After a long wait, voters have a chance to deliver their verdict on the first two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. With the election tomorrow, history suggests that the Democrats are poised to make big gains in Congress, including the potential for control of the House of Representatives. But unlike ...
READ MORERevisited: Is this a Wave?
In 2017, we analyzed the core indicators of seat change in a midterm election—presidential approval, voter enthusiasm, direction of the country, and the generic congressional ballot. At the time, these indicators painted a muddled picture of American political attitudes but showed reason for Democratic optimism. Now just six weeks from ...
READ MOREIndependents are Swinging to the Democrats, History Shows That’s a Big Deal
A series of recently released polls shows that President Trump is losing support among independent voters, a growing segment of the population that was key to his victory in 2016. According to the 2016 US House exit polls, Trump carried Independents by 4 points (46% – 42%); other analyses give ...
READ MOREThe NCEC Endorses it’s 25th Candidate of the Cycle
For Immediate Release July 30, 2018 WASHINGTON, D.C. – In another step to bolster Democratic prospects to win back the House of Representatives, the National Committee for an Effective Congress (NCEC) has endorsed Katie Sean Casten for Congress in Illinois' 6th Congressional District, providing the campaign with it's detailed precinct ...
READ MORE7 Pickup Opportunities for Democrats in California
A Democratic wave in 2018 will depend on results from California, which boasts seven competitive congressional contests. In 2016, Democrats failed to gain any seats here despite Hillary Clinton’s more than 30-point victory margin. There are several districts that make for promising Democratic opportunities this cycle, especially given a couple ...
READ MOREUS Senate 2018 Rundown of Vulnerable Democrats
Florida: Longtime incumbent Senator Bill Nelson is facing a tough reelection campaign, especially now that Governor Rick Scott has officially entered the race. Recent polls have shown Nelson clinging to a single-digit lead over Scott in a head-to-head matchup. Donald Trump’s popularity may loom large over this competitive state, because ...
READ MOREUS Senate 2018 Democratic Targets
From the beginning of the election cycle, it was widely assumed that the Senate seats in Arizona and Nevada were the only two likely Democratic targets this fall. But the retirement of Senator Bob Corker and the candidacy of former governor Phil Bredesen has created an opportunity for the Democrats ...
READ MOREStrong Economy Could Help Republicans in 2018
With less than six months before the election, the Democrats are benefiting from a positive political environment. Since January, six Republican state legislative seats have flipped, each with its own story but a consistent theme—Democrats are over performing. In all six contests, the winning Democrat exceeded the NCEC’s Democratic Performance ...
READ MOREMore Evidence of a Coming Wave
This week's special elections in Arizona and New York offer fresh evidence of Democratic momentum as November approaches. In all three contests, the Democrats exceeded historical performance—continuing a steady trend that started at the beginning of 2017. Democrats Competitive in Arizona The special election in Arizona’s 8th District was decided ...
READ MOREConor Lamb’s Victory by the Numbers and Lessons for the Future
Conor Lamb's victory in this week's special election holds several important lessons for the upcoming general election. Again suburban voters emerged as the key voting bloc for Democrats, and the massive turnout in Allegheny County provides a fresh blueprint to follow. The NCEC provided campaign planning and analytics to the ...
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