House News & Analysis

2012 House Overview (April 6, 2012) Alabama - Florida

April 6, 2012 · 2:59 PM EDT

Alabama (6R, 1D)
The state’s new Congressional map makes the districts of freshman Martha Roby (R) and veteran Mike Rogers (R) more Republican, so Democrats aren’t likely to threaten here in 2012. GOP Reps. Joe Bonner and Spencer Bachus survived primary challenges with relative ease.

2012 House Overview (April 6, 2012) Georgia - New York

April 6, 2012 · 2:57 PM EDT

Georgia (8R, 5D – gaining 1 new seat) July 31 primary, August 21 runoff.
GA 9 (Open; new). State Rep. Doug Collins, radio talk show host Martha Zoller and Jackson County Commissioner Hunter Bicknell are in the GOP contest for this new seat, and the winner of the…

2012 House Overview (April 6, 2012) North Carolina - Wyoming

April 6, 2012 · 2:57 PM EDT

North Carolina (6R, 7D) May 8 primary, June 26 runoff.
NC 7 (McIntyre, D). Democrat Mike McIntyre’s district became slightly more Republican in redistricting, even though a third of the district is new territory for him. But if any endangered Tar Heel Democrat survives, it’ll be McIntyre. There’s…

Maryland Primary Boosts Democratic Prospects

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 4, 2012 · 12:44 PM EDT

Only one of Roscoe Bartlett’s wishes came true last night. The 85 year-old GOP congressman won renomination in Maryland’s 6th District, but he’ll face wealthy financier John Delaney (D) in November’s general election.

Delaney defeated state Sen. Rob Garagiola, 54 percent to 29 percent, in the Democratic primary.…

IE Director Is ‘Clear-Eyed and Cold-Blooded’

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 4, 2012 · 9:59 AM EDT

Travis Lowe was on the verge of selling life insurance 11 years ago. Now he’s a key part of helping House Democrats win back a majority.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee independent expenditure director “stumbled into politics,” as he says. At the University of Iowa, he was more…

New Jersey House: All in the Family

by Jessica Taylor March 23, 2012 · 2:59 PM EDT

Welcome to the Garden State grudge match.

In what's quickly becoming the most contentious intraparty incumbent primary on the East Coast, all eyes are on veteran Democratic lawmakers Bill Pascrell and Steve Rothman who are battling it out for a north New Jersey congressional seat each…

Redistricting’s Bottom Line

by Stuart Rothenberg March 20, 2012 · 1:58 PM EDT

Writing an analysis calculating the final result of redistricting is a little like putting a sign on your back that reads “kick me.”

No matter how methodical and dispassionate you try to be, you are forced to make plenty of subjective judgments, guaranteeing that you will be second-guessed…

No Surprises in Alabama and Mississippi Primaries

by Jessica Taylor March 14, 2012 · 5:20 PM EDT

The supposed anti-incumbent wave that started last week in Ohio stopped on Tuesday in the heart of Dixie.

While five incumbents faced varying degrees of primary challenges in Alabama and Mississippi, each turned away their intraparty challenge with relative ease and avoided runoffs. All occupy safe seats ahead…

Democrats Face Ideological House Primaries

by Stuart Rothenberg March 14, 2012 · 10:55 AM EDT

It’s not at all surprising, given the media’s concentration on the fight for the heart and soul of the Republican Party between tea party conservatives and the GOP’s more pragmatic conservative wing, that most journalists have completely ignored the ideological fights within the Democratic Party this year.

But…

Utah Primaries: Power to the Precincts

by Nathan L. Gonzales March 9, 2012 · 2:00 PM EST

Utah’s primary isn’t for another three months, but Sen. Orrin Hatch’s electoral fate could be sealed next week.

The six-term GOP senator is trying to avoid following in the footsteps of his colleague, Bob Bennett, who not only lost reelection in 2010, but failed to make it out…