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Search for Competitive House Open Seats Comes Up Empty

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 18, 2013 · 9:14 AM EDT

Open seats are supposed to be opportunities. Without longtime incumbents on the ballot, these districts should be easier to takeover. But six months into the 2014 cycle, that just isn’t the case on the House side.

So far, there are 10 districts slated to be open seats because the member is…

Latino candidates line up for next year’s Congressional races in Florida

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 17, 2013 · 10:46 AM EDT

The midterm elections are still more than a year away, but Latino candidates in Florida are already jockeying for position in a couple of key congressional races.

In 2012, Democrat Joe Garcia defeated incumbent David Rivera in the 26th District, in large part because the Republican congressman…

Democrats Struggle for Traction in Early House Landscape

by Stuart Rothenberg June 14, 2013 · 1:00 PM EDT

Democrats’ long-shot slog to add the additional 17 seats that would give them control of the House after the midterms has gotten even tougher over the past couple of months.

Elizabeth Colbert Busch’s underwhelming showing in a South Carolina special election showed how difficult it will be to…

2014 House Overview (June 14, 2013) Alabama - Indiana

June 14, 2013 · 12:59 PM EDT

Alabama (6 Republicans, 1 Democrat)
AL 1 (Open; Bonner, R). Special Election. Jo Bonner is expected to resign from Congress in mid-August in order to take a position with the University of Alabama system. Former state senator/2012 gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne is considered a very…

2014 House Overview (June 14, 2013) Iowa - Oklahoma

June 14, 2013 · 12:58 PM EDT

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) and Cedar Rapids City Councilor Monica Vernon (D) are in, with Murphy the clear favorite…

2014 House Overview (June 14, 2013) Oregon - Wyoming

June 14, 2013 · 12:57 PM EDT

Oregon (1R, 4D)
OR 4 (DeFazio, D). Co-Speaker of the Oregon House Bruce Hanna (R) met with NRCC officials to explore a potential run against Peter DeFazio. President Obama only won the district with 52 percent in 2012, so there is the potential for a competitive race. But Hanna also met with the…

Why Emasculating the Speaker Is Rarely a Good Idea

by Stuart Rothenberg June 14, 2013 · 9:17 AM EDT

They’re at it again.

Conservatives outside of Congress — including Heritage Action for America, the Club for Growth, Phyllis Schlafly, L. Brent Bozell, the Tea Party Express, Morton Blackwell, Richard Viguerie, Citizens United and the Traditional Values Coalition — have signed a letter in…

The Barn Jacket as a Secret Campaign Weapon

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 13, 2013 · 2:53 PM EDT

Election Day is still more than a year away, but Illinois Republican Bruce Rauner is already deploying a popular campaign weapon: the barn jacket.

Rauner released two television ads on Tuesday in his bid to become the next governor in the Prairie State. In “Back to Work,” the wealthy venture…