Senate News & Analysis

2012 Senate Overview (February 24, 2012) Arizona - Michigan

February 24, 2012 · 12:58 PM EST

ARIZONA – Open; Jon Kyl (R), not seeking reelection. August 28 primary.

Democrats remain optimistic about their chances of picking up this open seat, predicated largely on what they see as a strong recruit in former U.S. Surgeon General (under George W. Bush) Richard Carmona, who jumped into…

2012 Senate Overview (February 24, 2012) Minnesota - Ohio

February 24, 2012 · 12:57 PM EST

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

GOP operatives privately admit that Sen. Klobuchar is an excellent politician. Pete Hegseth, executive director of Vets for Freedom, just got into the race. Klobuchar ended December with about $4.6 million in the bank and is a…

2012 Senate Overview (February 24, 2012) Pennsylvania - Wyoming

February 24, 2012 · 12:57 PM EST

PENNSYLVANIA – Bob Casey (D), elected 2006 (59%). April 24 primary.

Casey isn’t charismatic, but his positioning as a pro-union, cultural moderate is a good one for a Democrat in the Keystone State. And the Casey name (his father was governor) is still a plus in parts of…

Nevada, Massachusetts Key to Senate Control

by Stuart Rothenberg February 17, 2012 · 9:10 AM EST

It is a little more than eight months until Election Day, but even now two Republican-held Senate seats look increasingly like the keys to whether Democrats can hold their narrow majority in November.

Republican strategists are overwhelmed with opportunities and potential opportunities this cycle, and even a modest…

Indiana Senate: Lugar’s Legacy

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 10, 2012 · 2:58 PM EST

The Super Bowl is over but Indiana is getting ready for the fourth quarter of a giant U.S. Senate race.

Very few people question that Sen. Richard Lugar is vulnerable in the Republican primary. His longevity in Washington, close (at least at one time) relationship with President Obama,…

Wisconsin Senate: Overshadowed by the Recall

by Jessica Taylor January 27, 2012 · 2:00 PM EST

Under normal circumstances, Wisconsin’s first open Senate seat since 1988 would be the biggest political game in town this cycle. Sen. Herb Kohl announced his retirement in May, and though the four-term Democrat had faced easy reelections, his move sets up a competitive race that is even more complicated…

Senate Report Shorts (January 27, 2012)

January 27, 2012 · 10:59 AM EST

Some significant movement inside a few Senate races isn’t likely to produce a change in the overall picture of the fight for the Senate.

In Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren (D) raised an incredible $5.7 million in the fourth quarter of last year and another $1 million already in January.…

Cong. Fortenberry Declines Senate Run in Nebraska

by Nathan L. Gonzales January 9, 2012 · 11:34 AM EST

In a "significant shift" over the weekend, Cong. Jeff Fortenberry (R) will not run for the open U.S. Senate seat in Nebraska and is expected to seek reelection, according to Nebraska sources. 

Late last week, Fortenberry was coming to the brink, laying the ground work to enter the crowded…

Time for Rothenberg Annual Year-End Awards

by Stuart Rothenberg December 21, 2011 · 8:15 AM EST

Each year I try to give my own awards for the best and the worst, the silliest and the oddest. There were plenty of strange developments this year — heck, the entire Republican race for president has bordered on the bizarre — so there is more than enough material.…

Another Year of Prognostication Ups and Downs

by Stuart Rothenberg December 14, 2011 · 11:37 AM EST

“Regrets, I’ve had a few,” Frank Sinatra sings in one of his signature songs, “My Way,” and that should be a sentiment that every political analyst, handicapper and forecaster feels as he or she looks back on a body of work from the previous 12 months.

Few people…