House News & Analysis

2014 House Overview (March 8, 2013) Iowa - Oklahoma

March 8, 2013 · 2:58 PM EST

Iowa (2R, 2D)
IA 1 (Open; Braley, D). Bruce Braley looks to have the cleared the Democratic field in the Senate race, but his congressional seat could get crowded. Former state House Speaker Pat Murphy (D) is in, and 2010 candidate Steve Rathje has announced on the GOP…

2014 House Overview (March 8, 2013) Oregon - Wyoming

March 8, 2013 · 2:57 PM EST

Oregon (1R, 4D)
OR 5 (Schrader, D). Thanks to a slim Republican bench, the Beaver State has been in political hibernation for the last couple of cycles. But with Oregonian Greg Walden at the helm of the NRCC, the 5th District, the most competitive in the state, could…

South Carolina 1: Colbert’s Sister an Underdog, but Worth Watching

by Stuart Rothenberg March 6, 2013 · 9:28 AM EST

Elizabeth Colbert Busch hopes to win a special election for Congress this year. That’s possible but also unlikely, as it would take something close to a political “perfect storm” for the Democrat to win the reliably Republican House seat in South Carolina.

Of course, you wouldn’t know that…

California 21: Rubio (D) not running

by Nathan L. Gonzales March 5, 2013 · 9:45 AM EST

Rubio isn’t running, but it’s not the Rubio you’re thinking of.

Late last month, Democrat Michael Rubio of Bakersfield resigned his seat in the California state senate in order to take a private sector job, and his decision is having a ripple effect on both coasts.

Rubio…

Some Hispanic Congressional Members Breaking Partisan Mold

by Nathan L. Gonzales March 4, 2013 · 9:36 AM EST

Congress is derided as an increasingly partisan and polarized body, but a handful of Hispanic Members are trying to break the gridlock.

According to new ratings from National Journal, Republican Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.), Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.), Jaime Herrera Beutler (Wash.), and Raul Labrador (Idaho), as well as…

Bloomberg’s Much Ado About Nothing Much

by Stuart Rothenberg March 1, 2013 · 9:43 AM EST

The strategy was pretty clear from the start.

Pick a fight in a place where you have a substantial advantage and where almost nobody else is playing, dump a ton of money attacking one candidate and supporting another, and then declare victory when — surprise! surprise! — your…

Can Obama Put the House In Play in 2014?

by Stuart Rothenberg February 27, 2013 · 9:02 AM EST

Over the past few weeks, I have heard some people suggest that President Barack Obama’s strategy in pursuing his legislative agenda is more about creating issues for the 2014 midterm elections than about passing legislation.

Whether that is true, it leads to an obvious question: Is the president…

Illinois 2 Special: The Real Range of Gun Control

by Jessica Taylor February 25, 2013 · 3:01 PM EST

Tuesday’s special election in Illinois’ 2nd District has been dominated by gun control -- an issue magnified by the $2.2 million Michael Bloomberg’s political action committee has dropped into the Chicago contest to attack two candidates.

There is no question the New York City mayor’s multi-million dollar investment…

Democrats’ Economic Narrative Still Trumps GOP’s

by Stuart Rothenberg February 22, 2013 · 9:12 AM EST

Congressional Republicans figured that after the fiscal cliff, they’d have the advantage talking about the sequester and, down the road, the continued funding of the government.

Clearly, they were wrong.

One of the reasons Republicans are faring so badly these days is that the Democratic narrative, presented…

Hispanics fail to win Hispanic Congressional districts

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 18, 2013 · 9:00 AM EST

One year ago, Democratic state Sen. Ruben Kihuen declared himself the best candidate to represent a newly-drawn, Hispanic-heavy congressional district in North Las Vegas. Thirteen days later, he dropped out of the race.

Even though a record number of Latinos are serving in the 113th Congress, Hispanic candidates…