House News & Analysis

New York 26: Waiting for Hoffman

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 25, 2011 · 3:00 PM EST

If a shirtless photo of a married GOP congressman on Craig’s List didn’t keep Republican operatives up at night, the prospect of another special election in New York might do the trick.

Cong. Chris Lee abruptly resigned just hours after the story broke that he was sending provocative…

California 36: Beachfront Property

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 25, 2011 · 2:59 PM EST

It only took a month of the 112th Congress for Jane Harman to decide she’d had enough.

Just a few weeks into her ninth term, the Democratic congresswoman announced she’d be resigning her seat in order to take a job at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.

Personal Take on Brain Injuries and Senate Bids

by Stuart Rothenberg February 18, 2011 · 11:01 AM EST

While the buzz is still only a whisper, the idea that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) might be well enough to run for Arizona’s open Senate seat next year is suddenly a hot topic.

Giffords’ “rapid recovery from the shooting creates at least the possibility that she could make…

Change on the Horizon for House Democrats

by Stuart Rothenberg February 16, 2011 · 8:36 AM EST

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will celebrate her 71st birthday next month. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) will be 72 in June. And Assistant Leader James Clyburn (D-S.C.) turns 71 in July.

The young buck of the Democratic Party’s House leadership is Democratic Caucus Chairman John…

New York 26: Yet Another Special Election

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 9, 2011 · 11:20 PM EST

GOP Cong. Chris Lee’s resignation from Congress sets up yet another House special election in New York. The married congressman left office soon after the story broke that he was pursuing a date with a woman on Craig’s List, including sending a shirtless photo of himself to her.

Beware of Ad Campaigns With More Bark Than Bite

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 4, 2011 · 9:44 AM EST

If a campaign ad airs and no one hears it, does it exist? Partisan strategists are determined to find out.

As part of a new “Drive to 25” campaign, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee unveiled an “advertising and grassroots campaign” to hold Republican incumbents “accountable for choosing a…

Are We Headed for Four Wave Elections in a Row?

by Stuart Rothenberg February 3, 2011 · 8:50 AM EST

Our current streak of “wave” elections — where one party experiences a net loss of at least 20 House seats and the other party has minimal losses — now stands at three (31 seats in 2006, 20 seats in 2008 and 63 seats in 2010), a remarkable string given…

Montana Senate: Rehberg Moves Race to Toss-Up

February 1, 2011 · 11:19 AM EST

With Cong. Denny Rehberg set to announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, Republicans got their best possible candidate to take on first-term Sen. Jon Tester (D). Rehberg has been elected statewide in Montana’s at-large congressional district for a decade and early public polling shows him running even or…

So Far, Boehner Is an Able Adversary for Obama

by Stuart Rothenberg January 26, 2011 · 10:52 AM EST

If the producers of AMC’s popular “Mad Men” television series ever need someone to replace Jon Hamm, the actor who plays Don Draper, they need look no further than Speaker John Boehner.

The 11-term Ohio Republican, 61, is significantly older than Draper (Hamm is just short of his…

2012 House Overview (January 20, 2011)

January 20, 2011 · 2:33 PM EST

The outlook for the House in 2012 starts off looking particularly hazy, which isn’t unusual at the beginning of a redistricting cycle.

Republican gains of 63 House seats in last year’s historic “wave” election mean that the GOP won some districts it has no business representing. But since…