Archive

5 Things Winning Candidates Say

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 27, 2013 · 9:57 AM EDT

After the overwhelming response to “10 Things Losing Candidates Say," I decided to try to turn it around and point out some common themes from winning candidates.

Of course these phrases don’t guarantee success — a candidate’s party and the partisanship of the state or district will be a larger…

Republicans Win Belated Legal Battles, but Elections Can’t Be Undone

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 26, 2013 · 12:14 PM EDT

You can’t rewrite history, but Republicans probably wish you could.

While two high-profile former GOP officeholders — Texas Rep. Tom DeLay and the late Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens — have now had their convictions overturned or dismissed, Republicans are still dealing with the political…

How Bad Is the GOP Rift? Worse Than Democrats in the 1980s

by Stuart Rothenberg September 25, 2013 · 4:18 PM EDT

Political parties seem to suffer through internal battles periodically, but the current state of the GOP is much worse than what Democrats went through some 25 years ago, when organized labor and old-style liberals fought against the Democratic Leadership Council for the soul of the party.

I…

Family Politics: When Water Is Thicker Than Blood

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 25, 2013 · 10:36 AM EDT

The relationship between parents and children can be complicated, particularly when both are politicians.

On Monday, state Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger announced that he wouldn’t challenge Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan in North Carolina.

In an interview with Reid Wilson of The Washington…

House Strategists Continue Search for 2014 Candidates

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 24, 2013 · 9:10 AM EDT

Roll Call's Kyle Trygstad nearly declared the end to the Senate recruitment season recently, but House strategists on both sides of the aisle still have their work cut out for them.

With a little more than a year before Election Day, Republican and Democratic operatives are searching for…

Democrats Ready to Land Recruit in Elusive California District

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 20, 2013 · 9:51 AM EDT

It’s no secret Democrats whiffed at a huge opportunity in California’s 21st District last cycle. And while it’s taken them awhile to get their footing, it looks like they have found a candidate that could run a competitive race that matches the competitive district.

In 2012, Republican David…

Is South Carolina’s Nikki Haley in Trouble?

by Stuart Rothenberg September 18, 2013 · 2:19 PM EDT

If you listen to South Carolina Democrats, you are pretty certain that Republican Gov. Nikki R. Haley is in deep trouble next year. Not so, says Haley’s top strategist, Jon Lerner, arguing she is very likely to win re-election. Both assessments can’t be correct, can they?

“Despite bringing in 3…

In TX, Latinos pass on opportunity to win congressional seat

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

Robert “Beto” O’Rourke defeated 16-year incumbent Silvestre Reyes in last year’s Democratic primary in a West Texas congressional district. Now the Anglo congressman is running for re-election in a district that is 78 percent Hispanic, but no Latino candidates are stepping up to challenge him…

Is Dan Benishek Waffling on Term Limits?

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 16, 2013 · 9:22 AM EDT

When Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Mich., first ran for office, he was a strong proponent of term limits. But now, the two-term Republican congressman’s stance is much less clear.

“Career-consumed politicians in Washington got us into the mess we are in today by voting for bills they haven’t read, for…

And for John Kasich’s Next Act in Politics …

by Stuart Rothenberg September 13, 2013 · 9:00 AM EDT

We will know in a little more than a year whether John R. Kasich has a second act, or even a third one, in politics. But don’t be surprised if he does.

The Republican governor of Ohio looked like a political defeat waiting to happen in November 2011, after a state ballot measure that he pushed…