Senate News & Analysis

Stage Officially Set for Competitive Senate Contests in Wisconsin, Florida, Connecticut

by Jessica Taylor August 15, 2012 · 1:19 AM EDT

In the Wisconsin Senate race, it’s officially a Tommy vs. Tammy showdown.

A topsy-turvy GOP primary came to a close on Tuesday, with former governor Tommy Thompson clinching what once seemed like an unlikely comeback bid more than a decade after he left office. Thompson took 34 percent…

Senate Control Boiling Down to Five States

by Stuart Rothenberg August 10, 2012 · 1:00 AM EDT

The fight for the Senate gives every indication that it will go down to the wire, with enough races still in play in late October so that neither party can feel completely confident about its prospects.

Right now, control of the Senate appears to rest on the outcomes…

2012 Senate Overview (August 10, 2012) Arizona - Michigan

August 10, 2012 · 12:59 AM EDT

ARIZONA - Open; Jon Kyl (R), not seeking re-election. August 28 primary.
Republicans go to the polls in just over two weeks to pick a nominee, and while former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum recently came out for real estate investor Wil Cardon, most conservative groups have joined the…

2012 Senate Overview (August 10, 2012) Minnesota-Ohio

August 10, 2012 · 12:58 AM EDT

MINNESOTA - Amy Klobuchar (D), elected 2006 (58%). August 14 primary.

Klobuchar will win another term. That's all you need to know.

MISSISSIPPI - Roger Wicker (R), appointed 2007, elected 2008 (55%).

Wicker faces Oktibbeha County Democratic Chairman Albert N. Gore Jr. in November…

2012 Senate Overview (August 10, 2012) Pennsylvania - Wyoming

August 10, 2012 · 12:57 AM EDT

PENNSYLVANIA - Bob Casey (D), elected 2006 (59%).

Wealthy retired coal company executive Tom Smith, who pumped personal money into the race, defeated the party-endorsed candidate in the primary and has now set his sights on Casey. The Republicans' challenge is to put a dent into Casey's image as…

Democrats Rejoice, But Tough Race Ahead for McCaskill

by Jessica Taylor August 8, 2012 · 10:13 AM EDT

Claire McCaskill (D) remains the Senate’s most endangered incumbent, but the Missouri Democrat’s prospects appear to have improved slightly on Tuesday after learning she’ll face Rep. Todd Akin (R) in the fall.

Akin’s come-from-behind win seemed unlikely only months ago, though Republicans never had a particularly strong field…

Texas Primaries: Cruz’in to Victory

by Jessica Taylor August 1, 2012 · 11:27 AM EDT

Former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz won an upset victory over Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the Texas GOP Senate runoff Tuesday, signaling a major shift not only in the Lone Star State but for the makeup of the incoming Senate as well.

Though he began as a…

Cruz Versus Dewhurst: More Than a Primary

by Stuart Rothenberg July 31, 2012 · 12:21 PM EDT

Today’s Texas Republican Senate runoff between Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz is more than a mere primary. The winner, after all, is certain to win the seat of retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) in November.

But even more, the result will…

How Can Anyone Govern After This Campaign?

by Stuart Rothenberg July 18, 2012 · 9:20 AM EDT

Those of us who have been reporting on and discussing politics for the past few decades have come to expect rough-and-tumble campaigns. As Chicago writer Finley Peter Dunne once observed: “Politics ain’t beanbag.”

But the nature of the 2012 presidential campaign so far raises questions about how, or…

Conventions: From Meaningful to Meaningless

by Stuart Rothenberg July 16, 2012 · 9:33 AM EDT

Rarely a day goes by without some journalist noting that another Member of Congress is passing up the very forgettable opportunity of attending his or her party’s convention later this summer.

The list of media outlets to report on this “development” is long and getting longer: the New…