Archive

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 of the Democratic…

2012 Senate Overview (April 8, 2011)

April 8, 2011 · 3:45 PM EDT

The combination of retirements and GOP recruiting has already put the Senate in play. The GOP needs to gain three or four seats to win control of the Senate (depending on which party holds the White House), and already five Democratic-held Senate seats are no better than toss-ups.

The…

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 northern Louisiana,…

LeMieux Nabs Jon Lerner to Advise Senate Bid

by Stuart Rothenberg April 8, 2011 · 11:01 AM EDT

The state that brought you Republican candidates as varied as Jeb Bush, Katherine Harris, Charlie Crist, Allen West, Rick Scott, Marco Rubio and Joe Scarborough will be choosing a Senate nominee next year, and the early signs point to a fight for the heart and soul of the party.

Florida…

Trump in 2012? Not Every Stupid Idea Is Funny

by Stuart Rothenberg April 6, 2011 · 9:47 AM EDT

I debated about filing this column, worrying that writing anything — anything at all — about Donald Trump would only fuel the existing chatter about a possible presidential bid for the Republican nomination by the celebrity businessman.

I decided, however, that a painfully honest appraisal of…

Odds Are Against Lugar in Bid for Seventh Term

by Stuart Rothenberg April 4, 2011 · 9:00 AM EDT

Six-term Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar ended 2010 with more than $2.3 million in the bank. Unfortunately for Lugar, his war chest is about the only reason to think that he might have a chance of winning a seventh term next year.

The 78-year-old (he turns 79 on Monday) Republican has put together a…

2011-12 Gubernatorial Outlook (April 1, 2011)

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 1, 2011 · 3:01 PM EDT

After an exciting 2010 when nearly three-quarters of the states elected a governor, the four-year gubernatorial cycle starts again with four sleepy races. The two parties will battle in Kentucky and West Virginia this year, with North Carolina, Montana, Missouri, and West Virginia (again) looking…

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…