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
Georgia Senate Race May Be Headed For A Runoff
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. As it stands today, it is very possible that the now-competitive Senate race in Georgia could be heading for a runoff election, which would take place weeks after the general election. Winning the Senate race in Georgia is essential to any 60-seat scenario, so Democrats must be aware of this possibility.
If No Candidate Gets at Least 50%, a Runoff Occurs
Election rules in Georgia stipulate that if no candidate reaches a plurality of 50%, a runoff between the two top candidates occurs. Currently, the race is extremely tight, falling within the margin of error in most polls, but the presence of Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley may mean that a runoff will be necessary. Buckley is drawing between 5% and 6% of the vote in the most recent polling, and neither Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss nor Democratic challenger Jim Martin is reaching the 50% threshold.
Pollster |
Date |
Chambliss |
Martin |
Buckley |
Undecided |
Strategic Vision |
10/20-22/08 |
46 |
44 |
5 |
5 |
Research 2000 |
10/14-15/08 |
47 |
45 |
5 |
3 |
SurveyUSA |
10/11-12/08 |
46 |
43 |
6 |
5 |
Since the start of the current election cycle, special elections have been very kind to Democrats, as they have won three special elections in Republican districts over the past year, gaining seats in previously noncompetitive districts. However, these victories were widely predicated on a motivation gap between Democratic and Republican voters. This gap may not continue beyond the general election unless we are prepared.
Winning in Georgia Is Vital to Any Path to 60 Senate Seats
Democrats need to win nine Senate seats to achieve a filibuster-proof majority. Winning the race in Georgia is essential in any scenario for 60 Senate seats. Let's assume that the Democrats don't win in Georgia . In order to get the nine seats necessary to get to 60, the Democrats would then have to win in either Kentucky or Mississippi , which is less likely, on top of winning all the remaining toss-ups. NCEC precinct data and consultation would be a vital resource in the event of any runoff.
Switching to Blue (2 GOP Seats) |
New Mexico ( Tom Udall vs. Steve Pearce ), Virginia ( Mark Warner vs. Jim Gilmore ) |
Likely Switching to Blue (2 GOP Seats) |
Colorado ( Mark Udall vs. Bob Schaffer ), New Hampshire ( JOHN SUNUNU vs. Jeanne Shaheen ) |
Leaning Blue (2 GOP Seats) |
North Carolina ( ELIZABETH DOLE vs. Kay Hagan ), Oregon ( GORDON SMITH vs. Jeff Merkley ) |
True Toss-up (3 GOP Seats) |
Alaska ( TED STEVENS vs. Mark Begich ), Georgia ( SAXBY CHAMBLISS vs. Jim Martin ), Minnesota ( NORM COLEMAN vs. Al Franken ) |
Likely Blue (1 Dem Seat) |
Louisiana ( MARY LANDRIEU vs. John Kennedy ) |
Safe Democratic (11 Dem Seats) |
Arkansas ( MARK PRYOR vs. no GOP opponent ), Delaware ( JOE BIDEN vs. Christine O'Donnell ), Illinois ( DICK DURBIN vs. Steve Sauerberg ), Iowa ( TOM HARKIN vs. Christopher Reed ), Massachusetts ( JOHN KERRY vs. Jeff Beatty ), Michigan ( CARL LEVIN vs. Jack Hoogendyk ), Montana ( MAX BAUCUS vs. Bob Kelleher ), New Jersey ( FRANK LAUTENBERG vs. Dick Zimmer ), Rhode Island ( JACK REED vs. Robert Tingle ), South Dakota ( TIM JOHNSON vs. Joel Dykstra ), West Virginia ( JAY ROCKEFELLER vs. Jay Wolfe ) |
Leaning Red (2 GOP Seats) |
Kentucky ( MITCH MCCONNELL vs. Bruce Lunsford ), Mississippi special ( ROGER WICKER vs. Ronnie Musgrove ) |
Safe Red (12 GOP Seats) |
Alabama ( JEFF SESSIONS vs. Vivian Davis Figures ), Idaho ( Larry LaRocco vs. Jim Risch ), Kansas ( PAT ROBERTS vs. Jim Slattery ), Maine ( SUSAN COLLINS vs. Tom Allen ), Mississippi ( THAD COCHRAN vs. Erik Fleming ), Nebraska ( Scott Kleeb vs. Mike Johanns ), Oklahoma ( JIM INHOFE vs. Andrew Rice ), South Carolina ( LINDSEY GRAHAM vs. Bob Conley ), Tennessee ( LAMAR ALEXANDER vs. Bob Tuke ), Texas ( JOHN CORNYN vs. Rick Noriega ), Wyoming ( MIKE ENZI vs. Chris Rothfuss ), Wyoming special ( JOHN BARRASSO vs. Nick Carter ) |
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Incumbents in CAPS, Democrats in blue , Republicans in red |
Ted Stevens Found Guilty on All Seven Counts
Longtime Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was found guilty on all seven counts of making false statements on Senate disclosure forms. The charges surround remodeling of his home, which he received from the oil company VECO , among other things. The verdict ensures that this seat will be very competitive throughout the rest of the campaign. There was some worry that an acquittal in the trial would have had negative effects on Mark Begich's campaign. However, the guilty verdict doesn't ensure a Democratic victory, because there remains in Alaska a great deal of loyalty to Stevens, who has held that seat since 1968.
