House News & Analysis

2018 House Overview (Sept. 1, 2017) North Carolina - Wyoming

September 1, 2017 · 2:27 PM EDT

North Carolina. Feb. 28 filing deadline. May 8 primary.

2nd District (George Holding, R, re-elected 57%).  2016 Presidential Winner: Trump 53%. Holding won a competitive primary over fellow Rep. Renee Ellmers in a redrawn district, followed by an uneventful general election win. Democrats are hoping vodka distillery owner Sam Searcy…

Colorado 2: Democrats Search for Oxygen in Open Seat

by Leah Askarinam August 18, 2017 · 12:29 PM EDT

At this point in the 2018 election cycle, only a handful of Democrats are planning to vacate safe congressional seats, leaving few opportunities for state and local elected officials and political novices to climb the political ladder. In Colorado though, Democratic newcomers may have hit the jackpot, with two Democratic…

Pennsylvania 6: The Bellwether of the 2018 Ball?

by Leah Askarinam August 4, 2017 · 2:30 PM EDT

Both Democrats and Republicans are facing immense pressure to win the 2018 congressional race in Pennsylvania’s 6th District. The suburban Philadelphia district is one of the 23 that voted for both Hillary Clinton and a House Republican in 2016. Plus, it’s a suburban district with a highly-educated population, putting it…

South Dakota At-Large: Republicans Wrestle for Third Senate Seat

by Leah Askarinam August 4, 2017 · 2:28 PM EDT

A House primary in a state that Donald Trump won by 30 points in 2016 might seem inconsequential, especially when a Republican already holds the seat. But these intra-party GOP contests not only select a future lawmaker; they could also position a politician for higher office. The congressional race in…

Candidate Conversation - Elissa Slotkin (D)

August 4, 2017 · 2:27 PM EDT

Candidate for Michigan’s 8th District

Interview Date: July 28, 2017

Date of Birth: July 10, 1976; New York, N.Y.

Education: Cornell Univ. (1998); Columbia Univ. (Masters, 2003)

Political Office: None; First run for office

Current Outlook: Slotkin is the leading Democratic contender to face GOP Rep. Mike Bishop in a…

Candidate Conversation - Sam Jammal (D)

by Leah Askarinam August 4, 2017 · 2:26 PM EDT

Candidate for California’s 39th District

Interview Date: July 28, 2017

Date of Birth: April 14, 1982; Whittier, Calif.

Education: Univ. of Southern Calif. (2004); George Washington Univ. law school (2007)

Political Office: None; First run for office

Current Outlook: Jammal is a credible contender vying to take on GOP Rep.…

When Congressional Spouses (Allegedly) Misbehave

by Nathan L. Gonzales July 24, 2017 · 8:59 AM EDT

With congressional job approval hovering around 17 percent, members of Congress are carrying their own baggage into their re-election races, even without the weight of a spouse in legal trouble.

Jane Sanders isn’t a stranger to the spotlight, as her husband, Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, ascended the political…

Utah 3 Special: A Change from Chaffetz

by Leah Askarinam July 21, 2017 · 2:30 PM EDT

You don’t have to be a political insider to have been keeping up with the special election in Utah’s 3rd District. Really, you could be a reader of Sports Illustrated, or a fan of the Boston Celtics or Utah Jazz.

The race has caught national attention for various reasons…

Why ‘Single-Payer’ May Not Be Republicans’ Saving Grace in 2018

by Nathan L. Gonzales July 21, 2017 · 2:29 PM EDT

Since Republicans’ repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act isn’t going quite as planned, party strategists have a plan to make their unpopular alternative look more appealing in comparison. 

Republicans are focused on getting Democratic congressional candidates on-the-record about their support for a “single-payer” healthcare system. But the term…

Colorado 7: The No-Longer-Perlmutter District

by Leah Askarinam July 21, 2017 · 2:28 PM EDT

What happens when Ed Perlmutter doesn’t run in the “Perlmutter District?”

When the lines were revealed for Colorado’s new 7th District ahead of the 2002 elections, the seat was casually referred to as the “Perlmutter District” because it seemed tailor-made for the Democratic state senator.

But Perlmutter decided not to…