Inside Elections

2012 House Ratings (September 14, 2012)

September 14, 2012 · 12:56 PM EDT

2012 RPR Electoral Vote Estimate (September 14, 2012) Romney vs. Obama

September 14, 2012 · 12:55 PM EDT

2012 Senate Ratings (September 14, 2012)

September 14, 2012 · 12:55 PM EDT

Both Parties Roll the Dice on Medicare Issue

by Stuart Rothenberg September 12, 2012 · 11:28 AM EDT

Democrats started licking their chops moments after Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney announced that he had selected Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan to be his running mate.

Whether the reaction came from the national party's House and Senate campaign committees, President Barack Obama's…

Nearly 99% of House Incumbents Won Their Primaries

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 11, 2012 · 11:09 PM EDT

Congressional job approval isn’t even near 20 percent but nearly 99 percent of incumbents seeking re-election won their primaries this year.

Despite all the stories about a purported anti-incumbent wave in which voters would throw out sitting members of all shape, size and party, the phenomenon…

Convention: Same Goal, Altered Path for Democrats

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 6, 2012 · 11:46 AM EDT

Not long ago, Democrats had it all: the first African-American president sitting in the Oval Office, the first female Speaker of the House and even a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Four years later, the only remaining piece - the presidency - might be taken away from them.

"The road…

Convention: The Iowa Straw Poll and the National Political Conventions

by Stuart Rothenberg September 5, 2012 · 11:24 AM EDT

Did last week's Republican Convention spell the beginning of the end for national political conventions, at least in their current form? I'm not certain, but it should.

Like the GOP's Ames straw poll, which gets a huge build-up in the media but tells us almost nothing about who will be the…

Convention: North Carolina Democrats Deal with Republican-Dealt Hand in the House

by Jessica Taylor September 4, 2012 · 5:27 PM EDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- North Carolina Democrats here in the Queen City have a common enemy-- their new congressional redistricting map that’s imperiled at least four Democratic-held districts this fall.

Democrats’ ire against the new lines was on full display at a delegation breakfast on Tuesday…

Convention: One Candidate’s Path is Another Candidate’s Hurdle for Democrats in Senate

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 4, 2012 · 5:24 PM EDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Democratic strategists are cautiously optimistic that they will maintain their Senate majority, but, absent an unforeseen political wave, the party will do battle in a series of local contests where an asset in one state might be a hurdle in another.

“Voters of Wisconsin…

Senate Ratings Changes: Races Shift as Playing Field Takes Shape

September 3, 2012 · 12:22 AM EDT

In the wake of GOP nominee Todd Akin’s media meltdown, it’s not just Missouri that appears to be trending away from Republicans lately.

After moving the Show-Me State to Pure Toss-Up last week, we are moving it again, to Lean Democrat. Akin, who held a double-digit lead before he made his…