Inside Elections

2014 House Ratings (March 11, 2014)

March 11, 2014 · 10:15 PM EDT

Why Polls Still Show Democrats With Higher Marks Than Republicans

by Stuart Rothenberg March 11, 2014 · 4:29 PM EDT

Political brands are important. If a candidate or political party has a damaged political brand, it’s harder for them to sell themselves to voters. But sometimes a poll’s top lines can be deceiving, so you need to look a little below the surface to understand what is going on.

Everyone knows…

Why Florida’s 13th District Special Election Is Still a Tossup

by Nathan L. Gonzales March 10, 2014 · 10:31 PM EDT

After almost five months and more than $9 million in campaign spending, neither Democrat Alex Sink nor Republican David Jolly has a clear upper-hand in the final hours before Tuesday’s special election in Florida’s 13th District.

Even though polling continues to show a neck-and-neck race, many…

Bill Clinton’s Real Impact on the Kentucky Senate Race

by Stuart Rothenberg March 10, 2014 · 9:30 AM EDT

The national media’s reaction to former President Bill Clinton’s recent trip to Kentucky to boost the Senate candidacy of Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes was predictable.

Most of my colleagues in the media can’t resist a Clinton (Bill or Hillary) sighting, and Senate…

Why Republican Candidates Will Run From .GOP Address

by Nathan L. Gonzales March 7, 2014 · 10:54 AM EST

A Republican group recently boasted about Republicans becoming “the only political party in history to run a Web ending.”

But it would be surprising if many Republican candidates are anxious to put .GOP behind their name.

The Republican State Leadership Committee led the effort to secure the…

Democrats Have Primaries, Too

by Nathan L. Gonzales March 6, 2014 · 1:34 PM EST

Every six minutes, some reporter in the world is writing about a Republican primary. That’s not to say that GOP primaries don’t matter — because sometimes they do — but there are a handful of Democratic House primaries that could have general election ramifications as well.

Here is a look at…

Why Ken Buck Has the Inside Track in Colorado’s 4th District

by Nathan L. Gonzales March 4, 2014 · 9:41 AM EST

For the second time, Republican Ken Buck has failed to become a United States senator from Colorado. But his most recent campaign was not in vain and helped make him the front-runner for a seat in the House.

GOP Rep. Cory Gardner’s decision last week to challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Udall had…

Oregon Senate: Testing the Democratic Firewall

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 28, 2014 · 3:00 PM EST

Two forces could collide in Oregon later this year: a state shifting to the left while short-term political forces are working against Democrats nationwide. But the fact that Republicans have even a remote chance of winning the Senate race in Oregon demonstrates just what kind of cycle this is…

Michigan Senate: Evolving GOP Opportunity

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 28, 2014 · 2:59 PM EST

The last time Republicans won a U.S. Senate race Michigan there was an open seat in a midterm election of a Democratic president. That was 20 years ago, but Republicans believe it is a winning formula for 2014.

Michigan is one example of a Democratic seat that could be coming open at precisely…

Illinois Primaries: GOP Races Set Stage for November

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 28, 2014 · 2:58 PM EST

Illinois could host a handful of competitive congressional contests this November, but a trio of primaries on March 18 will set the stage for the general election. And while Democrats are focused on taking over governorships in some of the country’s largest states, including Florida,…