority in the Senate.

April 10 Election Insider


The results of the Democratic primary runoff last week suggest that a Democratic victory in the upcoming special election is very possible.

March 25 Election Insider


As this excursion from the frantic primary calendar unfolds, Pennsylvania is the next important primary on the horizon.

March 11 Election Insider


The Democratic Party scored a major victory last week, and unlike most current stories in politics, it had little to do with the presidential primaries.

February 25 Election Insider


So much has changed since Hillary Clinton won in New Hampshire. Barack Obama has turned the tide in his direction, scoring 10 straight victories and making inroads into every segment of the population that had overwhelmingly supported Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire.

February 15 Election Insider


The wealth of presidential primaries and caucuses on Super Tuesday and beyond have failed to produce a clear front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination but have shown a population increasingly tuned in to and motivated by the Democratic contest.

February 4 Election Insider


The most striking feature of the Democratic primary season, at least to date, has been remarkable turnout. State after state -- Iowa , New Hampshire , South Carolina , Nevada , Florida -- has established turnout records.

January 31 Election Insider


Bereft of delegates to the National Convention, a penalty imposed by the Democratic National Committee for noncompliance with the prescribed calendar, Florida nevertheless is worth a look.

January 23 Election Insider


In the week leading up to the New Hampshire primary, poll after poll had Barack Obama well ahead of eventual winner Hillary Clinton. Obviously the polls were wrong, but there were several other factors that led to Clinton 's unexpected victory in New Hampshire , some of which carried over to Nevada .

January 15 Election Insider


The Iowa caucus is one of the most influential events in the presidential nomination process. It is a strong indicator of the mood of the country.

 


For more information on NCEC's Election Insider contact Michael Piel at 202-639-8300.

 

Election Insider

NCEC House Race Report: Democrats Could Win 20-30 Seats

When the Democrats won 30 seats in the House in 2006, many saw that as the absolute high-water mark in terms of seat gains in one election cycle, given today's gerrymandered districts. It appears, however, that line of thinking may have been premature. As it stands today, Democrats could potentially win as many as 30 seats in the House in an incredible repeat. While the more likely number falls between 17 and 25, 30 is not impossible, given the sheer number of competitive races. Should the current political environment hold, Democrats may firmly reinforce our majority in the House of Representatives.

A Wealth of Open Seats Produces Opportunities

The power of incumbency cannot be overstated, as more than 90% of incumbents are typically reelected every cycle. In fact, even in years of extreme change, such as 1994 and 2006, incumbents were still reelected at a rate near or above 90%. The majority of the seat switches come from open contests, making open seats unpredictable. In 2008, Democrats captured 8 Republican open seats.

This precedent paints a positive picture for Democrats in the upcoming election, given the rash of Republican retirements this cycle. In fact, NCEC lists 19 Republican open seats as tier-one targets this cycle. The majority of Democratic pickups should come from this collection of open seats.

Republican Open Seats Produce Targets

District

Democrat

Republican

AL-02

Bobby Bright

Jay Love

AZ-01

Ann Kirkpatrick

Sydney Hay

CA-04

Charlie Brown

Tom McClintock

IL-11

Debbie Halvorson

Marty Ozinga

KY-02

David Boswell

Ben Guthrie

LA-04

TBD

TBD

MN-03

Ashwin Madia

Erik Paulsen

MO-09

Judy Baker

Blaine Leutkemeyer

NJ-03

Jon Adler

Chris Myers

NJ-07

Linda Stender

Leonard Lance

NM-01

Martin Heinrich

Darren White

NM-02

Harry Teague

Ed Tinsley

NY-13

Michael McMahon

Bob Straniere

NY-25

Dan Maeffi

Dale Sweetland

NY-26

Alice Kryzan

Chris Lee

OH-15

Mary Jo Kilroy

Steve Stivers

OH-16

John Boccieri

J. Kirk Schuring

VA-11

Gerry Conolly

Keith Fimian

WY-01

Gary Trauner

Cynthia Lummis

Many Republican Incumbents in Danger as Well

While open seats are the most likely to flip, there is a large number of Republican incumbents in danger as the Republican brand name deteriorates. Below is a list of some of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents as the election approaches.

Several GOP Incumbents in Danger

District

Democrat

Republican

AK-01

Ethan Berkowitz

Don Young

CO-04

Betsy Markey

Marilyn Musgrave

CT-04

Jim Himes

Chris Shays

FL-08

Alan Grayson

Ric Keller

FL-13

Christine Jennings

Vern Buchanan

FL-21

Raul Martinez

Lincoln Diaz-Balart

FL-24

Susanne Kosmos

Tom Feeney

FL-25

Joe Garcia

Mario Diaz-Balart

IL-10

Dan Seals

Mark Kirk

IN-03

Michael Montagno

Mark Souder

MI-07

Mark Schaurer

Tim Walberg

MI-09

Gary Peters

Joe Knollenberg

MN-06

Elwyn Tinklenberg

Michelle Bachmann

MO-06

Kay Barnes

Sam Graves

NE-02

Jim Esch

Lee Terry

NV-03

Dina Titus

Jon Porter

NY-29

Eric Massa

Randy Kuhl

NC-08

Larry Kissel

Robin Hayes

OH-01

Steve Driehaus

Steve Chabot

OH-02

Victoria Wulsin

Jean Schmidt

PA-03

Kathy Dahlkemper

Phil English

SC-01

Linda Ketner

Henry Brown

TX-10

Larry Joe Doherty

Mike McCaul

WA-08

Darcy Burner

Dave Reichert

NCEC Provides Precinct Targeting to House and Senate Candidates All over the Country and Work Continues

NCEC precinct targeting is a tool used to level the playing field, providing candidates with critical information used to get out the vote in districts all over the country. Our data shows campaigns where Democrats are, down to the precinct level, and provides other information such as expected vote, voter persuasion, and media market analysis. This information can make the difference between victory and defeat.

So far, we have allocated our precinct targeting to more than 190 House candidates and 25 Senate candidates. Our recipients range from the tier-one target races to the underfunded candidates taking on entrenched incumbents. Our targeting comes to them at no charge, as an in-kind contribution. The generosity of our donors allows our work to continue; a contribution to NCEC is one worth making, as our work makes a difference. Our work will continue through the last day of the election, as we help campaigns utilize our expertise and turn out every possible voter. The wind is blowing in our direction, but we dare not take it for granted. Please contribute one last time.