Senate News & Analysis

Putting First-Quarter Senate Fundraising Into Perspective

by Stuart Rothenberg April 23, 2013 · 3:00 PM EDT

For political junkies in a non-election year, the release of quarterly fundraising reports by incumbents and potential candidates provides one of the few moments of true delight. After all, the reports are filled with numbers, giving us quantitative measures of fundraising strength and potential electoral success.

However, those…

Montana Senate: Baucus Retirement Improves GOP Opportunity

April 23, 2013 · 11:25 AM EDT

Sen. Max Baucus (D) will not seek re-election in 2014, according to The Washington Post’s Paul Kane.

Baucus coasted to re-election in 2008 (73 percent) and discarded Republican Mike Taylor (63 percent) in 2002 with a memorable television ad. The senator’s last competitive race was in…

Landrieu’s Gun Vote: A Possible Political Explanation

by Stuart Rothenberg April 23, 2013 · 9:30 AM EDT

Three red-state Democratic senators up for re-election next year – Alaska’s Mark Begich, Arkansas’ Mark Pryor and Montana’s Max Baucus – voted against the gun control measure offered by Sens. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., and Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa., but not Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary L. Landrieu.

Republicans…

How Will Divided Attention Affect Obama, Congress?

by Stuart Rothenberg April 19, 2013 · 10:09 AM EDT

Not much going on these days, huh? There are only a few things on the president’s — and Congress’ — plate, including:

  • Guns
  • A big budget compromise
  • Immigration overhaul
  • North Korea
  • Bombs at the Boston Marathon
  • Iran’s nuclear program
  • And oh…

Steve King’s Cash Raises Eyebrows, Doubts About Senate Bid

by Stuart Rothenberg April 18, 2013 · 11:55 AM EDT

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, is mentioned often as a possible 2014 Senate candidate for retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin’s seat. But if King’s first-quarter 2013 fundraising report is any indication, the conservative Republican isn’t headed for a statewide race.

King raised just $93,000 in total contributions during the…

Scott Brown’s Potentially Silly Adventure

by Stuart Rothenberg April 12, 2013 · 9:40 AM EDT

Last week, I wrote a short item about reports that former Massachusetts GOP Sen. Scott P. Brown was not ruling out a run for the Senate in 2014 — in New Hampshire.

I argued that the idea was a bad one and that running in the Granite State…

Most Vulnerable Senator of ‘14? Pryor by a Hair

by Stuart Rothenberg April 10, 2013 · 10:04 AM EDT

Who is the most vulnerable senator seeking re-election next year?

Georgia Republican Saxby Chambliss might have won the distinction because of his vulnerability to a conservative primary challenger, but he has already announced he won’t seek another term.

The same goes for West Virginia Democrat Jay Rockefeller…

Why Isn’t Maine’s Susan Collins Vulnerable?

by Stuart Rothenberg April 9, 2013 · 9:31 AM EDT

On one level, Maine’s lone Republican in Congress, Sen. Susan Collins, looks like a defeat waiting to happen.

She is a Republican from a state that went comfortably for Democrat Barack Obama twice. And she is from New England, a part of the country where the GOP is…

Why Scott Brown Running in N.H. Is a Really, Really Bad Idea

by Stuart Rothenberg April 8, 2013 · 9:25 AM EDT

Multiple media outlets are reporting that former Massachusetts Sen. Scott P. Brown, a Republican, hasn’t ruled out a bid for the Senate next year in New Hampshire.

I haven’t ruled out lots of things in my life that I don’t intend to do and am pretty sure…

New Jobs Numbers Raise Economic — and Political — Questions

by Stuart Rothenberg April 6, 2013 · 10:00 AM EDT

The jobs numbers just reported for March — an increase of only 88,000 jobs — are horrendous, especially coming after February’s strong job surge (236,000 new jobs revised up to 268,000).

Forget the unemployment rate sliding from 7.7 percent to 7.6 percent. As The Associated Press noted,…