Senate News & Analysis

Senate Report Shorts (October 28, 2020)

October 28, 2020 · 2:29 PM EDT

Alabama. Doug Jones (D), elected 2017 special (50%). Not much has changed in the Yellowhammer State  — Jones is still well behind former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville despite vastly outspending the Republican on TV. With Trump poised to carry the state by double digits as well, it’s hard to…

Senate Report Shorts (October 16, 2020)

October 16, 2020 · 2:29 PM EDT

Alabama. Doug Jones (D), elected 2017 special (50%). A recent New York Times story shed some light on GOP nominee Tommy Tuberville’s finances. It portrays the former Auburn head football coach as a victim who lost millions of dollars in multiple ponzi schemes and questions his “judgement and financial…

Senate Report Shorts (October 1, 2020)

October 1, 2020 · 2:29 PM EDT

Alaska. Dan Sullivan (R), elected 2014 (48%). Following a state Supreme Court ruling, Al Gross, an independent, will be listed on the ballot only as the Democratic Party nominee. That setback hasn’t stopped Republicans from taking the race seriously — McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund has committed $1.6 million to helping…

The Next Congress Will Be Filled With Losers

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 28, 2020 · 10:28 AM EDT

The votes haven’t even been counted yet, but one thing is certain: The next Congress is going to be filled with losers. Both parties are hinging their majority dreams on candidates who have recently lost races, many of them just two years ago for the very office they are seeking…

Supreme Court Fight Isn’t Guaranteed Game-Changer

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 20, 2020 · 7:05 AM EDT

While Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death will go down as yet another historic event in 2020, it’s unlikely to change the fundamental trajectory of the elections.

In the middle of huge breaking news stories, it can be hard to remember that the country is incredibly polarized and the…

The Senate Deserves Your Attention

September 18, 2020 · 2:30 PM EDT

By Nathan L. Gonzales & Jacob Rubashkin

While the race for the White House dominates the news, the fight for the Senate is closer.

The easiest thing to do after 2016 would be to declare every race with President Donald Trump on the ballot as a toss-up. But that would…

Senate Report Shorts (September 18, 2020)

September 18, 2020 · 2:29 PM EDT

Alabama. Doug Jones (D), elected 2017 special (50%). With less than two months to go, the senator remains the underdog against former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville. Jones will likely outspend Tuberville on ads by at least a few million dollars, but GOP outside groups are helping make up…

Misleading Senate Ad Uses Out-of-Context Quotes to Attack Opponent

by Jacob Rubashkin September 10, 2020 · 11:01 AM EDT

Party operatives playing fast and loose with the facts is commonplace in campaign ads, but a recent TV spot in the Kansas Senate race is stretching the norms.

A recent ad from Rep. Roger Marshall, the GOP nominee, is intended to paint Marshall’s opponent, state Sen. Barbara Bollier, as a…

Trump Needs a Convention Bounce

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 1, 2020 · 10:25 AM EDT

Whether you believe in convention bounces or not, President Donald Trump and the Republicans need one to salvage the elections this fall.

On the current trajectory, former Vice President Joe Biden is likely to win the White House and Democrats are more likely than not to take control of the…

Mississippi Senate: Espy’s 1988 convention speech offers clues to 2020 optimism

by Nathan L. Gonzales August 26, 2020 · 8:39 AM EDT

When Mississippi Rep. Mike Espy took the stage at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, he was a rising star casting a vision for a New South. Thirty-two years later, Espy believes his state is finally ready to turn the page and elect him to the U.S. Senate.

Less than two…