House News & Analysis

The Vacant Center Aisle Caucus?

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 11, 2012 · 10:05 AM EDT

Republican strategists certainly weren’t pleased with Illinois Rep. Timothy Johnson’s post-primary retirement decision, but why was a Democratic Member of Congress from almost 1,000 miles away so upset?

“Shedding a tear for my Center Aisle Caucus co-chair,” Rep. Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.) tweeted Wednesday night after the Johnson news…

Parties Seek Answers to Anti-Incumbent PAC’s Motives

by Jessica Taylor April 9, 2012 · 3:20 PM EDT

The Campaign for Primary Accountability (CPA), a super PAC that claims no partisan allegiance and has targeted long-time incumbents randomly, has political strategists on both sides of the aisle perplexed.

Can the CPA defeat incumbent members of Congress by swooping into contests at the last minute? Is it…

House Battleground Comes Into Focus

by Stuart Rothenberg April 6, 2012 · 3:00 PM EDT

While President Obama’s numbers have strengthened in some polls, the public’s mood has brightened a bit, and Democratic prospects in the Senate certainly have improved, Democrats still face a difficult task in their effort to net 25 seats and take back the House of Representatives.

Redistricting has been…

2012 House Overview (April 6, 2012) Alabama - Florida

April 6, 2012 · 2:59 PM EDT

Alabama (6R, 1D)
The state’s new Congressional map makes the districts of freshman Martha Roby (R) and veteran Mike Rogers (R) more Republican, so Democrats aren’t likely to threaten here in 2012. GOP Reps. Joe Bonner and Spencer Bachus survived primary challenges with relative ease.

2012 House Overview (April 6, 2012) Georgia - New York

April 6, 2012 · 2:57 PM EDT

Georgia (8R, 5D – gaining 1 new seat) July 31 primary, August 21 runoff.
GA 9 (Open; new). State Rep. Doug Collins, radio talk show host Martha Zoller and Jackson County Commissioner Hunter Bicknell are in the GOP contest for this new seat, and the winner of the…

2012 House Overview (April 6, 2012) North Carolina - Wyoming

April 6, 2012 · 2:57 PM EDT

North Carolina (6R, 7D) May 8 primary, June 26 runoff.
NC 7 (McIntyre, D). Democrat Mike McIntyre’s district became slightly more Republican in redistricting, even though a third of the district is new territory for him. But if any endangered Tar Heel Democrat survives, it’ll be McIntyre. There’s…

Maryland Primary Boosts Democratic Prospects

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 4, 2012 · 12:44 PM EDT

Only one of Roscoe Bartlett’s wishes came true last night. The 85 year-old GOP congressman won renomination in Maryland’s 6th District, but he’ll face wealthy financier John Delaney (D) in November’s general election.

Delaney defeated state Sen. Rob Garagiola, 54 percent to 29 percent, in the Democratic primary.…

IE Director Is ‘Clear-Eyed and Cold-Blooded’

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 4, 2012 · 9:59 AM EDT

Travis Lowe was on the verge of selling life insurance 11 years ago. Now he’s a key part of helping House Democrats win back a majority.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee independent expenditure director “stumbled into politics,” as he says. At the University of Iowa, he was more…

New Jersey House: All in the Family

by Jessica Taylor March 23, 2012 · 2:59 PM EDT

Welcome to the Garden State grudge match.

In what's quickly becoming the most contentious intraparty incumbent primary on the East Coast, all eyes are on veteran Democratic lawmakers Bill Pascrell and Steve Rothman who are battling it out for a north New Jersey congressional seat each…

Redistricting’s Bottom Line

by Stuart Rothenberg March 20, 2012 · 1:58 PM EDT

Writing an analysis calculating the final result of redistricting is a little like putting a sign on your back that reads “kick me.”

No matter how methodical and dispassionate you try to be, you are forced to make plenty of subjective judgments, guaranteeing that you will be second-guessed…