House News & Analysis

New York 26: Moved to More Vulnerable Category

April 29, 2011 · 4:25 PM EDT

With less than a month to go before Election Day, the special election in New York’s 26th District is not a foregone conclusion.

GOP insiders acknowledge (and a new public poll shows) that state Assemblywoman Jane Corwin (R) has a small lead over Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul…

Iowa Districts: Out with the Old, In with the New

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 22, 2011 · 2:58 PM EDT

Iowa’s redistricting process is a political handicapper’s dream and incumbent’s nightmare.

Instead of letting partisan legislators draw the new congressional lines, that task is left to a nonpartisan commission, the Legislative Services Bureau. By aiming to keep counties intact and districts compact, the group came

up with…

Iowa 4: Christie Vilsack Likely to Challenge King

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 15, 2011 · 11:39 PM EDT

Former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack (D) is likely to take on Cong. Steve King (R) in Iowa’s new 4th Congressional District, according to a Democratic source in the Hawkeye State. Vilsack, however, has not yet made a final decision.

There’s been a lot of movement in the…

The New Norm: Last-Minute Political Deals

by Stuart Rothenberg April 13, 2011 · 11:32 AM EDT

One of the byproducts of the highly partisan environment that we find ourselves in is the last-minute political deal. That means that the Friday budget agreement isn’t likely to be the final last-minute political deal on the horizon.

Congress often waits until the clock is running out before…

NRCC Veteran Walsh to Lead GOP Outside Group

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 12, 2011 · 9:00 AM EDT

Former National Republican Congressional Committee Political Director Brian O. Walsh will be the new president of American Action Network.

Starting today, he’ll head up a powerful outside group that spent $26 million on races last election cycle.

The New Jersey native comes off three election cycles at…

No Such Thing as an Off Year for Consultants

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 11, 2011 · 9:30 AM EDT

Just a couple of months after helping direct $65 million in 77 House races across the country, media consultant John Lapp was in Wisconsin pitching a candidate for county executive.

It didn’t seem like much at the time — a fun, off-year race for the former executive director…

Republicans Ready to Unveil Compromise Map in Louisiana

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 8, 2011 · 11:19 AM EDT

After a some failed attempts and a late night of negotiating, Republicans in Louisiana are ready to unveil a new Congressional map that could garner enough support to be in place for the next 10 years.

According to GOP sources, the new map includes two vertical districts in…

New Iowa Map Pits Incumbents Against Each Other

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 1, 2011 · 9:53 AM EDT

With Iowa losing a seat in reapportionment, it looks like Rep. Steve King will face a primary challenge to keep a seat in Congress.

Iowa’s first proposed Congressional map for redistricting puts the homes of two different sets of incumbents in the same districts, setting the stage for…

Redistricting Doesn’t Always Go as Planned

by Nathan L. Gonzales March 31, 2011 · 9:14 AM EDT

All the hard work of drawing a Congressional map can be ruined by a basket of chicken fingers.

Across the country, Republicans and Democrats are feverishly strategizing about how to draw Congressional districts that will benefit their parties for the next decade. But even though districts can be…

New Democratic poll paints premature fight for the House

by Nathan L. Gonzales March 23, 2011 · 10:35 AM EDT

“The Republican-Obama Seats Put Republican Majority in Jeopardy” declared a recent press release and accompanying poll by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (D) for Democracy Corps.

Maybe. But maybe not. And if you read the full release, you can tell that the authors of the memo know that they…