Archive

Illinois 14: The Underwood Overview

by Jacob Rubashkin April 23, 2020 · 2:29 PM EDT

The 2018 race in this wealthy Illinois district just west of Chicago was one of the fastest-moving in the country. As late as September 13, the race was rated Solid Republican. But over the subsequent six weeks, the race broke against four-term Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren. On November 5,…

Presidential Battlegrounds: Florida

by Ryan Matsumoto April 23, 2020 · 2:28 PM EDT

One of the first danger signs for Hillary Clinton on election night 2016 was when Donald Trump took and maintained the lead in Florida. As Democrats strategize about which states they can flip four years later, Florida is near the top of the list as a state with 29 electoral votes that voted for…

Five Key Takeaways from the Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

by Ryan Matsumoto April 22, 2020 · 10:34 AM EDT

A week ago, challenger Jill Karofsky won a hotly contested Wisconsin Supreme Court election, defeating incumbent Daniel Kelly. Even though it was a state race, the results were the latest evidence that the Badger State will be a presidential battleground in November. 

Although Wisconsin judicial…

The Battle for the House, As Told Through Super PAC Ad Reservations

by Jacob Rubashkin April 17, 2020 · 10:34 AM EDT

Even though it’s not yet summer, there are windows looking into the fall. Recent television ad reservations from the Congressional Leadership Fund and the House Majority PAC show that, despite higher profile races for the Senate and White House, the battle for the House of Representatives…

Fewer Political Ads Now, Doesn’t Mean Less Advertising Later

by Steve Passwaiter April 15, 2020 · 10:00 AM EDT

The coronavirus has put a temporary end to simple things such as sitting at a restaurant or going to a baseball game, but don’t declare the end of political advertising just yet. 

With travel, rallies, and in-person campaigning severely curtailed, and campaigns striving to maximize communication…

Questioning My Boldest Projection for 2020

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 13, 2020 · 8:13 AM EDT

Through all of the twists and turns of this election, I’ve been confident about one thing: record-breaking turnout. Obviously, with the spread of a pandemic, I’ve started to question my projection a bit.

I first wrote about the potential for a record-setting turnout in December 2018, and for the…

Likely New Members of the 117th Congress (April 10, 2020)

by Jacob Rubashkin April 10, 2020 · 10:30 AM EDT

Predicting election outcomes can be a fraught business. You don’t have to look further than the 2016 presidential race to see that. 

But for some races, one candidate has such an advantage — due to the constituency’s partisan lean, candidate quality, or other factors — that their path to…

Will There be More Republican Women in the House Next Year?

by Nathan L. Gonzales April 9, 2020 · 4:17 PM EDT

With just 13 women on Capitol Hill, House Republicans don’t have any room for error if they want to boost their numbers. After this year’s initial batch of primaries, however, and looking ahead at primaries to come, Republicans are at risk of simply breaking even when it comes to their female…