Senate News & Analysis

Income Inequality: Democrats Have Some Work to Do

by Stuart Rothenberg January 31, 2014 · 9:52 AM EST

The 14th question of the Jan. 22-25 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll produced a set of responses I didn’t expect.

The poll asked, “When it comes to reducing income inequality between the rich and the poor, do you want to see the government more involved than it…

2 Seats, 1 State, Zero Opportunities

by Nathan L. Gonzales January 30, 2014 · 12:01 PM EST

If Democrats plan to win Tom Coburn’s seat in Oklahoma, they’ll be working against the partisanship of the state and over six decades of history.

The Republican senator announced that he would leave his seat at the end of this Congress, two years before the end of his…

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up — and It’s Only January

by Stuart Rothenberg January 29, 2014 · 10:13 AM EST

Sometimes, it’s difficult to tell the difference between a real news story and something from The Onion.

Earlier reports that entertainer Clay Aiken was considering a run for the Democratic nomination in North Carolina’s 2nd District have been overtaken by new stories about the singer “putting together a…

Virginia Senate: Gillespie’s Entry Gives Republicans a Chance

by Nathan L. Gonzales January 17, 2014 · 10:27 AM EST

Republicans continue to expand the Senate map in their quest to win back the majority in 2014. With former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie in the race, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner can no longer take his re-election race for granted. But Virginia is still a long way…

Pay No Attention to That Title of Speaker in Front of My Name

by Nathan L. Gonzales January 11, 2014 · 9:30 AM EST

As speaker of the state House, Thom Tillis is one of the most powerful politicians in North Carolina. But you wouldn’t know it from the Republican’s first ad in the U.S. Senate race.

“In the private sector, businesses are built on accountability,” Tillis says. “But accountability is a…

Early TV Ads: Not New and Mostly a Waste of Money

by Stuart Rothenberg January 8, 2014 · 10:29 AM EST

By mid-December, more than $17.5 million had been spent on TV ads in just four Senate contests: in North Carolina ($8.3 million), Kentucky ($3.5 million), Arkansas ($3.4 million) and Louisiana ($2.3 million), according to a recent piece by Roll Call’s Kyle Trygstad.

The numbers are interesting and…

All GOP Primaries Are Not Created Equal

by Nathan L. Gonzales January 6, 2014 · 10:48 AM EST

Reporters can be lazy. I know this is a shock for many of you, but I think some of the media coverage of Republican Senate primaries has been somewhat shallow.

The short story is that not all primaries are created equal.

Senators vary in vulnerability, challengers vary…

Republicans and Democrats Exchange Gifts this Holiday Season

by Nathan L. Gonzales December 27, 2013 · 3:01 PM EST

The two parties aren’t exactly on the best of terms these days, but that didn’t stop Republicans and Democrats from exchanging gifts over the past year — even if they didn’t intend to.

Instead of fruitcake, each party gave the other a sparkling set of potentially potent political…

How the Calendar Could Influence GOP Senate Primaries

by Nathan L. Gonzales December 20, 2013 · 9:37 AM EST

Stories about Republican primaries are all the rage, and we’re still nearly three months from the first actual election. But in all of the analysis of vulnerable senators, voting scorecards and outside groups, it’s important to remember the calendar and how primary results could affect subsequent races.

It’s…

The Democratic Escape Plan: How to Hold a Vulnerable Senate Seat

by Nathan L. Gonzales December 19, 2013 · 2:47 PM EST

Most handicappers have believed for months that Republicans have a good chance to pick up a Montana Senate seat next year. But once again, Democrats have a plan that just may help them hold that seat. It’s a plan that worked in the past, but will it work once…