Election Insider
January 25 Election Insider
The 2010 census will have an obvious effect on congressional politics as districts are created, eliminated, and redrawn, but a story receiving far less attention is its impact on presidential electoral politics, as states gain and surrender electoral votes due to this reapportionment of districts.
July 1 Election Insider
Al Franken’s long awaited victory in the Minnesota recount has given Democrats a 60 seat majority in the U.S. Senate. This represents the first time since 1979 that either party has enjoyed this large of a majority. While we celebrate the success of the last 3 years, our attention is focused on 2010.
June 30 Election Insider
Even with a strong Democratic majority in the House, there will be votes that will be decided by the smallest of margins. Last Friday, the majority was challenged with the passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which seeks to curb the effects of global warming and end our dependence on foreign energy sources.
May 5 Election Insider
It's easy to believe that the good times will continue for the Democrats. The last two elections were debacles for Republicans in Congress; the GOP's aggregate net loss in Congress was 51 seats. From a once clear majority in 1994, Republicans have been marginalized and now control fewer seats than at any time since 1992.
February 24 Election Insider
The American electoral landscape is in a state of flux. New areas such as suburban and developing exurban counties are carrying more weight in elections as their populations grow.
December 10 Election Insider
After losing more than 50 House seats in the last two elections, the Republicans will be looking to 1994 as a source of inspiration for their goal of retaking control of congress.
December 8 Election Insider
In the end, the 2008 election did not shatter all previous turnout records as many of the political theorists predicted. Overall, in terms of turnout, the election was more ordinary than spectacular.
October 28 Election Insider
The country's attention is firmly set on November 4, but if the Democrats are serious about getting to 60 seats in the Senate, they may need to maintain their motivation for weeks following Election Day.
October 23 Election Insider
At the beginning of the campaign cycle, few political analysts would have dreamed that the Democrats could take the smallest of majorities and extend it to a 60-seat, filibuster-proof majority in just one term.
October 17 Election Insider
When the Democrats won 30 seats in the House in 2006, many saw that as the absolute high-water mark in terms of seat gains in one election cycle, given today's gerrymandered districts.
October 14 Election Insider
The impressive ground game exhibited by the Obama campaign in the primary has continued right through the general election campaign.
September 22 Election Insider
The battleground states that will decide the 2008 presidential election have been clearly identified, but the key to winning those states is still a matter of conjecture, as different political strategists offer differing ideas.
September 8 Election Insider
As the election rapidly approaches in this closely divided country, there is much discussion about the various Electoral College vote scenarios and the combination of states that Barack Obama or John McCain need to win.
August 12 Election Insider
CBS News features an analysis by Mark Gersh, NCEC Washington Director, and Anthony Salvano of CBS news, showing why Barack Obama has a serious chance to win Colorado in 2008.
July 23 Election Insider
In 2004, national polls in the presidential race showed the volatility of public opinion at the time, as both candidates held slim leads at different times in the campaign.
July 11 Election Insider
Political pundits are making outlandish predictions about Democratic gains in the House in 2008, in some cases predicting a 30+ seat gain.
June 9 Election Insider
Now that Senator Barack Obama has secured the Democratic nomination for president, Democrats can move forward as a party to face an even more daunting task: defeating John McCain.
May 22 Election Insider
Last week's Democratic victory in the special election in Mississippi 's First District was nothing short of spectacular. This victory made Democrats a perfect three for three in special elections in 2008, all of which took place in traditionally strong GOP districts in Illinois , Louisiana , and Mississippi.
May 7 Election Insider
The North Carolina and Indiana primaries may have forced clarity upon the Democratic presidential race last night. With the math of the delegate race becoming increasingly implausible for the Clinton campaign, it is likely that the marathon race is close to a conclusion.
April 24 Election Insider
Political attention continues to be dominated by the seemingly never-ending drama for the Democratic presidential nomination, but while the Clinton and Obama camps slug it out, Democrats supporting either candidate are working tirelessly to solidify the Democratic majority in the Senate.
April 10 Election Insider
The results of the Democratic primary runoff last week suggest that a Democratic victory in the upcoming special election is very possible.
March 25 Election Insider
As this excursion from the frantic primary calendar unfolds, Pennsylvania is the next important primary on the horizon.
March 11 Election Insider
The Democratic Party scored a major victory last week, and unlike most current stories in politics, it had little to do with the presidential primaries.
February 25 Election Insider
So much has changed since Hillary Clinton won in New Hampshire. Barack Obama has turned the tide in his direction, scoring 10 straight victories and making inroads into every segment of the population that had overwhelmingly supported Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire.
February 15 Election Insider
The wealth of presidential primaries and caucuses on Super Tuesday and beyond have failed to produce a clear front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination but have shown a population increasingly tuned in to and motivated by the Democratic contest.
February 4 Election Insider
The most striking feature of the Democratic primary season, at least to date, has been remarkable turnout. State after state -- Iowa , New Hampshire , South Carolina , Nevada , Florida -- has established turnout records.
January 31 Election Insider
Bereft of delegates to the National Convention, a penalty imposed by the Democratic National Committee for noncompliance with the prescribed calendar, Florida nevertheless is worth a look.
January 23 Election Insider
In the week leading up to the New Hampshire primary, poll after poll had Barack Obama well ahead of eventual winner Hillary Clinton. Obviously the polls were wrong, but there were several other factors that led to Clinton 's unexpected victory in New Hampshire , some of which carried over to Nevada .
January 15 Election Insider
The Iowa caucus is one of the most influential events in the presidential nomination process. It is a strong indicator of the mood of the country.
For more information on NCEC's Election Insider contact Michael Piel at 202-639-8300.
Election Insider
March 21 Election Insider
Colorado: A New Blue State in the West?
Over the past two election cycles, we've seen a profound transformation in Colorado as Democrats have gained the governorship, a Senate seat, and two House seats since 2002. Recognizing that opportunity has never been greater for Democrats in Colorado, the 2008 DNC convention will be held in Denver, in an attempt to deliver nine crucial electoral votes to the Democrats in the presidential election. The 2008 election offers an opportunity for increased growth in Colorado, the state is sure to receive more attention in terms of the presidential race, and there is an open Senate seat that will be highly contested.
President: Can the Democratic Trend Extend All the Way to the White House?
The last time a Democratic challenger won the state of Colorado in a presidential election was 1992, when then presidential candidate Bill Clinton carried the state with just 40% of the vote because Ross Perot got 23%. In 1996, as an incumbent, President Clinton narrowly lost the state against Bob Dole by less than a percentage point. Over the last two general election cycles, Colorado rarely received much attention in presidential politics, because it was considered a Republican stronghold. One poll late in 2004 declared the race tied, but that poll proved to be fruitless as President Bush cruised to a 5-point victory. Outside presidential politics, Colorado has undergone a Democratic wave; with the success of Senator Ken Salazar and Governor Bill Ritter in recent statewide elections, it is possible that the right candidate can produce a victory for Democrats. The presence of the DNC convention in Denver represents a shift in attitude concerning the state; it shows that Democrats are serious about winning. If Democratic turnout increases because of the convention, it could make the race very interesting.
Senate: An Open Senate Seat Will Draw a Lot of Attention
Incumbent Senator Wayne Allard is not seeking reelection to a third term, which produces a mixed bag of results for Democrats. Senator Allard hasn't been the most popular figure in Colorado politics, due to his unending support for President Bush, so his presence in the race might have been an advantage for Democrats. However, since the seat will be open, no candidate will enjoy the power of incumbency. Representative Mark Udall (CO-02) is considered a lock for the Democratic nomination; he's a moderate Democrat in the same mold as current Senator Ken Salazar and Governor Bill Ritter, which has been a recipe for success in recent cycles. Name recognition remains an issue for Udall, but as his campaign gets under way, this will improve. The Republicans have several well-known political figures potentially interested in the nomination, including former Representative Bob Schaffer, former Representative Scott McInnis, and current Attorney General John Suthers, but there is no clear front-runner at this time. Senator Allard did not experience wide victory margins in either 1996 or 2002; considering the competitiveness of the Senate race in 2004, this race is sure to be close.
House: Democrats Have Captured Two Seats Since 2002
Since the 2002 election, Democrats have picked up two House seats in Colorado. John Salazar, brother of Senator Ken Salazar, won in the Third District in 2004, and Ed Perlmutter won the Seventh District in 2006. These additions give Democrats a 4–3 advantage in the state in terms of House seats. John Salazar (CO-03) greatly expanded his victory margin from 2004 to 2006, as the graph shows, and his appeal remains strong enough that the Republicans barely put up a fight in 2006. Ed Perlmutter notched a wider-than-expected victory last year in the Seventh District, which has been heavily targeted since its creation in 2002. It is expected that the Seventh District will be close once again in 2008, but Democrats will have the power of incumbency behind them.
House: Can Musgrave Be Defeated?
Marilyn Musgrave (CO-04) is a torchbearer for the religious right wing and has parlayed dirty politics, including racial slurs, into close election victories. However, her margin of victory over the past 3 cycles has continued to diminish. She won by a mere 3-points in 2006, but many considered this our best chance to beat her. Favorable political climate, low approval ratings and the presence of Reform candidate Eric Eidsness, who theoretically was expected to deflect votes away from Musgrave, were factors that put the seat in play in 2006. However, Eidsness may have taken as many votes away from Democratic candidate Angie Paccione as he did from Musgrave. In order for any Democrat to win this seat, the candidate must improve his or her performance in the rural counties of the district and maximize Democratic turnout in liberal-leaning Boulder and Larimer counties. This race will most likely be viewed as a tier-two race, but an effective Democratic candidate might finally beat Musgrave.
