House News & Analysis

South Carolina 5: Challenging the Chair

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 23, 2010 · 3:00 PM EDT

South Carolina has received plenty of attention after its governor hiked the Appalachian Trail and ended up in Argentina with his girlfriend. But few people may realize that a long-time Democratic congressman could lose reelection.

John Spratt (D) has been in Congress for almost three decades, and he…

Arkansas Senate: One Big (Not So Happy) Family

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 23, 2010 · 3:00 PM EDT

Republicans couldn’t even get a candidate to run for the U.S. Senate against Mark Pryor (D) last cycle, but this year, a half-dozen Republicans are vying for the right to take on Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D), who has a primary of her own from the lieutenant governor.

Oh…

Is the GOP Headed to a Revival in the Land of Enchantment?

April 22, 2010 · 10:40 AM EDT

Talk about being down and out. After last year’s elections, the New Mexico GOP looked about as energetic as a three-week-old corpse.

Democrats controlled both of the state’s Senate seats, all three of its House seats and six of the state’s seven statewide offices. The Republicans’ only beachhead…

Paterson’s Timing Has Been Perfect for Democrats in N.Y. Specials

April 20, 2010 · 9:00 AM EDT

While New York Gov. David Paterson’s (D) performance in office has been widely panned, his timing in three House special elections this cycle has been impeccable.

Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) resigned his 29th district seat more than a month ago, but Paterson still has not acknowledged the vacancy…

If Republicans Fail to Win the House, Look Behind the ‘Eight’ Ball

April 19, 2010 · 9:00 AM EDT

I’ve always said that the party campaign committees usually get too much credit for success and too much blame for failure, so I’m certainly not pointing fingers in this column. But if Republicans fall a handful of seats short of taking over the House in the fall midterms, it…

Turnout in Virginia, N.J. Could Be a Big Problem for Democrats

April 13, 2010 · 9:00 AM EDT

We’ve all been reminded repeatedly that Democrats face problems this year because of both the normal drop in midterm turnout and the mix of voters in nonpresidential years (See my “Democrats Face Challenges in Key Districts in 2010,” June 4, 2009). But those national problems will be magnified in…

April 9, 2010 House Overview

April 9, 2010 · 3:00 PM EDT

Democrats now have an accomplishment with the passage of health care reform, but it’s far from clear that it dramatically enhances their prospects for the fall, as some of their officeholders and supporters argue.

Polling still shows the public dissatisfied with the country’s direction and with President Barack…

Cuomo Endorses Castle?

April 8, 2010 · 4:00 PM EDT

Doing a little spring cleaning this week, I came across New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s book, Crossroads: The Future of American Politics, written and edited in the wake of Cuomo’s primary loss in the 2002 gubernatorial race.

Since he is the heavy favorite to win…

Democrats Tap O’Shea to Head Redistricting Trust

April 3, 2010 · 9:00 AM EDT

Former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee National Field Director Casey O’Shea will be the new executive director of the National Democratic Redistricting Trust.

Democrats are making the change after former Executive Director Brian Smoot shifted over to run the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s independent expenditure effort this year. But…

New Players Enter Redistricting Fight

March 31, 2010 · 9:00 AM EDT

While Republicans and Democrats battle for the upper hand in selling the recently enacted health care bill, party operatives on both sides of the aisle are solidifying their strategies behind the scenes for the upcoming redistricting fight that will have an impact on Congressional politics for the next decade.