Senate News & Analysis

Texas Primaries: Cruz’in to Victory

by Jessica Taylor August 1, 2012 · 11:27 AM EDT

Former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz won an upset victory over Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the Texas GOP Senate runoff Tuesday, signaling a major shift not only in the Lone Star State but for the makeup of the incoming Senate as well.

Though he began as a…

Cruz Versus Dewhurst: More Than a Primary

by Stuart Rothenberg July 31, 2012 · 12:21 PM EDT

Today’s Texas Republican Senate runoff between Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz is more than a mere primary. The winner, after all, is certain to win the seat of retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) in November.

But even more, the result will…

How Can Anyone Govern After This Campaign?

by Stuart Rothenberg July 18, 2012 · 9:20 AM EDT

Those of us who have been reporting on and discussing politics for the past few decades have come to expect rough-and-tumble campaigns. As Chicago writer Finley Peter Dunne once observed: “Politics ain’t beanbag.”

But the nature of the 2012 presidential campaign so far raises questions about how, or…

Conventions: From Meaningful to Meaningless

by Stuart Rothenberg July 16, 2012 · 9:33 AM EDT

Rarely a day goes by without some journalist noting that another Member of Congress is passing up the very forgettable opportunity of attending his or her party’s convention later this summer.

The list of media outlets to report on this “development” is long and getting longer: the New…

Ratings Change: Connecticut Senate Gets Less Safe

by Stuart Rothenberg July 13, 2012 · 12:56 AM EDT

Republican Senate nominee Linda McMahon spent $50 million in the GOP primary and general election last cycle to win just over 43 percent of the vote, so it isn’t surprising that we began with some skepticism about the businesswoman’s desire to run again this cycle.

McMahon’s 12-point loss…

Ratings Change: Maine Senate Moves Toward Democrats, Sort of

by Stuart Rothenberg July 13, 2012 · 12:54 AM EDT

Maine’s primaries are now history, so the three-way race for Senator Olympia Snowe’s open Senate seat has finally come into focus – sort of.

Republicans hope Secretary of State Charlie Summers (R) can win a multi-candidate contest, following the model of how former Waterville mayor Paul LePage (R)…

Nevada Senate: Game Change?

July 13, 2012 · 12:53 AM EDT

The House Ethics Committee’s decision to formally investigate Rep. Shelley Berkley (D) has the potential to shift one of the most competitive Senate races in the country toward the Republicans.

The bipartisan committee is looking into whether Berkley inappropriately used her office to support policies that benefited her…

Campaigns to Compete for Ads During Olympic Games

by Nathan L. Gonzales July 12, 2012 · 9:35 AM EDT

There’s good news on the horizon for attention-deprived candidates: Millions of voters will soon be glued to their television screens in a normally dead time for campaign advertising.

The bad news is that it’s the Summer Olympics, and candidates and outside groups will have to spend a premium…

Wisconsin Senate Race Will Be Test of Political Mood

by Stuart Rothenberg July 11, 2012 · 10:17 AM EDT

Wisconsin has drawn plenty of attention recently, first because of the recall election of Gov. Scott Walker (R) and then because it is one of a handful of swing states in the 2012 presidential election.

But it is the Senate race for retiring Democrat Herb Kohl’s seat that…

Fall Elections Shape Future Rosters

by Nathan L. Gonzales July 1, 2012 · 11:00 AM EDT

Pulled muscles and back injuries are nothing compared to the devastation the fall elections could inflict on the rosters for the 2013 edition of the CQ Roll Call Congressional Baseball Game.

This year could be the final game for more than a dozen Members of Congress who face…