Political handicapping is more than looking at polls and regurgitating who is ahead. Throughout an election cycle, there are signs political handicappers use to understand what is happening at a given moment and to project how races will play out in the weeks or months ahead.
During the endgame, one…
By Nathan L. Gonzales and Leah Askarinam
After two years of prognostication, election results are supposed to bring clarity. But the 2018 results are poised to be a mixed bag, making it difficult to land on a single narrative.
With President Donald Trump’s mediocre job approval rating nationally, the Senate…
Arizona’s 1st District (Tom O’Halleran, D, elected 51%). Trump 48%. Air Force veteran Wendy Rogers is running a serious campaign, won a competitive primary, and has no problem tying herself to the President. But her fundraising has been modest and Rogers hasn’t received much outside help against the incumbent. Lean…
Texas’ 2nd District — Rating: Solid Republican
Interview Date: July 26, 2018
Date of Birth: July 21, 1970; Houston, Texas
Education: Duke (1992 B.A.), Univ. of Texas Law School (1995 JD), Rice Business School (2001 MBA)
Elected Office: None; First run for office
Current Outlook: Some Democrats believed the 2nd…
Are we still headed for a Democratic wave in the House next month? That all depends on how you define a wave. But one thing is clear: Democrats are still likely to flip the chamber even after all the buzz about a post-Kavanaugh Republican bounce.
A wave occurs when a…
Declaring 2018 anything but the Year of the Woman is heresy by now. It’s consistently, casually mentioned as a matter of fact. This year‘s regarded as a natural succession to 1992, which was the last time an election resulted in the number of women in the House…
Weather metaphors are often used (and overused) in election analysis, but there’s a better way to describe the Republicans’ challenge in 2018. The GOP is dealing with many headaches as it tries to preserve the Republican congressional majorities.
From tension to cluster to migraine, they can vary in frequency and…
By Nathan L. Gonzales and Leah Askarinam
With less than a month before Nov. 6, the fundamentals of these midterm elections are set and broadly good news for Democrats. But with dozens of close races around the country, a shift of just a couple points across the board is the…
Arizona’s 2nd District (Open; Martha McSally, R, running for Senate). Clinton 49.6%. Former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick has high negatives from previous runs for office and a competitive primary, but it’s still rough going for Republican Lea Marquez Peterson to win this open seat that Hillary Clinton carried in 2016. Move…
Arizona’s 1st District -- Rating: Lean Democratic
Interview Date: Sept. 14, 2018
Date of Birth: July 24, 1954; Fort Knox, Ky.
Education: Michigan State Univ. (1976); Univ. of Alabama (M.S.W. 1977); Cal State-San Bernardino (Master’s, 1986)
Elected Office: None; 2016 1st District candidate; 2014 9th District nominee; 2012 9th District…
