Archive

Reports of Bob Riley’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

by Stuart Rothenberg March 15, 2006 · 11:05 PM EST

Like Rasputin, who refused to die even after he was poisoned, shot three times and beaten with a 2-pound dumbbell, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley (R) is proving to be more resilient than many political observers once assumed.

Riley was pronounced politically dead by many — including me — more than two…

Georgia 12: Curb Your Enthusiasm

March 15, 2006 · 12:05 AM EST

Georgia’s 12th Congressional District was never supposed to elect a Republican. Max Burns didn’t win the seat in 2002, Democrats lost it, and after only one term, Burns was voted out of office. Now the former congressman is attempting a comeback in a slightly redrawn district, but Republicans…

NY Senate: Pardon Me While I Yawn

March 14, 2006 · 12:05 AM EST

Once again, the New York Senate race is receiving more attention than it deserves.

The decision by Kathleen Troia McFarland (R) to jump into the Republican Senate race has some GOP insiders smiling, and cable television news hosts jumping for joy.

Republicans hope that McFarland can make Clinton…

The 2008 Race Is on — and the Field Is Smaller Than You Think

by Stuart Rothenberg March 12, 2006 · 11:01 PM EST

If you turned on C-SPAN last Sunday evening, you may have noticed that the network’s “Road to the White House 2008” was broadcasting a Feb. 20 speech by Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) to the Spartanburg County (S.C.) Republican Party.

Huckabee is mentioned as a possible contender for the GOP…

New Print Edition: 2006 Gubernatorial Outlook

March 10, 2006 · 2:07 PM EST
The new March 10, 2006 print edition of the Rothenberg Political Report is on its way to subscribers. (Click here for subscription information.)

2006 Gubernatorial Outlook

The mood nationally is shifting toward change, and Republicans are playing defense in governorships this cycle, along with their…

The Other Guy Named Brown Now Has Problems, Too

by Stuart Rothenberg March 8, 2006 · 11:10 PM EST

Apparently, there is something about being named Brown. In Ohio, the decision by Rep. Sherrod Brown (D) to enter the U.S. Senate race after first turning down pleas to run has divided Democrats. Party insiders rallied behind Brown, forcing Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett out of the contest, even…

In a Change Environment, More Bad News for GOP

by Nathan L. Gonzales March 7, 2006 · 11:01 PM EST

If voters are looking for a change this November, the fallout for Republicans could spread beyond the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House. Republicans are defending a number of governorships this cycle in states they have controlled for a number of years.

Voters at the state level have generally…

Be Careful What You Wish For

by Stuart Rothenberg March 6, 2006 · 11:07 PM EST

Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown (D) has been desperate for media attention. An underdog in the Democratic Senate race for the right to face either Senator Lincoln Chafee (R) or Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey (R) in November, Brown spent heavily on early advertising to boost his name…

Rothenberg Touts His Favorite Candidates So Far

by Stuart Rothenberg March 6, 2006 · 7:46 AM EST

I certainly haven’t yet seen all of this cycle’s allegedly strong House candidates, but the beginning of March seems like a good time to list my favorite candidates so far, including both challengers and seekers of open seats but excluding candidates from the previous cycle who are running again.…

Is the Public’s Mood on Automatic Pilot Until the Fall?

by Stuart Rothenberg March 2, 2006 · 8:54 AM EST

It’s the end of February, still more than eight months before November’s midterm elections. That’s an eternity in politics, and it’s one reason why Republicans remain optimistic that they can turn public opinion more in their favor than it is now.

But on issue after issue, public opinion seems…